UEH - SFLE Session 4: Thursday

Class: AV002 Date: November 18, 2021

Group: 4

UNIT A: REVISION + UNIT 4: ORGANISATION

Group Discussion Report
Time: November 18 – Venue: Online meeting
Participants:
1. Lê Trần Minh Phúc Group Leader
2. Nguyễn Trần Bảo Châu Secretary
3. Nguyễn Hoàng Minh Hạnh Member
4. Phan Thị Ngọc Quyên -id-
5. Phan Thị Yến Nhi -id-
6. Trần Võ Quỳnh Như -id-
7. Thạch Tú Vân -id-
8. Nguyễn Lê Tường Vy -id-
9. Đinh Nguyễn Duy Uyên -id-
10. Từ Lê Quỳnh Như -id-
11. Nguyễn Thị Kim Anh -id-
12. Nguyễn Ngọc Thùy Dương -id-

CONTENTS

UNIT A: REVISION
PART 1: BRANDS
VOCABULARY
Topalino is a well-known brand of sweets and chocolates owned by ABG, a
company based in Maribor, Slovenia. It focuses mainly on upmarket products and
was the market leader in exclusive confectionery.

In the last two years, however, Topalino’s market share has declined by almost
25%. There are at least two reasons for this decline.

First, supermarkets in the region are now selling sweets of similar quality at much
lower prices, so more and more consumers say that Topalino is no longer value for
money. The economic downturn has naturally made people more price conscious,
and brand loyalty is suffering as a result. A possible solution would be to reduce
the price of at least a number of products so that they are in the medium range of
prices.

Secondly, a lot of middle-aged people find the logo childish and the packaging old-
fashioned and unexciting – in other words, they no longer find the brand image
attractive. In order to appeal to this important market segment, Topalino is
thinking of repositioning its main products and expanding its product range.

PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Sarika Gupta is a technology programmer, and she loves what she does. She works
for Datascope, an exciting IT company based in Bangalore, ‘the Silicon Valley of
India’, and she is also a shareholder in the company. Datascope is gaining an
excellent reputation worldwide for its innovative products and solutions. Not only
are its young engineers extremely skilled, they also know how to market their
ideas. As a result, the company’s fame is spreading rapidly, and currently a
number of leading companies are trying to enter into some form of partnership
with it.

That is why this week Sarika and Vijay, her Head of Department, are not working
at Datascope. They are attending a series of meetings with representatives from
global IT companies. Sarika knows that some of these companies want to
outsource part of their operations to India, so she believes something good for
Datascope will come out of these meetings.

SKILLS
Claire: One proposal is that we bring out a new product under the Topalino brand.
So, what are your views on this?
Nikola: In my opinion, this is the best solution if we want to regain market share.
Ivan: Why don’t we focus on our pricing policy first? Isn’t that the key issue?
Jasmina: I’m afraid I can’t agree. What we need to do to begin with is reposition
our market leader.
Rick: How about doing both, Jasmina? We can certainly bring out a new product
and reposition another at the same time.
Jasmina: I see what you mean, but we’ve got to start somewhere, and thinking
about out best-selling product is what’s most important at this stage.
Claire: I think so too. Perhaps we could agree to bring out a new product later this
year.

PART 2: TRAVEL
TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE
1.
A: I’m afraid we haven’t received a copy of the booking form yet.
B: Sorry about that. If I could just have your number, I will fax it over to you
straight away.
2.
A: Have you planned the weekend excursion for our visitors from China?
B: Yes, Tom is going to show them round the old town and the harbour.
3.
A: I’ve just heard some bad news.
B: What is it?
A: They are going to cancel our trip to Brazil.
4.
A: What about Tuesday at around the nine thirty?
B: Fine. I will see you then.

SKILLS
MG: Marco Gallieri, Travel Section. Good afternoon. How can I help you?
KM: Karim Melki speaking, from Marketing. I’d like to speak to Britta Keller,
please.
MG: I’m afraid Britta isn’t in today. Would you like to leave a message?
KM: Yes, please. The reason I’m calling is that Britta is in charge of our travel
arrangements for the Dubai conference next month, and there are some changes.
First, there are now four of us instead of three. The additional name is Sylvia
Lohmar. And the Britta had booked us on flight LH630, leaving Frankfurt at 14.55
on Monday 6th. However, I’m afraid something’s come up, and we are now leaving
on Tuesday. The flight is at about the same time, I think.
MG: Fine, I’ve got that, Mr Melki. Was there anything else?
KM: Could you just ask her to call me back tomorrow morning as soon as she’s
made the changes?
MG: Right. I’ll make sure she gets the message.
KM: Thanks for your help. Goodbye.

