DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS IN THE WORKPLACE - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Cambridge IELTS 07 Academic Listening Test 1 · Part 3 · Questions 21–30
Audio
Questions
Questions 21–23 Note Completion
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS IN THE WORKPLACE
Individuals bring different:
- ideas
- 21
- learning experiences
Work behaviour differences are due to:
- personality
- 22
Effects of diversity on companies:
Advantage: diversity develops 23
Disadvantage: diversity can cause conflict
Questions 24–27 Multiple Choice (One Answer)
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 28–30 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
- All managers need to understand their employees and recognise their company's 28 .
- When managing change, increasing the company's 29 may be more important than employee satisfaction.
- During periods of change, managers may have to cope with increased amounts of 30 .
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q21 | attitudes | Of course they bring different ideas, but it's also their attitudes and their experiences of learning | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Philip explaining that workers are important because they offer new ideas, different ways of thinking (attitudes), and things they have learned in the past. Answer Explanation: The answer 'attitudes' refers to the way a person thinks and feels about their work, their boss, or their coworkers. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'attitudes' because the speaker lists it as one of the three main things that individuals bring to a company. He mentions that people contribute 'ideas', 'attitudes', and their 'experiences of learning', which matches the structure of the notes in the task. |
| Q22 | gender | There are lots of reasons but research has shown a lot of it comes down to personality. And the other factor is gender. It's a well known fact that men and women do lots of things in different ways, and the workplace is no different | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that many studies show people behave differently because of their personality and their gender. It says that men and women often have different ways of doing things, even at work. Answer Explanation: The answer identifies 'gender' (whether someone is a man or a woman) as one of the two main reasons people act differently at work. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 'gender' because the speaker, Philip, mentions it as a key reason for differences in how people act. He lists 'personality' first and then follows it with 'gender' as the second factor. In the task, the notes already have 'personality' listed, so 'gender' is the missing word. The transcript also mentions that men and women do things in different ways, which confirms this is about gender. |
| Q23 | creativity | On the positive side, exposure to such diversity helps encourage creativity which is generally an asset to a company | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that being around different types of people at work helps workers think of new ideas. This is helpful for the business. Answer Explanation: The answer is the ability to use your imagination to create something new or come up with original ideas. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is found when Philip talks about the good things that happen when a company has many different kinds of people (diversity). He mentions that on the "positive side," which is the same as an "advantage," this diversity helps staff be more creative. In the transcript, he uses the word "encourage," which is a synonym for "develops" in the notes. |
| Q24 | A | What managers should be targeting is those employees who can take the lead in a situation and are not afraid to accept the idea of responsibility | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Janice's opinion that bosses should search for workers who are ready to be in charge and handle difficult tasks. Answer Explanation: The answer means Janice believes companies should look for and help employees who have the ability to lead others in the future. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because Janice mentions that managers should focus on workers who are able to 'take the lead'. In a business context, to 'take the lead' means to act like a leader by making decisions or guiding a group. She also says these workers should not be afraid of 'responsibility', which is a key quality for a leader. While she mentions teamwork, she thinks it is currently getting too much attention and that individual leadership is being ignored. |
| Q25 | B | Yes, that may be true but I think one of the most important tasks of managers is to consider the needs of the individual on one hand and group co-operation and conformity on the other. It requires creative thinking on the part of management to avoid tension | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Janice saying managers must think about what one person wants and what the group needs at the same time. She says this is a big task and needs smart thinking to stop arguments. Answer Explanation: The answer means that managers might have a hard time handling different requirements that compete with each other. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Janice explains the difficulty of looking after both the single person ('individual') and the whole group ('group co-operation'). She notes that doing this is a major task for managers and that they must use 'creative thinking' to make sure there is no 'tension' or stress between these two different needs. This shows that the goals of one person and the goals of a group are often in conflict, requiring a careful balance. |
| Q26 | A | When the personnel department is choosing between applicants they need to look for someone who's broken the mould and can think for themselves | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Janice's opinion that staff hiring should focus on finding people who do not just follow the usual patterns and who can use their own brains to decide what to do. Answer Explanation: The answer means that Janice thinks companies should hire people who can make their own decisions and come up with their own ideas. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is A because Janice specifically mentions searching for candidates who can "think for themselves." She suggests that current ways of hiring focus too much on finding people who follow orders or solve basic problems, rather than looking for individuals who can offer unique perspectives or do things in a new way (which she describes as having "broken the mould"). |
| Q27 | B | What's important here is that this happens right at the beginning so new recruits learn the rules of the system immediately | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that Janice believes it is vital for managers to use rewards early so that new workers can quickly understand and follow the rules of the company. Answer Explanation: The answer means that managers should help new employees learn how to follow the company's rules and work as part of a team from the very start. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because Janice emphasizes that managers should provide incentives or rewards to new employees as soon as they start. She believes this is crucial so that these new workers can 'learn the rules of the system' right away. By doing this 'right at the beginning,' the manager ensures that the staff understands how to fit in and cooperate with the group's expectations early in their employment. |
