BEC历年阅读真题详解(9)
In the last few years, managers throughout industry haveseen more changes than many of them could have expected tosee in their entire working lives having to communicateinformation which often leads to feelings of insecurity hasbecome a key activity. From being regarded as relativelyunimportant in many companies , management employeecommunication has become a central corporate need.
Concordia International provides a good example of acompany that has adjusted well to the changing needs for communication . since 1995 ,Concordia has been turned inside-out and upside-down, to ensure that it is a marketing –led,customer-responsive business, one that looks outwards at customers and competitors, ratherthan inwards at its own processes and the way things were done in the past. In the last eightyears, Concordia has reduced its workforce by more than 80.000 people - or 35% -on a voluntarybasis, with further downsizing anticipated.
From being an engineering company, Concordia is now remaking itself as a service company.The role of employee communication in such a context is to build people’s self-confidence, topersuade them that, although it is inevitable that the changes will go ahead, they also bring withthem new opportunities for employees. However, this is not an easy task. People tend to beskeptical of these claims and to feel that they are losing touch with the company they haveworked for over many years. This is understandable, since many of the old certainties are beingswept away , including the core activities of the company they work for. Above all , they have hadto face up to the fact that they no longer have a job for life.
Research indicates that people respond to this predicament in a variety of ways. The bulk ofemployees fall into two main categories in terms of their response to the new situation: on the onehand there are the “ pragmatists” and on the other “ the highly anxious” the former see their jobas a means to an end and have a relatively short-term perspective, with strong loyalty to their localterm , rather than the company as a whole . The second category, usually the majority, mayrespond to threatened changes with a feeling of having been let down, and even feel anger at thecompany for what they see as changing the terms of their employment.
The employee communication process needs to be capable of accurately directing itsmessages at a variety of employee groups and departments within the workforce . this is whymiddle managers and line managers are so key to communication. They are the people who knowabout the full rage of concerns among the workforce. The problem in the past was that this crucialarea was often the responsibility of a separate, relatively isolated unit. Concordia puts responsibilityfor communication firmly on line managers. All their research points to the same conclusion: peopleprefer to get their information face-to-face from their line managers. That is the key relationshipand where arguments and hearts and minds –are lost.
The general rule in company communication is to tell employees as much as you can as soonas you can. If you can’t provide details, then at least put the news in context and commit yourselfto providing greater detail when it becomes available another rule of company communication isthat there must be a fit between what the company is telling its employees and what it is telling itsshareholders.15 In the last eight years, Concordia has
A made over 80.000 employees reduncdant
B completed a period of downsizing
C reduced its workforce of 80.000 by 35%
D given 35% of departing employees voluntary redundancy
16 From Concordia’s point of view, the role of communication is to
A win employee support before going ahead with the changes
B change the company’s core activities.
C emphasise the positive aspects of the changes
D explain the need for the changes
17 what does research show about most employees’ response to change?
A they expect it to have a bad effect on the company
B they feel completely powerless
C they become less loyal
D they fell they have been treated unfairly
18 Concordia’s communication process mainly relies on
A printed communication
B departmental heads
C personal communication
D a separate, specialized unit
19 According to the writer, what is the guiding principle about giving information within anorganization?
A Never make promises about future developments
B Give people an overall view at the earliest possible stage
C always include plenty of hard information
D Hold back until all the details can be provided
20 which of the following would be the most suitable title for the article?
A employee attitudes to company communication
B making company communication more effective
C Researching company commmucation
D Making employees feel less powerless
