CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR

BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION

Rawdon Wyatt

AND

A & C Black
London

4th edition

www.acblack.com

First published as Check Your Vocabulary for Business in 1996

by Peter Collin Publishing

Second edition published 1999

Third edition published 2003

by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

This fourth edition published 2007 by

A & C Black Publishers Ltd

38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HB

© Rawdon Wyatt 2007

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in

any form without the permission of the publishers.

A CIP entry for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN-10: 0-7136-7916-6

ISBN-13: 978-0-7136-7916-8

eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0251-0

Text typeset by A & C Black

Printed in Great Britain at Caligraving Ltd, Thetford, Norfolk

This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and

recyclable. The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

If you want to practise and develop your knowledge of English vocabulary for Business and

Administration, you will find that the exercises in this book will help you. They are

particularly useful if:

If you want to make the most of the exercises in the book, you should note the following:

We hope that you enjoy doing the exercises in this book, and that they help you to practise

and develop the Business and Administration vocabulary that you need.

Introduction

You work, or are planning to work, in or around an English-speaking business

environment.

Your work brings you into regular contact with English-speaking business people.

You are planning to take a Business English examination such as BEC Vantage /

Higher, TOEIC, or one of the LCCI (London Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

International Qualifications, especially 2nd, 3rd or 4th level Business.

You do not work directly in Business and Administration, but your job requires you

to have a working knowledge of common business words and expressions.

This is not a course book, and you do not need to work through it 'mechanically'

from beginning to end. It is better to choose areas that you are unfamiliar with, or

areas that you feel are of specific interest or importance to you.

Write down new words and expressions that you learn. Develop your own personal

vocabulary 'bank' in a notebook or file. Review these words and expressions on a

regular basis so that they become a part of your 'productive' vocabulary.

Use a good general-English dictionary and a good business-English dictionary to

check the meanings of new words and expressions (but try to do the exercises first

before looking in the dictionary). Many of the examples in this book have been

taken from the Macmillan English Dictionary (ISBN 978-0-333-96847-5) and the

A&C Black Dictionary of Business 4th edition (ISBN 978-0-713-67918-2).

The exercises in this book either focus on general business vocabulary (for example,

phrasal verbs, formal words, words with similar meanings, etc) or topic-specific

business vocabulary (for example, sales and marketing, recruitment, dispute

resolution, etc). However, you should be aware that not all of the vocabulary is

exclusive to business and administration, and not all of the topic-specific vocabulary

is exclusive to that particular topic. For example, 'commission' appears in the section

on Earnings, rewards and benefits, but it could also be applied to Sales and

marketing.

The key at the back of the book not only has answers for all of the exercises, but

also provides you with other relevant information. For example, it gives you

alternative answers, provides more words and expressions that are not featured in

the exercises themselves, explains what some of the words and expressions mean,

and elaborates on some of the topic areas

The book does not contain every single word or expression that you are likely to

meet or to need. You should therefore try to develop your vocabulary further by

reading from a variety of other resources, such as newspapers, magazines, journals

and books. As a reference source, the author particularly recommends Business –

The Ultimate Resource, published by A&C Black (ISBN 978-0-713-67509-2).

Page: Title:

1 – 2 Abbreviations

3 – 5 Appraisals, training and staff development

6 – 7 Changes

8 Business 'colours'

9 – 10 Contracts

11 – 12 Dispute resolution

13 – 14 Earnings, rewards and benefits 1

15 Earnings, rewards and benefits 2

16 – 17 Formal words

18 – 19 Business idioms

20 – 22 IT and e-commerce

23 – 24 Jobs and positions

25 – 27 Letters

28 Meetings and presentations

29 – 30 Money and financial issues

31 Numbers and symbols

32 – 34 Phrasal verbs 1

35 Phrasal verbs 2

36 – 38 Production and operations

39 Recruitment 1: Job advertising

40 – 41 Recruitment 2: The recruitment process

42 – 43 Recruitment 3: Contract of employment and job description

44 – 45 Sales and marketing 1

46 Sales and marketing 2

47 – 48 Sales and marketing 3

49 – 50 Similar meanings 1: Nouns

51 – 52 Similar meanings 2: Verbs

53 – 54 Similar meanings 3: Adjectives

55 – 56 On the telephone

57 – 58 Trade

59 – 60 Business travel

61 Word association

62 – 64 Working hours and time off work

65 – 66 Workplace problems

67 – 76 Answers

Contents

Test your knowledge of business abbreviations and acronyms. Look at these abbreviations,

then complete the crossword grid on the next page with the words that are missing from

their complete forms.

Abbreviations

1

Across (��)

2. EU = _____ Union.

4. MBO = management _____ (the

letters B and O are used in one word)

8. USP = unique _____ point.

9. AOB = any other _____.

11. PEST analysis = political, social,

economic and _____ analysis.

13. MD = Managing _____.

14. ROI = return on _____.

15. M & A = _____ and acquisitions.

17. OTE = on-target _____.

19. PAYE = pay as you _____.

20. VAT = Value Added _____.

22. SWOT analysis = strengths,

weaknesses, _____ and threats

analysis.

25. CEO = Chief _____ Officer.

26. CV = curriculum _____.

27. TNA = trainee _____ analysis.

29. TOIL = _____ off in lieu.

32. RRP = recommended retail _____.

34. CFO = Chief _____ Officer.

37. FAQ = frequently asked _____.

38. RSI = repetitive strain _____.

39. RPI = retail price _____.

41. p.a. = per _____.

43. APR = _____ percentage rate.

45. ICC = International Chamber of

_____.

49. FYI = for your _____.

51. NPD = new _____ development.

52. SET = _____ electronic transaction.

54. GDP = gross _____ product.

56. VIP = very important _____.

Down (��)

1. TQM = total _____ management.

3. PPP = purchasing power _____.

5. PLC = _____ limited company.

6. AGM = annual general _____.

7. PR = public _____.

10. L/C = letter of _____.

12. MBA = Master of Business _____.

15. O & M = organization and _____.

16. HR = human _____.

18. POS = point of _____.

21. P & L statement = _____ and loss

statement.

23. ASAP = as soon as _____.

24. CBD = _____ business district.

28. COD = cash on _____.

30. LIFO = last in, _____ out.

31. NVQ = National Vocational _____.

33. GNP = gross _____ product.

35. NI = National _____.

36. CPD = continuing professional _____.

40. ESOP = employee _____ ownership

plan.

42. In £20K, K means _____.

44. EFT = _____ funds transfer.

46. R & D = _____ and development.

47. P & P = _____ and packing.

48. ISP = _____ service provider.

50. FOB = _____ on board.

53. IOU = I owe _____. (Be careful: the word

you need does not begin with the letter u)

55. JIT production = Just-in-_____

production.

For reference see Dictionary of Business 4th edition (A&C Black 978-0-713-67918-2)

2

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

1 2 3

4

5 6

7 8

9 10

11 12

13 14

15 16 17 18

19

20

21 22 23

24

25

26

27 28

29

30 31

32 33

34 35

36

37 38

39 40 41

42 43 44

45 46

47

49

50

51

52 53

54 55

56

48

Exercise 1: Look at the common employee appraisal questions in 1 – 28, and complete each

one with a word from the box. These words can be found by reading from left to right and

from right to left in the direction of the arrows (but they are not in the same order as the

sentences they complete). Write your answers in the spaces on the right. The letter in the

bold space in one word should be the same as the letter in the shaded

space in the next

word. Note that in some sentences there is more than one possible answer, but only one

will fit into the space on the right. The first one has been done for you.

