If sustainable competitive advantage depends on work-force skills, American firms have a command. The post of head of human resource managements is usually a specialized job, often at the edge of the corporate hierarchy. The executive who holds it is never consulted on major strategic decisions and has no chance to move up to Chief Executive Officer (CEO). By way of contrast, in Japan the head of human resource management is central -- usually the second most important executive; after the CEO, in the firm's hierarchy.

    While American firms often talk about the vast amounts spent on training their work-forces, in fact they invest less in the skill of their employees than do the Japanese or German firms. The money they do invest is also more highly concentrated on professional and managerial employees. And the limited investments that are made in training workers are also much more narrowly focused on the specific skills necessary to do the next job rather than on the basic background skills that make it possible to absorb new technologies.

    As a result, problems emerge when new breakthrough technologies arrive. If American workers, for example, take much longer to learn how to operate new flexible manufacturing stations than workers in Germany (as they do), the effective cost of those stations is lower in Germany than it is in the United Stated. More time is required before equipment is up and running at capacity, and the need for extensive retraining generates costs and creates bottlenecks that limit the speed with which new equipment can be employed. The result is a slower pace of technological change. And in the end the skills of the bottom half of the population affect the wages of the top half. If the bottom half can't effectively staff the processes that have to be operated, the management and professional jobs that go with these processes will disappear.

1. Which of the following applies to the management of human resources in American      companies
2. They hire people at the lowest cost regardless of their skills.
3. They see the gaining of skills as their employees own business.
4. They attach more importance to workers than to equipment.
5. They only hire skilled workers because of keen competition.
6.  What is the position of the head of human resource management in an American firm
7. He is one of the most important executives in the firm.
8. His post is likely to disappear when new technologies are introduced.
9. He is directly under the chief financial executive.
10. He has no authority in making important decisions in the firm.
11.  The money most American firms spend in training mainly goes to______.
12. workers who can operate new equipment     B. technological and managerial staff
13. workers who lack basic background skills     D. top executives
14.  What is the main idea of the passage
15. American fu-ms are different from Japanese and German from in human resource            management.
16. Extensive retraining is indispensable to effective human resource management.
17. The head of human resource management must be in the central position in a firm's           hierarchy.
18. The human resource management strategies of American firms affect their competitive            capacity.

核心词汇注释

sustainable       adj．可以忍受  的，足可支撑的，养得起的，能长期维持  的，能持续的

survival           n．生存，幸存，残存，  幸存者，残存物

acquisition         n．获得，获得物

attach             v．依附，附加，随着，相联系

hierarchy          n．层次，等级制度

strategic          adj．战略的，战略上的

contrast           vt．使与……对比，使与……对照

                  vi．和……形成对照    n．对比，对照，(对照中的)差异

breakthrough       n．突破

generate           vt．产生，发生

bottleneck         n．瓶颈

长难句剖析

    The lack of importance attached to human resource management can be seen in the corporation hierarchy．

[结构分析]本句的主干是The lack of importance…can be seen。attached to human resource management作importance的后置定语。    

[参考译文]可以看到，在公司等级制度中人力资源管理没有受到相应的重视。

    By way of contrast，in Japan the head of human resource management is central —usually the second most important executive，after the CEO，in the firm's hierarchy．

    [结构分析]本句是一个简单句。破折号后面的成分是对表语central的进一步解释，句首的By way of contrast是方式状语。

    [参考译文]与之相反，在日本，人力资源主管是核心—在公司等级中通常是第二号执行者。

    While American firms often talk about the vast amounts spent on training their work-forces，in fact they invest work less in the skill of their employees than do the Japanese or German firms．

    [结构分析]本句是一个主从复合句。主句中使用了一个比较结构，than后的do指代前面出现的谓语动词invest。 while引导时间状语从句，其中过去分词短语spent on training their work-forces是the vast amounts的后置定语。

[参考译文]虽然美国公司经常谈论他们在培训员工上所花费的大量资金，但事实上，与日本或德国的公司相比，他们在员工技能上的投入却少得多。

全文参考译文

    如若可持续的竞争优势依靠劳动力的技能，美国公司就有麻烦了。美国公司一贯不把人力资源管理看作生存竞争的核心问题。技能的获得被认为是个人的责任。劳动力和原材料及设备一样，只是另外一种以尽可能低的成本雇佣或租赁的生产要素。

可以看到，在公司的等级制度中人力资源管理没有受到相应的重视。财务主管在美国公司中几乎总是第二个发号施令的人。人力资源主管常常是一种专业化的工作，处于公司等级边缘。在做出重大决策的过程中，没有人去咨询人力资源主管的意见，并且他也没有机会升职为CEO。与之相反，在日本，人力资源主管是核心——在公司等级中通常是第二执行官。

虽然美国公司常常谈论他们在培训员工上所花费的大量资金，但事实上，与日本或德国的公司相比，他们在员工技能上的投入却少得多。他们所投入的资金更多地集中在专业人员和管理层员工身上。用于培训工人的有限投入也更加局限于进行下一项工作所必须的具体技能，而不是用于可能吸收新技术的一些基础的背景技术。

结果，当新的技术突破到来时就出现了问题。比如，美国的工人与德国的工人相比，要花费更长时间来掌握怎样操作新型的、灵活的制造设备，那么这些设备在德国的有效成本就比美国低：设备的正常运转需要更长时间，需要广泛的再培训，这会提高成本并产生瓶颈，限制新设备生产的速度。结果导致技术改造步伐缓慢，最终这些下层工人的技术会影响上层人员的工作。若下半层工人不能有效地融入到生产流程中去，与之共生地管理职业将会消失。

题目答案与解析

1．下面哪一种使用了美国公司的人力资源管理方法    [答案]B

    A．它们低价雇用应聘者时不考虑其技能。 B．它们将技能的获得看作工人自己的事情。

    C．它们认为工人比设备更加重要。    D．因为渴望竞争，所以它们只雇用熟练工人。

    [解析]本题的依据是文章第1段第3句话Skill acquisition is considered as an individual

responsibility，从中可知B项为正确答案。

2．人力资源主管在美国公司里的地位如何    [答案]D

    A．他是公司最重要的主管之一。    B．当引入新的技术时他的地位几乎消失。

    C．他是财务主管的直接下级。      D．他在公司里没有权力作出重要决定。

    [解析]本题可参照文章第2段中的第3句、第4句话。从中可知，在美国的公司里人力资源部门的主管在管理层中没有什么地位，在重大决策中没有发言权。因此D项为正确答案。

3．美国公司用来培训的钱主要分配给 ________。    [答案]B

    A．操作新设备的工人            B．技术和管理人员

    C．缺乏基础背景技术的工人      D．高层主管

    [解析]依据文章第3段第2句话The money they do invest is also more highly concentrated on professional and managerial employees，选项B符合文章的内容，是本题的正确答案。

4．这篇文章的主旨是什么    [答案]D

    A．美国公司在人力资源管理方面与德国和日本的公司不同。

    B．对有效的人力资源管理来说，广泛的再培训是必不可少的。

    C．在公司等级中，人力资源主管一定要处于核心位置。

    D．美国公司的人力资源管理策略影响了他们的竞争力。

[解析]综观全文，只有D项能概括文章的中心思想，A、B、C三个选项只能概括文章部分段落的内容。因此正确答案为D。

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