Business in Context - Topic 2: Politics and Society & Business Pages Vocabulary

A comprehensive vocabulary review deck covering Topic 2 (Politics and society, NGOs and volunteering, volunteering abroad, development projects, and business pages) from the Business in Context curriculum.

prime minister

The head of a government (German: PremierministerIn; e.g., Margaret Thatcher was the UK's first female prime minister).

pessimism

A tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen (German: Pessimismus).

NGO (non-governmental organization)

A non-profit organization operating independently of any government, typically addressing social or political issues (German: Nichtregierungsorganisation).

not-for-profit

Operating without the goal of making a financial profit (German: nicht gewinnorientiert; e.g., The Red Cross).

core purpose

The central or fundamental objective of an organization (German: Hauptzweck; e.g., UNICEF's core purpose is providing help for children).

to address humanitarian issues

To deal with or focus on problems relating to human welfare and suffering (German: sich mit humanitären Fragen befassen).

advocacy (of)

Public support, defense, or recommendation of a cause or policy (German: Anwaltschaft, Eintreten (für); e.g., advocacy of human rights).

human rights abuse

The violation or infringement of fundamental human rights (German: Menschenrechtsverletzung).

to apply political pressure

To exert influence on politicians or governments to effect change (German: politischen Druck ausüben).

lobbying

The act of attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials (German: Lobbyarbeit).

fixed assets (pl)

Long-term tangible property or assets owned by a business, such as land or buildings (German: Sachanlagen, Sachwerte).

funding

Financial resources provided to support an organization, activity, or project (German: Finanzierung).

donor

An individual or organization that gives money or resources to help support an aim or cause (German: SpenderIn).

volunteering

Offering one's time and labor for community or charitable services without payment (German: Freiwilligenarbeit).

social conscience

A sense of responsibility for problems within society and a desire to help those in need (German: soziales Gewissen, gesellschaftliche Verantwortung).

to overcome challenges

To successfully deal with and conquer difficult situations or obstacles (German: Herausforderungen bewältigen).

voluntourism

Voluntary work carried out to help communities or the environment in a place one is visiting as a tourist (German: Voluntourismus).

appropriate

Suitable or proper in the circumstances (German: geeignet, passend, angemessen).

origin

The point or place where something begins, arises, or is derived (German: Ursprung, Herkunft).

severe

Very serious, critical, or acute (German: ernst, schwer(wiegend); e.g., a severe threat to health).

to undertake

To commit oneself to and begin an enterprise or responsibility (German: durchführen, ausführen; irregular forms: undertook, undertaken).

to occupy

To take military control and possession of an area or country (German: besetzen (militärisch)).

to monitor

To observe, supervise, and check the progress or quality of something over time (German: überwachen, kontrollieren).

whilst

During the time that; at the same time as (German: während).

to be involved in/with sth.

To take part in or participate actively in something (German: sich an etw. beteiligen, bei etw. mitmachen).

to contribute

To give or supply something, such as effort or ideas, alongside others (German: einen Beitrag leisten, etw. beisteuern).

agreement

A negotiated arrangement or mutual understanding reached between parties (German: Übereinkunft, Vereinbarung, Absprache).

with regard to

In reference or relation to a particular matter (German: in Bezug auf).

relief

Emergency aid, food, or assistance provided to people in distress (German: Hilfe, Linderung, Entlastung; e.g., sent to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake).

to contrast

To compare two or more things in order to emphasize their differences (German: vergleichen, (einander) gegenüberstellen).

stakeholder

A party or individual with an interest or concern in a business or project (German: InteressenvertreterIn, StakeholderIn).

proposal

A formal plan, scheme, or idea put forward for consideration (German: Entwurf, Vorhaben, Vorschlag, Antrag).

timeline

A schedule or graphical representation showing what has to be done and when (German: Zeitleiste).

to allow for contingencies

To plan for and incorporate flexibility for unforeseen events or circumstances (German: Unvorhergesehenes einkalkulieren).

to prioritize

To determine the order of importance of tasks so critical work is handled first (German: Prioritäten setzen, nach Wichtigkeit ordnen).

milestone

A significant stage, event, or turning point in a project or in life (German: Meilenstein).

task dependency

A relationship in project management where a task can only begin once another task has been finished (German: Aufgabenabhängigkeit).

troubleshooting

The systematic process of identifying and resolving problems or faults, such as in IT systems (German: Fehlerbehebung).

to conduct a skills audit

To carry out an assessment of qualifications and abilities before assigning roles (German: eine Qualifikationsprüfung durchführen).

skill set

The range of abilities, competencies, and knowledge an individual has (German: Fähigkeiten).

to itemize

To break down and list individual items or expenses separately in detail (German: aufschlüsseln, aufgliedern).

expenditure

An amount of money spent, or the action of spending funds (German: Ausgaben).

shortfall

A deficit amount by which a financial total falls short of what is required (German: Defizit, Fehlbetrag).

grant

A sum of money provided by a government or organization for a specific project without repayment (German: Subvention, Beihilfe).

income stream

A regular source or inflow of revenue (German: Einnahmequelle; e.g., rental income).

scope

The extent or range of matters, questions, or subjects that a project or study deals with (German: Rahmen, Umfang).

at sb.'s disposal

Available for someone's immediate use or service (German: zu jds. Verfügung).

mud brick

A brick made of sun-dried soil or clay used as a construction material (German: Lehmziegel).

facility

A place, amenity, or building established for a specific function (German: Einrichtung, Anlage; e.g., a medical facility).

to arise

To occur, crop up, or come into notice (German: auftreten; irregular forms: arose, arisen).

ownership

The legal right or state of possessing property (German: Besitz, Eigentum; e.g., home ownership).

procedure

An established or standardized course of action or sequence of steps (German: Ablauf, Prozedere).

depressing

Causing or resulting in feelings of gloom, sadness, or discouragement (German: deprimierend).

to shut down

To close a shop, factory, or business permanently or temporarily (German: schließen; irregular forms: shut, shut).

agenda

A formal list of items or topics to be discussed at a meeting (German: Tagesordnung).

external

Originating or coming from outside an organization or system (German: extern, äußere/r/s; e.g., external factors).

failure

The lack of success or unsatisfactory outcome of a venture or project (German: Misserfolg, Versagen).

consideration

Careful thought, examination, or deliberation before taking an action or making a decision (German: Erwägung, Überlegung).

joint

Shared, held, or managed together by two or more parties (German: gemeinschaftlich, gemeinsam; e.g., a joint bank account).

profitability

The capacity or ability of a business activity or product to yield a financial profit (German: Rentabilität, Einträglichkeit).

to exceed sth.

To go beyond or surpass a quantity, limit, or expectation (German: etw. übersteigen).

economies of scale

Cost advantages and unit-cost reductions achieved when production output increases (German: Massenproduktionsvorteile, Größeneinsparungen).

trade discount

A price reduction offered by a seller to buyers in the trade (German: Handelsrabatt; e.g., a trade discount of 30%).

sustained

Continuing without interruption over an extended period (German: anhaltend, ununterbrochen; e.g., a sustained rise in sales).

decline

A continuous reduction, decrease, or worsening in quantity or status (German: Rückgang, Abnahme).

circulation

The total number of copies distributed or sold of a newspaper or publication (German: Auflage).

to appeal to sb.

To attract, please, or generate positive interest in someone (German: jdm. gefallen).