Well, I’ve been talking to managers in a number of businesses, and reading surveys about the future of management. And what I’m going to present in this seminar is a few ideas about how the activity is likely to change in the next ten years. It isn’t a scientific, statistical analysis – just some ideas for us to discuss.
One area I want to mention is business markets, and I’m sure a really significant development will be a major increase in competition, with companies from all round the world trying to sell similar products 【Q31】. Consumers will have much more choice – for instance, food products sold in Australia might be manufactured in the USA, China, Finland and dozens of other countries. At the same time, mergers and takeovers mean that governments are actually losing power to major global corporations 【Q32】. We can probably all think of companies that exert a great deal of influence, which may be good for consumers. A third point I want to make about markets is that in the rapidly expanding economies, such as India, China, Brazil and Russia, demand is growing very fast 【Q33】. This is putting pressure on resources all over the world.
I think businesses are becoming more open to external influences. In particular, companies are consulting customers more and more before making their business decisions 【Q34】. Companies are finding out what they want and providing it, instead of making products and then trying to sell them, which is the model of years ago.
Another influence is that concerns about the environment will force manufacturers to extend product lifecycles, to reduce the amount of pollution and waste. And in some cases, regulation will need to be strengthened. 【Q35】
Many societies are much more fluid and democratic, and the structure of companies is changing to reflect that. I think we’re going to see a greater emphasis within companies on teams created with a specific project in mind 【Q36】. And when they’re completed, the teams will be disbanded and new ones formed.
More and more people see work as simply one part of their lifestyle, and not the most important one, and as the workforce is shrinking in some countries, businesses are having to compete for staff instead of being about to choose among a lot of applicants. Typical examples that will attract and retain staff are traditional ones like flexible hours 【Q37】 and – something that has been made possible by advances in technology – remote working, with people based at their home, abroad, or almost anywhere they choose.
Management styles will almost certainly continue to change. Senior managers will require a lot more than the efficiency that they’ve always needed. Above all they’ll need great skills in leadership 【Q38】, so that their organisation can initiate and respond to change in a fast-moving world, where they face lots of competing requirements and potential conflicts.
In most of the world, the senior managers of large businesses are mainly men in their fifties and sixties. The predominant style of management will almost certainly become more consultative and collaborative, caused above all, by more women moving into senior management positions. 【Q39】
Many of the changes are influenced by developments in the wider economy. The traditional emphasis of business was manufacturing, and of course the service sector is very important. But we shouldn’t overlook the growing financial contribution of IP, that is, intellectual property. Some books and films generate enormous sums from the sale of related DVDs, music, games, clothes, and so on.
Another point I’d like to make is that although I’ve been talking about companies, one trend that they have to face is the move away from people working for the same employer for years. Instead, more and more people are becoming self-employed 【Q40】, to gain the freedom and control over their lives that they’re unlikely to get from being employed.
OK, well that’s all I want to say, so let’s open it up for discussion.
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
听前预测：定位词为Business markets ；提示词为greater，此处应填名词。
题目解析：本题的定位词与考点句在同一个句子中。“One area I want to mention is business markets, …a major increase in competition, with companies from all round the world trying to sell similar products.（我想提到的一个领域是商业市场……全世界的公司卖着相似的产品，因而导致竞争更加激烈。）”所以要填competition。
听前预测：定位词为power ；提示词为large，companies，此处应填形容词。
题目解析：本题的定位词power 出现在“...governments are actually losing power to major global corporations”中，政府“are losing power to global corporations”，反过来 global companies 的power 就增长了，因此填global。
听前预测：提示词为rising，此处应填名词。
题目解析：本题的考点句为“...in the rapidly expanding economies, such as India, China, Brazil and Russia, demand is growing very fast”，这里growing 是rising 的同义替换词，原文是说 demand is growing，也就是rising demand，从而得到答案demand。
听前预测：定位词为External influences ；提示词为with，此处应填名词。
题目解析：依据External influences 定位到接下来的一句话“…companies are consulting customers more and more before making their business decisions”，其中题干中的“before making business decisions”在原文中出现了，consulting 则为discussion 的同义替换词，从而可得出答案customers。
听前预测：定位词为environmental concerns ；提示词为more，此处应填名词。
题目解析：本题的出题句为“...concerns about the environment will force manufacturers to extend product lifecycles, to reduce the amount of pollution and waste. And in some cases, regulation will need to be strengthened.（对环境的担忧会迫使制造商延长产品的使用周期，降低污染和浪费。而在某些情况下，政府调控也有待加强。）”理解了这句话就很容易得出答案 regulation。
听前预测：定位词为Business structures，more teams，particular ；提示词为a，此处应填名词（单数）。
题目解析：本题的定位词Business structures 对应structure of companies ；particular 对应 specific。考点句为“I think we’re going to see a greater emphasis within companies on teams created with a specific project in mind”，其中specific project 可以进行直接替换，因此填 project。
听前预测：定位词为hours ；提示词为are，此处应填形容词。
题目解析：根据定位词定位至“Typical examples that will attract and retain staff are traditional ones like flexible hours.（灵活的工作时间是吸引和留住员工的一种传统手段。）”此题的考查点 为定语前置，题干中修饰hours that are 的定语在后，出题句中修饰hours 的定语在前，这是雅思听力考试中一个比较常见并且有一定难度的考点，本题答案为flexible。
听前预测：定位词为Management styles，managers ；提示词为good，此处应填名词。
题目解析：定位词在考点句之前就出现了，根据“Above all they’ll need great skills in leadership”，可得答案leadership。
听前预测：定位词为changes ；提示词为by，此处应填名词。
题目解析：本题根据“The predominant style of management will almost certainly become more consultative and collaborative, caused above all, by more women moving in to senior management positions”出题，虽然定位词changes 没有直接出现，但可注意到become 一词的出现，其中“senior management positions”意为“高层管理人员”，此题答案为women。
听前预测：定位词为intellectual property ；提示词为workers，此处应填名词或形容词。
题目解析：本题空格位于“经济上的改变”的最后一项，可通过上面的intellectual property 进行定位，当此点说完后便会进入下一点。定位至出题句“Instead, more and more people are becoming self-employed”，很容易得到答案self-employed。