Appraisals, training and staff development

3

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

START �� a d v a n c e m e n t c h a l l e n g i n g ��

�� d e n i f e d s t n i a l p m o c s t n e m m o c ��

�� d e s c r i p t i o n d i s c i p l i n e f a c i ��

�� n i v o r p m i t n e m e v o r p m i s e i t i l ��

�� g k n o w l e d g e l e a s t m o r a l e o b j e ��

�� r g o r p s s e r g o r p e s i a r p s e v i t c ��

�� e s s i o n p r o m p t l y p r o v i s i o n s q ��

�� h s n o i t a l e r d n e m m o c e r y t i l a u ��

�� i p s c h e d u l e s t a n d a r d s s t r e n g ��

�� l k r o w t n e m t a e r t g n i n i a r t s h t ��

�� o a d

1. Do you think the work you are doing meets

or exceeds the correct ______?

2. How far do you think you have the skills

and ______ to achieve your duties?

3. How would you describe the ______ of the

work you are doing?

4. Do you feel you have met the work ______

that were set for you?

5. Do you think you have room for ______?

6. In your opinion, what are your main

______ and weaknesses?

7. Would you benefit from going on a ______

course?

8. Are you happy with your career ______ at

the moment?

9. Do you feel you are able to manage your

work ______?

10. Would you like to do something a bit

more ______?

11. What do you like most and what do you

like ______ about the job you are doing?

12. How do you feel about your ______? Can

you deal with it?

S T A N D A R D S

N

4

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

13. Is your current job ______ accurate?

14. Are your job duties clearly ______?

15. Do you feel that there are enough

opportunities for ______?

16. Do you have any suggestions for ______

your current job?

17. Are you happy with the ______ in your

department?

18. Do you have a good working ______ with

your colleagues?

19. Do you feel ______ is fair in your

department?

20. Does your manager show you fair ______

at all times?

21. Does your manager deal ______ with

problems, or does she ignore them?

22. Does your manager deal efficiently with

staff ______ that may arise?

23. Does your manager inform you of any

______ you are making?

24. Does your manager give you ______ for

work well done?

25. How do you feel about the ______ and

services provided by the company?

26. Do you feel that the health and safety

______ are adequate?

27. Would you ______ this company as an

employer to others?

28. Have you got any more ______ you would

like to make?

Exercise 2: Look at the different types of training courses and other aspects of staff

development in the box, then match each one with a description in paragraphs 1 – 14

on the next page. Two courses in the box do not match any of the descriptions.

action learning adventure learning assertiveness training carousel training

continuous personal development (CPD) experiential learning an induction course

in-tray learning modern apprenticeship off-the-job training online learning

open learning total quality management (TQM) sales training team-building

training needs analysis (TNA)

This final letter is also the first letter of number 1 ��

Unit 0000

5

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

1. This company is committed to helping its

employees learn about their jobs and develop

their skills for the whole period they are working

here, and not just at the beginning of their

contract. We run regular courses and workshops

in order to achieve this, both on and outside the

company premises.

3. We believe that the best way of learning a skill

is through practice. We don't waste time on

courses and workshops. We show the employee

his duties, give him an outline of how the

company operates, and then we just say 'Get on

with it, and good luck'. It's a remarkably effective

method.

5. When we promote somebody to a

management position, the first thing we do is to

give them a lot of typical management

paperwork and tell them to deal with it. We set

them a time limit for this, and monitor them

carefully to see how they get on. We then review

their performance and show them where they

went right or wrong.

7. It is our company policy to make sure that our

employees know how all the jobs in the company

work, not just their own. We find the best way of

doing this is to move them from job to job and

department to department. They meet colleagues

who they might not normally meet, and learn

about their jobs and how they operate.

9. I've been interested in photography since I was

very young, so when I finished school I started

learning how to be a photographer. I spend my

week working with a professional, who teaches

me about all the different aspects of the job. At

the same time, I receive training in areas such as

numeracy, problem-solving and interpersonal

skills.

11. My company can't hold training workshops in

the office because we don't have enough space,

and of course while we are learning, we aren't

actually making money, so the company feels it

wouldn't be making the best use of its

employees. Instead, they send us to a college in

the evening where we develop our skills and

knowledge.

13. Once a year we look at the different skills and

abilities of our staff, and we decide if they are

enough to help the company fulfil its aims and

operate effectively. We then develop a series of

classes and workshops to help the staff learn

more about their job and how they can operate

more effectively.

2. Our employees have to deal with a lot of

difficult situations, and they often come in

contact with people who can be difficult to work

with and do business with. We train them to

have more confidence in themselves so that they

can deal effectively with any problems and

difficulties they encounter.

4. It's very important that our employees develop

skills in leadership, problem solving, decisionmaking

and interpersonal communication. The

best way to achieve this is to get them involved in

group games and physically demanding outdoor

activities like sailing and climbing. These also help

to build team spirit.

6. Our company understands how important it is

that our employees work well together in order

for the company to be effective. Our training

sessions are designed to instil co-operation and

solidarity in a group of employees who have to

work together.

8. New employees in our company need to learn

about our products and how they work, how the

distribution system operates, how to deal with

both suppliers and customers and how to handle

complaints. They also study trade and retail laws,

and are accompanied on their first customer visits

by their trainer.

10. First of all I was given a tour of the factory

and then I was introduced to my colleagues and

was given an outline of the company and its

products. After that I was guided through the

company's code of practice, taken to my

department and shown my duties.

12. This company believes that personal

development and training should be more

flexible. As a result, we have developed a system

of flexible training courses that a trainee or

employee can start at any time, and which does

not require a teacher.

14. This company has a policy that our managers

should be committed to maintaining and

improving the quality of their work, and also their

skills and knowledge. We run courses, classes

and workshops on a regular basis, and ensure

that they are kept up to date with all the latest

developments.

Exercise 1: Look at sentence pairs 1 – 22, then complete the second sentence in each pair

with a word or expression from the box so that its meaning is similar to the first sentence.

There are some words / expressions in the box that do not fit in any of the sentences. You

do not need to change the form of any of the words / expressions.

6

Changes

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

amended build up considerable growth constant rise cuts deterioration

downsizing downward trend dramatic increase expansion fluctuated

general improvement marked progress narrow narrowing phased in

phased out reduce relaxation restructure sharp decline / fall

steady decrease streamline strengthening tightening up upgrade

upward trend weakening widening

1. Last year, 33% of the population worked in secondary industries and 48% worked in the tertiary

sector. This year, the figures are 27% and 53% respectively.

There has been a _____________ of the gap between those working in different sectors of the

economy.

2. Last year, the overseas market accounted for 60% of our sales. This year, it only accounts for about

15%.

There has been a _____________ in overseas sales figures in the last year.

3. People can afford to buy more and live more comfortably than they could twenty years ago.

There has been a _____________ in the standard of living.

4. Because our company is bigger now than it was two years ago, we need to recruit more employees.

Because of company _____________ over the last two years, we need more workers.

5. British travellers abroad have discovered that they can buy less foreign currency with their pound.

There has been a _____________ of the pound sterling.

6. It is now much harder to import goods into the country than it was a few years ago.

There has been a _____________ of border controls for imports.

7. In 2002 inflation was running at about 4%, in 2003 it was 4.5%, in 2004 it was 5% and in 2005 it

was 5.5%.

Between 2002 and 2005, there was a _____________ in the rate of inflation.

8. Last year, the company employed 200 people. This year it now has over 1000 employees.

There has been a _____________ in the number of employees working for the company.

9. Unemployment figures have dropped by about 2% every year for the last four years.

There has been a _____________ in unemployment figures over the last four years.

10. Over the next few years, some management positions in the company will be gradually removed.

Some management positions will be _____________ over the next few years.

