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LanguageCert Practice Reading: Part 2 (Sentence Matching)
ID: #60209
Medium
Test 1
Instructions
You are going to read an extract from management studies.
Decision-making in Companies
In companies, making decisions is important to reach goals and keep things running smoothly. There are three main levels of decision-making – strategic, tactical and operational.
1Drop sentence here . In this section, we will explain each type of decision and give examples from different industries.
Strategic decisions are the big, long-term choices that affect the future of the company. These decisions are usually made by top managers, like the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or the board of directors. Strategic decisions set the company’s overall direction.
2Drop sentence here . This decision will shape the company for many years to come. Similarly, a large supermarket might decide to open new stores overseas as part of its growth plans. Such decisions are about the company’s long-term goals.
Tactical decisions are made to support strategic decisions.
3Drop sentence here . Tactical decisions focus on how to achieve the company’s strategic goals. For example, a hospital might decide to buy new equipment to improve patient care. This decision helps reach the overall goal of offering high-quality healthcare.
4Drop sentence here . This specific decision will contribute towards achieving the long-term strategic goals.
30. Finally, short-term operational decisions are made for day-to-day activities, mostly by lower-level managers or employees. Operational decisions are often simple and routine, but they’re essential for keeping the company running smoothly. For example, a restaurant manager might decide how many staff to schedule for the evening shift.
5Drop sentence here . Similarly, in a factory, an operational decision might be about organising the workday to meet production targets. While operational decisions don’t have the same long-term impact as strategic or tactical decisions, they’re important for ensuring daily tasks are done efficiently.
33. Empowerment and delegation are also important for decision-making. Empowerment means giving employees the space to make decisions where they have particular expertise.
6Drop sentence here . Delegation, on the other hand, means managers give some of their decision-making duties to other people, usually someone lower in the company. Both empowerment and delegation help spread decision-making across different levels of the company.
A
Nowadays, knowledge workers like scientists and designers are largely allowed to do this in well-run organisations
B
For example, a car manufacturer might decide to make only fully electric cars as a major shift in policy
C
These differ in terms of how far ahead each of them looks and who is therefore responsible for them
D
This will, of course, be based on the number of customers expected on that particular occasion
E
Made by middle managers, they’re usually about medium-term matters, rather than long-term policy
F
It’s essential for decision-making to be spread in this way to avoid such issues in future
G
In a bank, a similar decision might be to introduce a new savings account to attract younger customers
H
Sometimes, even poorer decisions may be made, but the worst decision is no decision at all
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