Part One Reading (20%) (1 passage)
In business, if not politics, the world has quietened down a bit: the number of spectacular bankruptcies, indictments, scandals, and implosions is not as high as it was in 2001 and 2002. Although executives still have to face a global slowdown, the uncertain effects of the war in Iraq, and the still fresh confusion over SARS, they might now be excused a deep breath and a look at aspects of their businesses that may have been neglected in the scramble to stay on top of new accounting laws and restated earnings.
One area to start catching up on is knowledge. This is true both personally, as executives work out whether or not they ae staying on top of internal or external developments, but also at the level of companies. A survey of knowledge management, 揔nowledge Unplugged? published in 2001 by McKinsey, found that the best-performing companies were far more likely than the worst-performing ones to use creative techniques for acquiring, processing and distributing knowledge ?everything from emphasizing teamwork in product development to holding 总dea contests攁nd trying to avoid boring daily routines.
But creating an atmosphere in which knowledge can be shared can be almost as challenging as obtaining it in the first place. This is the potential prisoner`s dilemma of knowledge: the more valued it becomes, the less incentive employees have to share it with one another, at the risk of losing the competitive advantage of what they know ?or, worse, seeing another profit at their expense. This proves to be even more true at the company level. While firms might turn to external partners to enhance their knowledge base, the sharing will be incomplete without mutual trust.
Since 构nowledge攊s such a vague term, it helps to have specific goals in mind when looking to gain more of it. Are you looking for information about your company, or industry in particular? Despite the general slowdown in executive education, there are still a number of courses devoted specifically to helping managers in given industries ?technology, for example, or health care. Are you more concerned with acquiring more knowledge, or putting it to better use? Do you need to move quickly, or is this a subject that needs to be explored in greater depth?
And bear in mind that styles of learning vary. Some people will profit most from informal networking; some enjoy learning in a classroom; others will be able to take advantage of the company intranet. Be flexible in the pursuit of knowledge; it is better to set performance target, concentrate on meeting them, and allow individuals and their teams to explore their own solutions. Sometimes the best way to generate knowledge is simply a bit of brainstorming.
The edition of Executive Education Outlook looks at the options available to executives in gaining knowledge, and enhancing what they already have. It includes a look at the state of distance learning ?neither the revolution the type claimed it would be in the lat 1990s, nor completely dismissable ?as a possible conduit of knowledge, the best place to go for new programmes in knowledge management, and a consideration of the demand for the best sources of knowledge: business-school academics.
Coming in June, Global Executive will also feature a series of Executive Dialogue interviews with prominent CIOs, further exploring the themes of information and knowledge gathering. Concentrating on knowledge now may be the best way to be prepared for the next challenges facing the business world.
MARK THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE TEXT. (10 items)
1. Over the past few years, there have been as many scandals in business as in politics.
2. The worst-performing companies try to avoid the daily routines because they are boring.
3. Catching up on knowledge is important to an individual both personally and professionally.
4. It抯 challenging to create an atmosphere in which knowledge can be shared.
5. Employees tend to share the knowledge they value most.
6. External partners tend to share their knowledge incompletely.
7. There is a general slowdown in executive education.
8. The best style of learning is to learn in a classroom, though there are quite a few other styles.
9. The best option available to executives in gaining knowledge is the business-school academics.
10. Knowledge can prepare the executives for the challenges in business.
[1F 2F 3T 4T 5F 6T 7T 8F 9T 10T]
Part Two Short-Answer Questions (10%) (2 questions)
Answer the following questions based on what you have learned from the textbook. You should use complete sentences.
11. Explain the components of a bad-news message.
12. Name five characteristics of good will messages.
[11. Begin with a buffer. Then explain the reasons that necessitate the bad news, trying to cite benefits to the reader or others. Choose positive words, and clarify company policy if necessary. Announce the bad news strategically, mentioning a compromise or alternative if possible. Close pleasantly with a forward-looking goodwill statement.
12. The five characteristics of goodwill messages are as follows. They should be selfless, be specific, be sincere, be spontaneous, and be short.]
Part Three Writing (70%)(3 parts 10+30+30)
I. Revise each of the following sentences according to the requirement given in the brackets. (10%) (5 items)
13. Every employee is entitled to see his personnel file. (to eliminate gender bias)
14. According to you, the item stopped working. (to avoid mistrust)
15. It has been determined by the staff that our process of check verification for customers must be simplified. (to make it simple and clear)
16. We抣l make payment soon. (to make it more precise)
17. We will deliver the goods you ordered by March 29. (to focus on the reader抯 benefits)
[13. Every employee is entitled to see his or her personnel file.
14. We noted in your letter of March 16 that the item had stopped working.
15. We determined to simplify the customers verification process.
16. We抣l make payment on May 30.
17. You can get the goods ordered by March 29.]
II. Revise the following memo. And the formatting of the memo is to be scored. (30%)
18. MEMO TO: Andrea Kanarek
This memo is in response to your recent inquiry about mail costs. Your message of April 30 said that you wanted a brief explanation of what is being done in Mail Services to cut back on overall costs. I can tell you that I抳e been doing many things to cut costs.
For one think, I秉 trying very hard to locate duplicate names and addresses inadvertently included in our mailing lists. This problem is particularly difficult when we merge multiple mailing lists. Another thing I秉 doing relates to envelope size. Departments that use envelopes larger than 6?by 11?are costing us a lot of money, which they do not realize. Therefore, I am making a proposal to all departments to limit the envelope size.
Finally, I秉 looking into the possibility of presorting some of our first-class mail. Mailings that are presorted are charged less.
[18.
5% for the format (date, to, from, subject)
4% for a concise beginning which states the purpose
6% for highlighting the main points for readability
4% for a good closing which summarizes and looks forward to next action
3% for ending positively
8% for the fluency and accuracy of the language (including 1% for three spelling mistakes, 1% for two grammar mistakes)]
III. Writing (30%)
19. The situation
Assume that you are Assistant Manager to Sales Manager with Beijing Dadi Grinding Machines Export Inc. You have received a letter requesting illustrated catalogs of grinders used in coffee mills. The reader is a regular customer. The specifications he needs are Models 3012A, 3014B and 3026D. You have to refuse this request because your business has discontinued all these three models. However, you enclose catalogs concerning the new models of grinders recently developed in your business.
Write a letter to your customer. Supply any details needed and make your letter smooth and natural.
[19.
5% for the format, the date, the receiver抯 address, the salutation, the complimentary close, the signature
15% for the contents
5% for the fluency and accuracy of the language
5% for three spelling mistakes]
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