Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT 5: RECRUITMENT............................................................................................32
VOCABULARY...........................................................................................................80
WORKS CONSULTED...............................................................................................83
1
2
3
allocate
means of production
mixed
market
.
Do you ever feel that you do not have enough money for all the things that you want to buy?
Most people would say that their needs and wants outnumber their financial abilities.
Countries are similar to people in the sense that their resources are limited, while the wants
and needs of the population are unlimited. Every country has a system by which the
country's scarce resources are allocated and decisions are made about the basic economic
questions: What to produce? How to produce it? And who gets what is produced? This
system is called the country's economic system.
There are three main types of economic systems in the world today: planned economy,
market economy and mixed economy.
In a ___________ economy (also called command, centralized, controlled economy) the
means of production are owned by the state. Decisions about the allocation of resources
and what needs to be produced are made centrally by the government. The distribution of
goods and services is more equal than in other types of economies. Because of the strong
influence of the state on the economy, there is no competition among companies. One type
of planned economy is a socialist economy. In the past there used to be many socialist
countries (the Soviet Union, Poland, Yugoslavia, etc.), but at present there are only a few left
(e.g., China, Cuba) and even these are changing and starting to rely more on market
forces.
In a ___________ economy (or unplanned, free market, free enterprise economy)
government intervention is at the minimum. It passes laws and provides essential services
such as the military, the police and the justice system. The means of production are mostly
owned by private individuals and businesses. Businesses compete against each other
because their main aim is to make a profit. In this type of economic system the market
mechanism (the law of supply and demand) decides what to produce, how to produce and
who gets what is produced.
Most countries in the world today are neither planned economies nor market economies;
they are called ___________ economies. This type of economic system is a mixture of the
first two systems. The country's economy is divided into two parts or sectors according to
ownership: the public sector and the private sector. The public sector is owned by the
government, the private sector by private individuals and businesses. On the one hand, most
resources are allocated by the forces of supply and demand which makes mixed economies
similar to market economies. On the other hand, the government has a large role in
regulating markets which is an element of planned economies. The size of these sectors
differs from country to country. Countries where the private sector operates on the basis of
the market mechanism but where the government provides a minimum standard of living
for everyone through the public sector are called welfare states. There are many channels
through which governments can support their citizens, some of these are: pensions, health
care, elementary education, unemployment benefits and other help for the poor.
III Which type of economy?
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
Supply and demand on the market are the only factors that influence what will be
produced, how and for whom. ______________________
Some sections of the economy are owned and operated by the state but large portions of
business remain in private hands. ______________________
The system in which all economic decisions are planned and controlled from the centre.
______________________
IV Answer the questions.
What do you know about resources and their relationship to human needs and wants?
What are the three basic economic questions?
List some countries that used to have a command economy. Are there any left today?
Which is the most common type of economic system?
What is the welfare state?
What kinds of services can welfare states provide?
V Read the definitions and fill in the missing words from the text.
1
2
3
4
Market economy
Mixed economy
VII Find word partnerships in the text. Supply the missing adjective.
f_________________ ability
e_________________ system
s________________ resources
w_________________ state
p___________ economy
c___________ economy
m___________ economy
m___________ economy
p___________ sector
p___________ sector
VIII Fill in the gaps with these verbs: make, pass, distribute, supply, allocate.
Many governments around the world have to ___________ a decision on how to
_____________ resources. This means that they have to decide how to ____________
goods and services and whether to ____________ them through the public or private sector.
Another important task of the government is to ____________ laws so that companies and
people can feel safe and secure in the country.
IX What are the opposites of these words?
Limited _________________
Scarce _________________
Local _________________
Private _________________
X Solve the puzzle by filling in the missing nouns from the beginning of the
phrases.
1
Across
1
of living
3
of production
5
between two companies
2
4
Down
of goods and services
of resources
XI Fill in the gaps with the phrases from task IX. Identify which type of
economic system the sentence refers to.
1 Government provides a minimum _____________________ for everyone
2 _____________________ will decrease the price of products.
3 The _____________________ is decided by supply and demand.
4 The _____________________ are owned by the state.
5 In one sector of the economy the state and in the other sector private individuals make
decisions about the _____________________.
I Read the text and explain how the private and public sectors are intermingled
in mixed economies.
Think about some of the goods and services that you have used in the past few days. Are
they part of the public or the private sector? How do you know?
Usually, when we purchase something from a private retailer we assume that we are
contributing to the private sector. When, however, we use a government service, we enjoy
something that the public sector provides often mistakenly believing that such a service is
free of charge.
Lets examine this idea through the example of taking a ride in a taxi cab. Imagine that you
took a taxi on a rainy afternoon. When the ride was over, you paid the driver, who, after
subtracting his costs, made a small profit on driving you in his privately owned car. This
seems like a transaction that took place exclusively in the private sector.
Although it is not obvious at first glance, government plays an important role in regulating
traffic in general and the work of cab drivers in particular. The roads that taxis drive on are
also public goods paid for by the taxes that people - like the cab driver - pay on their income.
This is how mixed economies work: private businesses are controlled by the market which
itself is regulated by the government while public goods and services are provided by the
government to be used by individuals and businesses in the private sector. In other words, in
their work private businesses use public goods and services and pay taxes which help
finance the public sector. No private business could exist without public goods and services:
they are protected by the police, use streetlights, their employees are educated in the public
school system and are kept healthy or cured in public hospitals. At the same time, all
governments want to encourage the success of private businesses, because without their
contribution to the budget, in the form of taxes, public goods and services would not exist.
II Answer these questions.
1
2
3
4
Can you think of other examples where the public and private sectors intermingle?
Try to explain the same thing through the example of buying something on the Internet.
How does the private sector finance the public sector?
How and why does government help the work of the private sector?
III Supply the missing vowels.
1
2
3
4
__ S __ a service
P __ RCH __S__ goods
R __ G __ L __ T __ traffic
__ WN a car
5
6
7
8
IV Look at the verbs in the box below. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with
either their verb form or their noun form. Make sure that your answer is
grammatically correct.
need
supply
own
regulate
demand
allocate
1
The _______________ of a company make decisions about how that company should be
managed and what types of goods it should produce.
He _______________ a company, which means that when the firm makes a profit, he gets
to keep it for himself.
2
When developing a new product, companies should take into account what the market
_______________.
Human wants and _______________ can never be fully satisfied.
3
In mixed economies the government has a large role in the _______________ of the private
sector, this means that the government intervenes in certain aspects of this sector.
The banking sector was not _______________ enough at the beginning of the 21 st century,
which led to the current recession.
4
The state doesnt _______________ fuel for everyone free of charge.
The oil _______________ is running out, which means that fuel prices will keep rising.
5
When Apples iPhone appeared on the market there was immediately a large
_______________ for it.
Government _______________ from everyone who earns a living to pay taxes on their
income. Some economists say that this is an intervention in peoples economic freedom.
6
In command economies the state makes five-year plans and in this way _______________
the resources.
In market economies the private sector plans the production of goods and services, the
government has no role in the _______________ of resources.
V Which three verbs which correspond to government activity in the economy
can you find in exercise IV? What are the corresponding nouns?.
p__________________ - p____________________
i___________________ - i____________________
p__________________ - p____________________
VI Fill in the gaps with the missing words. Make sure that your answer is
grammatically correct.
After World War II there were several _________________ economies in the world, at
present there are only a few left.
Both Croatia and Sweden are _________________ states, Sweden, however, provides
a much higher _________________ of living to its citizens.
In Croatia some resources are _________________ (e.g. silver) and some are
_________________ (e.g. lumber).
Mixed economy is the type of _________________ system which is the most common in
the world today.
VII Form new words which belong to the same word family as ECONOMY.
Connected to
money or finance
(adj)
______________
A science (n)
______________
A scientist (n)
_____________
ECONOMY
A country's
system of
producing and
using up of goods
and services
To save money by
using less of
something (v)
_______________
A manager in a
company or the
owner of a firm
(n)
b____________
______
VIII Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the words from exercise VI.
1
When I get a degree from the Faculty of Economics and Business, I will start my own firm
and become a ___________________.
Please turn off the light in the room when you leave, we need to ___________________
and stop wasting money.
My new car is very ___________________ it uses much less petrol than my old car did.
10
REVISION
After reading this unit you should be able to
1 explain how the three types of economic systems are set up.
2 talk about the role of the government in each type of economic system.
3 explain the relationship between the public and private sectors in mixed economies.
4 use the words related to economy correctly.
I Find the English equivalents of these Croatian terms.
