2. Reading
Company performance in a socially responsible world
Every investor loves a company when it achieves its sales targets,
manages its costs, and performs well on the stock market and,
therefore, makes money.
However, a company nowadays also needs to think about its
reputation with the public and its own staff. In other words, it has to be
socially responsible. In addition, it is often judged these days on the
diversity of its workforce: the number of women, people from ethnic
minorities, and disabled people in all positions, including senior
management. (continue next slide)
3. Finally, a company needs to have a good safety record, both in terms of
its workers and the products it produces.
In a recent survey, 40% of workers said they would work longer
hours and 48% would work for less pay with a socially responsible
company. Interestingly, 46% of employees believed they already work
for a socially responsible company. Without doubt, profits are no
longer the only way to measure a company’s success. Employees and
customers expect a lot more.
4. Read statements 1-5 and discuss whether you
think they are true or false. Then read the text and
check your answers
1. Everybody loves a company that makes money
2. It’s not enough for a company to have good sales results
3. Companies have to show that they look after their employees
4. Employees would work harder and for a lower salary if they are
with a socially responsible company
5. Only a small minority of employees think they work for a social
responsible company
5. Answer
1. False—the text talks of ‘every investor’
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. False—46% believe this
6. Complete the sentences with words and
phrases in bold form the text
1. If a company is open to both sexes and all races, it believes in the
_______
2. A company which protects people and nature is _______
3. If your company has good results, its shares usually _______
4. If people like or respect the company, it has a good _______
5. If the company doesn’t spend too much, it _______ its _______
6. If there aren’t many accidents, the company has a good _______
7. If the company sells what it plans, it _______ its _______
8. If a company doesn’t pollute too much, it has a good _______
7. Answer
1. Diversity of its workforce
2. Socially responsible
3. Perform well
4. Reputation
5. Manages its costs
6. Safety record
7. Achieves its sales targets
8. Environmental performance
8. Complete the sentences with these adjectives.
Then listen again and check your answers
• Poor excellent satisfactory encouraging
disappointing
1. It’s very _______--I really thought I had a big future here
2. Last year was ______, because the number of serious injuries went
down dramatically.
3. We’ve had a really _______ year, much better than we expected
4. It’s been a very _______ performance—I don’t like to tell people
who I work for.
5. I suppose I could say we’ve had a _______ year
12. Audio 58
Have a look at this graph. It shows the number of cars produced in China compared
with the other three major world producers—the USA, Japan, and Germany. Let’s
start with Japan. As you can see, passenger car production fell at the end of the
nineties. But since the beginning of this century, production has risen from eight
million to around ten million. In the USA production also dropped at the end of the
nineties. But since then, the number of cars has continued to decrease. In fact, new
car production has fallen by two million since 1997.
The performance of German car industry has been less disappointing than
USA. Car production grew from five to five million at the end of nineties. Since
1999, it has remained stable at just under six million vehicles per year. So let’s turn
to China. As you can see, in the first four years, the number of new cars increased
to just over half a million vehicles. But in the last ten years, it has grown
dramatically. Car production rose to three million in 2005, and since then, it has
increased by one million vehicles a year.
13. Listen to Audio 58
• A consultant is presenting the graph below about car production in
four countries. Listen and label the graph with the names of the
countries from the list
17. Listen to Audio 58
Look at these sentences from the audio.
• Decide which country they are describing, using the graph in 1. Then
listen and check your answers.
1. Car production grew from five to five point five million at the end of
the nineties.
2. Since 1999, it has remained stable at just under six million vehicles
per year.
3. In fact, new car production has fallen by two million since 1997
19. Look at how from, to, at, and by are used in
previous section
• Then complete the description of a company’s sales below, using each
word once.
Our sales went up ________ 500 units, ________ 2,500 in October
________ 3,000 in November. They stayed ________ 3,000 units in
December.