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  3. Read the article below about management styles and the questions on the opposite page. For each question(15-20), mark one letter

Read the article below about management styles and the questions on the opposite page. For each question(15-20), mark one letter

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问题 Read the article below about management styles and the questions on the opposite page.
For each question(15-20), mark one letter(A, B, C or D)on your Answer Sheet.
Generally, the culture of any firm can be described as principally action-orientated, people-orientated or system-orientated. That is to say, the behaviour that the managers exhibit tends to emphasise one of these three approaches to leadership and management.
In successful firms where leadership is action-orientated, the culture is generally driven by one or a handful of managers who present a strong vision for the firm and lead by example. The emphasis is on getting things done, on driving for change. Such leaders constantly infuse energy throughout the firm and reinforce it through training that emphasises individual action, showing initiative, taking considered risks and stressing individual output and results. It is a dynamic culture that rests on individuals being motivated to rise to the challenges of the business and being willing to take on responsibilities, often beyond what is considered their normal role.
The downside is that the approach can be somewhat ’one-sided’, overlooking the need for systems to handle routine matters, and taking for granted that people are all driven by a sense of challenge. It can result in the strong and quick riding roughshod over the more considered and thoughtful. When overdone, action-orientation becomes ’flare’ behaviour, insensitive to differences in situations and people.
Successful people-orientated cultures derive from leadership that trains people to be ready to take responsibility and then invests them with it. Such firms delegate responsibility down as far as possible. They are not the ’do it, check it, recheck it, double-check it and then check it again to be sure’ types of cultures. They empower trained people and trust them to build quality in. They ask people to make decisions and expect them to do so. If the decisions prove wrong, the experience is used as the basis for learning rather than for criticism or punishment. They emphasise commitment and mutual support, reinforced through training that focuses on how and when to delegate responsibility, on understanding and recognising that people are not all the same, learning how to get the best out of everyone.
However, people-orientated cultures are not warm and cuddly. They respect people, support them and develop them - but they expect them to perform. If people fail to live up to expectations after proper training investment, appropriate steps are taken. The downside of people-orientated cultures occurs when responsibility is not appropriately delegated. Insufficient challenge for bright, trained people leads to poor performance. Equally, giving people more than they can handle without properly preparing them, and without providing adequate support if they initially falter, leads to the same result.
Successful system-orientated cultures focus on trying to deal systematically with recurring problems and situations. Basically, they have their feet on the ground; in most organisations, 80% of what is done is routine, and the system-orientated firm knows this. So its procedures handle the routine, leaving managers to use their energy on that 20% of the work that needs their expertise.
The essence of a successful system-orientated culture is its ability and willingness to constantly question its systems. Such organisations tend to have strong corporate cultures, and people have to buy into them before being given the right to question and criticise. But given that, every process is up for evaluation and improvement. The rule book really matters, but it is not cast in stone. Away from the rule book, initiative is a key characteristic, but it is initiative in a strong team environment. People consult where possible and take individual decisions only when it is not.
Which of the following does the writer consider a disadvantage of action-orientated management?
选项 A、It attracts people who are unreliable.
B、It focuses too heavily on controversial issues.
C、It gives out the wrong kind of message to new recruits.
D、It makes a questionable assumption about human behaviour.
答案D
解析
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