What should companies do to Survive Reading Answers

Jan 7, 2025

What should companies do to Survive Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. What should companies do to Survive Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions set you have to tell whether the statement is yes, no or not given. In the next set of questions you have to answer which paragraph from (A-J) contains the given information .

The passage titled "What should companies do to Survive " is an excellent resource for individuals preparing for the IELTS exam, specifically for the IELTS reading section. It offers valuable insights into sustainable agriculture practices across different regions, making it a compelling example for IELTS reading practice questions. By working through the detailed analysis of the passage, test-takers can enhance their reading comprehension skills, which are crucial for achieving a high band score in the IELTS reading test.

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Section 1

WHAT SHOULD COMPANIES DO TO SURVIVE

A. In the world of business, where today's fashionable management theory soon becomes a stale cliche or a quaint archaism, it is essential to have a clear idea about the enduring rules of good management. The company that follows these is the company that is in the strongest

position amid the uncertainties and violent upheavals of the world as we know it.

B. A company is the sum of what its people understand and know how to do well. Value lies increasingly in creative ideas and knowledge, But ideas have value only if people share and develop them in ways that increase revenue; Knowledge is useful only if people can find what

they need to know. Getting intelligent people to share what is in their heads is vital. and takes more than mere money or clever software. Ideas must flow in every direction through a company-not merely from the top down and knowledge is worth storing only if senior staff set careful rules to filter and structure it. What goes into a database determines the value of what comes out. So setting central rules and standards is key to good knowledge management.

C. Good judgment is a key Skill. Managers constantly blitzed With new information need to build in the data that matters and set aside the rest. Big-bang decisions are generally best avoided-or implemented in small incremental moves that leave room for flexibility and for altering course, if circumstances change

D. Customers matter-but some matter more than others. Acquiring new customers often costs more than making extra sales to existing ones. So companies must build loyalty by providing reliability and good service. Given the welter of product information reaching customers, memorable brands will grow more important. Companies need not only to widen their reach by finding new markets, but also to deepen existing relationships. They have more information than ever before about their customers, and must use this to offer their most profitable customers special deals and to make them feel part of an elite club. Some companies even seek to 'fire' unprofitable customers by charging them higher rates than others

E. Like its customers, some of a company's people matter more than others, and not just at the top: managing talent is also about capturing innovative ideas from middle managers and those further down the line. At every level, managers must identify where the most value lies. In some cases, a few stars will encapsulate much of a company's value; in others, teams of employees will matter more. Some companies will want to hire the talents of 'free agents' as and when they are required; others, to directly employ their best brains.

F. Companies need to collaborate more, in alliances that allow them to outsource production or to spread risk or to enter new markets. Effective collaboration calls for trust and shared understanding rather than the top-down. command-and-control approach of hierarchical structures. Successful collaboration also requires excellent communication, and incentives that reward sharing information and working for common goals. As costs of handling information In a company decline, new opportunities open for redefining corporate shape, and companies are becoming less hierarchical, with more ways to arrange and rearrange structure. Managers must think through from scratch which activities should be kept in-house and which outsourced, and normally a company should keep those activities it does better than its competitors.

G. Given the pace of change. bosses need more than ever to be able to communicate persuasively through many channels, with their staff and the outside world. They must also listen: the most valuable communications will frequently be bottom-up, and the people closest to the customer are best placed to explain What they see and hear. Managers must listen to them.

H. Ironically, internet technologies, cools of freedom and decentralization, call for discipline and standard processes. Only by setting standards and insisting that everyone abide by them will companies reap their potential savings. Companies need to insist on common practices in areas

such as purchasing and information technology in order to reap real productivity gains. As a result, some aspects of centralization will increase: a key task of top managers is to provide structures and standards, and to insist that they are observed. Once standards have been set. openness and freedom should reign. Centralization of standards makes possible decentralization of decision making. In addition, Internet technologies increase the need for a culture of openness. to foster the sharing of knowledge and effective collaboration. Increasingly, companies will allow their suppliers and customers 'inside the machine,' as it were, by giving them extraordinary access to their databases and inner workings in order to integrate their operations and to make collaboration effective.

l. The key to success lies much less in technical know-how than in excellent leadership to push through and build upon organizational change. At some points in a company's life. it will need a leader who can rally employees to push through the trauma of disruptive change. At other times, the right style will be the manager-as-coach. a selfless talent scout who specializes in assembling and motivating great teams. Always, the people at the top will set the tone in a company. Their skills will determine whether it is a good company to work in and do business with.

Questions 28-34

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?

In boxes 28-34 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

28. Certain practices should always be followed when coping with unstable situations

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: The company that follows these is the company that is in the strongest

position amid the uncertainties and violent upheavals of the world as we know it.

Keywords: company, uncertainties

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 3-4

Explanation: According to the passage a company should always follow the core principles or guidelines that are meant to remain consistent and long-lasting, serving as the foundation for decision-making. This way a company ensures that the work culture of the company is not affected by any hindrance and makes it easy for the company as a whole to overcome any difficult situation.

29. It is important that the development of ideas should lead to improvements in the company's

financial position.