1
Financijska sposobnost -
________________________
Gospodarski sustav -
________________________
Rijedak resurs -
________________________
Drava blagostanja -
________________________
Sredstva za proizvodnju -
________________________
ivotni standard -
________________________
Regulacija trita -
________________________
Raspodjela -
________________________
The gospodarska kriza ________________has lasted very long and it has affected most
businesses in the country.
Experts dont predict any gospodarski rast ________________for the next year.
We have to find equipment that is tedljiv ________________to save money on costs.
Ekonomija ________________ is the oldest social science.
We had to tedjeti ________________on salaries, so we were forced to let 20 people go
from our factory.
The countrys gospodarstvo ________________is growing after years of recession.
11
12
labour-intensive
harvest
consumer goods
2
4
6
extract
capital goods
outsourcing
13
2
3
1
2
3
4
IV Fill in the table with the verbs from the text that could be useful when talking
about the different sectors of the economy. Then use them in a sentence of your own.
Primary
e____________
h____________
Secondary
m____________
p____________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
14
e_________________ activity
r_________________ materials
c_________________ goods
f_________________ goods
p_________________ a service
d_________________ countries
2
4
6
8
10
12
g_________________ economy
b_________________ food
c_________________ goods
t_________________ improvements
i__________________ services
d_________________ countries
5
6
________________ differ from consumer goods in that they are intended for
manufacturers and not the final consumer.
In some countries in Africa even __________________ are scarce, people dont have
access to flour, milk or meat.
Iron ore is the _________________ necessary to produce steel.
Lifelong learning has become a goal in ___________________, like the USA, Germany
or France because most people make a living providing some kind of knowledge-based
service.
The ___________________ is currently in a recession. I hope it won't last long.
There have been some major ______________________ like cars, airplanes, the
Internet, to name a few in the last 150 years. These made life much more comfortable
today than it used to be.
What do you think is the most important ____________________ in Croatia? Is it tourism
or agriculture?
VII Write a few sentences of your own with the remaining word partnerships:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
15
agriculture
energy utilities
forestry
insurance
distribution
scientific research
Primary sector
industry
engineering
healthcare
law
mining
shipbuilding
Secondary sector
Tertiary sector
construction
entertainment
information technology
media
trade
textile production
Quaternary sector
IX Fill in the missing vowels. Which sectors do the activities belong to?
1
B __ NK __ NG
__ D __ C __ T __ __ N
L __ BR __ R __ __ S
R __ ST __ __ R __ NTS
F __ SH __ NG
C __ LT __ R __
F __ RM __ NG
M __ N __ F __ CT __ R __ NG
T __ __ R __ SM
10 TR __ NSP __ RT __ T __ __ N
16
1
3
5
7
to grow ___________________
a growth ___________________
to jump ___________________
to reach a peak _____________
2
4
6
8
to fall quickly
___________________
an upward trend ___________________
to fluctuate
___________________
an insignificant drop _________________
17
III Tell your partner about Croatias economic activities. Use the following
outline.
18
A)
C)
E)
G)
I Read how these people describe their jobs. Guess what their jobs are and
which sector they work in.
a salesperson
B) an entrepreneur
a manager
D) a receptionist
an accountant
F) an economist
a bank clerk
H) a farmer
I own a farm in Slavonia where I raise chicken and grow corn. It is hard work but I really
enjoy being outdoors. Winters are quiet around here, but we dont get any time off
during harvest time. ___________________________
I work at the counter in a big bank. I am the first point of contact for anyone coming in
the bank. I am responsible for opening accounts for new customers, taking deposits
and assisting customers when they want to make a withdrawal. I also cash cheques and
exchange money. ___________________________
I am in charge of a team of five people. My job is to make sure that my team does the
work assigned to us in the most effective way. Sometimes I delegate some of my tasks
to my subordinates, but I always make the most important decisions myself. My job is
stressful and I work very long hours. In fact, usually Im the last to leave the office at the
end of the day. ___________________________
I graduated from university at the top of my class. I was immediately employed by the
Institute for Economics. My job is to analyze, interpret and predict future trends in the
economy. I specialize in Macroeconomics and study inflation in Croatia.
___________________________
I work for myself. I run a business selling jewelry that a friend of mine designs. My
friend and I decided to start our own business when we were at university studying
Russian Literature. A few years ago I decided that I needed some training in business
and I completed an Associate Degree course in business administration. My working
hours are flexible, so I can spend time with my family. __________________________
I sell goods in a large department store. I am expected to know our products well and I
have to be skilled at talking to people. I get a regular salary but some of my colleagues
are paid on commission. ___________________________
I work at the front desk in a large law office. Since I am the first person our clients see
when they come to our office, I have to be friendly and welcoming at all times. My work is
not difficult but I have to do a lot of different kinds of tasks: I answer phones, take
messages and schedule appointments. I am also responsible for booking rooms and
receiving mail. ___________________________
I manage the finances of a large company. I love working with numbers, so I really
enjoy my work. I deal with preparing tax returns, issuing financial statements, calculating
costs and monthly earnings. I work from 9 to 5 but at the end of the financial year we get
really busy when we close the books. Nobody in our office can take a leave at that time.
___________________________
19
___________________________________________
2 Find verbs that could be used in a sentence describing the kinds of responsibilities
somebody has at work:
1
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
III Describe a job to your partner with the help of the phrases above. The
speech bubbles will help you get started. Can he/she guess what job you are
talking about?
I work at
I deal with
I am in charge of
I work from to
REVISION
20
21
22
Name some big companies and organizations in your country: food producers, retailers, a
company that produces and distributes electricity, a company that provides postal
services.
Who owns and operates them?
Every economy can be broadly divided into two parts: a private and a public sector.
Companies in the private sector are run by individuals whose main aim is to make profit.
They are not owned or operated by the government. In the majority of free-market
economies most companies are in the private sector and therefore provide most jobs.
The public sector is the part of a country's economy in which companies and organizations
are owned or controlled by the government. It deals with the production and provision of
goods and services generally provided free of charge at the point of use for the benefit of
all its citizens. These range from social security and defense to urban planning. They are
financed from taxes collected from all the citizens and sometimes by their own trading
surplus or profit.
The public sector provides to citizens goods such as law, police, parks, defense, etc. These
goods are called public goods. Economists say that they are non-rival, which means that
consumption by one consumer does not reduce the quantity available to other consumers.
They are also non-excludable which means that once provided anybody can use them. For
instance, everyone can enjoy street-lighting. As there is no way to charge for their usage,
they are generally not provided by the private sector.
Another group of goods and services in the public sector is referred to as merit goods. They
include education, health care and libraries, etc. Their concept is based on the idea that
people would not buy enough of them if they were provided by the free market, i.e. an
individual might decide not to buy them or would not be able to afford them. For example,
people would not buy expensive health insurance as they think nothing would happen to
them, but in case something does happen, they can't afford to pay. Besides, some merit
goods when provided privately are affordable only to rich people. As the state thinks they are
good not only for an individual but also for a society as a whole, it provides them to all. For
23
example, vaccination will protect an individual from a disease, but will also decrease the risk
of epidemic diseases. Both public and merit goods eventually increase the overall well-being
of the society and increase economic growth.
There are various types of companies and organizations in the public sector: public
corporations (production of electricity, national television, public transport etc), nationalized
industries, government departments or ministries and local authority services.
Over the last thirty years many countries have transferred some public sector businesses to
the private sector through sales of companies to private owners or outsourcing of some
activities. This process is called privatization. The two main reasons for it are the belief that
privately run companies are more efficient and the fact that the sale of publicly owned
companies brings large income to the government.
II Answer the questions.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
efficiency
merit
well-being
24
corporation
1
public
profit
taxes
Businesses in the private sector are run by individuals and they are primarily motivated
by ____________ .
Goods and services in the public sector are most often provided ___________
Activities in the public sector are financed from ___________ and sometimes by
companies' _______________ .
Goods and services provided by the public sector increase the ______________ of the
society as a whole.
Companies in public sector are often privatized in order to increase their ____________.
In your opinion, which of the following should belong to the private sector, which to the public
sector and which to both? What are the advantages and disadvantages for each of your
choices?parks
1 beaches
2 libraries
3 dentists
4 police
5 education
When we talk about privatization we most often think of a huge wave of denationalization of
once publicly owned companies that took place in the 1980s and 1990s in many European
countries including Croatia. In Great Britain for example it involved railways, roads, telecom,
air travel and many other businesses that used to be national pride. But there are many more
recent examples that do not attract so much attention. Governments and local authorities
often outsource or subcontract their services to the private sector, which means that in order
to cut costs they hire private businesses to provide services that were once provided by the
public sector only. This includes anything, from cleaning and school meals to prisons and
police squads. Proponents of private prisons claim they considerably reduce costs and are
more efficient than public prisons. However, there has also been a lot of criticism.
