Business Cultures: listening answers and explanations
A lecturer introduces the idea of organisational culture and goes through a well-known classification of company cultures. They describe power, role and task cultures: what each organisation is like, its advantages and disadvantages, and the kind of employee it suits.
One note block in strict order, built on a repeating pattern: characteristics, advantage(s), disadvantage(s), suitable employee. Power culture gives questions 31-34, role culture 35-39 and task culture only 40. The signposts are 'The first type', 'The next type' and 'Moving on now to'.
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the part yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
How to attack this block: Learn the pattern from the power culture section and you'll know what's coming in the next two: the lecturer always moves from characteristics to benefits ('one of the benefits', 'What are the benefits') to drawbacks ('on the negative side', 'On the other hand') to the right kind of person. One word only, so check the word form fits the note.
Question 31
Answer: centralRight after 'The first type is called the Power Culture'
What kind of power source does a power culture have?
It's the type of culture that needs a central source of power to be effective
Question says → You hear
power sourcea central source of power
Why: 'A central source of power' becomes '... power source' in the notes. The gap needs the adjective: central.
The trap: 'One or two people' comes next, but that's who holds the control. The note asks what kind of source it is.
Question 32
Answer: conversationAfter 'there aren't many rules or procedures'
Also accepted: conversations
How do people communicate in a power culture?
communication usually takes the form of conversations rather than, say, formal meetings or written memos.
Question says → You hear
communication bycommunication usually takes the form of conversations
Why: Communication takes the form of conversations. Conversation or conversations are both fine.
The trap: Meetings and memos are both said, but after 'rather than'. They're how communication doesn't usually happen.
Question 33
Answer: effectivelyWhen the lecturer says 'But on the negative side'
What is the disadvantage of a power culture?
this type of organisation doesn't always act effectively, because it depends too much on one or two people at the top
Question says → You hear
Disadvantageon the negative side
might not actdoesn't always act effectively
Why: 'Doesn't always act effectively' becomes 'might not act ...'. The gap describes how it acts, so it needs the adverb, effectively.
The trap: 'Quickly' is the word in the advantage just above ('can act quickly'). It's the strength, not the weakness.
Question 34
Answer: riskWhen the lecturer describes 'the kind of person who does well' in this culture
Also accepted: risks
What is the right employee for a power culture not afraid of?
the kind of person who does well in this type of business culture is one who is happy to take risks, and for whom job security is a low priority.
Question says → You hear
not afraid ofhappy to take risks
Why: Someone who is happy to take risks isn't afraid of risk. After 'of' you need a noun: risk or risks.
The trap: 'Job security' is in the same sentence, but the note already has 'doesn't need job security' as the next line.
Question 35
Answer: levelsJust after the lecturer spells R-O-L-E
What do role culture organisations have many of?
this type is usually found in large companies, which have lots of different levels
Question says → You hear
large, manylarge companies, which have lots of different levels
Why: 'Lots of different levels' becomes 'many ...', so the gap is levels, plural.
The trap: Departments come in the next sentence, but they're on the next line of the notes ('specialised departments').
Question 36
Answer: descriptionWhen the lecturer mentions senior managers and sets of rules
Also accepted: descriptions
What rules and procedures does the lecturer give as an example?
everyone's job is controlled by sets of rules and procedures + - for example, there are specific job descriptions, rules for discipline
Question says → You hear
e.g. job ... and rules for disciplinefor example, there are specific job descriptions, rules for discipline
Why: 'For example' becomes 'e.g.', and the first example is job descriptions. Description or descriptions are both accepted.
The trap: 'Specific' is the word before job, but the note already has 'job' and needs the word after it.
Question 37
Answer: technicalThe second benefit, after economies of scale
When is a role culture especially successful?
it is particularly successful in business markets where technical expertise is important.
Question says → You hear
successful when ... ability is importantparticularly successful in business markets where technical expertise is important
Why: 'Technical expertise' becomes '... ability' in the notes. The gap is the adjective: technical.
The trap: 'Expertise' is the noun you hear, but the note has already swapped it for 'ability'. Writing 'expertise ability' makes no sense.
Question 38
Answer: changeWhen the lecturer says 'On the other hand'
What is a role culture slow to see the need for?
this culture is often very slow to recognise the need for change, and even slower to react.
Question says → You hear
slow to see when ... is neededvery slow to recognise the need for change
Why: 'Recognise the need for change' becomes 'see when ... is needed'. The gap is change.
Question 39
Answer: responsibilityAfter 'What kind of person does this type of culture suit?'
What does the right employee for a role culture not want?
it suits employees who value security, and who don't particularly want to have responsibility.
Question says → You hear
doesn't wantdon't particularly want to have responsibility
Why: The note keeps 'want', and the thing they don't want is responsibility. Check the spelling: -ibility.
The trap: 'Security' comes first, but that's what they value, and it's printed on the line above.
Question 40
Answer: flexibleThe task culture section, after the lecturer says control from the top is limited
What is the advantage of a task culture?
Now one of the major benefits of this culture is that it's flexible.
Question says → You hear
Advantageone of the major benefits
Why: 'One of the major benefits' is the signpost, and the benefit is that it's flexible. The note line is a single word, so the adjective works on its own.
The trap: 'Economies of scale' and 'expertise' come next, but as disadvantages, and they're already printed.
The note turns it round: the lecturer says the right person is 'happy to take risks', and the note says 'not afraid of ...'. The answer is the noun, risk or risks.
Task culture gets just one gap, and it comes quickly after a broken-off sentence about control from the top. Listen for 'one of the major benefits': it's flexible.
Words from this recording worth keeping
characteristics(Introduction)
typical features or qualities
procedures(Power culture)
official ways of doing things
memos(Power culture)
short written notes sent inside an organisation
overheads(Role culture)
the regular costs of running a business
economies of scale(Role culture)
lower costs per item when a company produces a lot
expertise(Role culture)
special skill or knowledge
delegates(Task culture)
gives work or responsibility to someone else
life-span(Task culture)
how long something lasts or is useful
Sit this test on Langujet, then come back
The full Cambridge 9 Test 2 listening paper with the real audio: all four parts, played once, marked the moment you finish. Already done it? Take it again and listen for the traps this page showed you.
Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 2, Listening Part 4. The recording, transcript and questions belong to Cambridge University Press and are not reproduced here. We quote short extracts of the transcript only as evidence for our own commentary, and the answers are published for self-marking. Get the book for the full material, or sit the test on Langujet.
