9.

Management styles
I.
A. Which of the following statements do you agree with? Explain your reasons.
A manager should:
know when your birthday is.
know where you are and what youre doing at all times during working hours.
not criticise or praise.
not interfere in disagreements between members of staff.
not ask people to do things theyre not prepared to do themselves.
be available at all times to give staff advice and support.
keep their distance from staff and not get involved in socialising outside work.
use polite language at all times.
work longer hours than their staff.
comment on the personal appearance of their staff.
B. Families are managed in different styles. Can you think of different characteristics of such
styles considering who leads (the mother or the father), age, area, education, jobs.
II.
s
III.
a. Read the following fragments related to theories of motivation and say which speaker you
tend to agree with:
1. Senior Manager, car rental firm: I believe that all our employees can find satisfaction in what they
do. We give them responsibility, which means that the decisions they take have a direct impact on our
success, and encourage them to use their initiative, so they dont have to ask me about every decision
they make. We hope this gives employees the feeling that they are valued, with management knowing the
effort they make. We believe that this leads to a higher sense of motivation among employees. When
everyone feels motivated, morale is good and there is a general feeling of well-being in the organization.
2. Factory Manager: I dont believe in all this talk about motivation. My subordinates, the people
working under me, are basically lazy and need constant supervision. I have to check what they are doing
all the time. Some people think this is authoritarian, but I think its the only way of managing. Decisions
must be imposed from above without consultation, we dont discuss decisions with workers, we just tell
them what to do.
3. The factory manager has conservative views and believes in what the US management thinker Douglas
McGregor called Theory X, the idea that people dislike work and will do everything they can to avoid it.
The senior manager from the car rental is more humanitarian and believes in Theory Y, the more
advanced view that, given the right conditions, everyone has the potential to find satisfaction in work.
Others have suggested Theory W (for whiplash), the idea that most work since the beginning of human
society has been done under systems of slavery.
b. Match the following underlined phrases with appropriate forms of expression from Fragment 1:
1. She knows exactly whats involved in our jobs. She makes us feel she understands the effort we make.
2. She encourages us to do things without asking her first.
3. The feeling among employees here is very good. We feel really involved and want to work towards the
companys goals.
4. We have a real sense of the idea that our efforts are important for the success of the company.
5. We have a real sense of liking what we do and feeling good when we achieve specific goals in our
work.

c. Managers from different companies are talking about their employees. Say whether the following
managers believe in theory X or Y.

IV.

Match the following concepts with their definitions. Then use them to fill in the following gapped
text, making all the necessary changes:

1. prospects
2. hierarchy
3. motivators
4. status
5. fringe benefits
6. motivate
7. self-actualization
8. hygiene
9. esteem
10. security

a. protection from danger/ harm

b. to give/ offer a stimulus to do something
c. attitude of admiration; feeling of approval and
liking
d. conditions and practices that serve to promote or
preserve health
e. factors bringing satisfaction
f. the position of somebody in society/ how
important others think you are
g. compensations to employees beyond the regular
payment for the work done
h. a system where ideas are arranged in a formal
structure
i. chances
j. self-development

In order to ensure that employees work efficiently, a manager must 1. his staff. The factors influencing
motivation have been presented as a .2. of needs by Maslow. The first group are physiological needs such as
food, water, air and sleep. Before these needs have been satisfied, people will not think of other needs. The second
place is held by ..3...needs, such as being safe, being free from danger, pain, unemployment and having a
shelter where to stay. When these needs are satisfied, people will have social needs which include the feeling of
belonging to a group as well as being accepted and liked by the others. The next type of needs are called
.4...needs, that is self-respect, the esteem of others, the desire to have power and 5. . The highest level
in the hierarchy of needs is held by .6 needs, i.e. the desire to develop, to maximize ones potential, to
achieve ones goals.
Another theory of motivation is that worked out by Herzberg. He has a two-factor theory. 7.. include
challenging work, career ..8.., responsibility and recognition, promotion. The second group of factors, .9
factors, refer to conditions of work such as salary and 10, relationships with colleagues, job security, status.

The latter group does not give increased satisfaction. However, the absence of such factors is likely to lead to
dissatisfaction.

V.

A. Complete the columns in the following table:

ADJECTIVE
OPPOSITE ADJECTIVE
1. considerate
2. creative
3. decisive
4. diplomatic
5. efficient
6. flexible
7. inspiring
8. interested
9. logical
10. organised
11. rational
12. responsible
13. sociable
14. supportive

NOUN FORM

B. Choose the four best qualities of a manager from the list above and motivate your choice.
VI.
Read the following article to find phrases for the following meanings:
Changing status?
In the past, status symbols for senior management were regarded as vital. These days, some companies
are already breaking free from old-fashioned ideas of status and convention.
In some countries, open plan offices shared by the manager have been popular for some time. Recent
indications show that many more companies are moving towards more open management. Offices shared by
managers and other employees are an example of this. The manager may share an office with other
employees but usually he or she is at a discreet distance from them or has the best position, near the window!
In Scandinavia, the idea that "to assume responsibility is, in itself, a privilege" has been accepted for a
long time. The participative style of management sometimes encourages employees to tell the Chief
Executive what is wrong with the company and where improvements can be made. As a result, senior
management are regarded as more approachable by their employees who, in turn, feel that their contributions
to the company are valued.
Management changes
Management style has changed considerably over the last few years. In the past, management and
workers were completely separate, even to the extent of having separate restaurants for lunch. "Single status"
canteens are now very common.
In some companies, "perks", formerly enjoyed by senior executives are being extended to all workers.
This includes holiday houses, which can be used by employees and also the opportunity to participate in
company share saver schemes.
In some, more traditional, companies change has to be introduced more gradually as the symbols of status
are regarded as very important by employees. For example, in certain companies, the model of car is an
indicator of which grade of management a person has reached. Even office furniture and fittings can be status
symbols. The withdrawal of such items of recognition can be seen as de-motivating in companies where such
symbols have been important.
The attempt to reduce status symbols should not be linked to ideas of democracy or equality in the
workplace, it is purely concerned with involvement, which must surely strengthen most companies.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

intentionally not attracting attention by behaviour or appearance;

special advantage, opportunity or honour;
restaurant in a company or factory where employees can eat;
advantages or benefits such as luncheon vouchers or a company car given to employees;
take part in an activity;
taking away;
the belief in freedom and equality among people.

VII. Fill in the gaps in the following text:

Personnel managers and directors are having .1. change their ideas on how to handle
redundancy as their ..2..are forced into losing more and more .3... In a
recent UK survey, personnel practitioners 4..asked whether they had made changes
..5. the criteria used when selecting people to be laid .6.
Although no business or industry can have .7untouched by the recession, only
eight per cent of the practitioners ..8. that they had made any changes. Those who
have
are
now
taking
employees'
attitudes,
attendance
and
commitment
.9.consideration, as well as their ability. Some are being forced
..10..use compulsory redundancy for the first time.
In the past, offering redundancy ..11.a retirement package was always the
preferred option. Now young workers are ..12targeted. More flexible staff are being
retained.
VIII. Derive at least three words from each of the items given below and introduce them into
meaningful sentences:
1. manage
2. govern
3. administer
4. correct
5. predict
6. simple
7. favour
IX.

Solve the following crossword puzzle: