单选题The case of Enron and other corporate scandals shows that manager who receives stock options may be tempted to do all of the following except ______

单选题Caught in the spotlight of hostile scrutiny, global companies from the Gap to McDonald's to Wal-Mart have launched so-called social-compliance programs to fend off critics of their supply chain practices. These new programs frequently require company suppliers to meet basic labor-practice standards. That compliance is all excellent first step, but it requires strategic thinking, not just-in-time tactical responses. Starbucks has charted a course that suggests a new strategic template, one that other brand-driven multinationals might want to explore. When anti-globalization activists singled out Starbucks for having exploited third-world farmers, the company saw the attack as a direct threat to the brand and to its public commitments to social responsibility. But rather than assume a purely defensive posture, Starbucks launched a pilot program to fundamentally change its relationship with its suppliers. The company began to actively cultivate and reward environmentally and socially responsible suppliers a strategic gamble it calls sustainable sourcing. Not only could sustainable sourcing defend against Starbucks's critics, company executives reasoned, but it could build the brand and even drive the company's growth. This spring, Starbucks announced that it was making sustainable sourcing a cornerstone of its global strategy. With annual growth in the late 1990s at about 20%, Starbucks executives were confident the demand was them to sustain this rate of growth. But they knew their supply chain's future was less predictable and reliable. If the flow of specialty beans from around the globe fell short, both its growth plans and the quality of its coffee would be at risk.To protect its coffee supply, Starbucks realized it had to identify and nurture partners that could meet its quality standards and keep pace with its increasing demand. Moreover, to protect its brand, the company had to be certain that these suppliers shared its commitment to corporate citizenship. In 2001, the company launched a pilot called the preferred supplier program to attract and reward farmers committed to socially and environmentally responsible farming. The company reasoned that the farms that took the best care of their employees and land would be the most sophisticated, responsive, and responsible suppliers just the sort to help Starbucks fulfill its aggressive growth plan.To become a preferred supplier, farmers must apply to the program. Reviewers evaluate applicants on 20 measures to determine how well they adhere to sustainable environmental practices (procedures that protect the scarce real estate on which high-quality coffee can grow ) and responsible social practices (methods, for example, that reduce the risk that deliveries will be compromised by labor unrest, corruption, or legal violations ). Suppliers accepted into the program are awarded points for meeting environmental, social, and economic criteria; the more points they earn, the more Starbucks pays them for their coffee. Preferred providers will typically receive a 5% premium on each pound of beans they sell. They can also win long-term contracts to reduce market risk and receive credit to fund improvements that promote sustainability. With the recent expansion of the pilot program to all of its supply chain, Starbucks expects that in five years 60% of its coffee will come from preferred suppliers.Starbucks's idea is innovative and refreshingly proactive. But it's clearly a gamble. It's uncertain whether sourcing this way will pay off, either by satisfying the company's critics or by assuring adequate supplies. While the jury's still out, brand-driven companies may want to try this experiment: Put your brand managers and supply chain people in a room together and have them jointly develop a sourcing strategy that's directly tied to growth. You might just hit on your next big idea.

