ACTIVATING
Activating background knowledge
1. Read the following text and formulate its topic in one sentence.
THE GRAPEVINE
While the office is the hub of the official communications network for the organization, informal channels also exist. The word “grapevine” is applied to the lines of communication in this informal network, a network which will include friends and acquaintances meeting in the canteen or travelling home on the bus or train together. There is a multiplying effect as one person talks to others, who in turn talk to others. In a comparatively short space of time a large number of people can be informed – or misinformed. Why does the grapevine exist? First, because people at work will want to talk to each other; there will be social as well as professional interaction. People want to impress each other with information they have – important information. It is sometimes known as the jungle telegraph – a network of channels for rumour and gossip.
Many of the stories are likely to emerge from the office, which is both the source and the destination of most information. The communication, essentially verbal, is prone to distortion by its very nature. Added to which it is liable to embellishment to make it more interesting to the recipients. Half-truths and outright falsehoods are sometimes added by accident or design and these can be harmful to the organization.
Another feature of the grapevine is that bad news is more likely to be repeated than good news. The same feature is found in the press. The public will buy newspapers which offer sensation rather than dull, routine news. It is difficult to trace the source of the rumour and gossip, and so it is likely to prove difficult to halt a flow of harmful misinformation.
Managers are not always the victims. They may sometimes use the grapevine for their own ends, feeding in unfounded but carefully devised rumours of their own. An example would be where a manager leaves copies of letters “accidentally” lying around for a certain member of staff to see, or mentions something “in confidence” knowing that the news will spread through the organization like a forest fire.
The best way to deal with the problems of the grapevine is to keep the staff as fully informed as possible about management’s intentions and decisions. The subversive activities of the grapevine can be largely eliminated if staff become involved in management’s plans and participate in the decision-making process.
2. Answer the questions yourself, then discuss with a partner.
1) How would you deal with the problem of the grapevine in the office? 2) To what extent do you think staff should be informed of management’s plans and decisions? 3) In what circumstances, if any, do you think employers should let employees see the firm’s accounts? 4) Do you think the grapevine is also found in political life, and that the game of politics is also sometimes played in the office? 5) Over a cup of coffee one day a respected colleague gives you some alarming news about some new appointments which are to be made. It appears that some outsiders are to be brought into the organization and this would effectively block any promotions for you – at least for the immediate future. He has told you in strict confidence. How would you react? 6) Do you think there are some things which employees should never be told? What are they?
3. Mark Twain once said: “Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it.” Nowadays, corporate culture is becoming even more popular a subject for discussion. Everybody seems to be concerned with the notion. Ask your partner’s opinion on the following.
1) Have you ever thought about corporate culture? 2) What do you usually think of when you hear the notion? 3) Why are people getting more and more interested in it? 4) When do people usually become concerned with the issue? 5) How can a company’s culture be expressed? 6) At what levels is corporate culture created? What is the role of an individual in it? 7) How can one learn about corporate culture of a company?
4. Have you managed to give answers to all of the above questions? If you are not sure, read the following article by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. to learn more.
UNCOVERING A COMPANY’S CORPORATE CULTURE IS A CRITICAL TASK FOR JOB-SEEKERS
Why should job-seekers care about a potential employer’s corporate culture? Aren’t there more important factors to consider, such as the job itself, salary and bonuses, and fringe benefits? These factors are indeed important, but increasingly career experts are talking about the importance of employee-employer fit in terms of culture, with the idea that how well the employee “fits” the culture can make the difference between job-search success and failure. What is corporate culture? At its most basic, it’s described as the personality of an organization, or simply as “how things are done around here”. It guides how employees think, act, and feel. Corporate culture is a broad term used to define the unique personality or character of a particular company or organization, and includes such elements as core values and beliefs, corporate ethics, and rules of behavior. Corporate culture can be expressed in the company’s mission statement and other communications, in the architectural style or interior decor of offices, by what people wear to work, by how people address each other, and in the titles given to various employees.
How does a company’s culture affect you? In many, many ways. For instance:
- The hours you work per day, per week, including options such as flextime and telecommuting.
- The work environment, including how employees interact, the degree of competition, and whether it’s a fun or hostile environment – or something in between.
- The dress code, including the accepted styles of attire and things such as casual days.
- The office space you get, including things such as cubicles, window offices, and rules regarding display of personal items.
- The training and skills development you receive, which you need both on the job and to keep yourself marketable for future jobs and employers.
- Onsite perks, such as break rooms, gyms and play rooms, daycare facilities, and more.
- The amount of time outside the office you’re expected to spend with co-workers.