Answer: YES

Supporting statement: But ideas have value only if people share and develop them in ways that increase revenue

Keywords: develop, revenue

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 3

Explanation: The passage indicates that the ideas developed for the improvement of the company should bring in some financial improvement in the companies revenue to make the ideas outcome more and more noticeable.

30. The structuring of a database should be decided by all its users.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement:and knowledge is worth storing only if senior staff set careful rules to filter and structure it. What goes into a database determines

Keywords: knowledge, database

Keyword Location: Para B, Lines 6-7

Explanation: According to the passage the database should only be filled with knowledge and ideas from everyone with no restriction regardless of their position whether they are from the top management or just a small employee working in the company that is worth storing it should be only done by the senior staff that too after filtering what should be kept or not in it.

31. More training needs to be provided to help managers assess the usefulness of new information.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: No information regarding the training of managers to assess the usefulness of information provided is given in the passage.

32. Any major change should be introduced all at once.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement:Big-bang decisions are generally best avoided-or implemented in small incremental moves that leave room for flexibility and for altering course, if circumstances change

Keywords: decisions, change

Keyword Location: Para C, Lines 2-3

Explanation:In the passage it is stated that any major change should not be implemented in one go rather it should be avoided or taken slowly to leave room for any change it might need in any case in the future for the better working of the company.

33. Companies can benefit from using different strategies with different customers

Answer: YES

Supporting statement:to offer their most profitable customers special deals and to make them feel part of an elite club. Some companies even seek to 'fire' unprofitable customers by charging them higher rates than others

Keywords: customers, unprofitable

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 6-8

Explanation: According to the passage companies may let go of some customers indirectly who are not profitable to them just by charging higher rates from them than any other customers and on the other hand they might provide special offers to some loyal customers who are profitable to them.

34. The activities which are common to all companies are best kept in-house.

Answer: NO

Supporting statement:which activities should be kept in-house and which outsourced, and normally a company should keep those activities it does better than its competitors.

Keywords: activities, in-house

Keyword Location: Para F , Line 8

Explanation: In the given passage it is stated that a company should only keep those activities it does better in comparison to their competitor they should outsource the others if needed for better performance.

Questions 35-40

Reading Passage 3 has ten paragraphs, A-J. Which paragraph contains the following information?

NB You may use any letter more than once

35. examples of qualities required when co-operating with other companies

Answer: F

Supporting statement: Effective collaboration calls for trust and shared understanding rather than the top-down. command-and-control approach of hierarchical structures.

Keywords: collaboration, understanding

Keyword Location: Para F, Lines 2-3

Explanation: In the passage it is stated that companies should have trust and understanding between them to make any collaboration between them become successful. In case of one not being there the collaboration as a whole will have no effect and will not yield any profit for both the parties involved.

36. examples of business activities where all staff should follow the same practices

Answer: H

Supporting statement:Ironically, internet technologies, cools of freedom and decentralization, call for discipline and standard processes.

Keywords: freedom, standard

Keyword Location: Para H, Lines 1-2

Explanation: According to the passage all the staff of a company should follow the set rules Once the standards have been set. Freedom and openness need to be essential. Decentralization of decision-making is made feasible by centralizing norms. Furthermore, the necessity for an open culture has been increased by Internet technology. to encourage information exchange and productive teamwork.

37. examples of alternative employment patterns within a company

Answer: E

Supporting statement:Some companies will want to hire the talents of 'free agents' as and when they are required; others, to directly employ their best brains.

Keywords: talents, employ

Keyword Location: Para E, Lines 5-6

Explanation: According to the passage some companies might hire people for their talent, or for their capabilities they also might hire some people as free agents when the need for the same arises.

38. a basis for deciding whether a company should carry out an activity itself or ask an outside

company to do it

Answer: F

Supporting statement: Managers must think through from scratch which activities should be kept in-house and which outsourced, and normally a company should keep those activities it does better than its competitors.

Keywords: outsourced, competitors

Keyword Location: Para F, Lines 8-9

Explanation: In the given passage it is evident that a company when having a collaboration with others should keep in mind that they should let them do the work they are best in doing to increase the outcome. Managers should keep in check on what to keep in house and what to outsource.

39. an example of how information can be shared by a company and its customers

Answer: H

Supporting statement:companies will allow their suppliers and customers 'inside the machine,' as it were, by giving them extraordinary access to their databases and inner workings in order to integrate their operations and to make collaboration effective.

Keywords: extraordinary, working

Keyword Location: Para H, Lines 10-11

Explanation: According to the passage companies can give their customers access to their database to make them feel more integrated in the whole process with the company.

40. a reason Why customers might continue to buy from the same companies

Answer: D

Supporting statement:So companies must build loyalty by providing reliability and good service.

Keywords: loyalty, service

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 2-3

Explanation: According to the passage while for some companies customers do matter, but some more than others. It is frequently more expensive to acquire new clients than to increase sales to current ones. Therefore, businesses must foster loyalty by offering reliable and quality service. With so much product information available to consumers, memorable brands will become increasingly crucial. In addition to expanding into new areas, businesses must strengthen their current connections.

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