11. Because of forecasts for high demand in the future, we need to increase our stocks.

We need to _____________ our stocks to cope with future demand.

12. The government will spend less on import subsidies next year.

There are going to be _____________ in import subsidy spending next year.

13. Public services are less reliable now than they were five years ago.

There has been a _____________ in public services reliability over the last five years.

14. Nowadays, more and more people are travelling abroad for business and pleasure.

There has been _____________ in the overseas travel market.

7

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

15. Compared with five years ago, more people are shopping at out-of-town retail parks than in town

centre shops.

There has been an _____________ in the number of people shopping in out-of-town retail parks.

16. Unless your work visibly improves, we will have to recommend a transfer to another department.

We need to see some _____________ in your work, or we will recommend a departmental transfer.

18. We are trying to make the accounting system simpler and more efficient.

We are trying to _____________ the accounting system.

17. Over the next two months, we plan to make our office computers faster and more efficient.

Over the next two months, we plan to _____________ our office computers.

22. The company is planning to change its marketing division to make it more effective.

The company is planning to _____________ its marketing division.

21. We have made small changes to the rules for applying for instant credit.

We have _____________ the rules for applying for instant credit.

20. Property prices have gone up, then gone down, then gone up again twice this year.

Property prices have _____________ twice this year.

19. Making the company smaller by making a lot of staff members redundant has made it much more

profitable than it was before.

_____________ the company has made it much more profitable than it was before.

1. The company cannot refund customers' money, and goods can only be altered / exchanged /

revised on production of a receipt or other proof of purchase.

2. We have made radical changes to the working regulations, and employees are expected to expand

/ stretch / adapt to these over the next few weeks.

3. Our customer call centre used to be in Sheffield, but last year we promoted / varied / outsourced

it to India, where costs are much lower.

4 The new director has completely reduced / transformed / heightened the company, from a small

local enterprise to a major international concern.

5. The hotel is currently being renovated / replaced / switched but will remain open while building

work is carried out.

6. Production has been switched / disappeared / enlarged from our Bracknell site to a new

industrial centre near Milton Keynes.

7. Our new memory cards extend / vary / raise in price, from £42 for a 64Mb card up to £140 for a

2Gb card.

8. The Internet clothing company Pants2U.com has deepened / shortened / expanded its range to

include jewellery and watches.

9. The decision to dissolve / demote / disappear the company wasn't an easy one to make, but

everyone agreed that there was no other option but to cease trading.

10. Air fares will be adapted / extended / revised on 21 July: domestic flights will go down by 10%,

but international flights will go up by 22%.

Exercise 2. Choose the most appropriate word in bold to complete sentences 1 – 10.

Test your knowledge with this quiz.

8

Business ‘colours’

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

white goods brown goods red goods orange goods yellow goods

1. Match the examples of different goods in (a) - (e) with the colours in the box that are often used by

businesses to 'categorize' them.

(a) A pair of trousers, a T-shirt and a cap.

(b) A television set, a stereo and a DVD player.

(c) A refrigerator, a dishwasher and a washing machine.

(d) A car, an air-conditioning unit and a bathroom suite.

(e) A carton of milk, 250g of cheese and a bottle of tomato ketchup.

2. What is the informal expression given to paperwork which takes a long time to complete? Is it:

(a) white noise (b) yellow card (c) green belt (d) red tape (e) blue ribbon

3. What is the difference between being in the red and being in the black?

4. Complete this sentence with one word: Goods and services which are paid for in cash, and therefore

not declared for tax, are features of a ________ economy.

5. What is the name given to taxes that are levied to discourage behaviour that will damage the

environment?

6. True or false: If you make a blue-chip investment, you buy high-risk shares in a company that is not

performing very well.

7. Sometimes a company will not deal with a person or company, etc, because they have done

something wrong and should be avoided. What is the name for this?

(a) to blackball (b) to blacklist (c) to blackhead (d) to blackmail (e) to blackleg

8. A company owns some land in the country that has been designated as a greenfield site. Can it build

a factory or warehouse on that land?

9. What is the difference between a white-collar worker and a blue-collar worker?

10. Complete this sentence: Embezzlement, computer fraud and insider dealing are examples of

________ crime.

11. Who might be offended if you described the work they did as a pink-collar job?

12. What is the name given to the buying and selling of goods or currency in a way which is not allowed

by law?

13. The MD of your company often has blue-sky ideas. From a business point of view is this a good thing

or a bad thing?

14. Your accountant tells you that the stocks and bonds you have recently bought are blue-sky

securities. Would you feel happy or unhappy about this?

15. What is a grey market? Is it:

(a) a market in which goods are sold that have been made abroad and then imported (legally), often

as a result of reduced production of / increased demand for those goods in the market country

b) an informal expression for the market segment occupied by older members of a population

(c) the unofficial trading of securities that have not yet become available for trading on the Stock

Exchange

Exercise 1: The text below gives a definition and brief explanation of what a contract is.

Complete it with words or expressions from the box.

A contract can be defined as 'an __________ between two or more parties to create legal __________

between them'. Some contracts are made '__________': in other words, they are __________ and sealed

(stamped) by the parties involved. Most contracts are made __________ or in __________. The essential

elements of a contract are: (a) that an __________ made by one party should be __________ by the

other; (b) __________ (the price in money, goods or some other __________, paid by one party in

exchange for another party agreeing to do something); (c) the __________ to create legal relations. The

__________ of a contract may be __________ (clearly stated) or __________ (not clearly __________ in

the contract, but generally understood). A __________ of contract by one party of their __________

entitles the other party to __________ for __________ or, in some cases, to seek specific performance.

In such circumstances, the contract may be __________ (in other words, it becomes invalid).

Exercise 2: Look at paragraphs 1 – 6 in the boxes, and answer the questions that follow

them.

1.

1. One of the underlined words / expressions in the above sentence is wrong. Identify

and correct it.

2. True or false: A contract which is binding is flexible and can be changed at any time.

3. Which of these words / expressions could replace abide by?:

(a) choose (b) agree with (c) obey (d) change

2.

1. One of the underlined words / expressions in the above sentence is wrong. Identify

and correct it.

2. True or false: Provision has a similar meaning to arrangement.

3. Rearrange these letters to make two words which have a similar meaning to obliged:

degabtlio edequrir

3.

Contracts

9

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

accepted agreement breach consideration contractual liability

damages express implied intention obligations offer

under seal reward signed stated sue terms

verbally voided writing

This contract is binding, and we expect all the parts involved (both clients and suppliers)

to abide by the terms and conditions stated in sections 3a - 37g on pages 1 - 17.

On terminator of this contract, the company will be obliged to return any unused

materials to the supplier within 28 days, unless provision has been made for a

temporary extension. If any of the rules of the contract are broken, all materials must

be returned immediately.

The contract was originally verbal, but we've finally managed to get the company to

give us something on paper. They say that this contract is un-negotiable, but maybe

we can persuade them to amend some of the details before we sign on the dotted line.

1. One of the underlined words / expressions in the above paragraph is wrong. Identify

and correct it.

2. True or false: The speaker thinks that it might be possible for small changes to be

made to the contract before she signs it.

3. Rearrange the letters in bold to make four words which have the same meaning as verbal in this

situation

rola kosnep plidemi etodnurdso

4.

1. One of the underlined words / expressions in the above sentence is wrong. Identify

and correct it.

2. Find a word or expression in paragraphs 1 - 3 above which has a similar meaning to

comply with in paragraph 4.

3. True or false: Pan-Globe Airways are unhappy with Swillpot Airline Catering because

they have broken all of their contract.

5.

1. One of the underlined words / expressions in the above sentence is wrong. Identify and

correct it.