Many think that in their quest for profit, prison owners are ready to violate human rights and
offer poor conditions. Furthermore, some of them refuse to accept inmates whose detention
is more expensive, like those convicted of more serious crimes. There have also been
25
several examples of serious abuse. In 2008, the Kids for Cash scandal unfolded in
Pennsylvania when two judges were accused of receiving bribes from the owner of two
private juvenile detention centers in return for imposing stricter sentences on teenagers who
appeared before them. That way they increased the number of youngsters that ended up in
detention centres. Some kids were sentenced to several months in a detention centre just for
mocking their principal or shoplifting.
V Discuss the following questions.
REVISION
After reading this unit, you should be able to
26
1
2
3
4
Explain the difference between the public and the private sector.
Explain the what public goods and merit goods are.
Name various types of companies and organizations in the public sector.
Discuss the pros and cons of privatization of public sector activities.
I Match the terms on the left to the terms on the right. Then explain how they
are related to private or public sector.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
free
non
government
social
trading
local
non
merit
public
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
departments
security
surplus
-rival goods
-excludable
authority services
goods
of charge
corporations
Most private businesses are r___________ by individuals who are primarily motivated by
profit.
Businesses in the private sector are very important as they p_______________ most
jobs in every economy.
The public sector is financed by taxes c_____________ from all the citizens and by its
own profit.
Public goods are those whose consumption does not r_______________ the quantitiy
available to other consumers.
Merit goods, like health care, are provided by the public sector because if they were only
provided by the private sector many people would not be able to a___________ them.
Since the 1980s many companies that once belonged to the public sector were
p______________, i.e. transferred into private hands.
Many countries have o _______________ some of the activities that once belonged to
the public sector and thus privatized them.
III Fill in the gaps with the terms from the text.
27
In free-market economies most companies are in the ______________ sector and they
are very important as they provide most jobs.
2 In the public sector goods and services are generally provided ________________ of
charge as they are financed from taxes.
3 Goods and services in the private sector are provided for the _________________ of all
citizens.
4 Law, police and defense are so called ______________ goods and they are provided by
the public sector.
5 Public goods are non- _____________ ; the fact that they are consumed by one person
does not reduce the quantity available to others.
6 Public goods such as street lighting are also non-_______________ as everybody can
use them.
7 Education, health care and libraries are all examples of ______________ goods provided
by the government and their concept is based on the idea that people would not buy
enough of them if they were provided by the free market and they are important for the
well-being of the society.
8 Production of electricity and rails are examples of public ______________.
9 The transfer of some public sector businesses to the private sector is called
________________.
10 Privately run companies are considered to be more _______________ than companies
in the public sector.
IV Read the sentences and mark them true or false. Explain your choice.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
In the public sector companies and organizations are owned or controlled by the
government and by private individuals
Some goods and services provided by the public sector are not free of charge.
Some goods and services provided by the public sector are financed from their own
trading surplus or profit.
We say that public goods are non-rival which means once provided anybody can use
them.
The concept of merit goods is based on the idea that they are good not only for an
individual but also for a society as a whole.
Public corporations are examples of companies in the private sector.
Many activities and companies that once belonged to the public sector have been
privatized since the beginning of the 20th century.
The only reason for selling publicly owned companies is to raise money for the
governments budget.
28
loss
benefits
profit
financial
If you want to turn your business idea into a product or a service, you will have to work out
which legal structure is right for you. In order to make a good decision, it is important to
collect information on the different risks and _________ of each form of business. They differ
in the amount of ___________ risk you will take on, the ___________ you will have to
manage and pay, the ways you can personally take the ____________ your business earns
and your personal responsibilities if your business makes a ____________ .
In the Croatian legal system there are many different types of companies. However, most
businesses are run as crafts, independent professions, limited liability companies and joint
stock companies / companies limited by shares.
II
If you are self-employed and you manufacture goods, trade or provide various services, such
as making shoes or running a restaurant, you can register your business as a craft. Some
other professions like lawyers, doctors or dentists can run their business as independent
professions. In both cases this means that you will run your own business activities as an
individual, but you will be able to take on staff. You will be the only one to make decisions
and all the profit will go to you. You will also have to keep records of your business' sales
and spending, and pay taxes. It is important to know that crafts and independent
professionals in general have unlimited liability for debts which means that you will have
personal financial responsibility for your business: in case your business makes losses
you will have to use personal property like a car or a house to cover its debts. These
businesses are not legal entities on their own.
The most common types of companies that have limited liability for debts in Croatia are
limited liability companies (drutvo s ogranienom odgovornosti, d.o.o.) and joint stock
companies / companies limited by shares (dionika drutva, d.d.). They have far more
complex organization than crafts. In these types of companies the company's finances are
separated from the personal finances of the shareholders and all the losses are covered by
the companys assets. We therefore say they have a limited liability for debts. Those
businesses are legal entities that can be taken over, sued and liquidated.
29
A great majority of all the registered companies in Croatia are limited liability companies.
In this type of companies one or more persons or legal entities invest in the capital and are
therefore called shareholders. If they want, they can sell their shares but not to the general
public. Profit is shared between shareholders and the companys assets are strictly
separated from the property of shareholders. The company must have a management
board (uprava) and an assembly (skuptina). They can optionally have a supervisory
board (nadzorni odbor) that controls the work of a management board. The minimum
amount of share capital is defined by law. The company is obliged to submit its financial
reports regularly to the Croatian Financial Agency (Fina).
Joint stock companies / companies limited by shares are companies which have
an even more complex structure, higher minimum amount of share capital and often but not
always more shareholders than limited liability companies. Joint-stock companies in Croatia
have three obligatory bodies responsible for running the company: the general assembly
(glavna skuptina), a management board (uprava) and a supervisory board (nadzorni
odbor). Alternatively, instead of having two boards their functions can be merged into a
single board of directors (upravni odbor). Just like limited liability companies, they have to
submit their financial reports regularly to Fina. They also have to disclose their accounts
publicly, i.e. make all important financial information available to the shareholders, potential
future investors and the public in general. Companies limited by shares can decide to go
public start trading shares publicly on the stock exchange. This process is called flotation.
Once on the stock market, companies have access to larger amounts of capital.
Only a few percent of all businesses in Croatia are companies limited by shares and
even fewer go public. However, they are very important as they are large, they dominate the
market, employ far more people than limited liability companies and contribute more to
national output.
I
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
What will you have to take into consideration before starting a business?
What are the simplest forms of business in Croatia?
What are owners in businesses with unlimited liability responsible for?
What types of companies have limited liability?
What is the difference between limited liability companies and joint stock companies?
What organs have to be established by law in limited liability companies?
What is flotation?
Why are companies limited by shares important in every economy?
II Fill in the table with the main features of the types of businesses described in
the text .
Craft
Limited liability company Joint stock company
Owner(s)
Liability
Duties and
obligations
30
obrt
samostalna djelatnost
pravna osobnost
dioniko drutvo, d.d.
drutvo s ogranienom odgovornosti, d.o.o.
uprava
upravni odbor
skuptina
nadzorni odbor
glavna skuptina
izlazak na burzu
dioniari
udjeliari
14 minimalni temeljni kapital
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
IV Match the words on the left to the words on the right. Then try to remember in
what context those collocations were mentioned in the texts above.
1
Stock
__
independent __
b) Exchange
personal
d) professions
management __
e) entity
legal
__
f) share capital
limited
__
g) board
7 minimum
__
h) assembly
8 general
__
i) liability
__
a) property
V Use the word partners from the above exercise in the following sentences.
1
When a company goes public it starts selling its shares at the ________________ .
Craftsmen have unlimited liability and they can lose their _________________ in case
of bankruptcy.
Limited liability companies are ______________________ and they can be sued, taken
over or liquidated.
31
The bodies joint stock companies are obliged to have by law are
_______________________, ______________________ and ___________________.
Minimum _____________________ for both limited liability and joint stock companies
is defined by law.
VI Read the definitions and fill in the missing words from the text.
32
It the world of business there are various types of partnerships. But most commonly we refer
to a partnership as any business where two or more persons join together in order to make a
profit. This, of course, means that each party will have to contribute money, property, labour
and skills and that they will share profits and losses.
Partnerships can take different forms in different countries but what they all have in common
is the fact that partners have to be chosen carefully if they want partnerships to last. Some
surveys show that the majority of business partnerships don't make it past three and a half
years. In order to avoid a quick break up, experts say, partners should be complementary in
the skills and the expertise they possess, in their work styles, business practices, character
and financial situation.
