SECTION 3

TUTOR: Right, Jason and Karin, now I asked you to look at the case study for Box Telecom as part of your exam assessment.

导师：好的，杰森和卡琳，我现在想然你们看一下博克斯电讯的案例作为你们考试成绩的一部分。

It's interesting because they are in the middle of problems at the moment and I want you to track how they deal with them.

这个很有趣，因为他们目前正处在问题之中，我想让你们跟踪他们怎样处理这些问题。

Let's start with you, Karin. Having read through the case study, can you just summarise what the problems were that Box Telecom had to take on board?

卡琳，我们从你这里开始吧。在读过案例后，你能总结一下博克斯电讯需要解决的问题是什么吗？

KARIN: Um, yeah ... Well of course what first came to their attention was that, despite a new advertising campaign, they were suffering from falling sales - and this is something that had many causes.

卡琳：嗯，可以…… 那当然首先第一个受到他们关注的是，尽管他们有了新的广告竞争，但他们仍保守销售额下降的折磨——这一问题有很多原因。

On top of that immediate problem, what had also happened over the last two years was that, although they had invested in an expansion plan, they had to face up to increased competition.

除了这个直接的问题，在过去两年里发生的另一个事情是，尽管他们在扩张计划上注资，但他们必须要面对不断增加的竞争。

And, before they had a chance to get to grips with the effects of that, they were stalled by a strike and it was just when they were thinking about making a colossal investment in new machinery for their plants.

另外，在他们找到机会抓住这个的影响之前，罢工搁置了他们的工作。就在这个时候，他们本想在工厂的新机器上做一笔巨大的投资。

So they were really in trouble.

所以他们真的是遇到了困难。

TUTOR: Yes, I think that's fair.

导师：是的，我认为这是合理的。

And Jason, you contacted the company, didn't you?

杰森，你联系了公司，对不对？

What did the company define as the reasons for these problems?

公司对于这些问题的原因解释为什么？

JASON: Well, I think they've hit on the right things - it would be easy to say they had invested too heavily, or at the wrong time, but in fact the signs were good and what they were set back by was high interest rates.

杰森：那，我认为他们猜对了对策——说他们投资过多，或者时机不对可能很容易，但其实所有的迹象都表明是好的，他们被击退的原因是高利率。

At the same time, their longer-term problems, which were affecting their market share, were eventually credited to poor training - and having looked at the details in their last report I think that's right.

与此同时，影响他们市场份额的长期问题最终归罪于培训太少——在看过他们上一期报告的详细内容后，我觉得是对的。

TUTOR: So, onto the larger issues then.

导师：所以，现在我们来说说更大的话题。

Karin, what do you think the company will do?

卡琳，你认为公司会做什么？

KARIN: Hmm ... Well, obviously they have the choice of accepting the very favourable terms that another company - KMG Plc - have given them to buy them out.

卡琳：嗯……显然他们可以选择接受其他的公司——比如KMG Plc——给他们的优厚条件来买断他们的股份。

That would mean creating a new company with a new image.

这就意味着创造一个有着新形象的新公司。

Or they could decide on a bolder move and offer some new shares if they wanted.

或者他们可以决定一个更大胆的决定，如果他们想的话可以发行些新股。

But I think they're much more cautious than that and expect they will start trying to find individuals who'd be prepared to back them with some of the capital the need.

但是我觉得他们比这些要谨慎得多，估计他们会开始寻找能够用他们需要的资金支持他们的个人。

TUTOR: Well, you mustn't always assume that dramatic problems require dramatic solutions.

导师：可是，你不能总是假定所有戏剧性的问题需要戏剧性的解决。

Sometimes there's a simple fix such as changing the guy at the top.

有时，只需要一个很简单的修正，比如换掉上面的人。

If they truly are cautious, then I suspect they will seek to shut down some of their shops.

如果他们真的很谨慎，那么我认为他们会寻求关掉几个店。

But a more ambitious approach, and one which I think would have more chance of success, would be to alter how they're running things - the management layers and the processes.

但是一个更有野心的方法，而且我认为胜算更多的方法，是改变他们运作的方式——也就是管理层和过程。

So in your analysis try to think of all the options. Jason?

所以在你的分析里，尽量考虑全所有的可能性。杰森？

JASON: Yes, it's interesting because I've found it a really useful company to study.

杰森：是的，这很有趣是因为我发现了一个很有用的公司来研究。

Its problems cross all types of industries and it's lucky it's so big - a smaller or even medium-sized company would have gone under by now.

它的问题跨越了所有的行业类型，它很幸运它够大——如果是个小些的或者中型的公司现在可能已经破产了。

TUTOR: Ah well in fact, what I want you two to do is to go away when we've finished our discussion today and write a report.

导师：啊实际上，我今天想让你们做的是当我们完成今天的讨论散会后，写一份报告。

We've looked in general at the telecommunications market in the UK over the last few sessions and I want you to take Box Telecom as an example and suggest some ways in which they might overcome their problems.

我们在过去几节课已经整体看过了英国的电讯市场，我想让你们用博克斯电讯作为例子，建议一些他们可能能解决它们的问题的方法。

And outline the reasons why you think as you do - but try and keep it intrinsic to the company rather than dragging in other examples. Is that OK, Karin?

并且列出你认为可行的原因——但是注意尽量控制在公司范围之内，而不是拽进来另一个例子。卡琳，有问题吗？

KARIN: Yes, I think I can do that.

卡琳：好的，我认为我能做到。

Personally I've got great hopes for it.

个人来说，我对它充满了希望。

I think it will recover.

我认为它能恢复。

That advertising campaign they did was very strong and they're very innovative with their products - they set new trends.

他们做的广告竞争十分强大，他们对产品也很有创新——并建立了新的潮流。

The company's got to recover, don't you think, Jason?

公司一定会恢复的，你不这么认为吗，杰森？

JASON: Hmmm - I'm not sure.

杰森：嗯——我不确定。

I think it can but it's not a foregone conclusion unless they manage to attract the right level of investment.

我觉得他能，但这并不是个预先定好的结论，除非他们能够吸引到足够水平得投资。

The company definitely needs a boost and to attract more highly skilled workers if their recovery is to be long-lasting.

整个公司的确需要一次提升，来吸引更多高技术工人，如果他们的恢复过程要持续很久的话。

When I was talking to the marketing manager he said to me that he thinks the company had got a great management team - but he would say that, wouldn't he? - but they are suffering from having to work with outdated production machinery and that could cost a lot to put right.

当我和营销经理谈话的时候，他说他认为公司有着很强的管理团队——但是他当然会那么说，是不是？——但是他们需要用过时的生产机器工作，而这需要一大笔成本来纠正。

TUTOR: Well, personally I think the stock market is to blame.

导师：那我个人来说，我认为应该责怪股市。

I think they were expecting too much of the company and then inevitably it looked bad when it didn't perform.

我想他们对于公司预期太高，而且当它不作为的时候就不免看空。

The market should have had more realistic expectations.

市场应该有更实际的预期。

And I disagree with you about the advertising campaign Karin.

卡琳，我对你关于广告竞争的意见不太一样。

That's where they could do with some innovation - to get sales kick-started.

我觉这是他们可以做些创新的地方——促使销售启动。

Anyway, let's see what you come up with ...

不管怎么说，先来听听你都想到了什么……