十三
【FORECAST AND RESULTS】

Sales Forecast
computer projection
predictions about interest rates
reports from sales teams
intuition
the political situation
the success of competitors' products
past experience
the marketing budget

Inaccuracy
There was a shift in fashion.
We were affected by a press report.
There was an unexpected disaster.
There was a lapse in quality control.
Our advertising was poor.
Our publicity was more effective than we expected.
There was a change in government policy.
We experienced a shortage of qualified staff.

catch on : become fashionable/popular
up-and-coming : successful, likely to be successful
fall short of : fail to reach a target
talk someone into : persuade someone
pay off : be successful/profitable
go about : approach (a task/problem)
turn down : refuse/reject

十四
【FINANCING THE ARTS】

Different Arts
classical/traditional music
pop/rock music
theatre
cinema
painting
dance

cast : the actors in a film, play or show
choreographer : person who plans the movements dancers make
set : furniture and other scenery used in a play to make it seem realistic
costume : clothes worn by an actor
props : objects used by actors during plays
repertory house : theatre where on company of actors performs a number of different plays

The aim of art is to represent not the ourward appearance of things, but their inward significance. (Aristotle)

Sponsorship

break down : seperate figures into different parts so that the details can be understood
running costs : money you need to spend regularly to keep a system or organization functioning
sue : take legal action against a person or organizaiton
put up : provide or lend an amount of money for particular purpose
backers : group of people who give financial support
angel : a weathy person who invents money in new business projects
flutter : small bet
break even : cover costs, start ot make a profit

十五
【LATE PAYER】

bank charges : sums of money paid by a customer for a bank's service
bookkeeping : the job of keeping a record of the money that has been spent or received by a business
cash : money which is immediately available
credit limit : the maximum amount of money a bank will allow you to borrow
credit worthiness : calculation of someone's ability to pay back money which they have borrowed
debtor : someone who owes money - creditor
factoring : system of buying debts for less than they are worth and then obtaining payment for them from the debtors
outgoings : amounts of money that regularly have to be spent
overdraft : amount of money that a bank customer with an account is temporarily allowed to owe the bank
overtading : operating a business while not having enough money to pay creditors and employees
shortfall : amount which is less than the level that was expected or needed

十六
【NEGOTIATING A LEASE】

Hard Bargaining
key provisions：
length of lease
permitted use
rent reviews
maintenance
fit-out
improvements
cost of lease (rent+outgoings)
rent free or reduced rent period

compromise : an agreement in a negotiation in which the people involved reduce their demands or change their position in order to agree
the bottom line : the lowest amount acceptable in a negotiation
sticking point : a point in a discussion on which it is not possible to reach an agreement
deadlock : a situation in which agreement in a negotiation cannot be reached because neither side will change its demands or accept any of demands of the other side
bargaining point : something which someone else wants that you're willing to lose in order to reach an agreement
horse-trading : negotiation which requires bargaining and each side reducing their demands
constraints : something which controls what you do by keeping you within particular limits
leverage : power to influence people and get the results you want

條件
if/suppose/imagine that/providing that/as long as/on the one condition that
if not/unless/except if

十七
【W(wǎng)ORKPLACE ATMOSPHERE】

10 WAYS TO CREATE A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT
1. build trust
2. communicate positively and openly
3. expect the best from your staff
4. create team spirit
5. give recognistion and appreciation
6. give credit and take responsibility
7. be approachable
8. provide a positive physical environment
9. make staff evaluations a postive expence
10. make it fun

4 kinds of management
1. paternalism
2. adversarial
3. transactional
4. partnership

cause/lead to/give rise to/arise as a result of/be a frequent consequence of

十八
【THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE】

shop-floor worker
blue-collar worker
project manager
freelancer
knowledge worker
self-employed person
semi-skilled worker
union rep
temp
white-collar worker

I imagine / suppose / guess that...
It could / might be that...
It's possibility / It's (very / quite) possible that ...
... are likely to ...

flexible working
part-time working
home working / teleworking
job sharing
freelancing
temping

not enough job security
not trusted enough
bad workplace atmosphere
underpaid
no career advancement
too much stress

to be self-employed
to start own company
to take a career break
to retain
to go pat-time
to be given a permanent contract

十九
【PRODUCTIVITY】

Speculating
They might have ...
They could have ...
Maybe what happened was that ...
Perhaps they ...
It's possible that ...
It could / might be that ...

