STARTING UP Imagine you are visiting a country for the first time to do business.

Complete the tips below using the words from the box on the left.

cards clothes date 1 Find out about the most popular .�P.�X:f: in the country.
customs food gifts 2 Always take ............ in US dollars.
hours language
3 Find out about the normal working ............ .
leaders money
5f'6ff 4 Be careful how you write the ............ .
5 Find out about the most important ............ and festivals.
6 Learn to speak a little of the local ............ .
7 Try some of the ............ before you go.
8 Wear formal ............ .
9 Translate your business ............ into the local language.
10 Take some ............ for your hosts which are typical of your own country.
11 Learn something about the most famous business ............ and celebrities.

II Which of the tips In Exercise A do you think are: a) very useful?

b) useful? c) not useful?

Why? Compare your Ideas with a partner.

104
II Add some other tips for visitors to your country.
 UNIT l 1 .... CULTURES

El Different companies have different cultures and ways of working. Complete

Company these sentences with the items in brackets. One of the items in each section
cultures cannot be used.
Dress (uniforms I eas1:1al Friaa,s I weekend clothes)
1 We don't have to wear business suits at the end of the week. My company has a
system of .�.,w,,.1:1.l. .fr.i.�.':lyf .
2 In many banks, staff can't wear what they like. They have to wear ............ .
Timekeeping (flexitime I part-time I shift work)
J For two weeks each month, I work at night. I can't sleep during the day. I hate ............ .
4 We have a ............ system in our office. Some people choose to work from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m.; others work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Time off (childcare I annual leave I public holiday)
5 I am so busy at the moment that I worked on New Year's Day, which is a(n) ............ .
How many days' ............ do you get in your company?
Reporting procedures (written report I face to face I e-mail)
7 We often speak on the phone, but never ............ .
8 He uploads a(n) ............ on the company intranet each month.
Types of meeting (informal I formal / social)
9 Our department starts every day with a(n) ............ meeting. It is very relaxed.
10 Companies have an Annual General Meeting (AGM) once a year. It is a very ............
meeting, with a lot of people.
Names Gob title I first name I family names)
11 In some countries, the company culture is formal. Staff use ............ when they
speak to each other.
12 What's your ............ now? Are you Chief Executive?

m Would you like to work for an organisation which has:

• uniforms? • a lot of formal meetings? • casual Fridays? • flexible hours?

II Match each phrase (1-5) to its explanation (a-e).

A positive company culture ...
1 empowers employees. a) New ideas and change are welcome.
2 supports innovation. b) Relationships between employees and
managers are open and honest.
3 is customer focused.
c) Staff have a lot of control over their work.
4 rewards good performance.
d) The needs and wants of the customers
5 encourages trust at all levels.
always come first.
e) There is an incentive scheme for efficient
employees.

m Work in pairs. Put the five characteristics in Exercise C in order of

See the DVD-ROM

for the i-Glossary.
o I
11
importance for you, and explain why.

What are the beliefs and values of your organisation? Discuss in groups.

105
 UNIT l 1 .... CULTURES

El Different companies have different cultures and ways of working. Complete

Company these sentences with the items in brackets. One of the items in each section
cultures cannot be used.
Dress (uniforms I eas1:1al Friaa,s I weekend clothes)
1 We don't have to wear business suits at the end of the week. My company has a
system of .�.,w,,.1:1.l. .fr.i.�.':lyf .
2 In many banks, staff can't wear what they like. They have to wear ............ .
Timekeeping (flexitime I part-time I shift work)
J For two weeks each month, I work at night. I can't sleep during the day. I hate ............ .
4 We have a ............ system in our office. Some people choose to work from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m.; others work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Time off (childcare I annual leave I public holiday)
5 I am so busy at the moment that I worked on New Year's Day, which is a(n) ............ .
How many days' ............ do you get in your company?
Reporting procedures (written report I face to face I e-mail)
7 We often speak on the phone, but never ............ .
8 He uploads a(n) ............ on the company intranet each month.
Types of meeting (informal I formal / social)
9 Our department starts every day with a(n) ............ meeting. It is very relaxed.
10 Companies have an Annual General Meeting (AGM) once a year. It is a very ............
meeting, with a lot of people.
Names Gob title I first name I family names)
11 In some countries, the company culture is formal. Staff use ............ when they
speak to each other.
12 What's your ............ now? Are you Chief Executive?

m Would you like to work for an organisation which has:

• uniforms? • a lot of formal meetings? • casual Fridays? • flexible hours?