2. Which word in the paragraph is the closest in meaning to the noun contract?

3. True or false: If either Withers Interiors Ltd or Sophos Construction want to end the

contract, they must tell the other company 3 months before they do it.

6.

1. One of the underlined words / expressions in the above sentence is wrong. Identify

and correct it.

2. True or false: AKL Publishing recently separated from Berryhill Books.

3. Mr Wiley can buy as many shares as he likes in the company.

4. In addition to sitting on the board of AKL Publishing, how many other companies

can Mr Wiley work for?

10

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

Swillpot Airline Catering Ltd were sued by Pan-Globe Airways when they were found to

be in beach of their contract, specifically that they had failed to comply with clause 27B,

which stated that their food should be "fit for human consumption".

Withers Interiors Ltd have entered into an agreement with Sophos Construction to act as

sole providers of quality interior fittings commencing 15 August this year. This is to run

for 18 months, with a 3 month period of notification in the event of cancellation by

either side.

This contract recognizes the anointment of Mr Alan Wiley as non-executve Director to

the board of AKL Publishing following the company's amalgamation with Berryhill Books.

While Mr Wiley may continue to buy stocks in the company, he may not acquire a

controlling interest, and he may have no professional dealings with any third parties

during this period.

Exercise 1. Complete this text with words or expressions from the box.

A dispute is an argument or . In business and commerce, there are usually two types of dispute.

The first of these is an dispute, which is between an employer and an employer's representative,

which in many cases is a . These are usually the result of disagreements over pay, conditions of

work and unfair , including (the laying-off of employees because they are not needed).

The least favourable outcome of this type of dispute is usually industrial , often in the form of a

(where employees stop working). Alternatively, employees may stage a (where they

work at less than their normal speed). They may also adopt a strategy, in which they strictly follow

all the of their contract, and obey other to the letter*. They may also refuse to work

. The result of this is usually productivity for the company.

The second type of dispute is a dispute, which is a disagreement between two businesses. This is

usually the result of a of contract (in which one or both sides fails to agree to, or , the

terms and of a contract drawn up between them). In extreme cases, this may result in (in

which one side brings a against the other in a court of law), with the aim of getting financial

, or of legally obliging the other side to abide by their contractual .

Disputes do not necessarily have to be settled in an imposed court case. (an attempt by a

third party to make two sides in an argument agree) is often quicker, more and less

stressful for the parties involved.

(* If you do or obey something to the letter, you do it very thoroughly, without making any mistakes.)

Exercise 2. Complete the first part of each word in bold in sentences 1 – 19 with the

second part in the box. Some of the words have already appeared in Exercise 1.

Dispute resolution

11

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

abide by action breach commercial compensation conditions

cost effective decreased disagreement disinterested dismissals

go-slow industrial litigation mediation obligations overtime

redundancy regulations strike suit terms trade union work-to-rule

____actually ____ain ____artial ____bunal ____cation ____closed

____cus ____dential ____ding ____ficial ____gation ____iator

____int ____itator ____judice ____lements ____lic ____native

____our ____promise ____sent ____sion ____tiations ____tical

____tration ____trator ____ual ____und ____untary ____utions

12

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

2. Mediation is generally preferable to liti because it is normally quicker and cheaper.

3. Mediation is vol , but requires the con of all the parties involved before it can go

ahead.

4. Mediation is carried out by a neutral, imp third party called a med .

5. This third party is also sometimes known as a facil .

6. He / she spends time with all the parties involved in jo ses and also in private

meetings (known as a 'cau ').

7. Any information that the parties provide is confi and cannot be dis to the other

parties.

8. He / she attempts to solve problems and find resol that are prac and

bene to everyone.

9. Unlike a formal court case, nego are in private.

10. Resolutions and sett are based on com and on mut agreement and

acceptance.

11. If no agreement is reached, the parties involved will not be legally bo by anything that has

been discussed.

12. A mediation process is said to be 'without pre ', which means that anything that was said

during the mediation cannot be used if there is no agreement and the case has to go to court.

13. If an agreement is reached and the parties sign a written agreement, this agreement becomes

bin , and the parties are obliged to hon it.

14. This signed agreement can then be enforced contr if necessary.

15. Another form of dispute resolution is arbi .

16 This will involve all parties in the dispute appearing before a tri .

17. An arbi is employed. He / she is usually an expert in a particular field, and so this form of

dispute resolution may be preferable in disputes where specialist knowledge is required.

18. However, unlike mediation, this form of resolution involves an adjudi which will probably

benefit one side in the dispute more than the other(s).

19. This form of dispute resolution is also less private than mediation (each party is aware of what the

other party is saying about it), and information may end up in the pub dom .

Also see Workplace problems on pages 65-66.

1. Mediation is one form of what is known as alter dispute resolution (ADR for short).

Complete the first part of each word in bold in sentences 1 – 34 with the second part in

the box.

Earnings, rewards and benefits 1

13

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

1. A wa is money that is normally paid to an employee on a weekly basis, and a sal is

money that is usually paid to an employee monthly on a regular basis.

2. Remun is the formal word for money that an employee receives for doing his/her job.

3. When we work for more than the normal working time, we say that we work (and therefore earn)

over .

4. An automatic and regular increase in pay is called an incr .

6. If we remove money from somebody's wages (for example, because they are late), we say that we

do their wages.

5. Money that is removed from our earnings to pay for tax, national insurance, etc, is called a

dedu .

8. Time for which work is paid at twice the normal rate (for example, on national holidays) is called

dou ti .

7. The min wage is the lowest hourly wage which a company can legally pay its employees.

9. An employee who receives his/her normal rate of pay, + 50% extra (for example, by working later

than normal or during unsocial hours) is said to earn ti and a ha .

10. A pen pl helps people to save money for when they retire from work.

11. When you want more money for the work you do, you might ask your boss for a ri .

12. If an employee needs some of his/her wages paid before the usual pay day, he / she might ask for

an adv (known informally as a s ).

13. A pay shows an employee how much pay he/she has received, and how much has been

removed for tax, insurance, etc.

14. An extra payment made in addition to a normal payment (usually received by sales people for

selling more than their quota) is called a bo .

15. A pay is the list a company keeps that shows all the people employed and paid by that

company.

16. A rewards pac is the money and other benefits offered with a job.

-an -ance -ance -ans -ary -ated -ation -ay -ble -ck

-count -ction -dancy -den -dex -diture -ears -ect -ement

-ensurate -eration -et -ge -ger -hting -imum -kage -ked

-lement -lf -mance -me -me -nus -ock -ome -osit -oss

-roll -se -shake -sion -slip -te -time -tions -tive -ub -ve

14

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

17. A weig is an additional amount of money paid to an employee to compensate him/her

for living in an expensive area.

18. By law, British companies have to give their employees the right to take paid holidays: this is known

as lea entit .

19. Inc is another word for the money that people receive for working. The money that they

spend is known as expen .

22. The amount of money an employee receives each hour, day, week, etc, is known as an hourly / daily

/ weekly ra .

21. Some companies have incen pl , where they offer their employees extra rewards

and benefits for good attendance, increased productivity, etc.

24. Some companies offer their employees a dis on the product and services they sell, which

means that the employee can buy them for less than the usual price.

23. If an employee loses his / her job because the company doesn't need or can't afford to keep

him/her, they might receive redun p .

25. If an employee takes a job in another town or city which is a long way from his / her original home

and place of work, he/she might be offered a reloc allow .

26. Extra money paid to employees who work in jobs where there is a risk of personal injury is called

dan money.

27. Gr is an adjective used to describe an employee's earnings before tax, national insurance,

etc, have been removed.

