Creation of Working Environment

All business ideas are fulfilled by the workforce under the leader's direction and control. Good management stimulates the company's growth. Poor management interferes with business development.

Many modern managers follow the democratic style of leadership. This style is based on matching the interests of a company and the interests of employees.

Managers improve working conditions and create favourable working environment in order to stimulate high productivity. They are firm and decisive when they deal with business matters, and polite, understanding, but demanding when they deal with subordinates. Democratic leaders value employees and motivate them to work hard for a company. The incentives may be recognition, respect, praise and good pay. Highly motivated and enthusiastic people are creative and productive.

A favourable climate is very important at work. A manager promotes friendly relations between people, tolerance of differences in opinions, tastes and beliefs. He / she prevents and resolves interpersonal and intercultural conflicts.

Competition between workers makes them work harder. People do their jobs better and develop their creative and professional skills. A company profits by employees' creativity and professionalism.

A manager must have a strong team. A team is a group of people who work together for the benefit of a company. A business develops successfully and brings in profits if employees work as a team.

It is a difficult job to turn individuals into a team. It takes time, energy and skill. A manager selects suitable people and fires bad workers. He /she develops employees' abilities and skills. As a result, the chief can rely on his / her team and delegate responsibilities. He / she consults with team members and takes important decisions.

Good companies have teams of thinkers – groups of creative people who brainstorm difficult problems. A leader gives team members a task, and they suggest possible solutions. After analysis of all ideas, the team comes to a collective decision.

Building relations with employees, a manager should take into consideration the following factors:

– individual characteristics of a worker (sex, nationality, psychology);

– professional characteristics of a person (education, knowledge, experience, diligence, work capacity, creativity);

– value of an employee for the company.

Good management excludes unjust treatment of employees because of their sex, nationality and religion. All workers have equal rights. Americans are especially sensitive to sexual harassment and all forms of discrimination at work.

An efficient manager is good at treating different people, no matter who they are and what their personal characteristics are. Employees from southern countries are often hot-tempered. Workers from northern territories are usually calm and reserved. Women are more sensitive than men. A good manager should find the best way to handle subordinates.

Professional characteristics of employees always determine their personal contribution to a company's success. That's why managers encourage hard-working, experienced and creative workers who are valuable for the company. Unproductive, lazy, undisciplined workers are fired without hesitation.

 

Exercise 9. Find in the text the equivalents of these words and word combinations.

Создание условий труда; стимулирует развитие компании; мешает развитию бизнеса; благоприятный климат; терпимость к расхождениям во мнениях, вкусах и убеждениях; разрешает межличностные и межкультурные конфликты; на благо компании; команда "мозгового штурма"; коллективно обсуждают трудные проблемы; предлагают возможные решения; пол, национальность, особенности характера; иметь равные права; личный вклад в успех компании.

 

Exercise 10. Answer the following questions in pairs.

1. What kind of working environment do democratic leaders create?

2. How do good managers treat employees?

3. How do managers stimulate people to work hard?

4. Why is competition so important at work?

5. What is a team?

6. How does a team of thinkers solve problems?

7. What factors must a manager take into consideration when he / she builds relations with employees?

8. What personal characteristics are important at work?

9. What professional characteristics matter?

10.What kinds of employees are valuable for a company?

 

Exercise 11. Work in pairs. Discuss what employees from different countries are like. Use the model and lists of words below.

Model. A: What are Japanese employees like?

B: As far as I know, they are hard-working, loyal and creative.

Russian employees, German workers, Americans, Japanese employees, Chinese workers, Koreans.

Diligent, hard-working, clever, intelligent, loyal, honest, dishonest, polite, impolite, creative, accurate, pedantic, lazy, (un)disciplined, (un)skilled, (un)productive.

 

Exercise 12. Read the article about participative management. Are Douglas McGregor's ideas characteristic of scientific management or the new science of management? Are they promising?