l  Read the following article about ‘Go-Fast’, a cost-saving grogramme introduced by the car manufacturer General Motors, and the questions on the opposite page .

l   For each question 13 – 18 , mark one letter (A, B, C or D ) on your Answer Sheet for the answer you choose. 

Somewhere today a group of staff from General Motors will meet as part of the ‘Go-Fast’ programme, and hammer out a new initiative to cut costs and bureaucracy. They may focus only on wiper-blades, staff appraisal, or showroom design. But by this afternoon there should be an outline savings plan, which will, when implemented, be measured carefully for signs of success. The aim is to transform GM from a lumbering leviathan into the corporate equivalent of a sports car. The intention is not just to be big – GM is one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world – but to be fast, particularly in its responsiveness to the market. The success of the programme is reflected in the large number of suggestions being introduced – far more than in the old days, when every change had to come from senior managers focusing on the ‘big picture’.

 

The progress made has transformed investor perceptions of GM. Before the Go-Fast programme was introduced, the conventional wisdom was that GM’s market share was in permanent free fall and its organistion incapable of doing anything about it. Now the decline has been turned around, and the senior managers’ change of approach has led to the company being energized with a winning spirit that has unlocked long-dormant capabilities. That it took a firm of consultants to help devise the progrtamme is perhaps a sad reflection of the danger of corporate thinking becoming inflexible.

 

The shareholders’ support of GM’s strategy to become more outward - looking and innovative is something of a luxury, though in the long run success would convince even the most skeptical shareholders. The strategy includes bearing down on costs and extracting maximum synergies from GM’s numerous alliance partners, such as its tooling suppliers, and exchanging ideas and management tools with other corporations of widely differing sizes, sectors and nationalities. Having such input is one thing, but its value would be undermined without a coherent mechanism to put ideas into practice, and this is where the consultants proved invaluable.

 

In the car industry, however, there was plenty of skepticism about the programme when it was first announced, with many convinced that that only much smaller organizations stood a reasonable chance of making such a transformation, particularly when it involved changes to the company culture. Surprisingly, perhaps, this fear was not shared by the consultants who helped senior management to design the programme and, crucially, effect a change in leadership skills; rather, they were more concerned about the impact that pockets of opposition within GM might have.

 

The results of the scheme so far give rise to cautious optimism. No aspect of GM’s work can hide from scrutiny, and initial fears of a lack of ‘joined-up thinking’ about the impact of one change on other areas soon dissipated, as the ‘leadership panels’ responsible for approving and implementing changes took a broader view. But while internal management has improved dramatically, many analysts are skeptical that initiatives can outweigh GM’s mountainous pension obligations. The company is still suffering the effects of poor decisions in the past, such as the choice of certain alliance partnerships, and a major change of strategy might be necessary to recover from these. If this were to take place, the company’s core car manufacturing would need to be much more firmly rooted than it is at present, to ensure it didn’t suffer from lack of focus. However, the architects of the scheme are confident that GM will be far more outward – looking and innovative in the near future .

 

15    What point is made in the first paragraph about GM’s ‘Go-Fast’ programme?

A  The intention behind it is to increase GM’s market share.

B  Suggestions need to be agreed by senior managers.

C  All areas of business are examined for possible improvements.

D  Senior managers are excluded from the initial discussions.

 

16           In the second paragraph, the writer regards it as positive that

A  the programme allows improvements to come from within.

B  certain senior managers have left the company and been replaced.

C  the consultants developed the ideas on the basis of company proposals.

D  investor’s continued confidence in the company has been justified.

 

17           In the third paragraph, the writer claims that the ‘Go-Fast’ process is successful because of

A  the company’s alliances with many business partners.

B  the method of implementing changes.

C  the positive attitude of investors.

D  the exchange of management thinking with other companies.

 

18           When starting to set up the programme, the consultants expected that

A  the size of the company might make it difficult to introduce changes.

B  senior managers might be unwilling to change their work style.

C  it might be difficult to change the company culture.

D some of the workforce might resist the changes.

 

19   What concern is expressed in the last paragraph about the  ‘Go-Fast’ programme?

A  It may not save enough to meet the company’s financial demands.

B  Management is being distracted from the company’s core activities.

C  It has led the company to make unwise strategic decisions.

D  The company is focusing on changes in the wrong areas.

