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中层管理者的潜力和困境(下)
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除了激励很重要这个老掉牙的道理之外，这篇论文还提供了三条经验。首先，只要有权力下放，就可能出现代理问题。组织去中心化通常都很合理，但这也有引入多层利益冲突的风险。
双语精读
The paper provides three lessons, beyond the hoary one that incentives matter. The first is that agency problems can occur wherever power is delegated. A decentralised organisation often makes a ton of sense, but it also risks introducing layers of competing interests.
除了激励很重要这个老掉牙的道理之外，这篇论文还提供了三条经验。首先，只要有权力下放，就可能出现代理问题。组织去中心化通常都很合理，但这也有引入多层利益冲突的风险。
Another recent paper by Ingrid Haegele, then of the University of California, Berkeley, found that German managers at a big manufacturing company tried to hoard the best workers for their own teams.
加州大学伯克利分校的英格丽德·黑格勒最近的一篇论文发现，德国一家大型制造公司的经理试图为自己的团队囤积最好的工人。
When managers are themselves about to move into new positions, they have less incentive to discourage good employees from job-hopping. Ms Haegele found that workers' applications for internal promotions more than doubled during these temporary periods of selflessness.
当经理们自己即将担任新的职位时，他们就没有那么多的动力去阻止优秀员工跳槽。黑格勒发现，在经理的这段短暂的无私时期，员工申请内部晋升的数量增加了一倍以上。
The second lesson is that middle managers deserve respect more than ridicule. The type of behaviour observed by the academics is possible because these managers have valuable private information: they know who is thinking of leaving the company and who is worth keeping.
第二个经验是，中层管理人员更值得被尊重，而不是被嘲讽。学者们观察到的行为是可能的，因为这些经理拥有宝贵的私人信息：他们知道谁在考虑离开公司，谁值得留住。
People in corner offices and boardrooms are usually too distant from the action to have this kind of insight.
坐在角落办公室和董事会议室中的人通常离这些行动太远，无法了解这些信息。
All of which means that middle managers can have a hugely beneficial effect on the performance of the workforce if the incentives are right. The third lesson from Shahi Exports is that money is not always the root problem.
所有这些都意味着，如果激励措施得当，中层管理人员可以对员工的表现产生巨大的有益影响。沙希出口公司的第三个教训是，问题的根源并不总是钱。
Its middle managers were making their training recommendations to avoid the extra work that comes from higher churn.
该公司的中层管理人员推荐人选参加培训，目的是避免更高的员工流动性带来额外工作。
That might make them sound lazy. In fact, they are suffering from a common problem.
这可能会让他们听起来像在偷懒。事实上，他们正遭受着一个共同问题的困扰。
"Power to the Middle" is a forthcoming book on middle managers by Emily Field, Bryan Hancock and Bill Schaninger, a trio of consultants at McKinsey. It argues that a lack of time and resources bedevils these unfortunate souls everywhere.
麦肯锡的三位咨询师艾米丽·菲尔德、布莱恩·汉考克和比尔·沙宁格即将出版一本关于中层管理者的书，名为《给中层以力量》。这本书认为，缺乏时间和资源困扰着各个地方的不幸的中层管理者。
A survey of 700 middle managers conducted for the book finds that they are spending one full day a week on administrative tasks. Replacing good workers is never fun, but it is a lot worse if a manager is already running on empty. You don't need to be a theorist to work that out.