28. N is an adjective used to describe an employee's earnings after tax, national insurance,

etc, have been removed.

29. When the money that an employee receives rises automatically by the percentage increase in the

cost of living, we say that it is in -lin .

30. When the money that an employee earns is based on age, experience, qualifications, position in the

company, etc, we say that it is comm .

31. Wages are normally paid in arr , which means that they are paid at the end of the

working period (for example, at the end of the week or month that the employee has worked).

32. When an employer pays an employee his/her wages directly into his/her bank account, we say that

it is paid by dir dep .

20. Some companies offer their employees st op , which means that the employees

can buy stocks at a price lower than the normal price.

33. Some wages and salaries are perfor rel . This means that the money that an

employee receives will be based on how well he/she carries out their duties.

34. When an employee leaves his/her job after a long period with the company, he/she might be offered

a large amount of money known as a gol hand .

Also see Earnings, rewards and benefits 2 on the next page

Complete the text with appropriate words and expressions from the box. The first one has

been done for you.

Rewards for work fall into two main groups.

The first, and in many opinions the most important, is that of 1. direct or 2.

rewards. These are real, material rewards, and include 3. pay (a guaranteed wage or

salary paid by the hour, or on a weekly or monthly basis), and 4. pay, which is linked to

how well an employee or a group of employees works. This includes 5. - money paid

to a salesperson or group of salespeople which is usually a percentage of the sales made. Some

companies also offer 6. pay, usually given only to individual employees who work

particularly well, or who make a significant contribution to the company. 7. , which is

similar to this, is extra money paid to a group or company for increased productivity, and is often

offered in order to increase 8. : it is also sometimes known as a 9. . If an

employee takes less than the standard time to finish a task, s/he might receive a 10. .

Some employers also offer an 11. for employees who are very rarely absent from work.

If an employer is particularly keen to recruit somebody, they might offer him / her an

12. when s/he agrees to join the organisation. 13. , the practice of dividing

profits among the employees, is another reward which is often offered.

In addition to payment, other rewards may be offered. These include 14. (known

informally as 15. ) such as a company car, 16. , free meals, 17.

option schemes, holidays, health 18. and 19.

(a new concept, especially common in the USA, in which an employee can call their office and say

they do not feel like coming to work even though they are not ill). Benefits are usually 20.

, which means that the employee is not able to choose what s/he gets, but some companies offer

21. benefits, where the employee can choose from a menu of benefits on offer. 22.

plans, which offer employees increased rewards and benefits for good attendance, behaviour and

productivity are becoming increasingly common.

The second group of rewards are 23. or 24. . These are non-material, and

include 25. (people enjoy being in an important position or a position of authority), job

26. , the opportunities for personal 27. , the chance to learn a new

28. , and career 29. opportunities. Safety and 30. at work can

also be included in this group, and for most employees, 31. (being with a group of

people you like and get on with) is also a very important reward.

Earnings, rewards and benefits 2

15

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

acceptance bonus attendance bonus basic benefits commissions

comradeship development direct duvet days extras extrinsic fixed

flexible gainsharing growth incentive indirect insurance intrinsic

motivation pensions performance-related premium bonus production bonus

profit sharing recognition satisfaction security share skill status

In a business / office environment, we often use 'formal' words, especially in our written

English (letters, reports, contracts, etc). For example, instead of 'asked for advice', we

might use 'consulted'.

We asked our accountant for advice about our tax.

becomes:

We consulted our accountant about our tax.

These 'formal' words are often verbs.

Exercise 1: Change the 'neutral' verbs and expressions in bold in sentences 1 – 15 to more

'formal' words using the verbs / expressions in the box. Each sentence requires only one

word or expression. In most cases, you will need to change the form of the verb.

1. We need to examine in detail the market potential of these new products.

2. The value of the business was calculated to be £5 million.

3. The management increased their offer in the hope of stopping the strike

happening.

4. It will be the HR manager's job to organise the induction programme.

5. He was given the job of checking the sales figures.

6. The contract was cancelled by the court.

7. Our accountants have been asked to examine the accounts for the last quarter.

8. When he was dismissed, he asked his union for support.

9. The chairman spoke to the sales team.

10. At the meeting it was decided to give middle management a salary increase.

11. Following a breach of safety procedures, the workers were told off by their

manager.

12. We are waiting for the decision of the planning department.

13. Prices will be changed according to the current rate of inflation.

14. The chairman stopped the meeting until 3 o'clock.

15. We have chosen a new distribution manager.

Exercise 2: Instructions as above.

1. The chairman has asked all managers to come to the meeting.

2. We have been told that the shipment will arrive next week.

3. Can you help me with these income tax returns?

4. The different unions have joined together to make one main union.

5. We will try to deliver within the next few days.

6. They have promised us that the delivery will be made on time.

16

Formal words

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

address adjourn adjust administer admonish analyse annul appeal to

appoint assess at assign audit avert await award

advise amalgamate assist assure attempt attend dismiss elect

engage license present sequester settle tender waive

7. The union has had its funds taken away by order of the courts.

8. The insurance company refused to pay his claim for storm damage.

9. After a lot of thought, he decided to hand in his resignation.

10. The court refused to accept his claim for compensation.

11. If we increase production, we will need to take on more staff.

12. He has given up his right to early retirement.

13. The HR director will talk about the new staff structure to the Board.

14. He chose to take early retirement.

15. The company has been given formal permission to sell spare parts.

Exercise 3: In this exercise, the words you need to replace those in bold are in brackets at

the end of each sentence. Although they are in their correct form (e.g., the tense is correct),

the letters are in the wrong order. Rearrange these letters to make words, and write them

in the appropriate space in the grid below. If you do this correctly, you will reveal a word in

the vertical strip that can be used to replace the word in bold in number 13.

To help you, some of the letters are in their correct space in the grid.

1. The management agreed to measures to keep experienced staff in the company. (ntreia)

2. Candidates are asked to state clearly which of the posts they are applying for. (fesiypc)

3. We closed the design department and moved the workforce to another department. (edeepldory)

4. We asked our accountant for advice about our tax. (tecsldonu)

5. The union has agreed not to call a strike without further negotiation. (duanrtnkee)

6. The union demanded that the sacked workers should be allowed to return to the jobs from

which they were dismissed. (stindatere)

7. We are trying to find out about the background of the new supplier. (unnirigiq)

(note that before 'the background', you must also add 'into')

8. The management agreed to the union's proposals. (tenscoden)

9. The management were formally told of the union's decision. (fotneiid)

10. The sales people were told about the new product in detail. (ierdfeb)

11. The chairman gave a general description of the company's plans for the coming year. (lioedtnu)

12. Her job has been increased in importance to senior manager level. (egupdrad)

13. The company is sharing production costs according to projected revenue.

17

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

shaded

1. E N

2. E Y

3. R Y

4. C S

5. N E

6. S A

7. Q G

8. C S

9. I E

10. B F

11. T D

12. P R

Exercise 1: Choose the correct idiomatic word or expression in (a), (b), (c) or (d), for each of

these sentences.

