Read this article about three men who have had great influence in the world for their business vision and do the exercises which follow.

Influential Business people in the Twentieth century

Walt Disney,Ray Kroc,Henry Ford – what do you know about these people? What are they famous for?

Read this article about three men who have had great influence in the world for their business vision and do the exercises which follow.

In 2004 the popular US business magazine Forbes published a list of the top hundred influential business men of all time. No excuse was offered for the fact that the list was for business “men” rather than “people” and as there is not a single woman on the list, Forbes can be excused. Some of the entries on the list are household names that we would expect to be present. Other names are unfamiliar yet their contribution to the world of business and commerce is undeniable. The contributions of three of the most influential business people from the twentieth century, taken from the top of Forbes’ list are briefly outlined below.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was the founder of the world’s first modern media conglomerate. Seeing a gap in the market for children’s entertainment, he exploited that gap in a way that had never been done before. The public face of Disney includes Mickey Mouse cartoons, animated classics and Disneyland theme parks. Disney characters are known and loved by millions and the continued sale of books, videos, CDs and other merchandise generate profits that even Walt Disney himself could not have dreamed of.

Ray Kroc (1902-1984) might not be a name that many of us recognise but his business, MacDonald’s, has helped to revolutionise the way the western world eats today. The concept of chain production was already being experimented with when Kroc came up with the idea for the fast food stores. In post war America, Big Macs became the solution for a nation with little time on its hands for preparing meals or eating out in conventional restaurants. Customers all over the States would know exactly what to expect when they stepped into a MacDonald’s; the same menus, a clean set up and affordable prices. It didn’t take long for Mac’s burgers and French fries to take off in other parts of the world.

No article about influential business people would be complete without mentioning Henry Ford (1863-1947) who was responsible for democratising the transport industry. Ford’s Model T is sometimes called the "MacAutomobile", referring to the revolutionary assembly line production that allowed Americans to become more mobile while generating huge profits for the company. As car prices fell, more people were able to afford to buy one. Sales rocketed, prices fell further and more cars were sold. Business boomed and the face of American highways was changed for ever.

1. Read the following statements and decide whether they refer to Disney, Kroc or Ford.

Disney Kroc Ford

a) Few people recognize his name.

b) He invented the assembly line.

c) He saw that people wanted something that did not exist at that moment.

d) He realized that lower prices would increase sales.

e) He invented a product and then he made more money by selling things that promoted that product.

Answers

(Disney – c, e; Kroc – a; Ford – d, e)

1. Answer the questions

1) Why are Disney characters so loved by all generations? Do you like them?

2) Was Ray Kroc the first who came up with the idea for the chain production?

3) Why were the products of MacDonald’s welcomed so enthusiastically?

4) What was the key to Henry Ford’s success?

5) Do they have any common reasons of their success? If any, what are they?

Discussion

1) Can you continue the range of people who have changed the business world? What character should they have? What challenges can the meet?

2) The list offered was for business “men”. What do you think about women in the business world? Can they compete with men? Do you know any successful business women? What do (or did) they deal with? Do you agree that the modern world is the world for men? What obstacles can women run into doing their business which can be caused by their sex?

3) Prepare a company project that you would set up. Why do you expect it to be successful?

4) Imagine that one of your is a successful businessman / woman. Take an interview with him / her (background information, keys to success etc).

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