这本书对700名中层管理人员进行了一项调查，发现他们每周有一整天的时间花在管理任务上。找人接替优秀的员工从来都不是什么有趣的事情，但如果一个经理的位置一直空着，那情况就更糟了。就算你不是理论家，也能想通这个问题。
词汇预习
incentive [高考]
美[ɪnˈsentɪv] | 英[ɪnˈsentɪv]
adj. 刺激的；鼓励的 n. 刺激；鼓励；动机
internal [高考]
美[ɪnˈtɜːrnl] | 英[ɪnˈtɜːnl]
adj. 国内的；内部的；身内的
suffering [高考]
美[ˈsʌfərɪŋ] | 英[ˈsʌfərɪŋ]
n. 痛苦；受难
workforce [高考]
美[ˈwɜːrkfɔːrs] | 英[ˈwɜːkfɔːs]
n. 劳动力；工人总数；职工总数
insight [高考]
美[ˈɪnsaɪt] | 英[ˈɪnsaɪt]
n. 洞察力；见识；深刻的理解
lack [高考]
美[læk] | 英[læk]
n. 缺乏；无 v. 缺乏；不足
occur [高考]
美[əˈkɜːr] | 英[əˈkɜː(r)]
vi. 发生；存在；出现；想到
agency [高考]
美[ˈeɪdʒənsi] | 英[ˈeɪdʒənsi]
n. 代理；代理处；政府机构
behaviour [高考]
美[bɪˈheɪvjər] | 英[bɪˈheɪvjə(r)]
n. 行为；举止；品行
deserve [高考]
美[dɪˈzɜːrv] | 英[dɪˈzɜːv]
vt. 应受；值得
discourage [高考]
美[dɪsˈkɜːrɪdʒ] | 英[dɪsˈkʌrɪdʒ]
vt. 阻碍；使气馁
beneficial [高考]
美[ˌbenɪˈfɪʃl] | 英[ˌbenɪˈfɪʃl]
adj. 有利的；有益的
wherever [高考]
美[werˈevər] | 英[weərˈevə(r)]
adv. 无论什么地方 conj. 无论在哪里
temporary [高考]
美[ˈtempəreri] | 英[ˈtemprəri]
adj. 暂时的；临时的 n. 临时工
distant [高考]
美[ˈdɪstənt] | 英[ˈdɪstənt]
adj. 疏远的；遥远的；远房的；陌生的；远行的
unfortunate [高考]
美[ʌnˈfɔːrtʃənət] | 英[ʌnˈfɔːtʃənət]
adj. 不幸的；令人遗憾的 n. 不幸的人
organisation [高考]
美[ˌɔːrɡənəˈzeɪʃn] | 英[ˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃn]
n. 组织；团体；条理
lack of [高考]
美[læk ʌv] | 英[læk ɔv]
缺乏
means [高考]
美[miːnz] | 英[miːnz]
n. 方法；手段；收入；财产 v. 意思是，意味（动词mean的第三人称单数）
thinking [高考]
美[ˈθɪŋkɪŋ] | 英[ˈθɪŋkɪŋ]
n. 思考；思想 adj. 好思考的；有理性的
administrative [四级]
美[ədˈmɪnɪstreɪtɪv] | 英[ədˈmɪnɪstrətɪv]
adj. 行政的；管理的
effect on [四级]
美[ɪˈfɛkt ɑn] | 英[iˈfekt ɔn]
对 ... 的作用
ridicule [四级]
美[ˈrɪdɪˌkjul] | 英[ˈrɪdɪkju:l]
n. 嘲笑；愚弄；笑柄 v. 嘲笑；愚弄
forthcoming [六级]
美[ˌfɔːrθˈkʌmɪŋ] | 英[ˌfɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ]
adj. 即将到来的；现成的；乐意帮助的
kind of [六级]
美[kaɪnd ʌv] | 英[kaind ɔv]
adv. 有点儿
manufacturing [专四]
美[ˌmænjəˈfæktʃərɪŋ] | 英[ˌmænjuˈfæktʃərɪŋ]
n. 制造业 adj. 制造业的
hoard [专八]
美[hɔrd] | 英[hɔ:d]
n. 贮藏 v. 贮藏；储存
hoary [专八]
美[ˈhɔri, ˈhori] | 英[ˈhɔ:ri]
adj. 灰白的；古老的
hugely [考研]
美[ˈhjuːdʒli] | 英[ˈhju:dʒli]
adv. 巨大地；非常地
don [托福]
美[dɑn] | 英[dɒn]
n. 先生（西班牙用语）；(牛津、剑桥大学的)指导教师 v. 穿上
重点讲解
The paper provides three lessons, beyond the hoary one that incentives matter. The first is that agency problems can occur wherever power is delegated. A decentralised organisation often makes a ton of sense, but it also risks introducing layers of competing interests.