What else is needed to make your partnership work? Business advisers think it is important
to have a good gut feeling about your partner. This means both partners have to be
comfortable with each other. They also have to define their roles clearly in order to prevent
any future disagreements. Next, partners should try to control their egos. The most common
mistake is to wish to perform better than the other. To prevent this, every partner should
focus on the area of business that is his or hers. This way both will be the best at what they
do. Another problem is money, of course, and we know that many friendships end over
money matters. It would therefore be wise to define everything in advance in an agreement.
The experts also claim that good, long-lasting partnerships are the ones in which partners
have very different personalities and skill sets but share values, beliefs, ethics and goals.
Think about that before starting a business with someone. A partnership can be very
powerful, and ultimately, when it is good, the whole is much greater than the sum of the
parts. Both in financial and emotional terms.
II Discuss the following questions in pairs:
1
2 Can you name an example of a partnership that worked well or badly? What were the
causes of success / failure of that partnership?
33
REVISION
After reading this unit you should be able to
1 Name the most common types of businesses in Croatia.
2 Explain the concepts of limited and unlimited liability for debts.
3 Name the similarities and differences between limited liability companies and companies
limited by shares.
4 Name the bodies responsible for running companies.
I
Can you recognize the following words? Fill in the missing vowels.
Lgl entity
_____________
Rs capital
____________
Go pblc
____________
Stck Exchange
____________
Cvr debts
10 Pay txs
____________
11 Shr responsibility
____________
rn a business
____________
_____________
_____________
Crafts and independent professions are not legal companies / entities / organizations on
their own.
Limited liability companies / joint stock companies / companies limited by shares cannot
sell shares to the general public.
Joint stock companies have to write / make / disclose their accounts publicly in order to
inform the shareholders and potential future investors on their financial situation.
III
(Obrtnici) _________________ are responsible for any debts or losses of their business.
34
In joint stock companies it is only the company, and not individual (dioniari)
_________________, that is liable for its obligations with its entire property.
If you run a craft you have to _____________ records of your business sales and
spending as well as pay taxes.
Crafts and independent professionals in general have _____________ liability for debts.
If you are a craftsman and your business makes losses you will have to
______________ your debts by your personal property.
Legal or natural persons that invest their contributions and thus participate in the share
capital are called __________________ .
Both joint stock companies and limited liability companies are obliged to submit their
_____________ reports regularly to the Croatian Financial Agency (Fina).
35
UNIT 5: RECRUITMENT
Lead-in
1
How many times do you expect to apply for a new position during your career?
What will you have to do once you find an interesting job ad?
In today's world of great professional mobility an average person will change six jobs in their
lifetime and this number is likely to grow in the future. At the same time the number of job
applications we are expected to write during our professional career is much higher. It is
therefore very important to learn how to be proactive and innovative when hunting for a job
and applying for a job.
How can you find a job? Companies often place job ads in newspapers or on their web
pages to advertise a vacancy. You can also contact an employment agency, Internet job
search sites, a university career center or spread the word among your friends, family and
social networks. When you find a job ad you are interested in, you will have to make an
application, that is send out your CV (curriculum vitae) and a covering letter. Sometimes
you will need to fill in an application form, a special form designed to gather information on
your personal data, education, qualifications, work experience, skills and hobbies.
I Translate these expressions into English. The phrases in bold in the text will
help you.
1
______________________
______________________
traiti posao
______________________
prijaviti se na posao
______________________
agencija za zapoljavanje
______________________
ivotopis
______________________
popratno pismo
______________________
36
Recruitment
I
When there is a vacancy, the company has to recruit (hire, employ, take on) a new
employee. Most companies have a defined selection process or methods they use when
they want to recruit new people.
The Human Resources Department may first try to find an internal candidate, a person who
already works in the company at some other position. If they do not manage to find an
appropriate candidate, they can hire an employment agency or headhunters. Many
companies place a job ad on the Internet, in newspapers or advertise a vacancy on their
web page. The job advertisement gives a short description of the job: duties and
responsibilities, the conditions, fringe benefits or perks like bonuses, free lunches and a
company car. It also defines what level of education and skills are needed for the job.
After the HR department receives job applications, they will read the CVs and application
letters to check the educational and professional background of applicants. Next, they
shortlist candidates who will be invited for a job interview. Some companies also ask
shortlisted candidates to take tests to assess their intelligence and personality. Before
making a final selection they will check the applicants' references and decide which
candidate is the best. Finally they offer a job to him/her and if the candidate accepts it, the
company hires him/her.
37
Candidates take i
f.
g. candidates.
h. is hired.
i.
tests.
j.
selection.
a. references.
b. for an interview.
c. employment agency or headhunters.
d. CVs and application letters.
e. candidates.
a vacancy.
contacted
offer
made
found
hunting
shortlisted
apply
hired
wrote
filled in
invited
I graduated from college two months ago and since then I have been ___________ for a
job. I ____________ an employment agency right after finishing college, but they didn't
_____________ me any jobs. I also looked for job ads in all the newspapers and on the
Internet and I _____________ at least ten applications. Two weeks ago I __________ an
interesting job ad on some company's web site and I decided to ____________for it. I
_____________ a resume and I ______________ the application form. They called me two
days ago to tell me that I had been _______________ and they ______________ me for a
job interview. A few hours after the interview I got a call from them and... I am __________ !
38
V_C___Y
EM_ _ _ Y_ _ _ _
A__L______N
C _ RR _ _ _ _ _ _
A__L___N_S
S_ _ RT_ _ _ T
R_ CR_ _ T
_G_ _ CY
V___E
F_ _ _ G _
B___F__S
H _ _ DH _ _ _ _ RS
E_ _ C _ _ _ _ N _ _
B _ _ _ GR_ _ _D
VI Use the words in italics at the end of each of the following sentences to
form a word that fits in the blank space.
1
vacate
apply
educate
select
We don't think you have the right _______________ for this job.
qualify
refer
employ
advertise
39
invite
VII Read the advertisement for an accountant and find out what the company
requires from applicants and what they offer them.
Appointments
Accountant
We are seeking for a qualified candidate with experience in
working within corporate accounting operations. The
company is located in the Greater Los Angeles area. We offer
great benefits and good work-life balance. Attractive salary.
Private medical insurance.
The candidate must have a bachelors degree in Accounting
and 3-5 years of accounting experience within a large or midsize organization. Knowledge of all full-cycle accounting and
financial reporting. Supervisory experience is a plus. A strong
desire/personal need for continuous learning with the
partnership of a high work ethic, vision, and drive.
If you meet the above requirements please email an updated
copy
of
your
resume
in
word
format
to
andrea.coleman@parkerbrown.com.
VIII Read the job ad once again and answer the following questions.
1
2
3
4
40
IX Beside salary, employees have certain rights and benefits. Check the meaning of
the following words in a dictionary. Then fill in the gaps with the words from the box.
training
Christmas bonus
child allowance
maternity leave
free meals
sick leave
severance pay
notice
1 According to the contract all the employees are entitled to ______________ in the
company's canteen.
4 All the managers get a _____________________ if they are laid off or retire which
includes additional payment based on the months of service.
6 If you decide to leave your company you have to give your employer a two-week
_________________.
7 In the USA not all the companies guarantee paid __________________ for their
employees when they get ill.
41
Job interview
I Answer the questions.
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
I've decided that is not the direction I want to go in my career. I recently received a
master's degree and I want to use my knowledge in my next position.
42
This company is internationally known for its marketing campaigns and as I have a lot of
experience in marketing I would love to have the opportunity to participate in the creation
of your campaigns.
I can sometimes be too much of a perfectionist and then I need more time to accomplish
some task than expected.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere in the company and the people. We worked hard but we
also had fun. I enjoyed going to work every morning. At the same time, the job was not
challenging enough and I felt I was not able to reach my full potential and there was no
room for advancement.
It is still open and it will depend on my position and the overall compensation package.
I can cope with it quite well. In fact, when, for instance, I work to strict deadlines I tend to
be more creative and focused.
Because I am the one for this position. I am fully committed to my work, I am creative
and hardworking and I will make a valuable contribution to your team. I will definitely be
an asset to your company.
43
How much time do you think recruiters spend looking at an average CV for a junior
position?
What information will you put in a CV? How will you organize it?
Should your CV be honest?
How long should your CV be?
When you are looking for a job, it is very important that you present yourself in the best light
to the employer. Recruiters in big companies often receive several hundreds of CVs
(curriculum vitae, AE: rsum) for one job position. As they have very little time, they
spend less than a minute looking at the CV for a junior position on average. A well-written
CV is more likely to attract a recruiter's attention and will make you seem interesting to the
company. Therefore a CV can be crucial for your professional career. It shows your ability to
organize information and highlight your strengths.