1. When a project goes wrong or fails, we can say that it:

(a) puts its foot in it (b) goes belly up (c) sticks its oar in (d) gets its knickers in a twist

2. We sometimes say that people who compete for success in business or in a career are working

for the:

(a) horse race (b) dog race (c) rat race (d) camel race

3. The practice of transferring a difficult, incompetent or non-essential employee from one department

to another is known informally as a:

(a) weasel waltz (b) turkey trot (c) cat calypso (d) rabbit rumba

4. We might refer to a bad employer with a reputation for losing talented staff as:

(a) a people churner (b) a people mixer (c) a people stirrer (d) a people beater

5. The sudden moment that you realise you have made a terrible mistake is known as:

(a) an ohnosecond (b) a gordonbennettminute (c) a whoopsadaisyinstant

(d) a hellsbellsmoment

6. If you do a lot of different types of work in an office for very low pay, you could be referred to

(unkindly) as:

(a) a pig in a poke (b) the cat's whiskers (c) a a gift horse (d) a dogsbody

7. When an employee telephones to say that s/he is not coming to work because s/he is ill, but in fact

is only pretending to be ill, we say that s/he is throwing:

(a) the book at someone (b) a wobbly (c) a punch (d) a sickie

8. If an employee gets very angry at work because of something bad or unpleasant that happens, we

can say that they are experiencing:

(a) office anger (b) work rage (c) shopfloor strops (d) workplace wobblies

9. If an employee is deliberately or accidentally excluded from decision-making processes, they might

complain that they are being left:

(a) out of their mind (b) out of the blue (c) out of their head (d) out of the loop

10. Work that offers the same money for less effort than another similar job is often known as:

(a) a cushy number (b) a doddle (c) a pushover (d) child's play

11. When somebody is dismissed from their job, we can say that they have:

(a) got the shoe (b) got the sandal (c) got the boot (d) got the slipper

12. If you criticize somebody in writing, we can say that you them.

(a) pencil-smack (b) pencil-thrash (c) pencil-punch (d) pencil-whip

13. A general or broad view of a problem as a whole (which does not go into details) is known as:

(a) a bird's-eye view (b) a helicopter view (c) a mountaintop view (d) a balloon view

14. The lazy practice of working only when a supervisor is present and able to see you is called:

(a) lip service (b) hand service (c) nose service (d) eye service

15. If your job is unpleasant, you might say that you have:

(a) a nose job (b) a job lot (c) a jobsworth (d) a mushroom job

16. If you consider your job to be silly, trivial and unimportant, you might describe it as:

(a) a Tom and Jerry job (b) a Mickey Mouse job (c) a Homer Simpson job

(d) a Donald Duck job

17. A lazy employee who only pretends to work is said to be:

(a) swinging the lead (b) swinging a cat (c) swinging the balance (d) swinging both ways

18. A new product (especially a new car) that has some major defects is known as:

(a) an orange (b) a raspberry (c) a melon (d) a lemon

18

Business idioms

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

Exercise 2: Complete dialogues 1 - 16 with the most appropriate word or expression from

the box. There are six words or expressions that you do not need.

19

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

basket case bean counter busymeet cash cow dead wood

dumbsizing ear candy empty suit glad-hand goldbricker

graveyard shift happy camper idea hamster kiss up to

mover and shaker seagull manager shape up or ship out stress puppy

toxic employee trim the fat wiggle room wombat

1. A. Tim seems to enjoy being under a lot of pressure, but this doesn't stop him from complaining all

the time.

B. I know, but he's not the only ____ _____ in this company.

2. A. I've told Tom that unless he improves his performance at work, he'll be fired.

B. Good. It's about time somebody told him to ____ _____.

3. A. Tom always dresses well and follows procedure, but he doesn't actually contribute much to the

company.

B. I agree. He's a typical ____ _____.

7. A. The company brought in a so-called expert to deal with a big project, but he just made a lot of

fuss, achieved absolutely nothing and then left.

B. Well, he wasn't the first ____ _____ we've had, and I'm sure he won't be the last.

5. A. We need to get rid of some of our older and less productive staff.

B. I agree. The ____ _____ has to go as soon as possible.

6. A. Ms Rigden met a lot of people at the conference, didn't she?

B. She certainly did. I think I saw her ____ _____ almost everyone there.

4. A. The only way to get promoted in this job is to flatter and be very attentive to the senior

managers.

B. That's terrible! You shouldn't have to ____ _____ people to get ahead in your job.

8. A. My boss always tells me how well I'm doing, but he never offers me a pay rise.

B. Well, I suppose a bit of ____ _____ is better than nothing.

9. A. I can't believe we sat in that meeting and listened to the boss talk for over three hours.

B. Me neither. What a complete ____ _____!

10. A. We need to reduce the size of the company but we need to make sure it doesn't become

unprofitable or inefficient.

B. That's true. ____ _____ is something we need to avoid at all costs.

11. A. Do you enjoy your work here?

B. Oh, absolutely. I'm a regular ____ _____.

12. A. We're expected to sign the contract by tomorrow.

B. That's no good. We only received it yesterday. We need a bit of ____ _____.

13. A. Have you seen Alan today?

B. He's in a ____ _____ all morning. He should be free at lunchtime.

14. A. Is the company doing well?

B. No, not at all. As far as I'm concerned, it's a complete ____ _____!

15. A. Business is dropping off and we could end up in financial trouble.

B. I know. Perhaps it's time to ____ _____.

16. A. Do you think there will be a lot of demand for our latest range of T-shirts?

B. Oh absolutely. It's a ____ _____. Everyone will want one!

Exercise 1: Read this (not very technical) description and replace the underlined expressions

with a more appropriate word or expression from the box.

This is my new 1. computer that sits on top of a table or desk (I've also got a 2. small computer which can be

carried and held on your knees.) As you can see, there are six main 3. parts to it. The first is the 4. part of the

computer that runs it and controls what it does, and this is the most important bit. It carries the 5. part that

stores and controls the flow of information, including the 6. round thing that is used for storing information.

Mine has a particularly high 7. capacity for storing information, which means that it's much faster than most.

It came with its own 8. computer programs package (including one for 9. writing, checking and changing

texts, one for 10. calculating in columns of figures, and one for 11. producing texts and pictures for

magazines). You can also 12. put in other programs using the 13. sliding tray for carrying round, plastic,

information-holding things, or the 14. hole for connecting computer parts to one another (into which you

can put a 15. small plastic and metal object which can hold a lot of information).

The other five parts of the computer are the 16. screen that lets you see what your computer is doing, the

17. flat thing with the letters and numbers on it that let you control the computer, the 18. machine that lets

you make copies of the documents that you create on your computer, the 19. device for making colour

copies of photographs and other documents which you can put onto your computer and last but not least,

the 20. device that you hold in your hand and move across your desk to control the cursor.

In my opinion, the best thing about modern information technology is the 21. network that links millions of

computers from around the world. Once you've got yourself a 22. company that allows you access and a

23. program that finds information you can start using this. It's especially useful if you want to get

information about something, go shopping or 24. transfer information, games, music, etc, onto your own

computer. You can even 'talk' to other computer users in 25. special places where you can leave messages

and get instant replies. If you have a particular interest in something, you can also visit 26. places on the

computer where you can 'talk' to other people with the same interest.

Most companies have their own 27. special computer pages which you can look at. Let me 28. turn the

computer on, enter my code and access the computer system, and I'll show you ours. OK, here we go. Oh

no, another 29. advertisement that suddenly appears on the computer screen. How annoying. Let me just

remove it. That's better.

20

IT and e-commerce

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

anti-virus software attachment bookmark browser CD / DVD drive

chatrooms components CPU (central processing unit) crashing delete

desktop domain (name) download DTP (desktop publishing) email

hard disk hard drive homepage Internet keyboard keywords laptop

links load log on log out memory memory stick monitor mouse

newsgroups on-line password pop-up printer scanner provider

search engine software Spam® spreadsheets update USB port

virus website word processing

Now, I can never remember the exact address of our company, so first of all I'll type it into the 30. program

that helps you find the information you want. OK, A and C Black Publishing'. The computer identifies the

31. most important or main words and then gives me 32. connections to a list of possible sites. This one looks

right: 'www.acblack.com'. That's the company's 33. officially registered website address. I'll click on that.

