No.6 Purchasing power

  How the supermarkets are squeezing their suppliers

   (Are supermarkets are squeezing small suppliers?)

String of words：

1. The money owed by A to B means A is the debtor and B is the creditor.

          e.g. The money owed by these two retailers to their suppliers has increased at a far faster rate than either sales or stocks.

          owe it to yourself: to deserve and need to do sth that will be good for you.

          e.g. Take a few days off work - you owe it to yourself.

          owe sb a living

          e.g. No one owes you a living.

2. long before             

          1) 用于句中，表示先于某事之前

          e.g. In food retailing, stock is turned into cash at the check-out counters long before suppliers have to be paid.

          2) 用于句末，表示比过去某时早得多的时间 (区别于long ago)

          e.g. She had left long before. / She left long ago. 

          before long means soon.

          e.g. They'll be home before very long.

3. hold onto/on to sth: to keep sth you have 

          e.g. In effect, the suppliers are acting as bankers for the supermarkets. The suppliers can hold on to their money for anything up to 90 days. 

          hold out for sth: to wait until you get what you want.

          e.g. The workers are holding out for a ten percent pay rise.

4. This is a problem for A more than B: 这对A要比B更是一个问题

          e.g. For all suppliers this is a problem, but for some more than others.

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No.5 Money and finance

   Understanding financial statements
   (Financial statements are a picture of a company's financial health for a given period of time)

String of words：

1. port of call: a place where you stop for a short time, especially on a journey.

          e.g. Knowing when to buy and when to sell depends not only on understanding the market in general but also the financial health of the company. Your first port of call: the annual report.

2. a snapshot of

          e.g. The balance sheet is a snapshot of a company's financial position at a given moment.

3. set sth (off) against sth: to use or record one thing, especially the cost of something, in order to reduce or remove the effect of another.

          e.g. Set your assets against your liabilities.

4. proverbially, : 常言道，

          e.g. Proverbially, we can't change who we are, the sooner you accept that, the better off your game and your life will be.

PS：

• pairs of financial terms

          ✔variable cost(变动成本) <-> fixed cost(固定成本) /fixed expense/standby cost

          ✔assets <-> liabilities(债务)/debts

                   fixed assets/capital assets = buildings and equipment

                   current assets：流动资产 the stock and the accounts receivable

          ✔dividends(股息) <-> retained profit(earnings)(保留盈余)

          ✔creditor(债权人) <-> debtor(债务人)

          ✔accounts payable(应付账款) <-> accounts receivable(应收账款)

                简单理解一下：

                accounts payable：资产类科目，一般将欠公司款的往来单位记入该科目

                accounts receivable：负债类科目，一般将公司欠款的往来单位记入该科目

• annual report: 年度报告即公司整个会计年度的财务报告及其他相关文件

          financial statements：财务报表

          ✔balance sheet: 资产负债表 show the assets and debts 

                反映企业资产、负债及资本的期未状况。长期偿债能力，短期偿债能力和利润分配能力等。

          ✔income statement: 损益表 earnings report/profit-and-loss account 

                反映本期企业收入、费用和应该记入当期利润的利得和损失的金额和结构情况。

          ✔cash folw statement: 现金流量表

                反映企业现金流量的来龙去脉，当中分为经营活动、投资活动及筹资活动三部份。

• shareholders' equity：股东权益 net assets

          assets = liabilities + shareholders' equity

• if the amount of stock is growing fast, then it could be that stock isn't moving.

          如果股票数量迅速增加，它可能使这些股票不再流动。

          解释：一般来说，在资金不变的情况下，股票数量快速增加，会导致没有足够的钱去购买股票，会导致一部分股票不再流动，供大于求，价格就会下降。所以，如果只看这句话，说的应该是数量不会流动，而不是价值。

• notes to accounts: 帐目附注 information added to a company's accounts that explains something in them.

          bottom line: [收益表的]底行 the profit or the amount of money that a business makes or loses.

          profit margin: 边际利润 the difference between the total cost of making and selling something(变动成本) and the price it is sold for(销售收入) 