Different countries may have different requirements and formats for CVs and you must follow
the practice for your culture and country. However there are also some general rules. A CV
for a junior position should not be longer than two pages. The facts in it are arranged in
groups (personal details, education, professional/work experience, skills, activities,
references). Information about your education and work experience should be put in reverse
chronological order.
You should avoid sentences - the information should be presented clearly, in short notes.
Your CV should not be longer than two pages and it has to have a clear and balanced
layout. It is important to check it for spelling or grammatical errors before sending it.
In some countries it is common to include a photo as well as a date of birth, marital status
and a number of children. If you include your hobbies and interests, leave out the ones that
are not relevant to the position you are applying for. It is important to be honest and not to lie
about your education, working experience or skills. However, it is not necessary to point out
your minor weaknesses or information that might discriminate against you, such as
nationality or religion.
44
Additional Skills
Interests
Personal Details
Professional Experience
CURRICULUM VITAE
Personal Details
Ivona Horvat
4 August 1980
Ilica 356
10000 Zagreb
Phone: 099/2797828
E-mail: ivona.horvat@hotmail.com
_______________
2013-present
2011 2013
_______________
2007 2010
Agrokor
Major Account Manager
Responsible for establishing and developing a relationship with
key accounts in the textile industry
Potanska banka
Assistant Manager in the Marketing department
In charge of assisting in the implementation of national
marketing programs
1998 2002
_______________
IT
Languages
Additional
_______________
Skiing, cycling and swimming
Ski instructor
Secretary of the local branch of 'Sunce', an association organising activities for disabled
children
______________
Iva Ivekovi
Professor of Economics
University of Zagreb
Petar Juri
Marketing director
Agrokor
45
When looking for a job, many people use social networks. However, company recruiters use
them too. According to some surveys, almost half of the American employers utilize social
networks to screen potential employees. They claim they saw an increase in candidate
quality since they started doing that.
This new trend might change the way we use social networks and make us think twice
before posting information our future employer might find inappropriate and which might
influence their decision to hire us. Recruiters say that contents that made them disregard the
candidates are most often those about drinking or using drugs, gossip about previous
employers or clients or sharing confidential information from a previous employer. Recruiters
will not select candidates who lied about their qualifications or show poor communication
skills.
What makes recruiters select someone based on their online profile is the fact that a
candidate's profile supports their professional qualifications and creates a general good feel
about the candidate's personality. Other factors are good communication skills, creativity and
the fact that friends posted good references about them.
Therefore if you want to be selected online, headhunting professionals advise you to clean
up all the digital dirt such as inappropriate photos or comments, to focus on the positive,
both in your private and professional life, highlight your accomplishments, be selective about
who you accept as friends and monitor their comments. And definitely do not write about
your job search if you are still employed.
II Discuss.
1
2
3
46
REVISION
After reading this unit you should be able to
1 Describe all the steps that you need to take when looking for a job.
2 Name all the steps companies take when looking for new employees.
3 Know all the rules for writing a good CV.
4 Answer some simple and some tricky questions to be expected in job interviews.
I Replace the Croatian words with English ones.
1
They are planning to pozvati __________________ him for a job interview next week.
noun
1
2
4 employment
5 selection
6
7
8
9 application
noun - person
advertiser
---
verb
---
qualify
invite
vacate
recruiter
III Use the words from the box above to fill in the gaps:
1
2
3
4
5
6
47
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
cover
child
educational
maternity
application
fringe
work
severance
form
pay
benefits
leave
experience
letter
background
allowance
V Fill in the gaps with the words from the previous exercise.
3 In a job interview when asked about your __________________ you should tell them
about your university degree.
48
Hi.
Luka:
Kate:
Sure, I am.
Luka:
II Number the lines of the telephone conversation to show the right order.
___ Yes, speaking.
_1_ Good morning. CIS Design. How can I help you?
___ Hello. Is that Kate Davies?
____ This is Luka Babi. Im calling about.....
___ Good morning. Can I speak to Kate Davies, please?
___ Hello.
___ Just a moment, please.
III Fill in the gaps with the phrases from the box.
Could I speak....?
How can I help you?
Hold on, please.
Whos calling, please?
Im phoning about....
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
C:
B:
Its....
49
A: _____________________________
B: Could I speak to John Ness, please?
A: _____________________________
B: This is Karlo Lenuzzi from KLL. Is this the sales department?
A: ____________________________
B: Im calling about our ThinkPad laptop order No 566.
A: ____________________________
B: Thank you.
A: ____________________________
B: Yes, could you tell Mr Ness that I called.
A: ____________________________
B: Of course. Karlo Lenuzzi.
A: ____________________________
B: Yes, no problem. Its K-A-R-L-O L-E-N-U-Z-Z-I.
And my phone number is 020 966 4512
A: Im sorry I didnt hear the last part. ____________________________
B: 4512. Can you transfer me to the IT department now?
A: __________________
B: Good bye.
A: __________________
50
V Put the following sentences in the right order to get two telephone
dialogues.
Dialogue 1
Dialogue 2
Tanja: Thanks, Colin. Hang on a minute while I make the connection.... Sorry Colin.
Tanja: Bye.
Colin: Yes, please. Let me just find a piece of paper. OK.
Tanja: Its 333.
Colin: I wanted to ask her about our meeting agenda for the next week.
Colin: 333. Right. Thanks, Tanja. Bye now.
Some parts of these two conversations are so-called small talk. This type of chatting
serves to avoid jumping immediately to the point. With small talk you can avoid seeming to
be too blunt, which is considered to be rude. In some situations it is polite to make some
small talk.
51
52
Useful phrases
I Fill in the gaps with the expressions from the box.
Im calling about... Can you hold the line, please?
Could I speak to .....
You are welcome.
Its Lana Delbianco from........
Hotel Palace. Roko Petri speaking. How can I help you?
Can I leave a message for......
Im afraid Mrs Tomi is not in the office....
Opening a call
Identifying yourself (when you are the caller):
This is Matej Cvjetko from Incom Plc.
___________________ the Four Seasons Hotel here.
Stating the reason for calling:
_____________________
I wanted to ask you about....
I have a question about.....
I would like to have more information about....
Getting through to the person you need
Asking for the person:
__________________ Luka Babi, please?
Is Mr Babi there, please?
Could you put me through to the purchasing department, please?
Im trying to get through to Ms Paula Slejko. Is she in the office at the moment?
When the person youre calling is not available:
Ill try to call back later.
____________________ Mrs Radi?
Could you ask her/him to call me back later, please?
Answering a call
Identifying yourself / a company:
Technomax Systems.Tanja speaking.
___________________________________
Good morning. What can I do for you?
Transferring a call:
Can you hold on a moment, please?
__________________________________
Ill put you through.
Im afraid the line is engaged / busy.
Shall I give you his/her extension number?
53
54
Making arrangements
I Use the phrases from the box to complete the dialogue.
if she cant call me within an hour
Ive got to reschedule
Preferably
Will you hold
Could she call me somethings come up
Id like to meet
A: Good morning, Monting Group. How may I help you?
B: Id like to speak to Julie Chen, extension 243, please.
A: Thank you. Whos calling please?
B: Its Petra Simi, from Hotel Sheraton.
A: Ill put you through. Hello, Im afraid shes engaged at the moment. ____________or can I
take a message?
A: Ill leave a message, please. The thing is, I should be meeting Mrs Chen at 2 pm, but
________________. My plane was delayed, and ________________ my appointments.
If possible, ________________ tomorrow. ________________ in the morning.
___________________ here at the hotel please?
B: Certainly. Whats the number please?
A: Its 030 7676 3499. Ill be leaving the hotel soon, so ________________________, Ill call
her again in the afternoon.
B: Right. Ive got that. Ill make sure she gets the message.
A: Thank you very much. Goodbye.
B: Goodbye.
Useful phrases
I Put the phrases into the right place.
No, sorry, I cant make it then.
Can we schedule our meeting for Tuesday morning?
Im afraid something has come up.
Making arrangements
Can we fix a meeting for next week?
Could we meet on Monday at 11:30?
How/What about next Tuesday morning?
What day/When would suit you?
I was wondering if you might have time to meet me next week?
_____________________________________________________
55
Changing appointments
Could we fix another time?
Im calling about our meeting. Could we possibly cancel/reschedule our appointment for
Tuesday?
______________________________________________________
Answers
Thats OK.
Thatll be fine.
Im afraid my diarys rather full that day/week.
Sorry, Ive got a meeting at that time.