单选题Marthastartedherbusinessbecause

单选题 ·Read the following article on recruiting and managing staff and the questions. ·For each question (15-20), mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet. As a manager in the service industry sector, I've looked at hundreds of CVs in my time. They are not necessarily the bland documents some bosses might think they are! They are full of little pointers towards individuals' personalities and suitability for the job. The first thing I always look at is an applicant's employment record. I check for continuity and stability. If somebody has a long list of previous jobs, all of varying length, alarm bells start ringing. Rather than an irregular route from job to job, what I hope to see is stable career progression. What does their career path look like-is it all steps forward. or are there a lot of sideways moves? And I am always pleased to find a family person with children, because in my experience they tend to be responsible and reliable. I never rely on CVs alone. We get applicants to fill in one of our own application forms. We ask why they've applied, what their aspirations and personal goals are, and also about their interests and hobbies and any clubs they belong to. That gives you a useful insight into their personality and lifestyle. The application form also enables us to test how much people have actually been progressing in their careers, because we ask for details of the salaries they have received for each job. It's always worth looking at CVs and designing application forms with great caution. Taking on employees might be rewarding, but it is also a big investment for any business. Mistakes in choosing staff can cost companies dear, so it makes sense to spend time ensuring that you get the right person. In the service sector, one of the aims of companies is to maintain and improve customer service, and this is achieved partly through low staff turnover. You need to take on people who understand that, and will want to stay. That's why, when you've taken staff on, the next thing is getting the best out of them. My management style comes from the days when I took over my first business, an ailing road haulage firm which I was certain I could turn into a profitable company. The first thing is to treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself. As soon as I took over the business, I talked to everybody individually, and looked for ways to make sure their particular skills benefited the company. I didn't have much experience of managing people, but above all I always tried to be fair and honest with everyone. As a result, I think the staff knew that and accepted my decisions, even if they didn't agree with them all. Also, bosses must be able to communicate. You also need to create team spirit, and build on the strength of the team. I explained my plans for the company to all the staff, and let them know what I needed from them. The lorry drivers responded brilliantly, and were the key to turning the business round. They understood that we had to develop a professional reputation, and from then on the days of poor quality deliveries were over. Lastly, I am a great believer in profit-sharing. It takes a team to make a company work, so profits should be shared by all. Job satisfaction is important, but it doesn't pay the rent. Shared profit and bonuses help to strengthen team spirit by giving everyone a common goal that they work towards together.

单选题Is your group really a team? Teams are all the rage in the workplace today，and every organization speaks of the importance of teams．But just because a group of people work together does not necessarily make them a team．There are essential elements that identify teams，and nurturing them will help you become a good team leader． Let's begin with a definition of what a team really is．Teams are groups of individuals who accomplish designated objectives by working interdependenlIy，communicating effectively，and making decisions that impact their day to day work．So the first question to ask yourself is，‘How close does my team come to this definton?’If it doesn't measure up to the definition，then you are not really leading a team．You are probably managing a work group．There is absolutely nothing wrong with a work group．A work group can achieve great results with your close supemision．The idea，however，in today's changing organization and our competitive global marketplace，is to develop teams that can work autonomously without your close direction and support． In a team．members share decision-making and often build consensus，with two-way communication between manager and members．There are joint work assignments and accountability on both the individual and team levels．In a work group，the manager is the decision-maker，and there is a one-way，top-down pattern of communication。Each member has individual work assignments，and each person is held accountable and appraised by the manager. Whether you operate as a work group or a team depends on three factors．Firstly，the skill and motivational level of members．Skilled and motivated employees need to be able to make decisions on their own and communicate upwardly when they need to．This is a model for working as a team．Secondly，the nature of the work．Some work situations do not call for members to make decisions together，nor is there a need for much two way communication among team members and their manager．But if there is a need for both，you have a team．Thirdly，the manager's belief that indMduals can work autonomously and interdependently．This attitude is essential for today's workplace。When managers do not hold this belief，they will favor the work group over the team． To get a group of individuals to function as a team，it is necessary to highlight the following issues．As for team members．everyone of them needs to know what he or she is supposed to accomplish and how it fits in with what other team members do.And they must be allowed to make decisions that impact their work products and semices．When we give people ownership over what they are doing，they perform much better．Last but not least．team members cannot hold back on any comments that will help the team grow and prosper．As for the team leader，he or she should have the technical knowledge of what the team is doing，as well as be able to motivate and inspire the team．A qualified leader should always be ready to acknowledge team members’accomplishment．Members need ongoing reminders that their efforts are valued and appreciated so that they can sustain high levels of performance．