 

 

20      What would be the best title for the article?

A  Improving internal and external communications

B  Choosing the most suitable consultants

C  Making a company more adaptable

D  Changing a company’s management structure

PART FOUR Questions 21 -30

l  Read the text below about leadership.

l  Choose the best word to fill each gap from  (A, B, C or D) on the opposite page.

l   For each question 21-30,mark one letter (A, B, C or D) on your Answer Sheet.

l  There is an example at the beginning, (0)

 

 

LEADERSHIP

 

 

Leadership is the heart of the managerial process, because it __(0)__ initiating action. Other terms identifying the same idea are directing, executing, supervising, ordering, and guiding. Whatever term is used, the idea is to __(21)__ into effect the decisions, plans and programs that have previously been worked __(22)__ for achieving the goals of the group.

 

Leadership concerns the overall __(23)__ in which a manager influences the actions of subordinates. First, it includes the __(24)__ of orders that are clear, comprehensive, and within the capabilities of subordinates to accomplish. Second, it implies a continual training activity in which subordinates are given instructions to enable them to __(25)__ the particular assignment in the existing situation. Third, it necessarily involves the motivation of workers to try to __(26)__ the expectations of the manager. Fourth, it consists of maintaining discipline and rewarding those who __(27)__ properly. In short, leading is the final action of a manager in getting others to act after all preparations have been made.

 

The manager’s style of direction depends upon his or her own personal traits and the situation in __(28)__. In leadership, more than any other function, the manager must determine an approach alone, after surveying the__(29)__ that are available. In any event, each manager will __(30)__ well to act as an individual and not to try to act as others act or to proceed according to the textbook.

 

 

Example : A  involves        B  engages     C consists       D  contains   0 A  B  C  D

 

 

21        A  set             B  place       C  get         D  put

 

22        A  in              B  out        C  over        D  around

 

23        A  manner         B  method     C  means      D  mode

 

24        A  telling           B  issuing     C  committing  D  granting

 

25        A  reach           B  finalise      C  terminate   D  complete

 

26        A  please           B  attain       C  gratify     D  fulfil

 

27        A  achieve          B  exercise     C  perform    D  execute

 

28        A  topic            B  question     C  subject     D  argument

 

29        A  varieties         B  chances      C  options     D  selections

 

30        A  go              B  be           C  do         D  work

 PART FIVE

Questions31-40

 

l  Read the article below about problems of motivation at work .

l  For each question 31-40, write one word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet .

l  There is an example at the beginning, (0) .

Regain your motivation

 

Getting out of bed to go to work is __(0)__ of life’s lesser pleasures. __(31)__ great the job is, most of us struggle on Monday morning. But when that feeling stretches through the entire week, something deeper may __(32)__ wrong. Something it’s tempting to dismiss feelings of boredom or frustration __(33)__ part of working life. But if you’re constantly feeling uninterested, you need to ask yourself some questions.

 Demotivation isn’t just caused by major setbacks, like being passed__(34)__ for promotion, or refused a salary increase, but can be a product of far more subtle aspects. Try to define the most important aspects of your job for you personally – and __(35)__ action if you feel things aren’t right. Talk to agencies or headhunters about your skills and find out __(36)__ you’re worth on the open market.

 

It can be all__(37)__easy to blame your job when you feel demotivated – when it can be just as easily down to you, as Sally Martin, a fundraising manager for a charity, discovered. ‘I had started to resent my job, the fact that I had no perks, no chances to travel - __(38)__ from visiting other dingy offices for meetings. But then some friends were talking about how superficial they felt their jobs were, and I suddenly realized I couldn’t say that about my job. In fact, I really felt __(39)__ was a point to it. I remembered that’s why I’d taken it in the __(40)__ place.’

 So remember; always give your old job a chance before starting to search for a new one.

 

PART FIVE

Questions41 - 52

l  Read the text below about time management.

l  In most of the lines 41 - 52 there is one extra word . It is either grammatically incorrect of does  not fit in with the sense of the text . Some lines , however ,are correct .

l  If a line is correct , write CORRECT on your Answer Sheet .

l  If there is an extra word in the line ,write the extra word in CAPITAL LETTERS on your Answer Sheet .

l  The exercise begins with two examples , (0) and (00) .

 

0

Example :