______________________________________________________
II Make a telephone conversation using the following map.
A
B Say goodbye
56
Useful phrases
I Fill in the space for the heading with these terms.
Solving a problem
Complaining
Apologizing
Im calling about.....
It seems you forgot the attachment.
There appears to be a small problem with your consignment.
Im afraid some of the components dont work.
Unfortunately it seems there is a small mistake on the invoice you sent us.
57
Im sorry about....
Id like to apologize for.....
Please accept my apologies.
There appears to be a mistake.
58
Say goodbye.
Sounding polite
When they have bad news to communicate English speakers tend to use Im afraid or
Im sorry. For example, if you are not able to attend the meeting, introduce the sentence
with one of these two phrases.
If you want to make your statement sound more polite, or try to say something which is
inconvenient or annoying for the other person, use the word actually.
In some situations you can use the past tense instead of the present tense to make
your sentences be more polite.
The use of would and could can help make your questions sound less direct and thus,
more polite.
I Rewrite the following dialogue replacing the underlined sentences with a
suitable polite form.
Victor:
Secretary:
Victor:
Secretary:
Victor:
Secretary:
Victor:
Secretary:
Victor:
No, I dont have time. I just want to leave my phone number. Its 090 333
456. Tell him to call me in the office this afternoon.
Secretary:
Victor:
Thanks. Bye.
Secretary:
Goodbye.
59
Useful phrases
I Fill in the space for the heading with these terms.
Using could/ would
Using the past tense
Adding actually
Starting the sentence with Im afraid/ Im sorry
60
61
Problems in communication
In a telephone conversation you might run into communication problems. The speaker you
are talking to might speak too quietly or too fast. You might have got a wrong person by
mistake or you were cut off and have to call the other person again.
I Complete the extracts from the dialogues with words from the box.
cut
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
up
line
slowly
spell
wrong
could
catch
. = dot
- = dash/hyphen
___=underscore
ivan.car@hotmail.com =
www.freeserve.net =
k_ellis@dialstart.co.uk =
kevin.stevens@afg.consulting.ca= ____________________________________________
margaret_johansson@zebra.it=
____________________________________________
www.rent-a-car.com=
____________________________________________
__________________________=
____________________________________________
62
REVISION
I Fill in the missing words.
1
_______________________
me / its / yes
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
__________________________________________________
III Match the sentences you created above with phrases that mean the same.
1 Can I talk to John Avery, please?
___________________________
2 Just a moment...
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
5 Speaking.
___________________________
__________________________
63
really must
annoying That
be .
consignment
have should
first
out
for
sure
Thanks
appears
delivery
problem
tomorrow thing
be the .
Mr Smith
the .
sorting that .
Im not entirely sure. Can I nazvati vas kasnije u vezi toga ____________________ ?
Could you please ostati na liniji ____________________ ? Ill try to connect you.
Sorry I cant hear you. Can you govoriti glasnije ____________________ a bit, please?
Your name is Joan/Colin Timber and you work for TG Network. Your colleague Lisa
Smith is out of the office at the moment. Someone will call and ask for her. Take a
message checking all the details to make sure you understand them.
You have arranged to meet a partner from one of your subsidiaries. Explain that you
cannot keep the appointment, say why and provide an alternative time.
You are on a business trip and you want to stay an extra day. Telephone the airline office
to arrange a different flight.
While you were on a business trip to Germany last week you hired a rental car from Fast
Rent. When checking the bill you found a mistake in the number of days of the rental
service. Call Fast Rent and complain.
You work for Beautiful Lady Cosmetics. You have received an order from C2C Inc. but
you dont have a delivery address. Call C2C Inc. to get the information. You would also
like the email address and mobile phone number of the person who placed the order in
case you have any more questions.
64
Mr Jorge Sanchez
Barcelona
Furnishing
Avenida Gaudi 477
08036 Barcelona
Spain
Royal Furniture
35 Windsor Street
Langford
LG56 7HP
England
8 May 2012
Dear Mr Sanchez
I am writing in connection with your phone call on the 5 March.
I am happy to tell you that our company can accept payment in
both Euros and US dollars. We will be able to deliver the
cabinets as soon as we receive payment.
I hope this information will be helpful.
We look forward to hearing from you
Yours sincerely
Susan Long
Manager
Block style:
1 In this style there are no commas after Dear or Yours
2 The date is written simply as above, without st, nd, rd or th added after the number.
There are also no punctuation marks used in the date.
65
Paragraphs begin at the margin and they are separated by an empty line.
66
Email basics
I How are e-mails different from business letters? Read and find out.
Business emails are usually slightly less formal than business letters, but in today's world
emails are much more common and in most cases they replace letters, as they are a quicker
way of communicating.
Things to remember:
1 Keep your email short and clearly organized.
2 Use words such as firstly, secondly, next, finally to help you structure your points.
3 Always fill in the subject line. Without this, your recipient might think that she was sent
spam and delete your email without opening it. Choose a subject that accurately
describes what your email is about.
4 Do not write in CAPITALS. This is the equivalent of screaming at your recipient.
5 Do not use emoticons (such as , ). These will make you seem childish and
unprofessional.
6 Do not use cute or funny email addresses (e.g., sleepyhead@yahoo.com)
7 Use your mailing programs spellchecker. If there is no such thing, copy your email into
Word and check spelling there.
8 Fill in the To: section last. This way you will not accidentally send the email before you
are done with it.
9 Put your own address into the Bcc section, so you can be sure that your email was in
fact sent.
II Match the right side up with the left.
reply to all
indicate, but the recipients will not see each other's name
and address.
2
subject
Cc (carbon copy)
Bcc
Fw (forward)
attachment
person.
indicate.
67
spam
68
The structure
I How can poorly written e-mails and letters affect a business relationship?
What kind of structure do most e-mails and business letters follow? Read and find
out.
It is very important to structure letters and emails clearly, so that the reader can easily follow
what you want to say:
1 Always begin with a greeting line. This is usually Dear
2 Next you can include a subject that accurately pinpoints what your letter is about. This
should always be underlined.
3 Say why you are writing. If this is a reply, mention the email, letter, fax or phone call that
preceded your email or letter.
4 Next is the body of your letter, where you go into the details of what you want to say.
Remember, time is money: This part should be kept as short as possible. Do not mention
any unnecessary detail or information.
5 The final paragraph should contain closing remarks. These can be formulaic phrases of
politeness but this is also the place where you would call attention to any enclosed
documents.
6 Close the letter. Business letters have strict rules on how to close letters. It is important
to keep in mind that the greeting line and the closing line must be coordinated.
7 Sign the letter. If you are writing as an employee in your firm, you should include your job
title under your signature.
II Read the following letter and identify the 7 parts of a letter listed above.
Dear Ms Smith
Promotional material and price list
Thank you for your letter of the 14 April enquiring about promotional material and the price
list for our new line of vacuum cleaners.
I am happy to send you our promotional booklet and catalogue, which also contains our
pricelist.
Enclosed please find the above mentioned two documents. I hope that this information will
be helpful. If you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Marianne Forbes
Public Relations officer
Hooverworld Inc.
69
III Use these words to make an outline of the structure of business letters.
The close, Greeting line, Subject, Body, Closing remarks, Say why you are writing,
Signature
Structure
Example
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
IV Put the following examples into the right place in the table.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
70
Impolite
Your report is very bad
Polite
I think you need to work on
your report.
Impolite
You must finish the report by
Friday
4
5
6
Polite
Could you please finish the
report by Friday?
Useful phrases
Could you please?
Would you be able to?
Would it be possible to?
Impolite
You forgot to send the
documents on time.
Useful phrases
I think/ It seems
not (so) good
could be improved
Rephrase the sentence
Polite
Unfortunately, the documents
were not sent on time.
Useful phrases
Unfortunately,
I am afraid,
Start with the object (passive
voice)
In formal letters you should replace abbreviations, such as dont, wont, Im, etc. with
the full form: do not, will not, I am, etc.
71
Types of letters
1
2
3
4
5
Letter of enquiry
Reply to a letter of enquiry/ letter giving information
Letter of complaint
Letter of apology
Letter of application
72
Letter of enquiry
In letters of enquiry you ask for some kind of information. Since this is the purpose of the
letter, this will take up most of the body of the letter. Try to keep your letter or email short,
you do not go into the details of why exactly you need the information you are asking for.
I Read the letter and say what Beth Simmons wants to know.
1 Greeting line
2 Subject line
5 Closing remark
6 The close
7 Signature and
name
Yours faithfully
Beth Simmons
Beth Simmons
* If you mention a newspaper or a magazine, you should always include the date when you saw the
advertisement or other information.
