Homework 1

Getting started

1 Work in small groups. Match the sentence beginnings (1—1) with their endings (a-g).

1 My company/organization has a vision; b) I know where it’s going; I share its goals.

2 We have an entrepreneurial culture; g) we’re encouraged to look for new business and take risks.

3 People in my company are highly competitive; e) we battle each other for promotion and for bonuses.

4 My company is pretty bureaucratic; d) there are lots of regulations and correct procedures, we’re encouraged to do things by the book.

5 My company has a supportive culture; f) when we need them, we’re sent on training courses. Every employee has a mentor.

6 My company has a controlling culture; c) the boss is autocratic, and we do as we’re told without question.

7 My company is quite informal; a) for example, it doesn’t have a dress code.

2. Look at the words and phrases in bold above and match them to the following definitions.

1. A person who gives another person help and advice over a period of time and often also coaches them in their job: mentor.

2. A set of rules for what you can wear: dress code.

3. Aims: goals.

4. Demands total obedience from staff: autocratic.

5. Extra amounts of money given to you as a reward: bonuses.

6. Follow the rules exactly: do things by the book.

7. View of how the company will be in the future: vision.

8. Involving risk-taking: entrepreneurial.

Aspects of corporate culture

Talking point

Discuss these questions in small groups.

1. Which of the things mentioned in Exercise 1 on page 1 are typical of your company’s/organisation’s culture?

I don’t have worked yet but I think that all of the points mentioned before are important in a company’s culture except the autocratic; nowadays the employees of the highest positions are supposed to take some decisions from the lower ones. The system has more freedom and more risk-taking so they can probably gain a competitive business strategy.

The most important

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