Bingo! Here's our 34. front page. You can use this to find the different books that we publish, and if you

want you can even buy them 35. through the computer. Hmm, this book looks good: 'Check your English

Vocabulary for Business and Administration'. Now, before I 36. exit this site, I'll just 37. add it to my list of

favourites so that I can find it more quickly next time.

Perhaps the most important thing, however, is 38. a special electronic letter-sending facility, which allows you

to communicate with people around the world in an instant. Let me quickly check mine. First of all, I need to

enter my 39. special word that allows me to enter the system. That's it. Oh dear, nothing very interesting.

Mainly a load of 40. unwanted advertising. I'll just 41. remove it: I don't particularly want to have a new home

extension, pass my bank details to a "solicitor" in Nigeria or buy a pill that's guaranteed to improve my love life.

There's something here from one of our suppliers with a / an 42. document or file that has been sent with it.

You have to be careful with these: sometimes they contain a 43. hidden routine placed in the program that

destroys or corrupts files. If you open it, it can do all sorts of horrible things to your computer. We had one

last week that kept 44. shutting down our system. We do have 45. something on our computer that protects

against this sort of thing, but it's a bit out of date: we really ought to 46. bring it up to date.

Exercise 2: Test your knowledge with this quiz.

21

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

1. What is a JPEG and what would you use it for?

2. In computer terms, what is the difference between a file and a folder?

3. What is the difference between freeware and shareware?

4. You suspect that spyware is being used on your computer each time you use the Internet. What

does this do?

5. What is the difference between the Internet, an intranet and an extranet?

6. A customer using your website to buy something has just checked her shopping basket and is now

proceeding to checkout. What is she about to do?

7. What is a click-wrap agreement? Is it:

(a) a contract presented entirely over the Internet

(b) an agreement between two or more companies to share a single website

(c) an agreement between two or more companies to pass customer

information to each other

(d) a contract that is sent over the Internet and then returned in the normal post

(e) an agreement by a company not to send unsolicited advertising to customers.

8. What do the letters ISP stand for?

9. What do we call information that a website leaves in your computer so that the website recognises

you when you visit it again? Is it:

(a) a biscuit (b) a cookie (c) a cracker (d) a scone (e) a crumpet

22

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

10. The company you work for sells its products on the Internet, and also in its own

shops around the country. What is the name we give to this kind of operation? Is it:

(a) a mouse and house business (b) a tap and trot business (c) a clicks and mortar business

(d) a hit and run business (e) a surf and turf business

11. Many company websites have a section or page labelled FAQ. What do these letters stand for?

12. An on-line shop has a small padlock symbol (��) displayed at the bottom of the

computer screen. What does this mean?:

(a) The website or webpage has a secure server.

(b) The website will not allow the user to proceed any further.

(c) The Internet connection has been broken.

(d) There is, or may be, a virus on the site.

(e) The user needs to enter a password to continue.

13. Your company does a lot of B2B advertising on the Internet. What does this mean?

14. You send an email, and then almost immediately receive a message saying that the

person you are trying to contact is on holiday. What do we call this sort of message?

15. UCE is the official term for:

(a) an on-line shop that only sells on the Internet (b) spam (c) a username or password

(d) a dotcom enterprise (e) a domain name

16. What is broadband? Is this the same as an ISDN line?

17. You are uploading information on your computer. Are you:

(a) transferring information from the Internet or another application to your computer?

(b) transferring information from your computer to a website?

18. Some websites (especially those belonging to on-line banks) ask their customers for

a PIN before they can enter the site. What do these letters stand for?

19. In an IT context, what are banners, buttons and pop-ups?

20. You discover that there is an anti-site on the Internet dedicated to your company.

Would you be happy about this?

22. In an IT context, what does a firewall do?

21. What does a computer hacker do?

23. Your company has just been Amazoned. What has happened to it?

24. Someone tells you that your company has a sticky site. What do they mean?

(a) Your company website is very slow.

(b) The information on your company website is out of date.

(c) Your company website is very boring.

(d) Your company website is very difficult to use.

(e) Your company website is very interesting.

26. A customer says you have a cobweb site that looks like an angry fruit salad. How

would you feel about this?

25. Someone accuses your company of phishing. What do they think you have done?

27. Your company website has a lot of spider food. From a business point of view, why

might this be an advantage to you?

28. Are you buzzword compliant?

Exercise 1: Look at the list of different jobs in the box, and match each one with the person

who is speaking in 1 – 15.

Jobs and positions

23

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

Assistant Manager Chairman Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Company Director Company Secretary Girl Friday Human Resources (HR)

Manager Managing Director (MD) Non-executive Director

Personal Assistant (PA) Production Manager Receptionist Secretary

Technical Support Consultant Trainer

1. Hello. Welcome to Wy-T Computers. Have you got an appointment? Good. Take a seat and I'll call up

to her office. Would you like a coffee while you wait?

2. Good morning. My name is Angela Ranscombe, and I am responsible for my company's productive

use of its workforce

4. Hi. My name's Sue Smith. I do a lot of small jobs in and around the office. If you want some filing

done, some mail posted, or if you just want a cup of tea, I'm the one to ask!

3. Hello. I'm Hilary Hannah. I type letters, file documents, arrange meetings and so on, for the various

people in my office.

5. Hello. My name's Adam Dent. I help customers who are having problems with our products. I spend

most of my day on the phone.

6. I'm Anne Langsdale, and I've been appointed by the shareholders to help run the company.

7. Hello there. Don Brown. Nice to meet you. I make sure that the company is being run efficiently and

effectively.

8. My name's Liz Hamley, and I suppose I'm the big cheese around here. Basically I'm the most

important director in charge of the company.

9. I'm Judy Briers. I work directly for Liz Hamley, and for her alone. I perform various secretarial and

administrative duties for her.

10. I'm Laurence Woodham. I'm a senior employee here, with director status and administrative and legal

authority. This is a legal requirement for all limited companies in the UK.

11. Good morning. I'm Peter Feltham, and I preside over the company's board meetings.

13. Hi there. My name's Mark Searle, and I supervise the production process.

14. And I'm Bob Wheatley. I help Mark Searle.

12. And I'm Helen Brown. I attend board meetings, but only to listen and give advice. I cannot usually

make decisions on behalf of the company.

15. My name's Ryan Briggs. I'm responsible for developing our employees' potential through courses and

other staff development programmes.

Exercise 2: Instructions as above.

24

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

Accountant Advertising Manager Arbitrator Area / Regional Manager

External Auditor Foreman Graduate Trainee IT Consultant

Marketing Manager Official Mediator Official Receiver Sales Representative

Security Guard Telesales Manager Trade Union Representative

1. Good morning. I'm Edward Saville. I control the company finances. Can't stop to talk: I need to get

these tax forms completed.

2. I'm Don Prescott. I've been hired by the company's head office to check Mr Saville's figures. We're not

sure that everything adds up.

4. I'm Sarah Keats. I'm responsible for planning and controlling our marketing activities and budgets.

3. My name's Mary Myers. I actually work in the company's other office in Birmingham, and am

responsible for the company's operations there.

5. I'm Richard Giddings. It's my job to make sure consumers know all about our latest range of products.

6. Hello. I'm Bill Kennedy. I visit clients around the country and talk to them directly about our products.

7. Morning. Barry Ramp. I'm highly skilled, I'm told, so I've been put in charge of all the workers on the

factory floor.

8. Andy Kelly. Hi. I'm just an ordinary worker on the factory floor, but I represent the workers in

discussions with the managers about things like wages and conditions of employment.