中文经管百科入口 -> 点击原文

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No.4 The art of selling

  Advertising trends

    (the old broadcast models of advertising are being eroded by the march of technology)

String of words：

1.  in favour of: [opp] instead of

          e.g. Then combine those trends with the upsurge in personal video recorder technolodge(PVR) and the tendency for younger viewers to watch less TV in favour of sharing their own words, pictures, music and movies online.

           the upsurge in: the act of surging up

2. at the sharp end: the part of an activity, such as a job, where the most problems are likely to be found（工作等的）最难之处，问题多发处

          e.g. A job like hers would be much too demanding for me, but she enjoys being at the sharp end.

3. someone fast forward through sth.

          e.g. Over 1.3 million people now use the technolodge, with the majority fast forwarding through adverts on recorded shows.

4. on demand: at any time that someone wants or needs something. [adj] on-demand

          e.g. Increased broadband penetration and download speeds are only likely to accelerate the trend for on-demand viewing.

5. pay a huge premium: pay a huge amount more than usual.

          e.g. As the boom(<->decline) in search-based advertising on the internet has proved, if the advertisers are sure that they are accurately targeting a receptive audience they will pay a huge premium.

6. engage with sb./sth.: to make an effort to understand and deal with someone or something.

          e.g. Advertising experts are agreeed that brands will increasingly have to engage with individual consumers rather than hoping to catch their attention with traditional catch-all ads.

           be agreed[adj]: be agreeable to sth. that means to be willing to do or accept something.

           catch-all: intended to include a lot of different things.

7. ask sb. to consider sth.: demand or expect a deliberation from sb.

          e.g. Advertisers are demanding a more holistic view from their agencies, asking them to consider how to tap into younger comsumers via blogs, social networking sites, advertising-funded content and viral advertising.

8. feel compelled to do sth.: having to do something, because you are forced to or feel it is necessary.

          sth. has come of age: If something has come of age, it has reached its full successful development.

          e.g. The latter, which involves making branded messages so engaging and interesting that web users feel compelled to send them on to friends, has come of age during the past two years.

9. create a buzz around a particular clip

          e.g. Hassell believes that advertisers will increasingly release adverts on the internet first as a means of creating a buzz around a particular clip.

PS：

• direct response advertising

          Promotional method in which a prospective customer is urged to respond immediately and directly to the advertiser, through the use of a 'device' provided in the advertisement. These devices (called direct response mechanisms) include a (1) coupon to cut and mail, (2) business reply card, (3) toll-free telephone number, or, on the internet, (4) hotspot to click. Most retail sale advertisements are direct response ads in one way or the other.

           toll-free: A toll-free phone call is free for the person making the call.

• event television

          television programmes focusing on events that attract media attention and high ratings(收視率).

• viral marketing

          a marketing activity in which information about a product spreads between people, especially on the internet.

• Advertising funded programming(AFP)

          AFP is is essentially a partnership between a television channel and an advertiser. The advertiser wholly or partially finances a television production and thereby obtains the right to associate its brand to certain values and experiences through the television production.

          A main distinction between AFP and traditional advertising campaign or program sponsorship is that AFP creates funding for programs while providing brands with an opportunity to engage with an audience in a native atmosphere.

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No.3 Communication at work

  Better communication?
   (Good communication is about finding the right channel)

String of words：

1. cross-sell sth. to someone: to sell another further product or service to a customer who is already buying a different product or service.

          e.g. It acquired a big portfolio of different companies and then spent huge amounts of money on an IT system designed to cross-sell its various products and services -financial services, telephone contracts energy supply and so on- to the customers in its different businesses.

2. take sb. through sth.: to explain sth. to someone.

          e.g. From each of these he's taken through another list of options.

3. by no means: not at all.

          e.g. Cost-cutting is by no means the only driver- it's a trend also driven by customer demand for a quick and flexible service.

4. start out: to begin your life, or the part of your life when you work, in a particular way.

          e.g. eBay started out as a maket place for individious but, increasingly, companies have used it to sell product direct to consumers.

