#0360 – A Management Dispute, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 360 – A Management Dispute
GLOSSARY
management dispute –
a disagreement among a company’s leaders about how
the company should be run
* The company is having a big management dispute over whether it should open
offices in other countries.
subsidiary –
a company that is owned by a larger company
* Does that company have any subsidiaries in the Southern United States?
business philosophy –
a broad idea about how a business should be run and
how a company should be managed
* Andy’s business philosophy is based on the idea that employees should be
active participants in corporate decision-making.
to settle –
to solve; to resolve; to bring an end to a problem; to reach agreement
on something
* The two drunk men tried to settle their argument with a fight.
hostility –
feelings of anger, aggression, and unfriendliness
* Ileana shows so much hostility toward her son-in-law that he never wants to
come visit.
departure –
the act of leaving a company, either because one was fired or
because one no longer wants to work there
* The vice-president’s departure left everyone feeling nervous about how the
company was going to continue without him.
bad press –
negative publicity; negative stories about a company or person in
the media, such as newspapers, magazines, or television
* The shipping company received a lot of bad press when oil leaked from its ship
into the ocean.
confidentiality agreement –
a legal contract, usually between an employer and
an employee, in which an individual agrees not to share secret information
* You have to sign a confidentiality agreement before you can begin working at a
nuclear power plant.
disgruntled –
upset and unhappy; displeased with something
* The students are disgruntled because the professor didn’t give them any
advance notice about the exam today.
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ESL Podcast 360 – A Management Dispute
to get caught in the crossfire –
to become involved in a situation where two or
more people are arguing or fighting about something that often doesn’t really
concern oneself
* Small children often get caught in the crossfire when their parents argue.
to keep a low profile –
to remain quiet and do one’s job without drawing
attention to oneself; to not be the center of attention
* Wally is always trying to get people’s attention, but his brother prefers to keep a
low profile, staying quiet and not doing anything that other people would take an
interest in.
to blow over –
to pass; for a problem to end quietly so that people can move on
as if it had never happened
* The couple had a huge fight last weekend. Do you think they’ll break up, or will
it blow over?
mediator –
a person whose job is to end a fight or argument between two or
more people or organizations and help them find a satisfactory solution
* The two homeowners hired a mediator to help them decide who should pay for
the damage caused when one neighbor’s tree fell during the storm.
incompatible –
so different that they cannot function well together; impossible to
work together; unable to exist in the same place and time
* They decided to get a divorce, because their interests had become
incompatible.
to meet in the middle –
to compromise; to reach an agreement where each
person gives up something that he or she originally wanted
* Olaf wanted to buy a four-bedroom home, but his wife wanted only a two-
bedroom home. They met in the middle and bought a three-bedroom home.
a snowball’s chance in hell –
an expression used to show that something is
very unlikely; an expression used to show that something probably will not
happen, just like a snowball could not exist in hell because the hot temperatures
would melt it
* Houses are so expensive! There’s a snowball’s chance in hell that I’ll ever be
able to buy a home.
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ESL Podcast 360 – A Management Dispute
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What would happen if Jeannie were to “get caught in the crossfire”?
a) She would be unable to work as normal because of the dispute.
b) She would need to change her business philosophy.
c) She would have more bad press and confidentiality agreements.
2. What will happen if the two mangers “meet in the middle”?
a) They’ll have a meeting somewhere between the two locations.
b) They’ll agree on the company’s future direction and business philosophy.
c) They’ll keep a low profile until things blow over.
______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
to settle
The verb “to settle,” in this podcast, means to solve or bring an end to a problem:
“Have you ever settled an argument by playing cards?” The verb “to settle” also
means for a group of people to begin living in an area where there aren’t any
other people: “In what year did European Americans begin settling in California?”
The phrase “to settle down” means to start living a calm, normal life, often getting
married and buying a home: “I don’t think Jamie is ready to settle down and get
married yet. She needs a few more years to enjoy being single.” The phrase “to
settle down” can also mean to calm down and become quiet: “Children, please
settle down so that we can listen to the story.”
to blow over
In this podcast, the phrase “to blow over” means for a problem to end quietly so
that people can move on as if it had never happened: “I think their argument will
blow over in a couple of days.” The phrase “to blow (something) up” means to
make something explode: “The planes dropped bombs to blow up the military
base.” The phrase “to blow up at (someone)” means to become very angry with
someone very quickly: “Nancy blew up at her husband for coming home late, and
then apologized later.” Finally, the phrase “to blow (something) off” means to
decide not to do something that one was scheduled to do: “We were supposed to
go to the conference last week, but we decided to blow it off and rest for a few
days instead.”
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ESL Podcast 360 – A Management Dispute
CULTURE NOTE
Businesses are often “prone” (likely) to have “conflicts” (arguments and
disagreements). Managers try to settle those conflicts “on their own” (without
outside help), but if they are unable to do so, they often hire business mediators.
These are professionals who are trained and experienced in settling conflicts.
Mediators listen to both parties’ “concerns” (worries) and try to help them find a
“compromise” (a solution that both parties are comfortable with, even though it
isn’t what either party wanted originally).
As in this podcast, many conflicts are caused by differences of opinion regarding
the direction that a business should take. Mediators are “unbiased” (without an
opinion) on these issues, so they are able to listen to each party’s “perspective”
(point of view) without “judging” (deciding whether something is good or bad)
them. This makes it easier for everyone to find a fair compromise.
Mediators are also used when there are “mergers and acquisitions” (when
companies buy each other), which often result in conflict between the old staff
and the new staff. “Family-owned businesses,” where a single family owns and
operates a business, often use mediators. In these businesses, the conflicts that
“arise” (appear) are based not only on different business philosophies, but also
family relationships.
Mediators are also “called in” (asked to come to a place and participate in a
situation) by “human resources” (a division that selects and hires employees and
tries to keep them happy at work). For example, if there is a conflict between an
employee and his or her “supervisor” (the person to whom an employee reports),
and if the company cannot settle it internally, it may ask a professional business
mediator for guidance.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – b
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these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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ESL Podcast 360 – A Management Dispute
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 360: A
Management Dispute.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 360. I’m your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
To take full advantage – to get the most out of this podcast episode, go to our
website eslpod.com and download a Learning Guide for this episode. The
Learning Guide is an 8 to 10 page PDF file that contains all of the vocabulary,
definitions, sample sentences, additional definitions, cultural notes, and a
complete transcript of this entire episode – every word we say. That’s at
eslpod.com.
This episode is called “A Management Dispute.” A “dispute” is a disagreement.
We’re going to listen to a dialogue between Jeannie and Salih about a problem at
their company – at their work regarding the “management,” or the people who
are the bosses. Let’s get started.
[start of dialogue]
Jeannie: Have you heard about the new management dispute?
Salih: No, what’s happening?
Jeannie: Well, the CEO is having problems with the head of one of the
subsidiaries.
Salih: Which one?
Jeannie: Lance Publishing. Apparently, the head, Bill Riker, is saying that he
and the CEO differ too much in their business philosophy and they can’t agree on
a future direction for the company.
Salih: I really hope they can settle their dispute soon. It doesn’t do anybody any
good to have so much hostility in the office.
Jeannie: I hope so, too. This company can’t afford to have another high-level
departure. We’ve lost so many good people already this past year.
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2008). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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