PART 3: CHANGE
VOCABULARY
1.
 The current economic climate is making people reassess all of the purchases
they make.
 When will the government reassess the impact of their economic reforms on
the quality of life?
 We need to reassess the situation before taking any decision.
2.
 If your company downsizes and you are over 50, your working life may be
over.
 As the car industry downsizes, many are leaving the country in search of
work.
 Breaking news: TRN United, the global electronics group, has downsized its
workforce by 20%.
3.
 Could you perhaps update us on how the project is progressing?
 We continuously update the files with new information.
 We plan to update our telephone.
4.
 The government will soon deregulate all internal flights, so the industry will
probably become more competitive.
 They plan to deregulate the capital markets and privatize most state-owned
companies.
 Taiwan’s government pledged to deregulate its service sector within four
years.
5.
 We bought new software and had to retrain everyone to use the database.
  Our agency has seen a huge increase in the number of adults looking to
change careers, either as a result of job loss or a desire to retrain in a different
field.
 People are often reluctant to retrain until they are convinced that their
present skills are not sufficient to enable them to find work.

PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT PERFECT

1.
A: How long have your offices been in this area?
B: Since April 2007.
A: Where were you before that?
B: In the city centre. But the rent was outrageously expensive, so we decided to
relocate to the suburbs.
A: And have you ever regretted your decision?
B: Frankly, we were slightly worried about all the changes in the first couple of
months, but we soon realised that it was the right move. This part of town is
extremely attractive, and in fact, it has developed enormously over the last two or
three years.

2.
A: So it seems you have had a very good year so far.
B: Absolutely! Sales stood at €14m at the end of the last quarter, and they have
already increased by 6%
A: What about your market share?
B: It has remained stable since 2008, but we are confident it will increase when
we launch our new product.
A: Have you had to make anyone redundant?
B: No. At Lortex, we pride ourselves on the fact that there have not been any
redundancies for over eight years.

CULTURES: SOCIALISING
1/
Laura: Hi, I’m Laura Dumont. Nice to meet you.
Stefan: Nice to meet you, too. I’m Stefan Kirchner.
Laura: Where are you from, Stefan?
Stefan: I’m from Linz. That’s in Australia. How about you?
Laura: I’m from Ottawa in Canada.
Stefan: You’ve come a very long way! How was your journey here?
Laura: It was fine, but a bit tired. Nine hours is a long time to be in a plane. I
manage to get a good rest yesterday, though. By the way, are you staying at the
Regency, too?
Stefan: No, they booked me into a small hotel called The Winston.
Laura: What’s it like?
Stefan: Well, it’s all right, I suppose. A bit noisy, but the food and service are
good. An it’s within walking distance of the conference centre, so I can’t complain

2/
1.
A: How is your business?
B: Not too bad. Sales are up, but we’ve had some redundancies.
2.
A: What’s your job?
B: I’m a systems analyst.
3.
A: Have you visited anywhere in the city?
B: No, but I’ll try and see some of the sights before I leave.
4.
A: How did you come to the conference?
B: I flew to Berlin, then I took a taxi.
5.
A: Did you have any problems finding the centre?
B: No. The map was very helpful, so we got to the conference centre really
quickly.
6.   
A: Where are you staying?
B: At the Grand Hotel in Friedrichstrasse.
7.
A: What is your hotel room like?
B: It’s very spacious and comfortable, with a good view.
8.
A: Who are you interested in? 
B: I’m particularly keen to go to Professor Roger’s talk.
 UNIT 4: ORGANISATION
PART 1: Vocabulary
A/
1. e 5. f
2. h 6. b
3. a 7. g
4. d 8. c

 English translation:
 subsidiary: a company which is at least half-owned by another company
 factory/plant: a large building or group of buildings where goods are made
(using machinery)
 call centre: an office where people answer questions and make sales over
the phone
 service centre: a place where faulty products are mended
 headquarters: the main office or building of a company
 distribution centre: a building from which goods or supplies are sent to
factories, shops or customers
 warehouse: a building for storing goods in large quantities
 outlet: a place through which products are sold

