Unit 12

Word

Definition

Example

achieve sales targets 

to fulfil goal set for a salesperson or sales department measured in revenue or units sold for a specific time

I was disappointed because we didn't achieve our sales targets last year.

artificial 

not real or not made of natural things but made to be like something that is real or natural

In 2006, residents arrived on the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah.

average 

the average amount is the amount you get when you add together several quantities and divide this by the total number of quantities

I think we've had a satisfactory year, but our CEO says our performance has been very average.

booming 

if business, trade, or a particular area is booming, it is increasing and being very successful

The economy's really booming here.

closing figure 

the price of shares etc at the end of a trading day on a financial market

In Tokyo this morning, the Nikkei closed at 20,235.73, that's 0.63% up on yesterday's closing figure.

decline 

to decrease in quantity or importance

Production of motor vehicles declined between 2005 and 2010.

decrease 

to become less or go down to a lower level, or to make something do this

Unemployment has decreased in the last two years.

disappointed 

unhappy because something you hoped for did not happen, or because someone or something was not as good as you expected

The employees are disappointed by the company's performance.

disappointing 

not as good as you hoped or expected

It's very disappointing – I really thought I had a big future here.

drop 

to fall suddenly onto the ground or into something

Production has dropped since 2005.

encouraged 

to give someone the courage or confidence to do something

And we were encouraged by the big fall in serious injuries last year.

encouraging 

giving you hope and confidence

The results were encouraging.

environmental performance 

the effects, whether regulated under chs. 280 to 295 or unregulated, of a facility on air, water, land, natural resources and human health

We've reduced pollution by 30%. Our environmental performance is good.

excellent

extremely good or of very high quality

We've had a really excellent year, much better than we expected.

expect

to think that something will happen because it seems likely or has been planned

Customers expect a company to be socially responsible.

fall 

to go down to a lower level, amount, price etc, especially a much lower one

The European markets fell again in response to the latest economic figures from the USA.

go up 

to increase in price, amount, level etc

If you want to buy shares, you should do it now before the price goes up too much.

grow 

to increase in amount, size, number, or strength

Sales grew last year.

in terms of 

if you explain or describe something in terms of a particular fact or event, you are explaining or describing it only in relation to that fact or event

We have a good safety record, both in terms of our workers and products.

increase 

if you increase something, or if it increases, it becomes bigger in amount, number, or degree

Since 2014, our business has increased by nearly 20%.

lay off 

to stop employing someone because there is no work for them to do

Due to poor performance, they had to lay off some members of staff.

manage costs 

reducing operating or production expenses in order to provide less expensive products or services to consumers

We are careful not to spend too much. We manage our costs.

measure 

to find the size, length, or amount of something, using standard units such as inches, metres etc

How do you measure your company's performance?

open 

not closed, so that things, people, air etc can go in and out or be put in and out

We employ a diverse range of staff. We're open to everybody.

outsource

if a company, organization etc outsources its work, it employs another company to do it

Our company has grown so quickly that we had to outsource some of our production.

perform well 

if a product, business etc performs well, it makes a lot of money

Every investor loves companies that achieve their sales targets and perform well on the stock market.

poor 

not as good as it could be or should be

It's been a very poor performance – things can only get better.

remain stable 

not likely to change or come to an end suddenly

The price remained stable at €17.50.

reputation 

the opinion that people have about someone or something because of what has happened in the past

We have a good reputation for reliable service and quick response times.

rise 

to increase in number, amount, or value

Our costs rose by 10%, from $20 million to $22 million.

safety record 

any information, which can be used to support a safety claim and demonstrate the degree of acceptability of the safety performance of the services provided by an organisation

A company needs to have a good safety record, both in terms of its workers and its products.

satisfactory 

something that is satisfactory seems good enough for you, or good enough for a particular situation or purpose

We've had a satisfactory year, but our performance could have been better.

socially responsible 

the idea that a company's role is not just about producing goods, but that it has a duty to help people in society and protect the environment

Are you willing to pay more to use products from socially responsible companies?

workplace diversity 

employing people who may be different from each other and who do not all come from the same background

We're open to both sexes and all races. We believe in workplace diversity.

world leader 

a product, company, organization, or person that is a world leader is the most successful or advancedone in a particular area of activity

Japan is no longer the world leader in vehicle manufacturing.