higher interest rates - cashflow problems
incentice scheme for sales staff - 50% increase in sales
market research - products more suited to our customers
new environmental regulations - reduced pollution from our plants
new machines in the factory - high shop-floor productivity
staff training program - more efficient use of computer systems

assembly line : series of machines and workers in a factory where a product is built as it moves along
churn out : produce large amounts of something quickly, usually of low quality
erode the manufacturing base : reduce the factory facilities in a region/country
excess production capacity : ability of a factory to produce more than it actually does
hire and fire : employ and dismiss
output : amount produced by a person/machine/factory
product-led : activities are determined by the requirements of the product
retool : replace machinery in a factory
stockpile : build up a large store of goods which have not been sold yet
technical glitch : small problem or fault that prevents from working we...

二十
【STAFF NEGOTIATION】
" Negotiating is not something to be avoided or feared - it's an everyday part of life. "

Stakeholders 利益相關者

Considerations before reorganising the operation
shareholders' interests
employees' needs
customers' interests
pressure from the competition
public opinion

Complaints & Demands
I want to be sure I won't be relocated
I'm not trusted enough
I feel I'm not being treated fairly
I'm not being paid a competitive salary
I'd like a more transparent career structure
I would not know what to do in an emergency
I'd like a reduction in my workload
I'm not given enough recognition for what I do

We should all receive higher salaries for what we do
We should be consulted more by our managers
We should get more recognition for what we do
We need more management support
We need less supervision
Our offices should be better equipped
We should receive incentive payments
We should be given more training

round the clock : all day and all night
get hot under the collar : become angry about something
picked on : chosen frequently and unfairly to do something unpleasant
put their money where their mouth is : show by spending money that they believe in something
passed over : ignored
breathing down my neck : watching everything someone does
get on with : continue doing work
up to scratch : of an acceptable standard

二十一
【CORPORATE ETHICS】
Ethics
wrong/right/question/concern/code/choices/dilemma/philosophy/good/bad/justice/evil/life/trust/religion

What responsibilities do large companies have to...
their shareholders?
their stakenholders (their customers, employees and suppliers)?
society in general?

ethics/profit/loyalty/tax

benefits : things such as medical insurance that employees receive in addition to money
premise : idea or theory on which a statement or action is based
discharge a debt : pay a debt completely
stakesholders : people such as employees, customers or citizens who are involved
better off : with an organization and therefore have an interest in its success
richer
strive for : try very hard to make something happen
fall short of : fail to reach a desired standard
knock-on effects : indirect results of other events or situations

二十二
【EXPANDING ABROAD】
the impact of globalization

Methods of breaking into a foreign market
1. using a local agent or distributor
2. starting a joint venture with a local company
3. acquiring or taking over a local company
4. marketing directly yourself without a local collaborator

Strategy
growing through acquisition and organic growth
continuous improvement
leveraging our international position
enhance our business diversity
developing our human resources

二十三
【AN OVERSEAS PARTNERSHIP】
We will support each of our client's business on a worldwide scale. In the IT communications field, we are rapidly expanding our global reach from Asia to North America.

Advice on expanding into foreign market
1. language
2. laws and regulations
3. local tastes and customs
4. local collaborators and competitiors
5. finance

Reasons
1. to achieve a corporate objective
2. to achieve economies of scale
3. to reach richer customers
4. to confront their competitors
5. to expand their scales areas
6. to respond to an invitation
7. to maintain sales levels
8. to take advantage of an opportunity

Problems
1. strong competition from local firms
2. difficult to communicate with local managers
3. difficult to recruit high-calibre personnel
4. adapt to local working methods
5. change the packaging of our products
6. make a large capital outlay
7. need a different advertising message
8. need help from a local firm

二十四
【A PLANNING CONFERENCE】

Good or bad advice on giving short business presentation
1. avoid using ppt or other visual aids, as they are distracting.
2. It's all right to give your presentation sitting down.
3. make eye contact with your audience
4. make two or three important points and repeat them
5. rehearse your presentation in advance
6. speak quickly and say as mush as possible in the time
7. start with a joke

轉折讓步
although/even though/even if
in spite of/despite
however/no matter how
whatever/no matter what

Risks
industrial accidents
negative publicity
innovations by competitiors
changes in the world economic situation
mistakes made by people in the company
hacking and industrial espionage
others...

Useful Language
An industrial accident such as a(n) ... is a risk because it could ...
We are not at much risk from competitors' innovations because ...
The chances of ... affecting our business are high/low/remote because...
One/Another thing which could damage our business is ...