 Vietnamese translation:
 subsidiary (n): chi nhánh công ty, công ty con
 EG: The number of clinics, including subsidiaries to main clinics, is 470. 
 factory/plant (n): nhà máy, xí nghiệp, xưởng 
 EG:
 The factory supplies electrical components for cars.
 Two more car-assembly plants were closed by the strike.
 call centre (n): trung tâm chăm sóc khách hàng
 EG: The police operates a call center to inform victims about their cases.
 service centre (v): trung tâm dịch vụ 
 EG: A series of calls to the bank’s telephone service centre confirmed that
figure.
  headquarters (v): tổng công ty, tổng bộ, trụ sở chính
 EG: The company has its European headquarters in Brussels. 
 distribution centre (v): trung tâm phân phối
 EG: Items are shipped from their distribution centres to over
800 stores nationwide.
 warehouse (v): kho hàng, kho chứa đồ
 EG: The goods have been sitting in a warehouse for months because
a strike has prevented distribution.
 outlet (v): điểm bán lẻ
 EG: The company has more than 1200 retail outlets nationwide.

B/
1. Stock levels have been low for two weeks now  warehouse
2. Why do we always have to check with the parent company before making
decisions?  subsidiary
3. Yes, that’s fine. If you just can hold on a minute, I’ll need to transfer you to
a supervisor.  call centre
4. We need to deliver this consignment on Friday.  distribution centre 
5. The production line is operating at full capacity.  factory/plant
6. The Board of Directors has fixed the Annual General Meeting for Tuesday
the second.  headquarters
7. Can you e-mail head office as soon as possible and find out about the
designs for the new window displays?  outlet
8. I’m afraid all our engineers are out working on repairs at the moment. 
service centre.
 
C/+D/
1. c 7. i
2. a 8. b
3. d 9. j
4. e 10.f
5. g 11.k
6. h
 1. R&D: carry out research 
2. Customer Services: deal with complaint
3. Human Resources: train staff
4. Sales and Marketing: run advertising campaigns 
5. Production: operate assembly lines
6. Finance: prepare budgets/ accounts
7. Administration: keep records
8. Legal: draw up contracts
9. Logistics: transport goods
10. Public Relations: issue press releases 
11. IT: install and maintain systems equipment

 Other activities:
1. R&D: keep track of all the costs related to the creation of new products and
manage product testing and trials.
2. Customer Services: give customers information about products and services
and take orders, and process returns.
3. Human Resources: develops the company's culture and mediate conflicts.
4. Sales and Marketing: introduce new products to the market and gather data
and trends to draft reports.
5. Production: ensure all machinery runs smoothly and assist in the packaging
and shipment of items.
6. Finance: manage records and receipts and resolve financial disputes.
7. Administration: schedule appointments, answer phones and greet visitors.
8. Legal: provide management with effective legal advice and provide
clarification on legal language to everyone in the organization
9. Logistics: coordinate full order cycles and plan warehouses and distribution
centres.
10. Public Relations: monitor the public and media's opinion and organize PR
events (e.g. open days, press conferences). 
 11. IT (Information Technology): monitor security certificates and offer
technical support to company staff.
E/
A. Administration
B. Public Relations
C. Human resources

F/ 

bureaucratic      caring centralized conservative

hierarchical
decentralized democratic dynamic

impersonal  market-driven     professional progressive

G/
a) good qualities of an organization: decentralised, caring, democratic, market-
driven, centralised, dynamic, professional, progressive
b) bad qualities of an organization: bureaucratic, decentralized, impersonal,
centralised, conservative, hierarchical
PART 2: Discussion questions
A/ 
1. Would you like to work in the building in the photo above? Why?
/Why not?
 Answer: I can see how contemporary and enormous the structure is by
looking at the photo. I am willing to work at that location if the opportunity arises
for the following reasons. First and foremost, it is spacious, and I suppose it is a
comfortable working environment. Second, there will be a large number of brilliant
people here, so I'll get the opportunities to collaborate with them while also gaining
valuable knowledge and experience. Last but not least, I don't have to suffer from
boiling weather or chilly because the company would provide the personnel with
air conditioners. In conclusion, the reasons I selected to work in that particular
building are summarized above.

2. Which people in your organization have their own office? Do they have
their own office because of: a) seniority; b) a need for confidentiality; c) the
type of work they do?
 Answer: Individuals in high positions and ascendancy, I believe, should
have their workplace due to their seniority accumulating completely different
experiences that are taken priority over in most firms. Because of their devotion
and contribution to the organization, they deserve to be treated better, with a
dedicated operational place with modern amenities. A private office conjointly
boosts working productivity, allowing executives to perform more effectively.