单选题{{B}}How to approach Reading Test Part Four{{/B}}· This part of the Reading Test tests your vocabulary.· Read the whole text quickly to find out what it is about. As you read, try to predict the words that might fill the gaps.· Look at the four possible answers for each gap and cross out any obviously incorrect words,· Then read both before and after each gap to decide which word should go in it. The word needs to fit both the meaning and the grammar· After completing all the gaps, read the whole text again to check your answers,· Read the text on the opposite page about decision-making.· Choose the best word from below to fill each gap.· For each question 21-30, mark one letter (A,B,C or D)on your Answer sheet. {{B}}Decisions, decisions ...{{/B}} Poor decisions are commonplace. In fact, they are often institutionalised In the workplace, poor decisions{{U}} (21) {{/U}}good ones in many situations. While management consultants{{U}} (22) {{/U}}companies on many aspects of running a business, basic decision-making is often{{U}} (23) {{/U}}out of the equation. Professor Larry Phillips, who teaches at the London School of Economics, says: 'Because we make decisions all the time, it is{{U}} (24) {{/U}}that we know how to do it.' It is a skill which is supposed to come{{U}} (25) {{/U}}but many of us would fare better with coaching. Psychologist Rob Yeung of consultancy Kiddy & Partners says millions of pounds are lost in business because the wrong people are hired. 'Although businesses may be quite good at{{U}} (26) {{/U}}the terrible candidates from the mediocre ones, they aren't very good at{{U}} (27) {{/U}}those who are just good from those who are excellent.' And many businesses have procedures that repress good decisions. Phillips says: 'One of the most commonplace problems is that people are held to{{U}} (28) {{/U}}without the requisite responsibility to meet that authority .That creates tremendous anxiety.' For instance, you will see manufacturing departments which are{{U}} (29) {{/U}}by the sales income they achieve - but the sales price is set by someone else. Managers will often be blamed by their bosses for a downturn in commercial activity when the true culprit is market conditions. 'There is a failure to understand variability,' says Phillips, who bemoans the{{U}} (30) {{/U}}tendency to judge companies by their last quarter's results alone.

单选题General Managers (GMs) are a part of middle management and play a key role in organisation. Depending on the size of the organisation a GM can be, for example, a senior manager responsible for a division or a subsidiary company or a less senior manager in charge of a department or section. They are a link between top management, who make policy decisions, and junior managers, who carry out these policies. Top management work through GMs and they can make the difference between good and bad policy and a motivated or demotivated workforce. The relationships GMs have with their bosses, subordinates and each other are very important for the success or failure of an organisation. GMs within the same organisation need to have good working relationships with each other in order to apply policies in the same way throughout the organisation. At the same time, GMs are also required to make broad policies into plans that suit their particular divisions or departments. In a company conflicts between the activities of various departments will inevitably arise, and it is the job of the GM to act as a link between the departments. Research has shown that the personality of a GM is very important in helping to resolve these departmental problems. The research has also shown that (as far as the personalities of GMs are concerned) GMs are ambitious people who have balanced temperaments and are good with people. In addition, good GMs combine these personality traits with a detailed knowledge of their business. They work hard to fit into and be accepted by the culture of their particular organisation. It has also been demonstrated that high performing GMs have three sets of skills. First, they need agenda-setting skills, so that they can identify and convince others of the most important objectives of a project. Second, GMs need to develop networking skills. Good GMs deliberately attempt to develop contacts within and outside the organisation. Such a network of contacts means that the GM is aware of issues and can act on them quickly. To develop agenda-setting and networking skills it is essential for a GM to be skilful in dealing with people. This is particularly important as they spend such a large amount of time working with employees at all levels of a company. in terms of work, tasks and attitude, the research has shown that managerial work is done in short bursts, with managers working on many simultaneous projects which can sometimes have conflicting aims. GMs discuss a wide range of subjects in an unconnected way and tend to ask questions rather than give orders. They require large amounts of information which they pass on to top management to help them to make decisions. In order to collect this information, they must learn to work in uncertain and changing environments. Consequently, both the approach and style of a GM change to adapt to the setting in which they are operating. They must be flexible to be successful.

单选题WhatisthemainreasoncausingHenryFord'sassemblylinetocollapse?

单选题New and revised products may be tested through ______ A．commercialization B．geographic sales C．product life cycle D．family brands E．marketing research

单选题Which of the following can be used by a firm to protect its investments in research and product development? A．marketing research B．patents C．demographics D．target market selection E．product mix

单选题What will happen if a new company offers a product different frgm those of the existing firm?

