Учебное пособие по английскому языку для предпринимателей и банкиров

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LESSON 5 LINE AND STAFF POSITIONS

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In business, organization structure means the relationship between positions and people who hold the positions. Organization structure is very important because it provides an efficient work system as well as a system of communication.

Historically, line structure is the oldest type of organization structure. The main idea of it is direct vertical relation ships between the positions and tasks of each level, and the positions and tasks above and bellow each level. For example, a sales manager may be in a line position between a vice-president of marketing and a salesman. Thus a vice president of marketing has direct authority over a sales manager. A sales manager in his turn has direct authority over a salesman. This chain of command simplifies the problems of giving and  taking orders.

When a business grows in size and becomes a more complex, there is a need for specialists. In such case administrators may organize staff departments and add staff specialists to do specific work. These people are usually busy with services, they are not tied in with the company product. The activities of the staff departments include an accounting, personnel, credit and advertising. Generally they do not give orders to other departments.

Active Vocabulary

relationship –                     взаимоотношение

to hold a position –             занимать должность

organization structure –               организационная структура

level –                        уровень

sales manager –                   управляющий по торговле маркетингу

salesman                   продавец, торговец

to have direct authority               иметь прямую власть над

over smb.                           кем-либо

staff                                   штат

о give orders                      отдавать приказы

о take orders                      принимать приказы

a line department                линейный отдел (имеющий непосредственное отношение к конечному продукту)

staff department                  штабной отдел (не имеющий прямого отношения к производству, но его обслуживающий)

to be tied in with the company     иметь отношение

product                     к конечному продукту

complex                    сложный

Comprehension Questions

1. What does the organization structure mean?
2. What does the organization structure provide?
3. What is historically the oldest type of organization structure?
4. In what position is a salesmanager in attitude to a vice-president of marketing and a salesman?
5. What is the difference between line and staff departments?
6. Why is an advertising department or a credit department considered staff structure rather than line structure?

Vocabulary Practice

Choose the necessary word and put it in the sentence.

1. Organization structure shows …

between each position and positions              |

above and below                                  |1 relationships

2. A sales manager has direct…          |

over a salesman.                                   |2 to hold a position

3. As a rule a … usually does not give |

orders to other departments.                          | 3 authority I

4. When the business gets more … |

there is a need for staff departments.             |4 complex

5. My friend …… of sales manager. |5 task
6. The … of staff departments is to do |

different services.                                 |6 a line department

7. My friend works in a ……. he is |7 a staff

responsible for the company product.            |department

Dialogue

Peggy Forman is talking with Jaff Downing, another administrative assistant in her company.

Gaff      How are you today, Peggy?

Peggy    Oh, fine, thanks.

Gaff      Glad to hear that. By the way, are you familiar with the organizational chart for the company?

Peggy    No, I am not. What is it like actually?

Gaff      Well, the chart shows how the employees are devided into groups. It gives one an overview of the chain of commend in the company.

Peggy    I see. The positions can be line and staff ones.

Gaff      Yes. The subject is not new to you. What else do you know about it?

Peggy    As far as I know a worker in a line position receives orders from his immediate subordinate.

Gaff       Exactly, that’s the line chain of command.

Peggy    A worker in a staff position reports directly to a line worker but he neither gives nor receives orders for line workers. Am I right?

Gaff      Yes, you are. But someone may have line authority over people in his department and not be considered a line administrator.

Peggy    How can it be?

Gaff      That’s possible when a whole department is a staff department. For example, in our company the head of the credit department or the personnel department can hardly ever be president of the company.

Peggy    And what do the people in staff departments do, how is their work different?

Gaff      Well, they are usually busy with services and they could do the same service for any company. So they are not in the line.

Peggy    It seems to be rather complicated.

Gaff      It only seems so. I think the chart should help.

Peggy    Oh, sure. But, Gaff, would you explain me what span of control is?

Gaff      Oh, span of control refers to the number of people whom one managers directly.

Peggy    Can you give me an example?

Gaff      Well. The President of our company directly managers the Vice President of Production, the Vice President of Marketing and the Comptroller. Thus, his span of control includes three people.

Peggy    Yes, now I see. Thank you for your help.

Gaff      Not at all. Why don’t we go to the offer stall and have a snack together?