II Match each phrase (1-5) to its explanation (a-e).

A positive company culture ...
1 empowers employees. a) New ideas and change are welcome.
2 supports innovation. b) Relationships between employees and
managers are open and honest.
3 is customer focused.
c) Staff have a lot of control over their work.
4 rewards good performance.
d) The needs and wants of the customers
5 encourages trust at all levels.
always come first.
e) There is an incentive scheme for efficient
employees.

m Work in pairs. Put the five characteristics in Exercise C in order of

See the DVD-ROM

for the i-Glossary.
o I
11
importance for you, and explain why.

What are the beliefs and values of your organisation? Discuss in groups.

105
UNIT 11 .. CULTURES
Three people talk about cultural mistakes.

a
Cultural
mistakes �» CD2.37 Listen to John's story and answer these questions.
1 What meal was John invited to? di1111er
2 What did he look at?
3 What was his mistake?
a) He talked during an important silence.
b) He talked about his host's table.
c) He didn't want a gift.

m �>» C02.38 Listen to Cameron's story and answer these questions.

1 Where was Peter's new job?
2 What was his mistake?
a) He did not use first names.
b) He did not speak French.
c) He did not use family names.
3 How did the staff feel when Peter used first names?

II �» co2.39 Listen to Susan's story and answer these questions.

1 Where did Susan make her mistake?
2 Who did she go out for a meal with?
3 What was her mistake?
a) She poured her own drink.
b) She did not laugh.
c) She poured too many drinks.
4 What did she forget to do?

E �)) co2.40-2.42 Listen to Liz, Jeremy and Ros talking about cultural mistakes.

Which speaker ... Liz Jeremy Ros

1 was working in East Africa?
2 was working with a Dutch colleague?
3 got straight down to business?
4 writes long e-mails?
S often adds funny comments in e-mails?
6 thought a colleague was abrupt and rude?

Watch the

0
interviews on
the DVD-ROM.
Liz Crede Jeremy Keeley Ros Pomeroy

II It is easy to make mistakes in other cultures. What other examples do

you know?
106
 UNIT 11 .... CULTURES

• We use should and shouldn't to give advice and make suggestions.

should/ We should wear formal clothes to the dinner.
shouldn't You shouldn't be late for meetings.
• We often use I think or I don't think with should to say something is or isn't
a good idea.
I think you should go on a training course.
I don't think you should interrupt her.
'Do you think I should learn to speak the local language'?' 'Yes, I do. /No, I don't.'
c:]page155

El Complete the sentences below using should or shouldn't and a phrase

from the box.
speak to our boss buy an expensive computer system
be late Ele'teloi,e better ·neb,ite stay three days

1 Our online business is bad.

We ..... Sh!?�!�.�!".Y�.1.1?.P..�.?.!".t:f:�.t:.��hi:f:�...... .
2 Our team is working too many hours.
We ............................................................. .
3 The meeting is very important.
We ............................................................. .
4 She wants to visit a lot of customers in Spain.
She ............................................................ .
5 We have to control our costs.
You ............................................................ .

m Give the opposite advice by using should, shouldn't or I don't think.

1 I think he should get a salary increase.
I dori't tJ.,irik J.,e 5J.,ould 9et a ralary iricreare.
2 I think we should launch the new product now.
3 She shouldn't take customers to expensive restaurants.
4 We should take every customer complaint seriously.
5 I think staff should fly economy on every trip.

II Work in pairs. Your colleague Is going on a business trip. Take turns

to ask for and give advice using the notes below.
A: I'm 9oiri9 ori a buririe55 trip. Do you J.,ave ariy advice?
B: You 5J.,ouldri't rtay iri ari e.xperirive J.,otel.
• Stay in an expensive hotel.)(
• Take plenty of business cards . ./
• Arrange a lot of appointments on the same day.)(
• Be late for appointments.)(
• Write a short report after each meeting. ./
• Keep all your receipts for travel and restaurants. ./

107
UNIT 11 •• CULTURES

Do you agree with these statements?

