Straightforward Business

2a Managementstyles
Speaking&Vocabulary:
managementstyles

Reading

1 Workinpairs.Discussthequestions.

How many reasons can you think of for staff

being unhappy with their managers?

How many different kinds of skills does a manager need?

Add to this list:
technical, organizational, leadership, interpersonal
Put these skills in order of importance for the following kinds
of manager:
(a) the head of an accounting team in a large office.
(b) the manager of a small shop with two or three staff.
(c) the chief executive of a large international company.

2 Lookatthedictionarydefinitionsandthenmatchthephrases

16tothekindofmanagementstyle:autocratic,democraticor
paternalistic.

autocratic /tkrtk/ adj ruling with complete power: His

autocratic approach made him many enemies. a. telling
people what to do without caring what they think:
an autocratic boss/management style
autocratically /tkrtkli/ adv
democratic /demkrtk/ adj *** 1 involving elections
in which people vote for their political representatives
2 based on the principle that all people are equal and
should be able to share in making decisions:
a democratic organization
paternalistic /ptnlstk/ adj a paternalistic system, idea
or belief is one in which a person in authority advises
and helps people but also controls them by not letting
them make their own decisions and choices: paternalistic
attitudes
1 after consultation, decisions are taken in the best interests of
the workers
2 communication is top-down and only one-way
3 power is delegated to the work-force
4 executives respond to feedback from the employees
5 decisions are made at the top, but take the welfare of
employees into account
6 staff do not always feel valued and can be demotivated

1 Workinpairs.Discussthequestion.

2 Readthearticleandfind
1 three reasons for dissatisfaction at work.
2 two examples of an autocratic management
style.
3 two things that workers want to see in the
workplace.
4 one reason why management practices
urgently need to change.
5 four different words to refer to managers.
6 three different words and expressions to refer
to workers.

3 Readthearticleagainandwriteashort
summary(maximum75words).

4 Workinpairs.Discussthequestions.
What are the biggest causes of industrial
problems in your country?
What should be done about them?

Grammar:presenthabits
Use present simple + adverb of frequency
to talk about habits.
Use will/wont + infinitive to talk
about predictable behaviour (eg habits,
tendencies).
Theyll pretend your ideas were their own.
Use keep + verb + -ing to talk about
repeated behaviour.
He keeps looking over your shoulder.
Use present continuous + forever/always/
constantly to talk about annoying habits.
Theyre constantly looking for improved
efficiency.
Hes forever giving us advice.

SeeLanguageReFerencepage24

3 Workinpairs.Discussthesequestions.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the three
different management styles?
Think of three or more managers that you know (in your
work experience or at your school/college). Describe their
management style.

StraightforwardUpperIntermediateSecondeditionMacmillanPublishersLimited2012

Straightforward Business

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Managementstyles 2a

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NEWS | OPINION | ENVIRONMENT | SPORT | LIFE &STYLE | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | TRAVEL

Survey reports record-breaking

dissatisfaction
A new poll carried out for unions that
represent public sector workers shows growingFile
dissatisfaction with managers.
Fewer than 35% of civil servants said that they
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were happy with their supervisors, with the
most frequent complaints being that bosses
were poor listeners, gave no feedback on their
teams work and were reluctant to delegate. A
worrying number of employees also reported
cases
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The results of the poll will be acutely
embarrassing to senior executives who have
seen a steady rise in job dissatisfaction in
recent years. Higher staff turnover, days lost
through illness and decreased efficiency are the
immediate costs of demotivated personnel. We
need government departments to start taking
employee satisfaction seriously, said one union
leader. Our members need clear tasks and
targets, and they want their voice to be heard
in the overall running of their workplaces.
Senior government sources have also privately
admitted that there is a need for departments
to develop core strategic missions that show a
commitment to the needs and interests of the
workforce.
In the current economic climate, the need for
inspirational leaders looks greater than ever.
Faced with frozen salaries and downsized
departments, old-fashioned top-down
approaches to management are likely to make
the problems even worse unless priority is given
to addressing the issue.

1 Tickthesentences15which
describeahabit.

1 The financial crisis will soon get

worse.
2 Bad managers will blame their staff.
3 Union leaders keep talking about
the problem.
4 Government departments are
forever looking for ways of making
savings.
5 Top-down management styles are
not working.

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4 January 2012
Last updated at 06:11 GMT

Typical complaints

They keep looking over your shoulder to see what youre doing,
and you can be sure theyll find something to criticize.
They keep organizing meetings to discuss the work, but wed
rather just get on with it and forget about the meetings.
Theyll ask you for your ideas and then pretend that they were
their own.
Theyre always asking how we are and questions like that, but
we all know they couldnt really care less.
Theyre constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency and
nothing else matters at all.
Theyre forever giving us advice that we dont need or want.
Glossary
delegate v give part of your work to someone else
harassment n threats, offensive comments
running n management
core n the most important part of something

2 Rewritethesentencesusingthewordinbrackets.
1
2
3
4
5
6

Unhappy staff complain about their bosses. (will)

Union officials continue to hear stories of harassment. (keep)
He talks about himself all the time. (forever)
Some managers do not delegate often enough. (wont)
Some workers take time off too often. (constantly)
They look for greater efficiency all the time. (always)

3 Writethenamesofthreepeoplewhoannoyyouinsomeway.Theycan
bepeopleyouknowpersonallyorfamouspeople.

4 Workinpairs.Tellyourpartneraboutthehabitsofthesepeople.

StraightforwardUpperIntermediateSecondeditionMacmillanPublishersLimited2012