B/ How important are the following in showing a person’s status in an

organization? Give each one a score from 1 (not important) to 5 (very
important).

 a reserved parking space  your name on your office

 an office with a view door
 a uniform  the latest company mobile
 a personal business card phone
 a company car  an assistant
 taking holiday when you like
  the size of your desk  flying business class
 more than one seat in your  a company credit card
office  fixed working hour

 Answer: 
Give each one a score
 a reserved parking space 2
 an office with a view 3
 a uniform 1
 a personal business card 2
 a company car 3
 your name on your office door 3
 the latest company mobile phone 4
 an assistant 4
 taking holiday when you like 3
 the size of your desk 2
 more than one seat in your office 3
 flying business class 4
 a company credit card 5
 fixed working hour 3

A company business card, in my opinion, demonstrates a person's status within

an organization, which is the most significant factor. This card offers a wealth of
information, ranging from a job title to the amount of money he earned. In
addition, people can be distinguished by the color of their cards. 
On the other hand, the uniform is of the least importance. Workers should be
allowed to choose their dress so that they may show off their sense of style and feel
more confident while working in such a competitive setting.
Therefore, I would like to rate 5 for a company business card and 1 for a
uniform respectively. 
PART 3: Language review
Noun combinations:
1. c 2. a 3. b 4. d
A/
1. ’s possessive: company’s university programmes manager
2. one noun used as an adjective: side effects, Internet company, skiing trips,
game rooms, office decorating, team feeling, massage chairs, table-tennis
tables, video games, lava lamps, Google offices, university faculty, lunchtime
talks
3. phrases with of: number of pounds, business of work, type of people,
degree of independence, culture of autonomy 
4. compound nouns forming one word: teamwork, workplace, beanbags,
lunchtime

B/
1. a) the meeting of today
2. a) a letter of credit
3. a) a business card
4. a) a date’s base
b) today’s meeting c) today meeting
b) a credit’s letter c) a letter’s credit
b) a card of business c) a businesses’ card
b) a base of data c) a database

C/ 
1. a plan which lasts for 10 years  a 10-year plan
2. a hotel with five stars  a five-star hotel
3. a budget worth three million dollars  a three-million-dollar budget
4. a presentation that lasts 20 minutes  a 20-minute presentation
5. a contract worth 200,000 dollars  a 200,000-dollar contract
6. an industrial empire which is 150 years old  a 150-year-old industrial empire

D/
1. business a) virus b) objectives c) plan
2. management a) style b) technology c) consultant
3. sales a) team b) revenue c) trade
4. customer a) care b) team c) loyalty
5. company a) house b) headquarters c) logo
6. product a) profit b) line c) range
7. consumer a) goods b) logos c) awareness
8. research a) project b) findings c) knowledge
9. information a) technology b) force c) desk
10. computer a) union b) program c) virus

E/
1. 
 Companies need to have business objectives in their plan. 
 A business plan helps you set goals for your business. 
2. 
 There are three broad categories of management styles: autocratic,
democratic and laissez-faire.
 Management consultants help organizations solve problems, improve
business performance, create value and maximize growth.
3. 
 We need to set up our sales team’s structure. 
 Our sales revenue this month has increased significantly. 
4. 
 A business that wants to be sustainable in the market needs to have
good customer care. 
 If you want to have customer loyalty, you need to make sure you are giving
customers the best service they can find. 
5. 
 Big Hit Entertainment, which is the company headquarters of BTS, has
moved to the Yongsan center in Seoul. 
 Company logos or brand marks are a visual identity of any business and
brand.
6. 
 The company is going to expand its offerings by adding to existing product
lines.
  To increase the chances of satisfying more customers, we need to widen
the product range.
7. 
 These shirts are consumer goods, but those jeans are immediate goods.
 Understanding customer awareness allows us to know what we need to
provide them with.
8. 
 We are planning to conduct a research project to find solutions for our
current problem.
 After conducting a survey, we will get research findings that can improve
our product.
9. 
 Nowadays, a lot of people want to pursue a career in Information
Technology.
 The information desk of a hotel will provide comprehensive information,
the guidance of services and facilities available in your room when you choose to
stay in that hotel.
10. 
 Video games are computer programs
 Opening links in Emails from Unknown Senders is probably a way to
get computer viruses.
PART 4: Case study
BACKGROUND
 Instep, a shoe manufacturer, is considering moving the head office of its
European subsidiary from Paris to Beauchamp, wherein it moved its factory three
years ago. Beauchamp is a small, industrial town in northern France and has a
population of 25 000, with a high proportion of young people. The company is
planning to move staff to a purpose-built, six-storey building in the same town.
 A meeting has been held between the Vice-President of the parent company
and the Paris subsidiary’s senior managers to discuss the benefits of the relocation
and the reaction of the subsidiary’s staff to this decision. After the meeting, the
Vice-President is going to write an email to Instep’s CEO, informing the CEO of
his decision concerning the relocation.

SUMMARY
1. Advantages:
 Relocation will reduce costs and boost the company’s profits in the
long run.
 Having everyone on one site will improve communication.
 Excellent facilities in the new building, for instance, a top-floor café,
fitness centre and a swimming pool in the basement, will motivate the staff.
 Relocation grants and tax incentives will be available from the local
authority in the area.
 Overseas visitors will enjoy the surrounding countryside.
 There are several cheap hotels in Beauchamp and the surrounding
area.

2. Disadvantages:
 Relocation will take the employees a lot of time to go to work every
day due to living in a completely different environment.
 Employees’ children need time to get acquainted with new
surroundings.
 The company are likely to lose top employees since they can easily
find a new job in Paris so they will not risk abandoning their fixed lifestyles.
  Relocating business could interrupt client current relations, which will
damage the customer loyalty and satisfaction. The company will have to deal with
the possibility of losing existing, long-standing clients and customers.
 Decentralizing the office may result in difficulty in attracting
investors and cooperating with other companies.
 Relocation will cause downtime because it needs a significant amount
of time, effort, money to finally settle in a new location.

3. Solutions:
 Re-inform the staff how the relocation is beneficial not only for the company
itself but also for them in the long run.
 The company should offer flexi-time working hours for staff with young
children. 
 The organization had better make sure to keep everyone updated on every
step of the moving process. Managers can notify all of the clients and suppliers of
the new location, schedule, and other changes.
 Those who will move houses should be provided with free accommodation
for the first two months and supported in finding new accommodation after that. 
 The business should carry out a further survey to see whether there is
anything else the workforce wants the company to assist.
 The company must continue the business operation during the transition. 

EMAIL
To: John Waters (John.Waters@sitco.com)
From: Peter Lewis
Subject: InStep’s relocation

Dear Mr Waters,
My name is Peter Lewis, the Vice-President of the parent company. Today I am
writing this letter on behalf of the staff’s point of view about the relocation. The
shift provides various benefits to the organization, including increased profits,
fiscal incentives, and improved communication and working conditions.
Nonetheless, many employees were displeased with the fact that the "why to
relocate" messages primarily concentrated on the company's own benefits without
addressing those of the workforce. There were also multiple worries with
legitimate reasons voiced by the opposing sides, thereby splitting the voting result
into two halves and prohibiting me to arrive at a conclusion whether to assent or
defy the move. Here are the concerns about the decision: 

To begin with, the shift will have a detrimental influence on the work-life balance
of the vast majority of staff. Several employees are dissatisfied with the prospect of
abandoning their Parisian lifestyles and relocating to an entirely different
environment. It, id est, implies that our firm is likely to lose top-tier personnel as
they can easily find new positions that will allow them to remain in the capital.
Employees who opt not to end their occupations, on the other hand, will have
trouble with regard to time and money spent driving to work every day. Whereas
the staff who agree to relocate to Beauchamp are likewise concerned that their
family, especially the children, will require time to acclimatize to new
surroundings.

Another source of worry is the risk of losing well-established, long-standing clients

and customers. It is because transferring business may interrupt client relationships
causing damage to customer loyalty and satisfaction. Furthermore, decentralizing
the head office could lead to major hurdles to attract investors and collaborate with
other firms. As a result, these drawbacks will do considerable harm to the company
at first since we demand a large amount of money and effort to settle in a new
location.

Since there are still various challenges in connection therewith preventing the
meeting from coming to a final decision, I would like to invite you to a meeting at
our office on Monday, November 22 at 8 o'clock for a further discussion. Please let
me know whether you are available for this date.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,
Peter Lewis 
Vice-President
397 City Lane
London EC2 3RW

Suggestion:  N/A= not applicable

The discussion comes to the end at …….11h10 o’clock on the same day.

                  Secretary                                                     Group Leader

                   Signature                                                         Signature
Nguyễn Trần Bảo Châu Lê Trần Minh Phúc