Cultural 1 All meetings should have fixed start and finishing times.
differences 2 Being on time is equally important in all situations.
3 It's more important to learn about the culture of the country you do business
with than to learn the language.
4 There's no point having a detailed plan before you start a project. Things always
change, and you need to be very flexible.

m As you read the article below, think about this question.

What are two main causes of cultural misunderstanding between Brazil and China?

Lessons in a result, Brazilian companies are

keen to understand the Chinese
better and find the best way to do
business together.
cultural 3 For companies already working
with China, getting to know the cul­
ture is a priority. At Chinbra, Sao
difference Paulo's biggest Chinese language
school, students, who mainly work in
by Samantha Pearson the import business, take evening
classes in Mandarin. About half the
I It is 9.05 a.m. and a group of Chinese lesson is about cultural issues. They
businessmen are outside a hotel ask questions such as "Should I give successful deals with the Chinese,
conference room in Sao Paulo, my business card with two hands?" it is important to be on time for
waiting for their Brazilian hosts. The and "What presents should I give - meetings and to meet deadlines.
seminar was scheduled to start five something Brazilian?". Another issue is planning. In Brazil,
minutes ago, but, like many meetings 4 Some business deals fail because because of high inflation during the
in Brazil, it did not start on time. of small things like a misunderstood 1980s and early 1990s and many
The Brazilians arrive, complaining e-mail. "In addition to language failed plans, long-term planning was
loudly about the morning's traffic problems, there is also a lack of not a priority. Today, many compa­
and go immediately to breakfast. cultural understanding between nies still prefer to plan as they go
Cultural differences between the two the two countries," says Charles along and fix problems when they
countries become clear. Tang, president of the Brazil-China happen. The Chinese are completely
2 In 2009, China replaced the US Chamber of Commerce. different. They like to plan everything
as Brazil's biggest trading partner. As s One big issue is timing. For in advance and in detail.

II Decide whether these statements about the article are true (T) or false (F).
Correct the false ones.
1 Brazil's biggest trading partner today is the US. F (It'r now CJiina.)
2 At Chinbra, students spend most of the time learning Mandarin.
3 Charles Tang thinks deals go wrong mainly because of language problems.
4 For the Chinese, being on time is very important.
5 Brazilians don't give a lot of importance to planning.

ID Work in pairs. Read the situation at the beginning of the article again
(paragraph 1) and discuss these questions.
1 What happened?
2 How do you think both sides felt about the situation?
3 For the next meeting with the Chinese, what could the Brazilians do differently?
108
 UNIT 11 •• CULTURES

II Find words in the article with these meanings.

1 planned (paragraph 1) s-cJiedc.,led
2 very important and needing attention (paragraph 3)
3 prob�ms�aragraph�
4 to be unsuccessful (paragraph 4)
5 when there is not enough of something (paragraph 4)
6 the last possible date for doing something (paragraph 5)

II Work in pairs. What practical advice would you give about studying
or doing business in your country? Discuss two or three of these points.
• appointments • meetings/seminars
• giving gifts • greetings
• planning and deadlines • making friends

• We often use could to make a polite request.

Cc,uld I use your mobile phone, please?
Could you send me a copy ofthe report, please?
• We often use would you like to make an offer.
Would you like a brochure?
page 155

11 These questions were asked on a plane journey. Decide whether they

were asked by the flight attendant (F) or the passenger (P).
1 Could I have another drink, please?
2 Would you like a newspaper?
3 Could you show me how to turn on the light, please?
4 Would you like another drink?
5 Could I have some mineral water, please?
6 Would you like coffee or tea?
7 Could you fasten your seat belt, please?
Could you help me find the movie channel, please?

El Which of the questions in Exercise A are offers, and which are requests?

II You are at a hotel reception desk. Use the verbs in brackets to make
polite requests.
1 You need a map of the city. (have) Covld I Jiave a map of tJ,e city, pleas-e?
2 You want to go to a good restaurant. (recommend)
3 You didn't hear that. (say)
4 You want a photocopy of a document. (copy)
5 You want your bill. (have)
6 You want a taxi. (calf)

EJ ..,» CD2.43 Listen to the requests in Exercise C to check •

..,» CD2.43 Listen again. How does the other person reply?
109
UNIT 11 H CULTURES

D Work in pairs. You are organising a visit to your company's factory.

