ESL Podcast 360 - A Management Dispute
management dispute - a disagreement among a company's leaders about how the company should be run
The company is having a big management dispute over whether it should open offices in other countries.
subsidiary - a company that is owned by a larger company
Does that company have any subsidiaries in the Southern United States?
business philosophy - a broad idea about how a business should be run and how a company should be managed
Andy's business philosophy is based on the idea that employees should be active participants in corporate decision-making.
to settle - to solve; to resolve; to bring an end to a problem; to reach agreement on something
The two drunk men tried to settle their argument with a fight.
hostility - feelings of anger, aggression, and unfriendliness
Ileana shows so much hostility toward her son-in-law that he never wants to come visit.
departure - the act of leaving a company, either because one was fired or because one no longer wants to work there
The vice-president's departure left everyone feeling nervous about how the company was going to continue without him.
bad press - negative publicity; negative stories about a company or person in the media, such as newspapers, magazines, or television
The shipping company received a lot of bad press when oil leaked from its ship into the ocean.
confidentiality agreement - a legal contract, usually between an employer and an employee, in which an individual agrees not to share secret information
You have to sign a confidentiality agreement before you can begin working at a nuclear power plant.
disgruntled - upset and unhappy; displeased with something
The students are disgruntled because the professor didn't give them any advance notice about the exam today.
to get caught in the crossfire - to become involved in a situation where two or more people are arguing or fighting about something that often doesn't really concern oneself
Small children often get caught in the crossfire when their parents argue.
to keep a low profile - to remain quiet and do one's job without drawing attention to oneself; to not be the center of attention
Wally is always trying to get people's attention, but his brother prefers to keep a low profile, staying quiet and not doing anything that other people would take an interest in.
to blow over - to pass; for a problem to end quietly so that people can move on as if it had never happened
The couple had a huge fight last weekend. Do you think they'll break up, or will it blow over?
mediator - a person whose job is to end a fight or argument between two or more people or organizations and help them find a satisfactory solution
The two homeowners hired a mediator to help them decide who should pay for the damage caused when one neighbor's tree fell during the storm.
incompatible - so different that they cannot function well together; impossible to work together; unable to exist in the same place and time
They decided to get a divorce, because their interests had become incompatible.
to meet in the middle - to compromise; to reach an agreement where each person gives up something that he or she originally wanted
Olaf wanted to buy a four-bedroom home, but his wife wanted only a two- bedroom home. They met in the middle and bought a three-bedroom home.
a snowball's chance in hell - an expression used to show that something is very unlikely; an expression used to show that something probably will not happen, just like a snowball could not exist in hell because the hot temperatures would melt it
Houses are so expensive! There's a snowball's chance in hell that I'll ever be able to buy a home.