15. My name's Eddie Jobsworth. Have you got ID? Sorry, can't let you go any further here without ID.

You're going to have to leave. Now, please.

9. My name's Jennie Bryant. I don't actually work for the company, but there's currently a dispute going

on between the workers and the management regarding pay, so I've been brought in to try to sort

things out.

12. I'm Sam Michaud. Has your hard-drive crashed? Is your printer jammed? Can't get on line? Don't

worry, I'll get it sorted out.

13. Hi. I'm Naomi Yarnton. I'm in charge of the team who contact potential clients on the phone.

11. Hello. I'm Tabitha Sutcliffe. I finished university last month, and I'm here to learn a bit about the

company and how it operates. I'm hoping that they'll offer me a job.

14. I'm Tony Preston. Don't tell anyone here, but the company's in a lot of trouble. I'm about to take it

over, sell its assets and use the proceeds to pay off all the creditors.

10. I'm Joy Bell. I don't work for the company either, but I might be officially appointed to sort out the

dispute mentioned above, and make a binding decision. This will only happen if Jennie Bryant is

unable to resolve it.

Look at the jobs and positions in the boxes in Exercises 1 and 2 again. Without referring

back to the sentences, try to explain in your own words what each job involves.

On the next three pages you will see extracts from 11 different types of letter. Look at each

extract carefully, then match it with one of the letter types from the list in the box below.

Underline the key words or phrases which helped you to decide. Each type of letter can be

matched with 5 extracts, and the sentences for each letter are in the same order as they

would appear in real letters. There are 5 extracts that do not match any of the letter types.

Letters

25

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

(A) Letter of introduction / application (B) Letter of apology (C) Invitation to interview

(D) Letter of reference (E) Letter of rejection (F) Letter of appointment

(G) Written warning (H) Letter of dismissal (I) Letter of resignation

(J) Acknowledgement of resignation (K) Letter of complaint

1. Following the disciplinary interview which you

attended on 12 June, I am writing to confirm the

decision taken that you will be given a written

reprimand under our Disciplinary Procedure.

2. Following your interview and our

conversation yesterday, this letter is to confirm

your post as Production Manager commencing 2

October.

3. Thank you for your application for the post of

Production Manager at Graffix plc.

4. On 7 May, following persistent neglect of

duties on your part, you were given a written

warning in accordance with the Company's

Disciplinary Procedure.

5. Thank you for your letter of 2 October

detailing your recent unpleasant incident in our

Witney branch.

6. I would like to apply for the post of Customer

Relations Manager advertised in yesterday's

Guardian.

7. I have known Jan Kelly since she started

working with the company in 1999.

8. This will be placed in your personal record

file, but will be disregarded for disciplinary

purposes after a period of six months, provided

your conduct reaches a satisfactory level.

9. This letter and the attached terms and

conditions form the basis of your contract of

employment.

10. As I told you yesterday, I have decided to

hand in my notice, and this letter is to inform

you of my decision to leave the company.

11. Thank you for your letter of 19 October

telling us of your intention to leave the

company.

12. In a letter of 18 June, you were advised that

unless your conduct improved, you would be

dismissed from your post.

13. Thank you for attending our interview

sessions last week.

14. We are naturally most sorry that you should

be leaving us, but I understand your reasons for

doing so.

15. I am writing to express my dissatisfaction

with the delay in your delivery of some products

we ordered last month.

16. She came to work for this company as a

Trainee in the production department, and

rapidly moved up the scale to become Deputy

Production Manager three years ago.

26

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

17. We would like you to come for a preliminary

interview with our Production Director, James

Mills.

18. As you can see from the attached printout

of the order form, we placed this order via your

website 2 weeks ago, on 13 January.

19. We notice from our records that Invoice

SB/1097 has not been paid, and we would be

grateful if you could settle it within 7 days.

20. I would like to reserve a single room

(preferably on an upper floor) from 23 – 31 May

inclusive.

21. We have spoken to the member of staff in

question, and he has assured us that he was

acting in accordance with company policy.

22. I am currently working as a customer care

assistant for Pants2U, one of the country's

biggest Internet suppliers of men's clothing,

where I deal primarily with on-line customer

queries.

23. I am delighted that you will be coming to

work for us.

24. The notice period indicated in my contract

of employment is six weeks, but you agreed

during our conversation that in my case this

could be reduced to four.

25. The nature of the unsatisfactory conduct

was your continual lateness, persistent

absenteeism, and neglect of duties on the shop

floor.

26. We expect to see an improvement in your

punctuality and attendance, and a more

professional approach to your work by 30 June.

27. At the disciplinary hearing held on 16

October, it was decided that your performance

was still unsatisfactory, and you had shown no

inclination to improve.

28. Your terms and conditions clearly state that

orders are processed, packed and sent on the

same day, but so far we have received nothing.

29. I am sure you will find a very pleasant

working environment here, and we look

forward to welcoming you as a member of our

team on 2 October.

30. The company you are joining has an

excellent reputation, and I am sure you will be

as happy there as you have been with us.

31. We would be grateful if you could send us a

copy of your current catalogue and price list.

32. As I explained to you, I have been very

happy working here, and shall be leaving with

many regrets.

33. Unfortunately, on this occasion, I regret to

tell you that your application has been

unsuccessful.

34. These will be held at our Banbury office on

29 and 30 August, and should last about 30

minutes.

35. However, we take customer complaints very

seriously, and I can assure you that we will look

into this matter further.

36. I have however been offered a post at a

substantially higher salary with another

company.

37. She is a very able manager, and is

particularly keen on keeping up to date with

new technology.

38. You are clearly very well-motivated and have

some excellent ideas, but the panel felt that

overall you lacked sufficient experience.

27

For reference see Dictionary of Business - 4th edition (A&C Black Publishers Ltd, 978-0-713-67918-2)

39. I have forwarded your letter to our head

office, and I will keep you informed as to any

action that will be taken.

40. On behalf of Rosewain Ltd, I would like to

apologise most sincerely, and hope that your

experience does not put you off using our stores.

41. I would be grateful if you could call me to

arrange a suitable time on one of those days.

42. I am therefore writing to confirm the

decision that you will be dismissed, and that

your last day of service with the company will be

2 November.

43. She has always worked well with other

members of staff, has always been on time and

has rarely missed work through illness.

44. This is in spite of several phone calls and

emails to your office, and in spite of your

repeated promises of immediate action.

45. I have noted that your last day of service

with us will be 23 November, and I have passed

this information to the HR Department to deal

with.

46. However, I am now looking for a position

with more responsibility, and one which allows

me to work with customers face to face.

47. As requested, I enclose a recent CV outlining

my qualifications and experience.

48. On behalf of NX Operations, I would like to

wish you all the best in your search for a suitable

position.

49. We will be sorry to see her leave, but I know

that she is looking for a more challenging

position.

50. Thank you for your letter of 15 April. We are

pleased to enclose this year's catalogue and our

current price list.

51. Thank you once again for the interest you

have shown in our company.

52. If you have any special needs, especially

concerning access, please let me know in

advance.

53. Therefore, unless the goods are with us

within 48 hours, we will have no option but to

cancel our order and look elsewhere.

54. You have the right to appeal against this

decision to the Production Director within seven

days of receiving this letter of dismissal, in

writing, giving your reasons.

55. Furthermore, as the prospects of further

advancement are greater, I felt that this was an

offer I felt I simply could not turn down.

56. If you would like any more information

regarding my current position, or previous

experience, please do not hesitate to contact me.

57. From your website brochure, please supply

the following items:10x8756/Ba and

15x9444/Aa. Please deliver with an invoice in

triplicate to the following address:

58. On a personal level, I shall be particularly

sorry to see you go; you have been an excellent