Take turns to make and reply to the requests on page 133.
A: Could I have IMt month'> production f19ure5?

B: Ye5, I'll e-mail them to you thi5 afternoon.

SKILLS, 11 '4>» CD2.44 Louise, a project manager, is in a meeting with Tom, one of the
project team leaders. They are talking about Paul, a foreign consultant hired
Identifying
by head office to work on the project. Listen to the conversation. Decide
problems and whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Correct the false ones.
agreeing action
1 Tom does not have a good relationship with Paul.
2 Tom would like Paul to communicate more face to face.
3 Paul gets on well with the customers because of his knowledge.
4 Paul does not meet his colleagues very often after work.
5 Louise is going to have a meeting with all the team members first.

a �>» CD2.44 Listen again and complete these extracts.

L: What ............1 is the problem?
T: You see, Paul's not very good at ............2•
T: Well, how can I put it? They respect him, he's got a lot of ............3.
L: Well, I think the ............4 thing to do is for me to have a talk with him.
I'll give him some good ............5•

Watch the
II Work in pairs. Look at the audio script on page 166. Imagine you are the
meeting on
the DVD-ROM. 0 project manager. What advice are you going to give Paul? Make a list of
three points.

liJ Complete these sentences (1-4) with suitable endings (a-d).

1 The problem is, a) to have a meeting with him first.
2 I think you should b) he's not good at communicating.
3 The best thing to do c) talk to him first.
4 OK. So you're going d) is to explain what his role is.

II Role-play this situation. Two managers in the same department have a

problem with an employee, Ken Darby. They meet to discuss what to do.
Student A: Turn to page 137.
Student B: Turn to page 142.

OPENING SUGGESTING ACTION RESPONDING TO SUGGESTIONS

There's something I'd like to talk We could meet the other members of I agree. We'll meet him as soon
to you about. the team. as possible.
I need to talk to you about I think I don' t think we should meet Fine. Let's talk to him.
something. Paul every week. Yes. I think that would be very
Could I have a word with you? One thing we could do is talk to him. helpful.
We should/shouldn't move him to I'm not sure that's a good idea.
STATING THE TOPIC another department. Well, I'm not sure about that.
There's a problem with Paul. The best thing to do is explain his Mmm. I don't think that's a
The problem is, we don't have a role to the team. good idea.
good relationship.
110
 ot.£,1.l:!1 o�j e;:?.>4
www.irLanguage.com

� The wind of change

A manager wants to bring in new ideas and change the company culture

Background
Kate Maskie is the new General Manager in an overseas branch of Far Eastern Traders, an international
clothing company. She wants to bring the best new ideas from head office to the overseas branch.

Kate wants: Overseas branch culture now

all staff to use first names. Staff use family names.
all staff to dress casually at work. Staff dress formally at all times.
to introduce a system of flexible working hours. Working hours are fixed 19.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.l.
to keep all meetings to 30 minutes only. There are many long, formal meetings.
to introduce hot-desking• to the open-plan office. Most staff have their own space in the open-plan office.
_an 'open-door' policy, so staff can see a manager Staff need an appointment to see any manager.
at any time.

* 'Hot-desklng' ls a system where you do not have your own desk in the office, but use any desk that Is free.

�» CD2.45 Listen to Kate Maskie as she talks 1 Why does Kate want to change the culture
to Stuart Adams, her manager at head office, in the branch office?
about the problems. Discuss these questions. 2 What problem will she face?
3 What will Kate do at the meeting?

Kate and Stuart meet some of the senior staff to discuss the ideas for a new company culture.
1 Work in groups of four and choose a role.
Kate Maskie: Turn to page 139. Stuart Adams: Turn to page 140.
Director of Human Resources: Turn to page 141. Finance Director: Turn to page 144.
2 Look at your role cards and prepare for the meeting.
Meet and discuss Kate's ideas. Decide what you will change and what you will keep the same.

n5� �
Subject: New ideas from head office Date:
Participants:
Name
lien..
Agendattem Decision Reason Action
irLanguage.com l Staff to use first names
2