| Q28 | culture | Well, managing people means you not only have an understanding of your employees, but you also recognise the culture of the organization | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows that managing staff involves two parts: knowing the individual workers and also knowing the specific environment or system of the business. Answer Explanation: The answer is the word "culture," which means the set of shared values, ideas, and habits that characterize a specific company or group. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is culture because the text points out two things managers must do. First, they must understand the people who work for them (employees). Second, they must understand the way the company works (the culture). In the conversation, Philip says managers need to recognize this part of the company to do their job well. |
| Q29 | profits / profit | For example, change in the workplace can be quite tricky, especially if there's a need to increase profit. And at times like these managers may have to give priority to profit rather than individual staff needs | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that when things change at work to help the company earn more money, the bosses might think the money is more important than what the workers need. Answer Explanation: The answer "profit(s)" refers to the money that a business makes after it finishes paying for all its costs. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is chosen because Philip explains that when a company changes, the goal of making more money (profit) can become the most important task. He uses the word 'priority' to show that profit is put before the 'individual staff needs', which is another way to say employee satisfaction. |
| Q30 | stress / strain | Yes but what's important is that managers are able to deal with quite high levels of personal stress. During times of change they should be thinking not only about the strain on their staff but take time out to think of themselves | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript shows Philip explaining that managers need to handle a lot of 'stress' when things change. He also says they should remember the 'strain' or pressure that these changes put on everyone, including themselves. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to the mental pressure, worry, or difficulty people feel when they have too much work or deal with major changes at their job. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is based on Philip's points about workplace changes. He mentions that during these times, it is vital for managers to be able to handle high levels of personal 'stress'. He also uses the word 'strain' to describe the pressure felt by both the employees and the managers themselves. Since the sentence asks what managers must 'cope with' (deal with) during 'periods of change' (times of change), these terms fit perfectly. |
Transcript
TUTOR: Well, you've both been looking at different styles of managing individuals in companies and the workplace. How's the research going, Philip?
PHILIP: Well, I've been looking at why individualism, I mean individual differences, are such an important area of management studies. When you think about any organization, be it a family business or a multinational company, they are all fundamentally a group of people working together. But it's what these individuals contribute to their places of work that makes you realize how important they are. Of course they bring different ideas, but it's also their attitudes and their experiences of learning. Diversity is important in these areas too.
TUTOR: So why do people behave so differently from one another at work?
PHILIP: There are lots of reasons but research has shown a lot of it comes down to personality. And the other factor is gender. It's a well known fact that men and women do lots of things in different ways, and the workplace is no different.
TUTOR: Did you look at the effects of this variation on companies?
PHILIP: Yes, I did. On the positive side, exposure to such diversity helps encourage creativity which is generally an asset to a company. But unfortunately individual differences are also the root of conflict between staff and they can lead to difficulties for management, which can sometimes be serious.
TUTOR: Thanks, Philip. So now I guess the two main things to remember here are to identify individual talent and then to utilize it. So Janice, you were looking at identifying different talents in workers. Do you think this is easy for managers to do?
JANICE: Well, currently teamwork is in fashion in the workplace and in my opinion the importance of the individual is generally neglected. What managers should be targeting is those employees who can take the lead in a situation and are not afraid to accept the idea of responsibility.
TUTOR: That's true Janice but unfortunately many managers think the entire notion of encouraging individuality amongst their staff is far too hard.
JANICE: Yes, that may be true but I think one of the most important tasks of managers is to consider the needs of the individual on one hand and group co-operation and conformity on the other. It requires creative thinking on the part of management to avoid tension.
TUTOR: So Janice, what kind of people do you think companies should be looking for?
JANICE: Well, it has to start from the very beginning when companies are looking for new employees. When the personnel department is choosing between applicants they need to look for someone who's broken the mould and can think for themselves. Instead, people making these decisions often use a range of psychological tests to see if a person is a problem solver, or will do as they're told. I'm not convinced these qualities are actually the most important.
TUTOR: So do you think being a good team player is overrated?
JANICE: No, it's not overrated. You do need to learn the rules and learn them fast. No individual can get around this if you're working in an organization.
TUTOR: So how should managers deal with this?
JANICE: Rewards. When an individual demonstrates the behaviour the organisation expects, some kind of incentive can be given. What's important here is that this happens right at the beginning so new recruits learn the rules of the system immediately. Also the incentive should be something the individual actually wants, and this isn't always just money.
TUTOR: To come back to you, Philip. You were saying that recognition of good performers is essential. What else should managers be looking for?
PHILIP: Well, managing people means you not only have an understanding of your employees, but you also recognise the culture of the organization. In fact, for some organizations creativity and individuality may be the last thing they want to see during working hours!
TUTOR: Very true.
PHILIP: Yes, but managing people isn't as easy as it looks. For example, change in the workplace can be quite tricky, especially if there's a need to increase profit. And at times like these managers may have to give priority to profit rather than individual staff needs.
TUTOR: Yes, and that creates difficult situations for people.
PHILIP: Yes but what's important is that managers are able to deal with quite high levels of personal stress. During times of change they should be thinking not only about the strain on their staff but take time out to think of themselves.
TUTOR: Absolutely. So what are the implications of that for...