Read the
following passage carefully and answer questions:
Many aspects of the motion-picture industry and
its constituent companies are dissimilar to those observable in
advanced-technology industries and firms. For instance, company longevity does
not represent a consistent concern across the two organisational contexts. In
the advanced-technology company for example, one new-product innovation – which
is expected to generate financial returns to the firm – is insufficient for the
company to be successful.
Rather, a stream of new product innovations is
required. By contrast with the independent production company of this case,
each new film – which is expected to generate financial returns to the
principals – is sufficient for the company to be successful. Any subsequent new
films involving the firm’s participants will be produced by a different
independent company.
As another instance, people’s learning is
expected to have different contributors and beneficiaries across the two
organizational contexts. In the advanced-technology company, for example, each
new product innovation provides an opportunity for participants on the project
team to learn and acquire experience, and this same company intends to retain
such participants, hence, benefit from their increased experience on the next
project. By contrast with the independent production company, each new film
provides an opportunity for participants on the project team to learn and
acquire this experience also, but this same company has little or no
expectation of retaining such participants, and hence, benefitting from their
increased experience in the next project.
Experience is paramount in the motion-picture
industry. Generally, on film projects, budgets are very tight, and schedules
are very demanding. People are hired largely based on their experience and are
expected to perform well immediately when called to do so. There is negligible
slack time or margin for learning through trial and error, but experienced
people learn exactly through trial and error. Because experience is valued so
highly and film-production houses have such short time horizons, entry into the
industry is very difficult for most people. Further, the role played by schools
and colleges is minimal in this industry. Some skills and techniques can be
learned and refined through formal education (e.g., acting schools, theatre,
film degrees), but the majority come through direct experience. Mentoring plays
an important role. True, the film business focuses heavily on exploitation over
exploration. Yet success of the industry as a whole is critically dependent
upon learning and exploration overtime.
Answer the following questions:
1. What is
not a consistent concern across the two organisational contexts ?
(A)
Dissimilarity
(B) Product
package
(C)
Financial return
(D) Company
longevity
2. What
will be sufficient for an independent production company to be successful ?
(A) New
product innovations
(B)
Financial returns from each new film
(C) Active
role by firm’s participants
(D)
Organisational context
3. What
does an advanced-technology company expect from the learning experience of its
participants ?
(A) Benefit
for the next project
(B) Opportunity for more learning
(C) Little
expectation of retaining them
(D) Help in
marketing the previous product
4. What is
not the expectation of an independent production company in the case of its participants?
(A) Absence
from the next project.
(B)
Retention for the next project.
(C)
Participation in the current project.
(D) Use of
opportunity to acquire experience.
5. Why do
film production houses value experience highly ?
(A) Because
of the importance of trial and error methods.
(B) Because
of the margin for learning.
(C) Because
of short time horizons.
(D) Because
it allows easy entry to everyone into the film world.
6. According
to the author, what has been the focus of film business ?
(A) Formal
education
(B)
Mentoring
(C)
Exploitation
(D)
Indirect experience
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ReplyDeleteReading Comprehension is the ability to read the text, process it and understand its meaning. The first thing to solve any comprehension is “Concentration”. Whenever you start solving a reading comprehension instead of reading the entire comprehension read the questions first. Read the questions before you start reading comprehension so that you will know which parts you should pay attention to in detail.
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