In English asking direct questions is not considered to be very polite. Because of this, people
try to avoid using them. There are two ways to do this:
A) Using an indirect question.
B) Turning the question into a statement.
A) Asking indirect questions.
Indirect questions are a more polite way of requesting information than direct questions.
Look at the difference in the word order.
Questions with a question word:
Direct question: When will the conference take place?
Indirect question: Could you please tell me when the conference will take place?
Yes/No questions:
73
74
Here are some phrases that you can use to introduce an indirect question:
1. We/I would like to know (if)
2. I was wondering (if)
3. I am interested in finding out (if)
4. Could you please let me know (if)
5. Could you (possibly) tell us (if)
6. I would be grateful if you could tell me (if)
I Turn these direct questions into indirect ones.
1
Can you tell me something about the team building seminars you organize in Malaysia?
I am interested in _______________________________
3
75
III Use the prompts below to write a letter of enquiry. Invent all necessary
details.
You are interested in a trip to the North of Italy. You want to ask the following questions: Are
there any trips in July? If yes, when? Can the organizers give a discount to your group of 10
people?
___________________ (date)
Dear _________________
_____________________ (subject)
I am writing to enquire about ____________________________________________.
I would also like to know _______________________________________________ and if
_______________________________________________.
Looking ____________________________________________________________.
Yours ______________________
________________________ (signature)
________________________ (name)
________________________ (title)
76
1 Greeting line
Dear Ms Ryan
* If you are referring to a previous contact with the recipient of the letter always provide the date.
2 Subject line
Giving news
Look at the following examples
of how you
introduce
good or bad
news:
With reference
to can
our phone
conversation
yesterday
3 Say why
you
are
Good news
Bad news
(13 January 2013) concerning your interest
in ordering
writing.*
We
are pleased/glad/happy to announce
We regret/sorry to inform/tell you
a Gibson Les Paul 59.
that ...
that ...
I am delighted to inform you that ..
I'm afraid it would not be possible to ...
4 Body
We
regret
this type we
of guitar
You
will be pleased to learn
that
... to inform you
that
Unfortunately
cannotis/ we are
currently out of stock. However,
unable towe
... do have a Les
Paul 62 model or a Gibson
on stock,
which you
We are able to
AfterSG
careful
consideration
we have
might find equally suitable.
decided (not) to
1
2
II Useremark
the above prompts
give
good or our
badmost
newsrecent
in the catalogue
following situations.
You willtofind
enclosed
and
5 Closing
price list.
An increase in the interest rates on deposits.
6 The close
Yours sincerely
Peter Davids
Peter Davids
The recipient of the letter has been shortlisted to attend a job interview.
Your shop sells the type of tablet that the recipient enquired about.
III The sentences of the following letter are jumbled up. Put them into order.
a) Dear Mr Horvat
b) I am happy to tell you that we are able to offer a 10% discount for groups of 6 and up.
c) I am writing in response to your email of the 15 January enquiring about our trip to the
North of Italy.
d) I hope that this information will be helpful.
e) Looking forward to seeing you on one of our trips.
f) Petar Ivi
g) We organize trips both in July and August. Our July group leaves Zagreb on the 7 July
and returns on the 14 July.
h) Yours sincerely
77
i)
Trip to Italy
IV Write down the letter. Invent all necessary details.
78
Letter of complaint
I Read the letter and say what the letter writers complaint is.
1 Greeting line
2 Subject line
4 Say what is
wrong
On using the laptop for the first time, I noticed that the
screen flickers and turns off after about an hour use.
When I returned to the store to ask for a replacement
or a refund, I was told that they cannot offer me either,
but that the faulty machine can be sent away for repair.
They estimated that this would take about a week.
Since I travel extensively and use my laptop daily, this
option is not viable for me. I therefore would
appreciate it if you could arrange a quicker repair or a
full refund of the price.
Looking forward to hearing from you within the next
week.
Yours faithfully
6 The close
7 Signature and
name
Joe Comptor
Joe Comptor
79
II Rewrite this letter of complaint to make it sound more polite. Make sure that
only relevant information remains in your letter. Also provide the address of
the sender and of the recipient.
Mr Jones!
You didnt deliver my filing cabinets on time. I already paid for these goods 6 months ago. I
need these filing cabinets because I moved into a new office and I have nowhere to put my
important documents. Without these cabinets my room is really messy.
I want you to send the filing cabinets in 2 days. If you dont deliver them within a week, I will
file a formal complaint against your company at the consumer protection agency!!!
Good bye, Peter Allen
80
Letter of apology
I Read the letter and say why Anne Lambert is apologizing.
1 Greeting line
Dear Ms Holland
2 Subject line
5 Closing remarks
(2nd apology)
6 The close
7 Signature and
name
Yours sincerely
Anne Lambert
Anne Lambert
* If this is a response to a letter of complaint, always provide the date when that letter was written.
Giving a reason
1
2
3
4
5
81
a delay in delivery
82
Music Box
Office Towers
13 York Street
Birmingham
B3 1EH
______________
Dear Mr Stevens
Complaint about loud music
I have _____________ your letter complaining _____________ the loud music coming from
our office on 14 November.
We are really _____________ for the _____________ we caused you by playing loud music
on the above mentioned _____________. This was due to _____________ our firm
celebrated the 10th anniversary of its existence. I _____________ like to assure you that we
will be more considerate in the future and will not play music during office hours.
Please accept our ________________.
Yours _____________
Joseph Holmes
83
Useful phrases
I Add these phrases in the correct place below.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
84
85
Letter of application
I Which things do employers look for in letters of application?
The letter of application is sent along with a CV. It is the first contact between an applicant
and an employer and therefore it has to be written well. It usually consists of the following
parts:
1 Write that you would like to apply for the position (here name the position accurately) and
where you found the job ad.
2 Explain why you are interested in the job and how your interests relate to those of the
company.
3 Highlight your education, experience and skills that can contribute to the job.
4 Indicate that you are willing to attend an interview.
Remember: Do not repeat information from your CV in detail. The letter of application should
be no more than one page long.
II Read the letter of application and put its parts in the correct order.
Ivona Horvat
Ilica 356
10000 Zagreb
Phone: 099/2797828
E-mail: ivona.horvat@hotmail.com
15 April 2012
Ms Ana Petri
Raiffeisen bank
Petrinjska 59
10000 Zagreb
As you can see from the enclosed CV, I have worked for four years in finance. I am sure that
my experience along with my educational background would be extremely relevant to this
position. Moreover, as I lived in Germany for ten years I am fluent in German and I would
greatly enjoy working in a German-speaking environment.
Yours sincerely
Ivona Horvat
Ivona Horvat
I am writing to apply for the position of branch manager advertised on 3 April 2012 on your
web page.
I look forward to hearing from you.
I would be pleased to discuss my CV with you in more detail at an interview. In the
meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further information.
Although I am presently employed by one of the leading companies in Croatia, it has always
been my intention to work in a bank. I am looking for a position of greater responsibility with
the opportunity for advancement.
Dear Ms Petri
86
III Fill in the gaps in the letter with the words from the boxes.
gaps 1-11
position candidate interest background advertised
current objectives responsibilities staff experience enclosed
gaps 12-22
sincerely
contact
87
1
2
3
4
5
V Underline phrases in the letter that you might find useful when writing a
letter of application.
VI Rewrite these sentences so their style fits a formal letter of application.
1 I want to apply for the job of a sales clerk.
________________________________________________________________________
2 I found the job ad in a newspaper yesterday.
________________________________________________________________________
3 I studied at the Faculty of Economics and Business so I have a good degree for this job.
________________________________________________________________________
4 I put my CV in the envelope too.
________________________________________________________________________
5 I have already done this type of work.
________________________________________________________________________
6 I am good at telling people what to do.
________________________________________________________________________
7 My job now is really boring and I want to find a more interesting one.
________________________________________________________________________
8 When you read my CV, youll see that you will want to hire me.
________________________________________________________________________
9 Call me if you need to know anything else.
________________________________________________________________________
10 Good bye.
________________________________________________________________________
88
REVISION
I How to begin and end a letter?
1
You are sending a letter of application to the HR department in a company, but you do
not know the name of the HR manager.
You need to contact your business partner, the R&D manager in Novartis company. You
have never met her in person, her name is Mrs Sarah Smith.
John Jones is your close business associate, you contact him at least once a week and
go for lunch regularly to discuss business but also talk about your families.
II How to start a letter? Choose the appropriate word.
inform
writing
know
thank
complain
enquire
apologise for
requested.