5. in time: at last  after a fairly long period of time.

          e.g. In time, i expect we'll see a return to more face-to-face contact with costomers and more local services.

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No.2 Growing the company

 Part A: SAP competes with 'organic growth'
  (Business in the future is not business in an enterprise, it's business in an ecosystem)

String of words：

1. at the top of the heap in somewhere: 

          e.g. How do you stay at the top of the heap in the business software game?

2. have a direct dig at sb. : 挖苦，讽刺

          e.g. He couldn't resist having a dig at the referee.

          couldn't  resist (doing) sth. : cannot stop doing sth. that  you want  to do or having sth that you like very much.

3.  in much the same way as... : 很大程度和...类似  

           e.g. ESA is basically a platform that will allow SAP to provide consistant business services around it, in much the same way as Microsoft has built applications around it successful operating systems.

PS：

• organic growth: If a company experiences organic growth, it develops its own business instead of buying other companies. (公司的)内生增长，有机增长

          e.g. Our future development will be achieved by organic growth rather than acquisitions of other companies.

• squarely: completely and with no doubt

          e.g. The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the police.

  Part B: Mergers and acquisitions
   (The's world's 2nd largest business software applications provider, took over peoplesoft)

String of words：

1. be saddened by sth.

          e.g. He was deeply saddened by this outcome that his company would be acquired by Oracle.

2. under such trying circumstances: annoying and difficult.

          e.g. We've come so far under such trying circumstances over the past eighteen months.

3. gain significant momentum: 获得了良好的发展势头

          e.g. The campaign has been gaining significant momentum ever since the television appeal.  

4. It is to someone that i offer my apologies for sth.

          e.g. It is to this last group that i offer my sincerest apologies for not figuring out a different conclusion to our 18-month saga.

          saga: a long complicated series of related, usually negative, events.

5. with (one's) head held high: displaying pride and confidence, often (but not always) after something has gone wrong.

          e.g. Even though I knew I blew the presentation, I walked out of the conference room with my head held high and then cried in my car.

6. do it with class: 把事情做的卓越，优秀，漂亮，让人钦佩没话说

          e.g. PeopleSoft and the people at PeopleSoft have built their reputation as a company with class.

PS：

• independent director（独立董事）,是指独立于公司股东且不在公司中内部任职，并与公司或公司经营管理者没有重要的业务联系或专业联系，对公司事务做出独立判断的董事

• Individual Shareholder(自然人股东)，是具有公民身份的个人投资者，在他进行公司的投资以后通过公司所在地的工商局注册，进行公司股权登记，就成为自然人股东。
• Corporate Shareholder(法人股东)，亦称单位股东，是指以公司或集团(机构)名义占有其他企业股份的股东。

  Part C: Organisational culture
   (A general consensus on four different types of organisational cultures)

String of words：

1. breakneck: carelessly fast and dangerous.

          e.g. They were riding along at a breakneck speed.

2. work at a high tempo

          e.g. Stock brokers which need to react quickly to changing circumstances and to work at a high tempo.

3. devolve responsibility to someone: to give responsibility to someone at a lower or more local level.

          e.g. Macho culture devolves a lot of responsibility to the individual and emphasises decisions that affect the present rather than the future.

4. with plodding and bureaucracy: 行尸走肉，官僚化严重

          e.g. Strategy and direction seem to take second place to organisation and so they are  often, maybe unfair, associated with plodding and bureaucracy.

          plod: to work slowly and continuously, but without imagination, enthusiasm, or interest.

PS：

• Work hard, play hard culture

          A culture that embraces long hours of work followed by social and leisure activities at the expensive of rest and relaxation.

          This is something most likely to be seen in a very large company which is dependant on strong customer service. This type of organizational culture is often characterized by multiple team meetings, specialized jargon, and buzzwords.