单选题Establishing Ethical Standards of Behavior in a Small Business Entrepreneurs and small business owners (21) great influence in determining the ethical philosophies of their business enterprises. Employees often follow the lead of the owner in (22) their duties and (23) to their responsibilities, so it is incumbent on the owner to establish a work environment that embraces moral standards of behavior. Business experts and ethicists alike point to a number of actions that owners and managers can take to help (24) their company down the path of ethical business behavior. Establishing a statement of organizational values, for example, can provide employees—and the company as a whole—with a specific framework of expected (25) Such statements offer employees, business associates, and the larger community (26) a consistent portrait of the company's operating principles—why it (27) what it believes, and how it intends to act to make sure that its activities (28) with its professed beliefs. Active reviews of strategic plans and objectives can also be undertaken to make certain that they are not in conflict with the company's basic ethical standards. In addition, business owners and managers should (29) standard operating procedures and performance measurements within the company to ensure that they are not structured in a way that encourages unethical behavior. As Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield stat ed, "a values-led business seeks to maximize its impact by (30) socially beneficial actions in to as many of its day-to-day activities as possible. In order to do that, values must lead and be right up there in a company's mission statement, strategy and operating plan. /

单选题______ normally represent compensation for achieving specific sales objectives and often are part of the compensation received by people working in sales positions.

单选题·Read the following article about merge and the questions on the opposite page.·For each question 15-20, mark one letter (A, B, C or D ) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. A school of behavioral economists has long argued that when it comes to money, people are incapable of acting in their own best interest -- that decisions result from impulse and overconfidence as much as from reason. Smart folks, in other words, are just as likely to soon part with their money as all those fools.The truly bad news is that smart companies are just as prone to make terrible decisions for the same reason. Take one of the biggest business decisions of all— merger. Research consistently shows that most mergers fail in every sense of the word, from falling stock prices to lower profitability after the merger. Yet, even with suffering capital markets, a recent Hewitt Associates study found that more than half of the 70 senior executives and board members surveyed planned to step up merger activity during the next three years. Why? Call it executive hubris. CEOs are not different from the rest of us in that they fall prey to the self-enhancement bias: we all like to think we are intelligent and efficacious. So we overestimate our abilities. That's why studies show that significantly more than half of all people believe they are above average -- in negotiating ability, even in income, This overly optimistic view is, of course, worse for CEOs- afar all, they generally are way above average. Btu the result is the same: bad decisions. One study, by business school professors Matthew Hayward and Donald Hambrick, showed that the greater the hubris of the chief executive, the more a company tends to overpay for acquisitions.The aphorism "Pride goeth before a fall" seems to hold true in business too. When executives are confronted with the appalling statistics, their first response goes something like this: "That may happen to other companies, but not ours. This acquisition will be more successful. We have learned."The next CEO challenge is persuading a possibly recalcitrant board of directors to let you pursue your urge to merge. Hubris, again, returns to center stage. You paint a picture of doom and gloom that will result if you don't merge. Take a look at one of the rationales given for the merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq, two companies with poor operating track records. The argument was that PCs were becoming a commodity industry, consolidation was inevitable, and if HP didn't do the consolidating, it would soon be one of the consolidated. Here's another variant of the same rationale: If you don't buy the target company, your competitor will -- and you'll lose out. This gambit uses the influence strategy of scarcity -- we want what we can't have, and we find particularly desirable anything that we may lose to someone else.Here's how to avoid hubris-fueled merger mania. First, follow the adage from medicine: Forgive and remember. Go back and evaluate past merger decisions, admit when you were wrong, figure out why, and learn from it.Second, beware of too much agreement in the board room. When Alfred Sloan ran General Motors, if he couldn't find opposition to a decision, he'd postpone it. He interpreted a lack of dissent as a lack of analysis. Find, even encourage, people to disagree with you, so that all sides of the decision are examined. Mostly, we like those who agree with us. But as one of my colleagues likes to point out, if two people agree all the time, one of them is redundant.The urge to merge is still like an addiction in many companies: Doing deals is much more fun and interesting than fixing fundamental problems. So, as in dealing with any other addiction or temptation, maybe it is best to just say no.