OG2020每日閱讀訓練練習D34

Pistachio_lin · 发表于 2022-4-13 21:01:40

Hi 大家好，閱讀訓練打卡第34天。

Materials: OG2020

Passages:

In recent years, Western business managers have been heeding the exhortations of business journalists and academics to move their companies toward long-term, collaborative "strategic partnerships" with their external business partners (eg, suppliers). The experts'  advice  comes as a natural reaction to numerous studies conducted during the past decade that compared Japanese production and supply practices with those of the rest of the world. The link between the  success of a certain well-known Japanese automaker and its effective management of its suppliers, for example, has led to an unquestioning belief within Western management circles in the value of strategic partnerships. Indeed, in the automobile sector all three United States manufacturers and most of their European competitors have launched programs to reduce their total number of suppliers and move toward having strategic partnerships with a few.

However,  new research concerning supplier relationships in various industries demonstrates that the widespread assumption of Western managers and business consultants that Japanese firms manage their suppliers primarily through strategic partnerships is unjustified. Not only do Japanese firms appear to conduct a far smaller proportion of their business through strategic partnerships than is commonly believed, but they also make extensive use of "market-exchange" relationships, in which either party can turn to the marketplace  and shift to different business partners at will, a practice usually associated with Western manufacturers.

簡化/思路:

In recent years, Western business managers have been heeding the exhortations of business journalists and academics to move their companies toward long-term, collaborative "strategic partnerships" with their external business partners (eg, suppliers).

(A phenomenon: Western managers having been taking the strategy that business jornalist and academics recommendws - the stratege: collabrative "strategic partnership")

The experts' advice comes as a natural reaction to numerous studies conducted during the past decade that compared Japanese production and supply practices with those of the rest of the world.

(Why is the strategy recommended. It is drawn by the comparison between Japanese production and supply practices with those of the rest of the world)

The link between the success of a certain well-known Japanese automaker and its effective management of its suppliers, for example, has led to an unquestioning belief within Western management circles in the value of strategic partnerships.

(To emphasize why Western business managers have been heeding the strategy. the sucessful story of Janpanese automaker -> the unquestioning belief.)

Indeed, in the automobile sector all three United States manufacturers and most of their European competitors have launched programs to reduce their total number of suppliers and move toward having strategic partnerships with a few.

(As a result of taking the recommendation. The cases of collaborative strategy do increase)

However, new research concerning supplier relationships in various industries demonstrates that the widespread assumption of Western managers and business consultants that Japanese firms manage their suppliers primarily through strategic partnerships is unjustified.

(Change of the direction: another view, #2 view, opposing to the view presented in the 1st paragraph says the common concpetion of Janpanese firms is incorrect)

Not only do Japanese firms appear to conduct a far smaller proportion of their business through strategic partnerships than is commonly believed, but they also make extensive use of "market-exchange" relationships, in which either party can turn to the marketplace and shift to different business partners at will, a practice usually associated with Western manufacturers.

(Details to prove #2 view against #1 view: 1) fewer proportion of strategic partnerships, 2) Japanese firms are acutually employing the strategy typically related to Western manufacturers)

Structure:
1. A collabrative strategy that is taken by Western managers and was recommended by business jornalists and academics.
- the reason behind the recommendation. The comparison between Japanese production and supply practices with those of the rest of the world.
- the comparison, a link that shows successful story of Janpanese automaker, makes Western manager believe this strategy
- The cases of applying this strategy do increase

2. The strategy presented in #1 is doubted
- reasons to call #1 into question. <facts about Japanese firms>
- fewer proportion of strategic partnerships
- Japanese firms are actually adopting the strategy that Western manufacturers generally use.

1) The passage is primarily concerned with

(A) examining economic factors that may have contributed to the success of certain Japanese companies
(B) discussing the relative merits of strategic partnerships as compared with those of market-exchange relationship
(C) challenging the validity of a widely held assumption about how Japanese firms operate

(present the reasons why the strategy is adpoted and show the evidence against reasons)

(D) explaining why Western companies have been slow to adopt a particular practice favored by Japanese companies
(E) pointing out certain differences between Japanese and Western supplier relationships

2) According to the passage, the advice referred to in the highlighted text was a response to which of the following?

(A) A recent decrease in the number of available suppliers within the United States automobile industry
(B) A debate within Western management circles during the past decade regarding the value of strategic partnerships
(C) The success of certain European automobile manufacturers that have adopted strategic partnerships
(D) An increase in demand over the past decade for automobiles made by Western manufacturers
(E) Research comparing Japanese business practices with those of other nations

(the reason behind the recommendation)

3) The author mentions " the success of a certain well-known Japanese automaker " most probably in order to

(A) demonstrate some of the possible reasons for the success of a certain business practice (沒提到為什麼這個practice成功的原因)
(B) cite a specific case that has convinced Western business experts of the value of a certain business practice (下一句，就接了，其實有人採用了這樣的做法；而緊跟定位句: the link has led to an unquestioning belief within Western management circles)

(C) describe specific steps taken by Western automakers that have enabled them to compete more successfully in a global market
(D) introduce a paradox about the effect of a certain business practice in Japan (沒有任何因為使用了這個策略而造成的矛盾，或是不一致被提及)
(E) indicate the need for Western managers to change their relationships with their external business partners

4) Which of the following is cited in the passage as evidence supporting the author's claim about what the new research referred to in line 20 demonstrates?

(A) The belief within Western management circles regarding the extent to which Japanese firms rely on strategic partnerships
(B) The surprising number of European and United States businesses that have strategic partnerships with their suppliers
(C) The response of Western automobile manufacturers to the advice that they adopt strategic partnerships with their suppliers
(D) The prevalence of “market-exchange” relationships between Japanese firms and their suppliers

(Details to prove #2 view against #1 view: 1) fewer proportion of strategic partnerships, 2) Japanese firms are acutually employing the strategy typically related to Western manufacturers)

(E) The success of a particular Japanese automobile manufacturer that favors strategic partnerships with its suppliers

以上分析，還請有想法的大大們幫忙提出意見，謝謝。

[阅读小分队] OG2020每日閱讀訓練練習D34

所属分类: GMAT考试

正在浏览此版块的会员 ()

浏览过的版块