• Tough-guy macho culture 

          From a corporate stand point, this type of organizational culture will be most often associated with really fast financial activities, such as currency trading, and brokerage. This can also apply to organizations such as a police force, or an individual athlete on a sports team. If a receiver catches a touchdown pass, you see the impact right away. This tends to be a stressful type of organizational culture that requires a certain mentality to thrive and succeed.

          touchdown: 橄榄球赛中持球过球门线得分

• Process culture

          A process culture is most often fold in organizations where there is actually no feedback. This is rarely a good culture. In this type of a organizational culture people are so obsessed with the process of how things are done that the focus is lost on what the goal is. Process organizational culture is a synonym for bureaucracy. These cultures are overly cautious, obsessed with the letter of the law as opposed to the idea of the law. The only positive argument for this culture is that the consistency of results makes it good for public services.

          fold A into B: 把A纳入B

• Bet-the company culture 

          This is a type of company where huge decisions are made over high stakes endeavors. In this type of culture, the end results of these decisions may not be seen for months or even years. The most common type of company that would have this type of a culture is one that is involved in experimental projects or searches. Two great examples would be like prospecting for new oil fields and designing experimental military weapons.

          have a stake in sth: 对…有强烈的兴趣；与…有利害关系

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No.1 Working life

  Part A: Young workers want it all, now
   (Maybe it's not bad to tell your boss what your high expectations are)

String of words：

1. take ... off: holiday take sth. off (something) to have a holiday from work on a particular day, or for a particular lenngth of time.

          e.g. Young workers want it all, now. Oh, and they'll need to take next Friday off, too.

2. There's an impression that ... 
3. has high expectations for ... , but little appetite for ... and little sense of ...

          e.g. There's an impression that the current generation of young workers has high expectations for salary, responsibility and job flexibility, but little appetite for hard  work and  little sense of loyalty to a company.

4. prepare sb. for sth. : make sb. ready to provide someone with the training, skills, experience etc that they'll need to do a job or to deal with a situation. 

          e.g. Coddling parents and colleges often fail to prepare students for the realities of adulthood and working life.

5. be deserving: be good enough to be considered. 

          e.g. We think we're deserving if we're going to go out there and break our back for you.

6. rush to bury oneself in a cubicle

         e.g. It's true they're not all rushing to bury themselves in a cubicle and follow orders for the next 40 years, but why on earth should they?

PS：

• the"Entitlement Generation" or the "Entitled" Generation: Millennials"千禧一代"(1984-2000出生)

          Boomers: baby boom"婴儿潮，美二战后的'4664'现象"(1946-1964)

          e.g. Whether a Millennial, Gen Y, Gen X, or a Boomer, the playing field has been leveled. Keeping up on using technolodge to give your company a competitive advantage in the market place is no respecter of generations.

          level the playing field: to make a situation in which people are competing fair, with no one having special advantages.

          be no respecters of persons: to affect all people in the same way, which or not they're rich or powerful.

• Gen X: Generation X, is the demographic cohort following the baby boomers and preceding the Millennials. There are no precise dates for when Generation X starts or ends. Demographers and researchers typically use birth years ranging from the early-to-mid 1960s to the early 1980s.

• Gen Y: Generation Y (also known as Millennials)

  Part B: The anoymous CVs
   (Give all applicants an equal chance of being called up for interview!)

String of words：

1. pilot project

          a pilot project is used to test how good sth. is before introducing it.

          e.g. Prospective employees in Geneva are to send in annoymous job application as part of a pilot project to tackle discrimination.

          prospective employees: people who are expected to be employees.

2. detail sth. v. to discribe sth. completely, giving all the facts.

          e.g. Job-seekers will sending in CVs detailing their skills and experience but omitting their name, address, age, sex, any religion or disability and photo.

3. call sb. up: to telephone someone

          e.g. The aim is to give all applicants an equal chance of being called up for interview.

4. give sb. the chance to be heard: there's possibility that people can receive news or information from sb.

          e.g. The important thing is that candidates who have the right skills for a job should be seen, and we want to give them the chance to be heard.

PS：

• canton: （尤指瑞士的）小行政区，州     
• SIG:  special interest group
• commune: 公社 <-> community 社区

          commune: a group of families or single people who live and work together sharing possessions and responsiblities.

          community: the people living in one particular area or people who are considered as a unit because of their common interests, social group or nationality.

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