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BEC
PARTONE
Questions1–8
●Lookatthesentencesbelowandatthefiveitemsofcompanynewsfromabusinessmagazineontheoppositepage.
●Whichnewitem(A,B,C,DorE)doseeachstatement1–8referto?
●Foreachstatement!
–8,makeoneletter(A,B,C,DorE)onyourAnswerSheet.
●Youwillneedtousesomeoftheselettersmorethanonce.
Example:
1Someonehasleftacompetitortojointhiscompany.
0
ABCDE
1Someoneismovingfromonefirmtoitsparentcompany.
2Itisrumouredthatsomeonewasaskedtoleavethiscompany.
3Thiscompanyistryingtohaltthedeclineinsalesofoneofitsproducts.
4Oneofthefoundersofthiscompanyhasleft.
5Thereisaplantochangetheimageofasectionofthiscompany.
6Forthefirsttime,thiscompanyhastakenoveraforeigncompany.
7Oneofthestaffofthiscompanyhasnoclearfunction.
8Thiscompanyusedtobeheadedbytwopeople.
A
WesternMedia
WesternMediahasdraftedinCarolSpencer,thetopmarketerinitsradiosubsidiary,tobe
itsfirstmarketingdirectorandgiveitsMusic&SportsMagazinesdivisionamajorrevamp.Shewilltakechargeofaportfolioofsixtitles,andplanstogivethedivisionanewidentity,replacingitscurrent,veryfunctionalnamewithamoreemotionallyinvolvingone.SpenceralsointendstodevelopaTVorradioshowbasedononeofitsmagazines,inanattempttoreverseitsflaggingsalesfigures.
B
Franklin’s
UKfurnituremanufacturerFranklin’shaspartedcompanywithitsmarketingdirectorGaryParker.Franklin’srefusedtocommentastowhetherheleftofhisownaccord,althoughsourceshintthatthiswasnotthecase.Hisreplacement,JuliaHowell,previouslyhisnumbertwo,hasbeenasuccessfulmarketersinceshestarterherownmarketingconsultancytwentyyearsago.HertasknowistoregainFranklin’sformerpositionasUKmarketleader:
althoughsaleshaveheldsteady,inpercentagetermsthecompanyhasbeenovertakenbyseveralrivals.
C
Flyway
Flyway,thelow-costairline,hasappointedSimonLewisasitsnewheadofsalesandmarketingtodevelopthebrandthroughoutEurope.Lewishasspenthisentireworkinglifewithintheindustry,joiningfromthemarketingdepartmentoflongtimerivalCoastalAirways,wherehecontrolledmarketingactivitiesintheUK.HewillworkwithTeresaCampbell,whohelpedlaunchtheFlywaybrand.However,notonlyCoastalisunhappywiththeappointment:
CharlesWalters,Flyway’sformercontrollerofmarketingplanning,ispoisedtoquitafterbeingleftwithoutarole.
D
BDH
AlanDean,thecolourfuljointchiefexecutiveofmediacompanyBDH,hasresignedfromthecompanywhichhehelpedestablish,citingpersonalissues.Shareholdersandstaffwereinformedofhisdecisionlastmonth.JointchiefexecutiveofficerCharlesBurnetttakessolechargeofthecompanytemporarily,andhasannouncedthattherewillbenochangeinstrategy.Accordingtoinsiders,AlanDean’sdepartureistheresultofapersonalityclashratherthandisagreementonthewaythecompanywasmoving,andthesearchisonforareplacement
E
Granville
SoftdrinksproducerGranvillehasacquiredanAustralianproducer,adepartureforGranvilleaspreviouslyithadonlyshowninterestindomesticpurchases.Asaresult,JennyNorris,formerlyheadofcorporatedevelopment,hasbeenpromotedtothenewlycreatedpositionofheadofinternationalsoftdrinks.Assuchshewillberesponsiblefordevelopingallthegroup’sinternationalactivities,includingbothmarketingandacquisitions.Hermovehasresultedinareshuffleofherpreviousdepartment,where,insteadofreplacingher,thecompanyintendtoreallocateresponsibilitiestoremainingstaff.
PARTTWO
Questions9–14
●Readthetexttakenfromtheannualreportofaretailcompany.
●Choosethebestsentencefromtheoppositepagetofilleachofthegaps.
●Foreachgap9–14,markoneletter(A-H)onyourAnswerSheet.
●Donotuseanylettermorethanonce.
●Thereisanexampleatthebeginning.(0)
Duringthepastyear,turnoverincreasedby6.8percentandprofitsroseby7.5percentto£127.9million.Theseresultswereachievedbyacombinationofimprovedproducts,newandbetterstores,andthecommitmentofthestaff.Duringtheyearsalespatternsfluctuated,particularlyatChristmas.(0)__H__Thiswas,however,compensatedforbyadvancesmadeinmostotherdepartmentsofthecompany.
Theboard’sobjectiveistoearnaplaceasaleaderintheretailsector,basedonachievingconsistentlevelsofprofitablegrowth.Itisimportant,therefore,thatweshouldknowwhatpeopleusingourstoreswantofus.(9)____Duringthepasttwoyears,wehavebeenworkinghardtoimprovethestandardofourproductsinboththeseareas.Certainkeyproductshavebeensubjecttoathoroughreview,mostnotablymenswear,wheresignificantadvanceshavebeenmadeinproductdesignandmanufacture.(10)____Allofthesehavereportedanincreaseinmarketshare.
