Dialogue. Vocabulary Practice

Vocabulary Practice

Comprehension Questions

1. What does the organization structure mean?

2. What does the organization structure provide?

3. What is historically the oldest type of organization structure?

4. In what position is a sales manager in altitude to a vice-president of marketing and a salesman?

5. What is the difference between line and staff departments?

6. Why is an advertising department or a credit department considered staff structure rather than line structure?

Choose the necessary word and put it in the sentence.

1. Organization structure shows... between each position

and positions above and below. 1 relationships

2. A sales manager has direct... over a salesman. 2 to hold a

position

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

orders to other departments. 3 authority

4. When the business gets more... there is a need for staff

departments. 4 complex

5. My friend... of sales manager. 5 task

6. The... of staff departments is to do different services. 6 a line department

7. My friend works in a... he is responsible for the

company product. 7 a staff

department

Peggy Forman is talking with Jeff Downing,

another administrative assistant in her company.

Jeff How are you today, Peggy?

Peggy Oh, fine, thanks.

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

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

Jeff Well, the chart shows how the employees are divided into groups. It gives one an overview of the chain of command in the company.

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

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

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

Jeff Exactly, that's the line chain of command.

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

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

Peggy How can it be?

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

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

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

Peggy It seems to be rather complicated.

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

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

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

Peggy Can you give me an example?

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

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

Jeff Not at all. Why don't we go to the coffee stall and have a shack together?

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