The Philips Creed

The company creed is ‘Let’s make things better’. It is committed to making better products and systems and contributing to improving the quality of people’s work and life. One example of this is its ‘Genie’ mobile phone. To dial the number you just have to say it aloud. Its Web Internet terminal brings the excitement of cyberspace into the living room. And on travels around the world, whether passing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, walking across London Tower Bridge, or witnessing the beauty of the ancient pyramids of Giza, you don’t have to wonder any more who lit these world famous landmarks. It was Philips.

II. Read the story again. Why are these dates important?

1. 1891 2. 1914 3. the 1920s 4. 1983 5. 1984

III. Find the figures in the story that correspond to the following pieces of

Information.

1. The number of people working for Philips worldwide

2. The numbers of countries with sales and service outlets

3. The number of countries where Philips has research laboratories

4. The approximate number of scientists working in Philips’ research laboratories

5. The number of integrated circuits produced every day

IV. Match the words from the text with their corresponding definitions.

1. innovation a. a planned series of actions

2. patent b. main offices

3. diversification c. a place or address

4. a range d. the introduction of a new idea

5. headquarters e. a selection or series

6. a location f. making different types of products

7. a strategy g. an agreed course of action

8. a policy h. the right to make or sell an innovation

V. Replace the words in bold with the words used in the text.

1. Gerard Philips set up a company in Eindhoven.

2. The company initially specialized in making carbon-filament lamps.

3. Developments in new lighting technologies fuelled a steady plan for growth.

4. In 1983 it introduced the compact disc onto the market.

5. Each day its factories produce a total of 50 million integrated circuits.

6. Royal Philips Electronics is run by the Board of Management.The Supervisory Board carefully watches the general course of business.

7. Policies are put into practice by the Group Management Committee.

8. The Group Management Committee consists of members of the Board of

Management and chairmen of the production sectors.

9.The Group Management Committee serves to ensure that important

matters and ways of business are shared across the company.

VI. Complete the passage using words from tasks IV and V in the correct

Form.

The key to Philips success can be described by two words. The first is

........(1); the company designers are continually developing and creating new

products. The second is........(2); Philips is active in about 100 businesses

varying from consumer electronics to domestic appliances and from security

systems to semiconductors.

With such a wide.........(3) of products the company needs a complex system

of management. Each product.........(4) has its own chairman; most of these

chairmen are members of the Group Management Committee, which........(5)

all company decisions and plans. The Supervisory Board........(6) the general

business of the group and it also advises and supervises the Board of

Management.