Active Vocabulary

organizational chart          организационная схема

line position                       линейная должность

staff position                     штабная должность

immediate superior            непосредственный начальник

immediate subordinate       непосредственный подчиненный

line chain of command                 линейная структура подчинения

to report                             зд. сообщить

credit department               кредитный отдел

span of control          сфера непосредственного подчинения

vice-president of production        вице-президент по производству

vice-president of marketing          вице-президент по сбыту

comptroller                        главный финансист

Vocabulary Exercises

Exercise 1. Give affirmative and negative answers to the questions.

Model: Have you examined the organizational structure of the company yet?

Yes, I have already examined it. No, I haven’t examined it yet,

1. Have you reported to the comptroller yet?
2. Have you settled this problem with the manager yet?
3. Have you learned line and staff positions of the company yet?
4. Have you got acquainted with your immediate superior yet?
5. Have you heard about his span of control yet?
6. Have you met your immediate subordinates yet?
7. Have you passed your report to the credit department yet?

Exercise 2.  Change the sentences according to the model.

Model: A staff employee doesn’t give orders.

A staff employee doesn’t receive orders.

A staff employee neither gives, nor receives orders.

1. He isn’t a Comptroller. He isn’t a sales manager.
2. The head of the credit department doesn’t advise the President. The head of the credit department doesn’t report to comptroller.
3. He doesn’t want to hold a position of vice-president of marketing. He doesn’t want to hold a position of general manager.
4. A credit department doesn’t have direct authority over a line department. A personnel department doesn’t have direct authority over a line department.
5. I don’t want to talk with the Boss. I don’t want to talk with the Controller.
6. She doesn’t like to give orders. She doesn’t like to receive orders.
7. Jacky doesn’t want to attend annual meeting of shareholders. Susan doesn’t want to attend annual meeting of shareholders too.
8. What is your relationship with your immediate superior?
9. What position in your company do you want to hold?
10. Do you want to be a sales-manager or a vice president of marketing? Give your reasons.
11. Over what positions do you have direct authority in your company?
12. What do you like more: to give orders or to receive orders?
13. Do you want to work in a staff department or in a line department? Give your reasons.

Exercise 3. Answer the questions.

Exercise 4. Have a look «it the organizational chart of the company.

Development

Manager

Research and

President

Marketing

Research

Manager

Chief of the

Credit                                                               Product

Departament                          Executive            Research

Vice-Presedent             Manager

Sales Manager                          Production                Comptroller

Manager

What line and staff positions can you discern? Speak about the organizational structure of this enterprise.

Exercise 5. Translate into English.

1. Мои взаимоотношения с начальником очень хорошие.
2. Мой друг занимает должность главного финансиста.
3. Я не знаком с организационной структурой нашего предприятия.
4. Он больше любит отдавать приказания, чем получать их.
5. Я предпочитаю работать в линейном отделе.
6. Штабные отделы не связаны с конечным продуктом.
7. Структура нашего предприятия сложна.
8. Я больше подхожу к штабной должности, чем к линейной.
9. Мой непосредственный начальник очень пунктуален.
10. В сферу моего непосредственного подчинения входят три руководителя групп.

11.Главный финансист имеет очень большую ответст­венность.

2. Я уволю моего непосредственного подчиненного. Он ленив.

Grammar Exercises

Exercise 1. Transfer the sentences from Active into Passive.

Model: The manager examines organizational structure of the firm. Organizational structure of the firmis examined by the manager.

1.Vice-president gives orders to his employees.

2. I receive orders from the sales-manager.
3. My friend holds a position of general manager.
4. Personnel office receives resumes from prospective candidates.
5. Staff departments do different services to line departments.
6. He takes (he orders and fulfils the task very quickly usually.

Model: My friend is examining the organizational chart. The organizational chart is being examined by my friend.

1. I am sending my annual report to my immediate superior.
2. The foreman is firing his immediate subordinate.
3. Comptroller is giving the orders to his employees.
4. We are changing the organizational structure of our company.
5. The board of directors is enlarging the staff, of the company.

Model: I have invested my money in real estate.My money has been invested in real estate.

1. We have considered advantages and disadvantages of partnership.
2. I have bought the shares of IBM company.
3. This business has involved big financial resources.
4. We have elected the board of directors.
5. The board of directors have chosen the company officers.