除了激励很重要这个老掉牙的道理之外，这篇论文还提供了三条经验。首先，只要有权力下放，就可能出现代理问题。组织去中心化通常都很合理，但这也有引入多层利益冲突的风险。
hoary a.
1. 陈腐的；老掉牙的
【例】a hoary old joke 老掉牙的笑话
2. （因年老）灰白的，花白的
【例】a man with hoary hair 一位灰白头发的人
decentralised a. 分散的，去中心化的
【例】a decentralized economy 分散的经济
【拓展】decentralize v. 分散，下放（权力）
【例】Many firms are decentralizing their operations.
许多公司在分散经营。
【拓展】centralize v. 集权控制
【例】a highly centralized system of government 高度中央集权的政府体制
hoard v. & n.
1. 作动词：贮藏，囤积（尤指没有必要这么做）
【例】families who hoarded food during the strike 罢工期间囤积食品的家庭
2. 作名词：贮存；秘藏
【例】the discovery of a hoard of gold coins 一批秘藏金币的发现
Another recent paper by Ingrid Haegele, then of the University of California, Berkeley, found that German managers at a big manufacturing company tried to hoard the best workers for their own teams.
加州大学伯克利分校的英格丽德·黑格勒最近的一篇论文发现，德国一家大型制造公司的经理试图为自己的团队囤积最好的工人。
hoary a.
1. 陈腐的；老掉牙的
【例】a hoary old joke 老掉牙的笑话
2. （因年老）灰白的，花白的
【例】a man with hoary hair 一位灰白头发的人
decentralised a. 分散的，去中心化的
【例】a decentralized economy 分散的经济
【拓展】decentralize v. 分散，下放（权力）
【例】Many firms are decentralizing their operations.
许多公司在分散经营。
【拓展】centralize v. 集权控制
【例】a highly centralized system of government 高度中央集权的政府体制
hoard v. & n.
1. 作动词：贮藏，囤积（尤指没有必要这么做）
【例】families who hoarded food during the strike 罢工期间囤积食品的家庭
2. 作名词：贮存；秘藏
【例】the discovery of a hoard of gold coins 一批秘藏金币的发现
When managers are themselves about to move into new positions, they have less incentive to discourage good employees from job-hopping. Ms Haegele found that workers’ applications for internal promotions more than doubled during these temporary periods of selflessness.
当经理们自己即将担任新的职位时，他们就没有那么多的动力去阻止优秀员工跳槽。黑格勒发现，在经理的这段短暂的无私时期，员工申请内部晋升的数量增加了一倍以上。
be about to do sth即将、正要（做某事）
【例】I was just about to ask you the same thing.
我刚才正要问你同一件事情。
discourage v.
1. 阻拦；阻止
【例】His parents tried to discourage him from being an actor.
他的父母试图阻止他去当演员。
2. 使灰心；使泄气
【例】Don't be discouraged by the first failure—try again!
这才是第一次失败，别灰心丧气，再试一次吧！
The second lesson is that middle managers deserve respect more than ridicule. The type of behaviour observed by the academics is possible because these managers have valuable private information: they know who is thinking of leaving the company and who is worth keeping.
第二个经验是，中层管理人员更值得被尊重，而不是被嘲讽。学者们观察到的行为是可能的，因为这些经理拥有宝贵的私人信息：他们知道谁在考虑离开公司，谁值得留住。
ridicule n. & v.1. 作名词：嘲笑；奚落
【例】to hold sb up to ridicule 公然取笑某人
2. 作动词：嘲笑，讥笑
【例】At the time, his ideas were ridiculed.
当时他的观点被人讥笑。
【拓展】mock v. & a. & n.
1. 作动词：嘲笑；（模仿）嘲弄
【例】He's always mocking my French accent.
他总是嘲笑我的法国口音。
2. 作形容词
（1）模仿的；模拟的
【例】a mock interview 模拟面试
（2）虚假的；不诚实的
【例】She threw her hands up in mock horror.
她装出害怕的样子举起了双手。
3. 作名词：（英国）模拟考试
【例】What did you get in the mock?
你的模拟考试得了多少分？
People in corner offices and boardrooms are usually too distant from the action to have this kind of insight.
坐在角落办公室和董事会议室中的人通常离这些行动太远，无法了解这些信息。
insight n.