- Interaction with other employees, including managers and top management.
How do you uncover the corporate culture of a potential employer? The truth is that you will never really know the corporate culture until you have worked at the company for a number of months, but you can get close to it through research and observation. Understanding culture is a two-step process, starting with research before the interview and ending with observation at the interview.
Before the Interview. Before you’ve even been invited for an interview, you might consider doing an informational interview with the company. Informational interviewing is a great research and networking tool.
Once you’ve been invited for an interview, while you are researching the company for the interview, spend some time searching for clues about the company’s culture. Review the company’s annual report, Website, and other materials. Some companies even discuss their corporate culture on their Website. Some Websites provide key information and feedback from company employees.
At the Interview. Experts suggest arriving early at the interview – unannounced if possible – and spend the time observing how current employees interact with each other, how they are dressed, and their level of courtesy and professionalism.
During the interview, you should consider asking one or more of these questions to get a feel for the corporate culture – as well as gain key information you’ll need to make a decision if a job offer is made to you:
- How are decisions made – and how are those decisions communicated to the staff?
- What role does the person who gets this position play in decision-making?
- Does the organization emphasize working in teams?
- What are the organization’s priorities for the next few years?
- Are there established career paths for employees in this position?
If you get a chance to meet other employees (or make your own chances by finding out where they hang out), you can ask one or more of these questions to try and get a handle on an organization’s corporate culture:
- What 10 words would you use to describe your company?
- What’s it really like to work here? Do you like it here?
- Around here what’s really important?
- How are employees valued around here?
- What skills and characteristics does the company value?
- Do you feel as though you know what is expected of you?
- How do people from different departments interact?
- Are there opportunities for further training and education?
- How do people get promoted around here?
- Around here what behaviors get rewarded?
- Do you feel as though you know what’s going on?
- How effectively does the company communicate to its employees?
The bottom line is that you are going to spend a lot of time in the work environment – and to be happy, successful, and productive, you’ll want to be in a place where you fit the culture – a place where you can have a voice, be respected, and have opportunities for growth.
Activating language
1. Match the words or phrases in A to their definitions in B.
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A |
B |
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1) Cut-throat |
a. Informal meetings |
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2) Back-up |
b. Internet company |
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3) Get-togethers |
c. Making more efficient |
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4) Sink or swim |
d. Paperwork |
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5) Red tape |
e. Responsible to the government |
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6) Publicly accountable |
f. Standard by which you can judge the success of something |
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7) Streamlining 8)Dotcom 9) Yardstick 10) Rat race |
g. Fierce, not involving consideration or care about any harm caused to others h. Struggle of individuals in a competitive environment i. Succeed or fail without help from anyone else j. Support |
2. Work in small groups. Match the sentence beginnings (1–7) to their endings (a–g).
1) My company / organization has a vision;
2) We have an entrepreneurial culture;
3) People in my company are highly competitive;
4) My company is pretty bureaucratic;
5) My company has a supportive culture;
6) My company has a controlling culture;
7) My company is quite informal;
- for example, it doesn’t have a dress code.
- I know where it’s going; I share its goals.
- the boss is autocratic, and we do as we’re told without question.
- there are lots of regulations and “correct procedures”. We’re encouraged to do things by the book.
- we battle each other for promotion and for bonuses.
- when we need them, we’re sent on training courses. Every employee has a mentor.
- we’re encouraged to look for new business and take risks.
3. From the sentences above choose the words to match the following definitions.
1) a person who gives another person help and advice over a period of time and often also coaches them in their job; 2) a set of rules for what you can wear; 3) aims; 4) demands total obedience from staff; 5) extra amounts of money given to you as a reward; 6) follow the rules exactly; 7) view of how the company will be in the future; 8) involving risk-taking.
4. Complete each of the phrasal verbs below with one or two words in accordance with the given definitions.
1) Starting ___ (1) – beginning; 2) talk things ___ (2) – discuss thoroughly; 3) come ___ (3) ideas and solutions – produce ideas and solutions; 4) stick __ (4) – follow, obey; 5) ___ (5) up – arrive; 6) ___ (6) ahead – making progress; 7) it boils ___ (7) to – the essential thing is.
Culture note
Stephen McGuire defined and validated a model of organizational culture that predicts revenue from new sources – an entrepreneurial organizational culture. EOC is a system of shared values, beliefs and norms of members of an organization, including valuing creativity and tolerance of creative people, believing that innovating and seizing market opportunities are appropriate behaviors to deal with problems of survival and prosperity, environmental uncertainty, and competitors’ threats, and expecting organizational members to behave accordingly.