Levels and areas of management

1. a) What do the terms “pyramid” and “hierarchy” mean in the business world? What associations do you have with them? How does the managers’ responsibility for work change within a company?

b) Read the text and be ready to speak upon the managers’ role in a company.

§1 Managers are organizational members who are responsible for the work performance of other organizational members. Managers have formal authority to use organizational resources and to make decisions.

§2 The levels of managers form a hierarchy, in which they are ranked in the order of importance. In most organizations, the number of managers at each level is such that the hierarchy resembles a pyramid.

§3 Additionally, there are differences across the management levels as to what types of management tasks each does and the roles that they take in their jobs.

§4 Finally, there are a number of changes that are occurring in many organizations that are changing the management hierarchies in them, such as the increasing use of teams, the prevalence of outsourcing, and the flattening of organizational structures.

c) Title the text and say in which paragraph(s) the information is about:

v company hierarchy;

v responsibility of managers;

v team work;

v decision making;

v the importance of change;

v pyramid structure.

d) Look through the text and find the words which mean the same. The paragraph numbers are given in brackets:

a. the power or right to give orders (1);

b. a position in a hierarchy (2);

c. an organized group of people with a particular purpose (2);

d. the process of dealing with or controlling things or people (3);

e. a paid position of regular employment (3);

f. an arrangement or classification of things according to relative importance or inclusiveness (4);

g. two or more people working together (4).

2. Discuss the following quotations:

• Paraphrase each quotation. • Say whether you agree or not, and why.

3. a) What are the levels of management? Rank the following according to how important you think they are. Compare your answers with a partner.

vi) middle management;

vii) first line management;

viii) top management;

ix) operating employee.

b) Some phrases were taken out from the text, so insert them into the appropriate gaps. Read and translate the text:

a) implements the strate­gy and major policies;

b) controls the overall activities оf the organization;

c) represent the work force;

d) develop tactical plans, policies, and standard operating procedures;

e) former operating employees;

f) de­termine the firm's strategy and its major policies;

g) a three-story structure;

h) coordinates and su­pervises the activities.