Thecompanyhasalsoaimedtoimprovethevisualappealofitsstores.Adesignplanhasbeenadoptedwhichintroducesseveralnewfeaturessuchaswoodenfinishesondisplayareas,newstorelayouts,increaseduseofphotographicpanelsandbetterdisplays.
(11)____Theresultisamoremodernandcompellingshoppingexperience.
Theintroductionofstate-of-the-arttechnologysystemstosupporttheorganizationhascontinuedasplanned.(12)____Aspartofitscontinuingmodernisationprogramme,thecompanyisalsointroducingnewtechnologyatitspoints-of-saleatanexpenditureof£25million.Thisinvestmentwillresultinimprovedefficiency,bettercustomerserviceandcloserrelationshipswithoursuppliers.
Thereisnodoubtthat,inanincreasinglycompetitivetradingenvironment,wearebetterequippedthanevertocompeteandtowinonthestrengthofproductquality,fashionandprice–allareaswherethecompanyfeelsincreasinglyoptimistic.(13)____Theboardbelievesthatthegroup’sdevelopmentisbeingmanagedinaprudentmannerandatanappropriatespeedtoproducesustainableprofitgrowth.However,itisclearthattheupwardpressureonthecostsasaresultofourcapitalinvestmentswillbegintoshowthroughinthecomingyear.(14)____Wearethereforepleasedtoreportthatalreadytheimprovedtrendinsalesandprofitmarginsexperiencedinthesecondhalfoflastyearshowseverysignofcontinuing.
Example:
0
ABCDEFGH
AThesehavevastlyimprovedouroperationsintheareasofrangeplanning,financialcontrolandmerchandisemanagement.
BOtherareaswhereproductinnovationhasbeenparticularlyeffectiveareinlingerie,giftsandhomeware.
CInspiteofthis,weremainconfidentthatourprofitabilitywillcontinuetoincrease.
DTheseelementsaredesignedtoinspire
customersandtocreateaparticular‘look’inthestores.
EThesecommitmentshavealreadyhadaneffectonourtradingpositionandthereareindicationsthattherewillbeaslightfallinprofits.
FResearchcommissionedbythecompanyshowsthat,aboveallelse,customersexpectfashionandvalue.
GThisisduetoournowhavingaclearstrategywithafocusonthecustomer,productimprovementandstorerefurbishment.
HOneareawhichremaineddifficultthroughouttheyearwaschildren’sclothing.
PARTTHREE
Questions15-20
●Readthefollowingextractfromabookonmanagementandthequestionsontheoppositepage.
●Foreachquestion15–20,markoneletter(A,B,CorD)onyourAnswerSheetfortheansweryouchoose.
Leadershaveakeyroletoplayindevelopingeffectiveorganisations.Theysetpeopleintherightdirection,gaincommitmenttoachievingtheorganisation’smissionandmotivatethemtoachievetheirgoals.AsJohnKlotterhaswritten:
‘Thedirection-settingaspectofleadershipdoesnotproduceconcreteplans;itcreatesvisionsandstrategies.Thesedescribeabusiness,technologyorcorporatecultureintermsofwhatitshouldbecomeoverthelongtermandarticulateafeasiblewayofachievingthisgoal.’
Visionaryleadershavethecapacityorthegifttocreateorreorientateorganizationstowardssuccess.InthewordsofTomPeters:
‘Thevision–andmanagers’consistent,dailyactionsinsupportofit–istheseaanchor,thebasisforkeepingpeoplefromrunningasthewavesofchangethrowthemtoandfro.’Visionaryleadersarepeoplewhoseeanddothingsdiffenretly.Theyareoftenoutsiders,recruitedintoanorganization,orunconventionalinsiders.
Let’staketheexampleofElwynJones.Hewasthepersonneldirectorofalargeconglomerateinthefoodindustrywithover80,000employees.Thefirmhadgrownfastbyacquisitionandwashighlydecentralized.StaffweredeliberatelykepttoaminimumatheadquartersandJoneshadonlyfourexecutivesresponsibledirectlytohim.Hewas,however,alsoresponsiblefortheimplementationofgrouppersonnelpoliciesineachofthedivisionsandonthesemattersthedivisionalpersonneldirectorswereresponsibletohim.
Joneswasthereforenotinapositiontodictatetodivisionswhathewantedthemtodo.Hecouldonlyinfluencethem,andhefeltthathehadtogetgenuineacceptancefornewpoliciesbeforetheycouldbeintroduced.Thushehadtoconsultonanychangesorinnovationshewishedtointroduceandtoseekco-operationonthetestingofnewideas.
Withhisheadquartersstaff,Jonesadoptedahighlyinformalapproach.Hegavethembroad
guidelinesonhowtheyshoulddeveloptheirideasinthedivisionsbutencouragedthemtothinktherigidstructureoftraditionalmeetings,hetookthesameapproachwiththedivisionalpersonneldirectorsandinthiswaythe