unit45 Managerial Stereotypes 典型的经理人
When we travel to a foreign country, we carry in our baggage a preconceived idea in that country. Much of the knowledge we have of different nationalities exists as stereotypes 1 – conventional and oversimplified pictures without individualities. Stereotypes also exists about occupations or professions. Descriptions about managers from different countries may be something like this:
American managers have in-depth knowledge of the business they run and baseball, but know little about the rest of the world. They think that everyone who is not American wishes he was. They only lose when the playing is not even. The quarterly dividend 2 is their cardinal 3 goal, and quick fixes are the means to accomplish it.
British managers became managers by studying literature and history at Oxford 4 and by going through the old boy network. They have a broad, but not always thorough knowledge of their company’s operations. British managers invariably are polite and they spice their conversations with humorous anecdotes 5 that executives of other nationalities fail to appreciate.
French managers are Napoleonic (拿破仑式) and their management style is imperial. Stiff hierarchies 6 discourage informal relations and nurture 7 a sense of “them” versus 8 “us”. It’s difficult to reach the boss. The flow of information always goes one-way: downward. French managers love to talk, though not always about items on the agenda. Their initial response to proposals is always negative just because they like debate.
German managers prefer to go by the book. They have years of technical training and high degrees. They are formal and serious. Meetings are conducted with attention to details and they sometimes raise their voice and pound the table to see if they can intimidate 9 the other party into making concessions 10.
Italian managers are flexible, and often ignore company rules. They prefer telephone and personal contact to memos 11 and faxes. Management is paternalistic. Bosses give their employees protection. They, in turn, are loyal and identify with company goals. Informal networks of family and powerful friends matter much in business.
Japanese managers say yes when mean no. Rank and social status are important and they are formal and reserved. The main duty of Japanese managers is to maintain harmony and motivate subordinates to work for the good of company.
Swedish managers are practical, technically 12 capable but unimaginative. They have no sense of humor and take everything you say literally 13. They often spend more time telling you what’s wrong with their products than what’s good about them. Swedes dress in sports shirts and slacks for meetings and are neurotic 14 about punctuality.
- Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
- It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调,我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- The company was forced to pass its dividend.该公司被迫到期不分红。
- The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 per cent.第一季度的股息增长了近 4%。
- This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
- The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火,脸涨得通红。
- At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
- This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。
- amusing anecdotes about his brief career as an actor 关于他短暂演员生涯的趣闻逸事
- He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman. 他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- That's a trip of two hierarchies. 那是两个领导层之间的互访。
- Hierarchies of authority, spans of control, long-range plans, and budgets. 等级森严的权力机构,控制范围,长期计划,预算。 来自英汉文学 - 廊桥遗梦
- The tree grows well in his nurture.在他的培育下这棵树长得很好。
- The two sisters had received very different nurture.这俩个姊妹接受过极不同的教育。
- The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
- The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。
- You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事?
- The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。
- The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工,公司将不得不作出一些让步。
- The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。
- Big shots get their dander up and memos start flying. 大人物们怒火中烧,备忘录四下乱飞。 来自辞典例句
- There was a pile of mail, memos and telephone messages on his desk. 他的办公桌上堆满着信件、备忘录和电话通知。 来自辞典例句
- Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说,这是最先进的设备。
- The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说,西红柿是一种水果,尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。
- He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
- Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候,她不走到真正要昏厥了,决不肯坐下来。