Exercise 6. Insert the correct word

Exercise 5. Find the following idioms in the text. In. pairs, discuss what they mean.

Exercise 4. Expressions normally associated with marriage are often used to describe mergers. Read the text again and find three examples.

Exercise 3. Choose the best definition for the underlined word in the sentences.

Exercise 2. Read the text again and answer the questions.

Exercise 1. Match the word with its definition.

To outmanoeuvre, to relinquish, verging on, compromise, an ego, simmering, streets ahead of.

1. a person's opinion about him / herself

2. much better than

3. to gain an advantage by having a better plan

4. almost, nearly

5. just hidden below the surface

6. to let s.b. else take

7. agreeing, while accepting some things you don't like

1. According to the author, why should GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham have gone ahead with their alliance?

2. Why didn't the deal go through?

3. What does Nicholas Bates say about the personalities of many senior
businessmen?

4. What reason does the author give for the success of the Ciba-Sandoz merger?

5. What according to the author makes a successful merger?

1 The parallels between the behaviour of corporate executives and that of great apes are uncanny.

a similarities b differences с distinctions

2 The spectacular collapse of the supposed alliance of drug giants GlaxoWellcome and SmithKline Beecham is a textbook example.

a unusual b interesting с perfect

3 The deal gave the companies a drugs research and development budget more than twice the size of their closest rivals.

a competitors b partners с friends

4 Corporate egos cause problems but they seem to be inevitable in a business culture that prizes drive, determination and leadership above all.

a unavoidable b impossible с likely

5 Having the strength of personality and the ability to outmanoeuvre others is a fundamental prerequisite to climb to the top of the corporate ladder.

a step b problem с requirement

6 The problems only appear when they have to get together with peers in their organization who don't share their views.

a people who hold higher positions b people who hold lower positions

с people who hold similar positions.

7 Then clashes are inevitable.

a solutions b strong differences of opinion с long discussions

8 In the corporate jungle, the question is now whether the imperatives of
shareholders can control the egos of managers.

a urgent demands b instructions с strong personalities

1. to throw sand in each other's faces

2. to climb to the top of the corporate ladder

3. a boardroom bust-up

4. in the driving seat

administration, commerce, corporate, involve, merge, white-collar, prosper, takeover, fail, continue

a) When a firm begins to do poorly on the stock market, plans are
often made to change its …… structure.

b) The board of directors …… to inform the stockholders of the risks of investing in South Africa.

c) How many people are …… in advertising of the new product?

d) Despite some problems the company expects to continue to …… in the nearest future.

e) New York has always been a centre of …….

f) After their annual growth rate had fallen they were …… by a major competitor.

g) Mr Brown is too old to …… in his present position.

h) In order to deal with additional paper-work we need to expand the …… staff by 10 people.

i) The management of contemporary corporations requires people who know how to …….

j) The large companies which have been successful in the past have normally ……with their closest competi­tors.

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