1. 洞察力；领悟
【例】a writer of great insight 有深刻洞察力的作家
2. 洞悉；了解
【例】The research provides new insights into the way we process language.
该研究对我们处理语言的方式提出了新的深刻见解。
All of which means that middle managers can have a hugely beneficial effect on the performance of the workforce if the incentives are right. The third lesson from Shahi Exports is that money is not always the root problem.
所有这些都意味着，如果激励措施得当，中层管理人员可以对员工的表现产生巨大的有益影响。沙希出口公司的第三个教训是，问题的根源并不总是钱。
root n. & v.
1. 作名词
（1）根；根部
【例】Tree roots can cause damage to buildings.
树根会给大楼造成损害。
（2）根源；起因
【例】We have to get to the root of the problem.
我们必须找到问题的根源。
2. 作动词
（1）生根
【例】New shrubs will root easily in summer.
新灌木在夏季容易生根。
（2）翻寻
【例】Who's been rooting around in my desk?
谁乱翻我的书桌了？
【拓展】root for sb. 给…助威，给…加油
【例】Good luck—I'm rooting for you!
祝你好运，我支持你！
Its middle managers were making their training recommendations to avoid the extra work that comes from higher churn.
该公司的中层管理人员推荐人选参加培训，目的是避免更高的员工流动性带来额外工作。
root n. & v.
1. 作名词
（1）根；根部
【例】Tree roots can cause damage to buildings.
树根会给大楼造成损害。
（2）根源；起因
【例】We have to get to the root of the problem.
我们必须找到问题的根源。
2. 作动词
（1）生根
【例】New shrubs will root easily in summer.
新灌木在夏季容易生根。
（2）翻寻
【例】Who's been rooting around in my desk?
谁乱翻我的书桌了？
【拓展】root for sb. 给…助威，给…加油
【例】Good luck—I'm rooting for you!
祝你好运，我支持你！
That might make them sound lazy. In fact, they are suffering from a common problem.
这可能会让他们听起来像在偷懒。事实上，他们正遭受着一个共同问题的困扰。
bedevil v. 使苦恼，搅扰
【例】a society bedeviled by racial tensions 深受种族间紧张关系困扰的社会
“Power to the Middle” is a forthcoming book on middle managers by Emily Field, Bryan Hancock and Bill Schaninger, a trio of consultants at McKinsey. It argues that a lack of time and resources bedevils these unfortunate souls everywhere.
麦肯锡的三位咨询师艾米丽·菲尔德、布莱恩·汉考克和比尔·沙宁格即将出版一本关于中层管理者的书，名为《给中层以力量》。这本书认为，缺乏时间和资源困扰着各个地方的不幸的中层管理者。
bedevil v. 使苦恼，搅扰
【例】a society bedeviled by racial tensions 深受种族间紧张关系困扰的社会
A survey of 700 middle managers conducted for the book finds that they are spending one full day a week on administrative tasks. Replacing good workers is never fun, but it is a lot worse if a manager is already running on empty. You don’t need to be a theorist to work that out.
这本书对700名中层管理人员进行了一项调查，发现他们每周有一整天的时间花在管理任务上。找人接替优秀的员工从来都不是什么有趣的事情，但如果一个经理的位置一直空着，那情况就更糟了。就算你不是理论家，也能想通这个问题。
run on 持续；连续不断
【例】The meeting will finish promptly—I don't want it to run on.
会议必须按时结束，我不想拖延下去。
课后练习
Ingrid Haegele’s paper found that ____.
A. the delegation of power intensified the competition
B. managers were good at training workers
C. workers got promoted faster with managers’ help
D. managers’ attitude toward workers relied on their own needs
Middle managers deserve respect because ____.
A. they put much effort into their work
B. they know workers better than other leaders
C. they can decrease the rate of quitting
D. they understand the senior leaders’ strategies
Middle managers are troubled by ____.
A. low wages
B. the unclear vision
C. a lack of resources
D. disobedient workers
What is the advice proposed by the author?
A. Middle managers should work harder.
B. The decentralization is vital to a company.
C. Middle managers deserve more attention.
D. Employees should be treated equally.