Notes to the agenda

Кафедра иностранных языков № 1

СБОРНИК ПРАКТИЧЕСКИХ ЗАДАНИЙ

ДЛЯ САМОСТОЯТЕЛЬНОЙ РАБОТЫ СТУДЕНТОВ

К БАЗОВОМУ УЧЕБНИКУ

«BUSINESS ADVANTAGE» (Upper-Intermediate)

ПО ДИСЦИПЛИНЕ

«ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК ДЕЛОВОГО ОБЩЕНИЯ»

Москва

ФГБОУ ВПО «РЭУ им. Г. В. Плеханова»

Составители: В. О. Мидова

Е. Т. Минасян

Материалы публикуются в авторской редакции

Сборник практических заданий для самостоятельной работы студентов к базовому учебнику «Business Advantage»
(Upper-Intermediate) по дисциплине «Иностранный язык делового общения» / сост.: В. О. Мидова, Е. Т. Минасян. – Москва: ФГБОУ ВПО «РЭУ им. Г. В. Плеханова», 2013. – 40 с.

В данной работе представлены практические задания, составленные для самостоятельной работы студентов в соответствии с базовым учебником «Business Advantage» (Units 1–14, Upper-Intermediate). Материалы в сборнике имеют деловую направленность для лучшего освоения содержания текстов, анализа деловых ситуаций и выполнения интерактивных заданий.

Основная цель – развитие, закрепление и совершенствование лексических навыков устной монологической и диалогической речи.

Для студентов старших курсов, обучающихся по направлению Менеджмент.

© ФГБОУ ВПО «РЭУ им. Г. В. Плеханова», 2013

Unit 1 THEORY: «CONCEPTS OF COMPETITIVE MARKETS»

«In general, if any branch of trade, or any division of labor,

be advantageous to the public, the freer and more general

the competition, it will always be the more so»

Adam Smith: ‘The wealth of nations’

In economic terms, a market is not a place, but a process which is a result of human actions. That is, all of us act on our own behalf, but everyone’s action aims at the satisfaction of other people’s needs as well as one’s own, and the responsibility of government is to create and preserve the environment in which the market can function.

The theory of perfect competition is often seen as the ideal; there is division of labor and private ownership of land and capital, where buyers and sellers are too numerous to have individual control over price and there are no barriers to market entry and exit. It assumes that government acts to preserve the system and does not intervene.

A natural monopoly exits when the cost of producing a product or service is lower for one producer than it would be if there were many producers. Industries such as the railways, water and electricity supply are often seen as natural monopolies because infrastructure costs prohibit easy entry into the market.

A monopoly is where one producer (or a group of producers acting together) controls the supply of a good or service and the entry of new producers is prevented or highly restricted through legislation, threatening lawsuits or even violence.

An oligopoly is where suppliers are few in number who do not necessarily act together, but can effectively control the supply and thus the price of a product. They often offer similar products differentiated by advertising and can anticipate the effect of one another’s marketing strategies. The automotive, banking and petroleum industries are often cited as examples of oligopolies.

Globalization is the worldwide movement towards economic, financial, trade and communications integration including the unhindered transfer of capital, goods and services across borders. It does not include the free movement of labor across borders, as this is more political and is termed economic migration.

Markets can change rapidly due to a number of factors within the business environment. These factors include the entry or exit of competitors, the availability of new technologies, natural phenomena such as floods and volcanic eruptions, human engineered events such as wars or terrorist attack, new government regulation such as changes in taxation legislation and changes in consumer needs and wants.

FOLLOW-ON QUESTIONS…

1. What is perfect competition?

2. What factors can cause market changes?

3. Why are monopolies and oligopolies considered uncompetitive and undesirable? How do they act in the competitive environment?

4. What connects the world of competitive sport to competitive business?

5. Which large multinational corporations seem very powerful at the moment? What sectors are they in? Who are their competitors?

Case study «Competition»

ISSUE

Five years ago your company employed a young computer expert, Geoff Peters. He has worked in the customer service department for the last two years. Essentially he supports a number of key customers doing maintenance and trouble-shooting work. Three months ago he suddenly left the company and he is now working for several of your customers, providing service as an independent computer consultant. His employment contract had a competition clause in it forbidding him from working for any customers for a two-year period after leaving. The meeting has been called to discuss this case and also to see whether any lesson can be learned for the future.

AGENDA

1. Geoff Peters: report and discussion.

2. Competition clause

3. Legal action

4. Employment contracts

Notes to the agenda

1. Geoff Peters: report and discussion.

The Personnel Manager will report on the case and then there will be a chance to discuss why Geoff left the company.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14