Woman: Whew, what a meeting! Were you as surprised as I was, Jerry?

Man: You bet. When the Chairman called us to it, I thought it might be about the takeover that there have been rumours about, but I didn’t expect anything like the Chief Executive being forced out.

Woman: No. It doesn’t seem fair to blame him for the American project not making much money, when it hasn’t had long to establish itself. And I can’t see why the Board have decided to end it now. After all, they didn’t seem worried earlier this year, when the markets panicked about it and our share price dropped.

Man: And fancy Keith Barnes becoming Chief Executive! Did you know he joined as a trainee, thirty years ago?

Woman: Yes, he certainly knows the company, but he’s had very little time in positions that’ll help him as Chief Executive. I doubt if he’s got what it takes to run a big company like this. If you ask me, the Chairman wanted to make an internal appointment, and Keith was in the right place at the right time. Well we’ll see how he turns out, but I reckon he’ll only keep the job for as long as the Chairman’s behind him.

Man: Yeah, you’re probably right. And what about these new plans Keith talked about? It seems pretty risky to expand into areas where we’ve got no experience or expertise. This company has been making furniture for years, and we ought to stick to what we’re good at, and maybe expand through acquisitions.

Woman: Well, it might be a good idea.

Man: I know our market share’s growing, but the strategy still relies too much on low prices to attract customers. What we really need to do more is to make people want our beds and furniture because they’re special, not because they’re cheap.

Woman: You mean moving into niche markets?

Man: I’d describe it as staying in the mass market, but standing out from the rest.

Woman: Right. Consumers are becoming more demanding these days, after all.

Man: Exactly. What about you, Tania? How do you feel about your new responsibility?

Woman: It’s going to be quite a challenge, I reckon. I mean, sorting out the reorganisation of the business into divisions sounds simple enough, but I suspect it’ll produce plenty of headaches. And with several brands to deal with, some of which cut across the divisions, it’s going to be pretty complicated. I suspect it’ll be tough to finish it in the time I’ve been given. And of course, congratulations on becoming Export Sales Manager, Jerry.

Man: Thanks.

Woman: You don’t sound very enthusiastic. Don’t you want the job?

Man: Oh yes, it’s just the sort of challenge I need. Something to get my teeth into, and the chance to use what I learnt when I was in Export Sales before. But there are other people who’ve stayed in the department who might resent me going back into it over them.

Woman: Well, surely if you work closely with them, they’ll realise you’re all right?

Man: Yes, I’m sure I can do it. I just need to get things off on the right foot right from the beginning.

Woman: So will you be involved in the TV advertising campaign that Keith talked about?

Man: I hope not! It’s all very well promoting our cabinet furniture brands, but I think the money would be better spent on pushing bed sales: that’s the side of the business that needs more consumer awareness.

Woman: Right. I can see why they’ve picked this time to plan a campaign, as advertising costs are relatively low at the moment, but I agree, they haven’t got the plan quite right. Actually I’m not very happy about the way they’ve allocated money in general.

Man: You aren’t going to turn down the pay rise, are you?

Woman: No, I’m not that idealistic. And of course it’s right to spend money on new products and machinery. But we’ve been asking for ages for better facilities for the factory workers in particular, and it doesn’t look as though much is being done for them.

Man: Maybe if we keep pressing for that...