Read the article. Complete each gap (1–5) with one of these words (a–e). a) decision-making b) future c) crisis d) events e) results Grocery bears fruitWhen Alfred Josefsen, Managing Director of Irma, first arrived at the Copenhagen-based grocery chain, the workforce was not happy. Employee motivation was low, and staff members were frequently leaving to go to work for other companies. ‘It was a big _____1,’ says Mr Josefsen.This year, the company is listed in the 100 Best Workplaces in Europe and wins a special award for best practices in internal communication. Some 93 per cent of the company’s employees believe Irma’s management team is approachable and easy to talk to, and 83 per cent agree that management always informs them about corporate developments. Mr Josefsen describes the process that was needed to get the company from its low point to this position. ‘The first thing that was important was to decentralise the company and put more _____2 back into the hands of store managers,’ he explains.The idea was to have each store operating like a local grocery, competing with stores around the corner. The new approach brought good _____3 within a remarkably short time. ‘In half a year, the atmosphere in the company was much more positive,’ says Mr Josefsen.Irma started life in 1886 as a small shop in Copenhagen. Today, it focuses on quality foods. Irma now has more than 1,700 employees working in 70 supermarkets and administrative offices. Mr Josefsen likes to walk about in the company’s head office, and he also visits the stores themselves to talk to shop assistants and customers. Regular workshops and social _____4 allow staff to come together. At ‘Strategy Days’, hundreds of employees get together for three days to share ideas. Mr Josefsen is frequently present at such events. Another effective way to improve communications has been a short e-mail from Mr Josefsen that goes out regularly to all staff conveying key business messages.‘I try to be in contact with people so they know that the Managing Director is working hard for the _____5 of the company,’ he says. ‘You have to be in contact with people if you want to show what you’re doing and that you have direction.’
gap (1–5) with one of these words (a–e).
a) decision-making
b) future
c) crisis
d) events
e) results
Grocery bears fruitWhen Alfred Josefsen, Managing Director of Irma, first arrived at the Copenhagen-based grocery chain, the workforce was not happy. Employee motivation was low, and staff members were frequently leaving to go to work for other companies. ‘It was a big _____1,’ says Mr Josefsen.This year, the company is listed in the 100 Best Workplaces in Europe and wins a special award for best practices in internal communication. Some 93 per cent of the company’s employees believe Irma’s management team is approachable and easy to talk to, and 83 per cent agree that management always informs them about corporate developments. Mr Josefsen describes the process that was needed to get the company from its low point to this position. ‘The first thing that was important was to decentralise the company and put more _____2 back into the hands of store managers,’ he explains.The idea was to have each store operating like a local grocery, competing with stores around the corner. The new approach brought good _____3 within a remarkably short time. ‘In half a year, the atmosphere in the company was much more positive,’ says Mr Josefsen.Irma started life in 1886 as a small shop in Copenhagen. Today, it focuses on quality foods. Irma now has more than 1,700 employees working in 70 supermarkets and administrative offices. Mr Josefsen likes to walk about in the company’s head office, and he also visits the stores themselves to talk to shop assistants and customers. Regular workshops and social _____4 allow staff to come together. At ‘Strategy Days’, hundreds of employees get together for three days to share ideas. Mr Josefsen is frequently present at such events. Another effective way to improve communications has been a short e-mail from Mr Josefsen that goes out regularly to all staff conveying key business messages.‘I try to be in contact with people so they know that the Managing Director is working hard for the _____5 of the company,’ he says. ‘You have to be in contact with people if you want to show what you’re doing and that you have direction.’