We are writing to _______________ about not receiving your payment which was due by
4
5
6
7 April 2013.
We are writing to _______________ for sending you faulty product.
____________ you for your letter of 15 May asking if you can book your holidays...
We are _________________ in connection with your holiday brochure.
III How to request action or information? Put the words in the correct order.
the dates of the departure / We / grateful / if you could / would be / let us know
1 I am g__________ to announce that our new shopping center is opening on May 15,
2013. +
2 We r____________ to inform you that the hotel is fully booked by the end of August. 3 U______________, we are not able to book a double room for that period. 4 With r_____________ to our telephone conversation today, I am happy to inform you
that there is one room available at Astoria hotel. +
89
I am writing to poaliti se ______________ about the problems we had in your hotel last
2
3
summer.
Naalost ______________ , we have not yet received your uplata ______________.
We would be zahvalni ______________ if you could transfer the money by the end of
4
5
6
next week.
We would cijenili ______________ it if you could refund the money.
We will be prisiljeni ______________ to cancel your contract with us.
Unless we hear from you in a week, we will be forced to take pravne korake
______________.
VI How to write a letter of application? Put the following phrases into the correct
order.
1
to be considered / of 10 February 2012 /I would like / which you advertised / for the
position of office manager / in Jutarnji list /
suits both my personal /you are offering / The job / and professional interests
I have had a year experience / As you can see/ working as an office manager / from the
enclosed CV
will make me a very competitive candidate/ my experience and education / I believe that
/ for this position
VII This letter is full of mistakes. Find them, then rewrite the letter correctly.
90
Mary Brown
Music Box
Office Towers
13 York Street
Birmingham
14BH MD
13 Willow Drive
Liverpool
L3 9LQ
England
UK
12. 5. 2013.
Dear Mr John Quentin
Im really sorry because I couldnt show up for the meeting with you last week. My
secretary didnt give me your message until the day after our meeting was supposed to take
place. I want to meet you next week, whenever it suits you.
Please tell me when we can meet.
Yours faithfully,
Mary Brown
91
VOCABULARY
UNIT 1: ECONOMIC SYSTEMS
allocate (v)
allocation (n)
businessperson (n)
demand (v, n)
economic (adj)
economic system (n)
economical (adj)
economics (n)
economist (n)
economize (v)
economy (n)
financial ability (n)
free market economy (n)
market forces (n)
means of production (n)
mixed economy (n)
planned economy (n)
resource (n)
scarce (adj)
standard of living (n)
supply (v, n)
welfare state (n)
- raspodjeliti, rasporediti
- raspodjela
- poslovni ovjek / poslovna ena
- zahtijevati ili potranja
- gospodarski
- gospodarski sustav
- tedljiv
- ekonomija
- ekonomist
- tedjeti
- gospodarstvo
- financijska sposobnost
- gospodarstvo slobodnog trita
- utjecaji na prodaju nekoga proizvoda
- sredstva za proizvodnju
- mjeovito gospodarstvo
- plansko gospodarstvo
- resurs
- rijedak
- ivotni standard
- nabaviti ili ponuda
- drava blagostanja
- osnovne namirnice
- kapitalna dobra
- graevinarstvo
- roba iroke potronje
- delegirati
- razvijena zemlja
- zemlja u razvoju
- ekonomski aktivnost
- energetske slube ili energetska poduzea
- izvui
- fluktuirati
- umarstvo
- ubirati plodove
- informacijske usluge
- radno intenzivna
- proizvodnja
- povjeravanje dijela proizvodnje ili obavljanja usluga vanjskim
izvriocima
- vrhunac ili biti na vrhuncu
- primarni sektor
- pruiti usluge
- kvartarni sektor
92
- sirovine
- sekundarni sektor
- tercijarni sektor
- skuptina
- temeljni kapital
- upravni odbor
- drutvo kapitala
- obrt
- obrtnik
- javno objaviti financijska izvjea
- dividenda
- Financijska agencija, FINA
- osnivanje drutva kapitala
- glavna skuptina
- izai na burzu
- samostalne djelatnosti
- dioniko drutvo, d.d.
- pravna osobnost
- pravna osoba
- ograniena odgovornost
- drutvo s ogranienim jamstvom /odgovornou bez
93
(Ltd) (n)
kotacije, d.o.o.
- uprava
- fizika osoba
- partnerstvo
- udjeliari; dioniari
- burza
- nadzorni odbor
- neograniena odgovornost
UNIT 5: RECRUITMENT
- oglas;
- oglasiti slobodno radno mjesto
- kandidat koji se prijavio za slobodno radno mjesto
- prijava za posao
- priloiti (document i sl. mailu ili pismu)
- beneficija, povlastica
- bonus, dodatak na plau
- djeji doplatak
- boinica
- popratno pismo
- ivotopis
- kolska sprema
- zaposliti nekoga
- agencija za zapoljavanje
- priloiti (document i sl. mailu ili pismu)
- ispuniti
- ispuniti prijavu za posao
- besplatni obrok
- beneficije iz radnog odnosa; pogodnosti povrh
- agencija koja trai menadere i strunjake za potrebe
tvrtki
- istaknuti, naglasiti
- zaposliti nekoga
- loviti, traiti;
- traiti posao
- edukacija unutar tvrtke
- pozvati
- oglas za posao;
- objaviti (u tisku ili na Internetu) oglas za posao
- prijava za posao
- razgovor za posao
- porodiljni dopust
- otkazni rok
- beneficije iz radnog odnosa; pogodnosti povrh plae
- osobni podaci
- radno iskustvo
- radno iskustvo
- kvalifikacije
- zaposliti nekoga
94
recruiter (n)
recruitment (n)
references (n)
rsum (n)
select (v)
selection (n)
make a final selection
severance pay (n)
shortlist (v)
sick leave (n)
skill (n)
strength (n)
take on (v)
vacancy (n)
work experience (n)
dnevni red
dogovoreni sastanak;
dogovoriti sastanak
netaktian, grub, nepristojan
zauzet
linija je zauzeta
uhvatiti;
propustiti neku informaciju
otkazati;
otkazati sastanak
pojaviti se, iskrsnuti
potvrditi
poiljka
pogodan
prekinuti;
prekinuta je linija
crta
dostava
toka, tokica, u email adresi: (.)
zauzeto:
linija je zauzeta
raspitati se o neemu
kuni broj unutar firme
dogovoriti, odrediti
ostati na liniji
crtica; u email adresi (-)
nezgodan, nezgodno vrijeme
faktura
spojiti telefonski
planirati, odrediti;
odrediti vrijeme sastanka
askanje;
askati
95
speak up (v)
spell (v)
suit (v)
it suits me
suitable (adj)
sort out (v)
refund (v)
reschedule (v)
underscore (n)
govoriti glasnije
izgovarati slovo po slovo, sricati
da odgovara;
to mi odgovara
pogodan
razvrstati
refundirati, vratiti novac
promijeniti plan, raspored
podvlaka; u mail adresi: ( _ )
delay (n, v)
education (n)
enclose (v)
enquire (v)
enquiry (n)
envelope (n)
experience (n)
fluent (adj)
hesitate (v)
highlight (v)
hire (v)
inconvenience (n)
letter of application (n)
objective (n)
position (n)
recipient (n)
regarding (prep)
rephrase (v)
response (n)
responsibility (n)
skill (n)
staff (n)
subject (n)
napredovanje
najaviti
ispriati se
isprika
osoba koja se prijavljuje na natjeaj
prijaviti se;
prijaviti se za posao
biti zahvalan za
priloiti (mailu)
privitak
ii na;
ii na razgovor za posao
prigovarati, aliti se
prigovor, alba
pridonijeti
diploma; zavren stupanj u visokokolskom
obrazovanju
odgaanje ili odgaati
obrazovanje
priloiti (pismu)
raspitati se
raspitivanje
kuverta
iskustvo
fluentan; koji teno govori neki jezik
oklijevati
naglasiti
zaposliti
smetnja
molba, prijava za posao
cilj
radno mjesto; poloaj, pozicija
primalac
s obzirom na, to se tie
preformulirati, drukije izraziti
odgovor
odgovornost
vjetina
osoblje, zaposlenici
predmet
96
WORKS CONSULTED
UNIT 1: ECONOMIC SYSTEMS
Businessdictionary.com
Collins English Dictionary Complete and Unabridged, (2003) HarperCollins Publishers
elikovi, V. (ed) (2005). Englesko hrvatski poslovni rjenik. Zagreb: kolska knjiga.
MacKenzie, I. (2010). English for Business Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, www.merriam-webster.com
Samuelson, P., Nordhaus W. (2010). Economics. Boston: McGraw Hill International
Edition.
97
98