Key questions for the planning committee

1. Where will the visitors stay?

2. Who will meet them? What transport will be used?

3. What arrangements should be made for meals?

4. When will the business meeting take place?

5. What topics would be suitable for discussion at meals?

6. How will the visitors be entertained? Trips? Special events?

7. What gifts would be suitable? When and how should they be given?

8. Should there be local press and television coverage?

9. Is it necessary to provide an interpreter?

10. Any other ideas to develop a good relationship?

C. Summarize the information of the unit. Use the following prompts as a plan.

• Common forms of business organization, their advantages and disadvantages.

• Groups of companies according to the type of business activity they perform.

• LTD and PLC.

• The role of the Board of Directors.

• Types of internal company structure.

• Flotation.

• Takeovers and mergers.

Vocabulary

asset (s) n – актив(ы)

fixed ~ – основные средства

current ~ – оборотные средства

bankruptcy n – банкротство

board n – совет

~ of directors – совет директоров

business entity – субъект хозяйственной деятельности

chairman n (Br. E)/president n (Am. E) – председатель совета директоров компании, президент

charter n – устав

be in charge of/to be liable for – руководить, быть ответственным

company n – компания

limited ~ (Ltd) – закрытая акционерная компания с ограниченной ответственностью (ЗАО)

public limited (plc) ~ – открытая компания с ограниченной ответственностью (ООО)

director n – директор

managing/executive ~ (Br. E.)/CEO (Am. E.) – управляющий [исполнительный] директор

marketing ~ – директор по маркетингу

non-executive director – член совета директоров, не являющийся исполнительным лицом компании

production ~ – руководитель производства

flotation n (Br. E.)/initial public offering (Am. E.) – размещение (займа)

joint a – совместный

~ venture – совместное предприятие

~ stock – акционерный капитал

liabilities n – долги, денежные обязательства, задолженность

liability n – ответственность, обязательство

manager n – руководитель

purchasing ~ – начальник отдела снабжения

personnel ~ – начальник отдела кадров

advertising ~ – руководитель рекламного отдела

home sales ~ – управляющий сбытом на внутреннем рынке

public relations ~ – руководитель по связям с общественностью

overseas sales ~ – управляющий экспортными операциями

merger n – слияние; объединение фирм в одну новую фирму

partnership n – товарищество

predator n – «хищник» (инвестор или спекулянт)

proprietor n – предприниматель, собственник

proprietorship n – предпринимательство

sole ~ – единоличное предпринимательство

stock exchange n – фондовая биржа

structure n – структура

line ~ линейная структура

line-and-stuff – линейно-штабная структура

functional ~ – (линейно-) функциональная структура

matrix ~ – матричная организационная структура

takeover n 1) взятие под свой контроль и управление; 2) поглощение компании

~ bid – предложение о поглощении

hostile ~ bid – «враждебное» предложение о поглощении

underwriter n – гарант размещения выпуска ценных бумаг

GLOSSARY

• Assets of a company are all the things that it owns. The size of the company is measured in terms of its assets.

• Current assets generally consist of cash, marketable securities, receivables, inventories and prepayments.

• ‘Dawn raids’ – is the time when the predator, or its agents, start buying shares in the target company as soon as the market opens in the morning, in the hope that they can catch the market by surprise and accumulate enough shares quickly without anyone quite realizing that a takeover is in the offing.

• Fixed assets are assets which a company uses on a continuous basis such as property and machinery.

• Flotation – the process of becoming a public limited company as the shares of the company are ‘floated’ on the stock market.

• Liabilities are the sums of money which a company owes.

• Limited company is a company that does not issue shares for public subscription and whose owners are legally responsible for only a part of any money that it may owe if it goes bankrupt.

• Merger is the joining together of two separate companies or organizations so that they become one.

• Partnership is a relationship in which two or more people, business or industries work together as partners.

• Predator – a company attempting to buy up another firm in a hostile takeover bid.

• Public limited company – is a limited company whose shares may be purchased by the public and traded freely on the open market.

• Sole proprietor is a person who owns his own business and does not have a partner or any shareholders.

• Takeover is the act of gaining control of a company by buying more of its shares than anyone else.

• Underwriter is a financial advisor which guarantees to buy any shares that are unsold from the original application process.

• ‘White knight’ is a friendly company with which a hunted company would prefer to merge.