Gaffer - In the entertainment industry, a member of a film crew who handles the lighting equipment.

Gagging Clause - A clause in an employment contract which prevents an employee from disclosing certain information about the company to the press, union officers, etc.

Gagging Order - A legal order issued by a court to prevent the public reporting of a court case.

Gainsharing - Also called profit sharing. An incentive system which enables employees to have a share in a company's profits.

Game Theory - Sometimes called Games Theory, this is a potentially highly complex branch of mathematics increasingly found in business which uses the analysis of competing strategies (of for example market participants) and their effects opon each other to predict and optimise outcomes and results. Relates strongly to cause and effect and chaos theory. Game Theory may also arise in military strategy.

Gantt Chart - Developed by Henry Gantt in 1917. A type of bar chart which illustrates the scheduled and completed work of a project. It shows start and finish dates, compares work planned to work done and tracks specific tasks.

Gap Analysis - Enables a company to assess the gap between its actual performance and its potential performance, by comparing what skills, products, etc. are available to what is required to improve performance, output, etc.

Garden Leave - Also called Gardening Leave. Term used when an employee's contract has been terminated but they are instructed by the company to stay away from work, on full pay, during their notice period. Often to prevent them from working for competitors during that time.

Garnish - To take part of someone's wages, by law, to pay their debts, e.g. child support, alimony.

Gatekeeper - A person in an organisation who controls access to the people in the organisation, and/or controls access to information or goods.

Gazelle - A US term for a fast growing company that creates a lot of job opportunities, and which has grown by at least 20% in the last four years.

Gazump - In selling and buying property, a term used to describe when a purchaser has an offer accepted by the vendor but is then gazumped because someone else makes the vendor a higher offer which the vendor then accepts instead of the first person's offer.

Geek Speak - Technical language often used by computer experts which doesn't make sense to non-technical people.

General Creditor - A person or company that lends unsecured money, so that the creditor is unlikely to recover much of the loan if the debtor goes bankrupt or does not pay it back.

Generalist - A person who has a broad general knowledge at a high level, and/or many skills.

General Strike - Widespread withdrawal of labour by a nation's workforce, which aims at bringing the country to a standstill because of a disagreement over pay and/or working conditions. -

Generation X - A term used for people born during the 1960s and 1970s, who are often described as disaffected and irresponsible.

Gerontocracy - A government or political system which is ruled by old men (elders).

Get All Your Ducks In A Row - A term for getting organised, having everything in order and making sure all the small details are accounted for before embarking on a new project.

Get Go - From the start, the earliest stage of something. Used in the phrase 'From the get go.'

Gift Tax - A tax payable on gifts over a certain annual value made during the lifetime of the giver.

Giro - A system, used in some countries, of transferring money from one bank or post office account into another using a central computer.

Giveback - An agreement in which employees accept a wage reduction or fewer benefits as a gesture of goodwill, usually because of an economic downturn. The employees are often offered wage rises and new benefits at a later date.

Glamour Stock - A company's shares, which are very popular with investors, because they have performed well on the stock exchange.

Glamping - A portmanteau word meaning 'glamorous camping', for example staying in a posh serviced yurt (a large Mongolian-style nomadic tent) and eating luxury hamper foods.

Glass Ceiling - An invisible barrier in the workplace which prevents women and minority groups from advancing to positions of leadership in a company, although some do manage to 'break through' the glass ceiling.

Glass Wall - An imaginary barrier in the workplace which prevents women and minority groups from being employed in other sectors of business or industry.

Glitterati - Combination of Glitter and Literati. Glamorous, rich, famous people, often connected to show business.

Globalisation - The process of integrating nations, economically and socially, through free trade, international business activities, technology (for example the Internet), etc.

Global Village - A term used to describe the whole world as a single community, connected by electronic communication systems, such as the Internet.

Glocalisation - Global Localisation. A term used when an international company adapts its manufacturing methods, products or services to suit local conditions.

Gofer - From 'Go for'. An employee who runs errands, as well as doing their normal job, usually in an office or on a film set. A dogsbody.

Golden Formula - In the UK, a term used to describe industrial action, or strikes, which are legal, i.e., about matters connected to working conditions and employment, rather than political matters, and that workers striking for legal reasons should not lose their jobs.

Golden Handcuffs - Financial incentives or benefits given to a valued employee to ensure that they continue working for a company, and to discourage them from wanting to leave to work for another company.

Golden Handshake - Usually offered to high-ranking executives in a large company. A clause in their contract which provides them with a large sum of money and/or other benefits in the event of them losing their job or retiring.

Golden Parachute - A company's agreement with an employee, usually a top executive, which promises a significant amount of money and/or benefits if the employee is forced to leave their job, usually because of a change of company ownership, outside of the control of the original employer company.

Gold Reserve - The amount of gold bullion or gold coins held by a country's central bank to support its currency and provide security for its international debts.

Gone To The Wall - Describes a business which has failed.

Goodwill - The difference or premium which a purchaser pays, or which a seller asks, for a business or company compared to the 'book value' of its assets, typically representing intangibles such as brand value, intellectual property, talent, market relationships, etc., and which tend to reflect the overall value and appeal with which the purchaser regards the target acquisition. Over-estimating goodwill value, sometimes to an extraordinarily stupid degree, is a surprisingly common downfall of many big corporate takeover deals, when arrogance and blindness to market trends of the acquiring CEO and takeover team can lead to a reckless waste of shareholder funds and ruthless cost-cutting, post-acquisition, when performance, synergies and return on investment fail to reach required levels.

Googlewhack - Two proper words (found in a dictionary) which together produce just a single result from a normal Google search. A googlewhack tends not to retain its status indefinitely, and sometimes only fleetingly, because due to the strange popularity of the effect, googlewhacks are likely to be published on the web when discovered, which immediately produces a second occurrence. Aside from the study of language and statistics there is no earthly purpose for this phenomenon, which apparently was first described by Gary Stock in 2001 and who runs a website dedicated to the concept.

Grace - A period of time given to a debtor to enable them to pay an overdue bill or loan, or extra time given in a contract for a piece of work to be finished.

Grandfather Clause - A provision in a new law which allows the person or business already engaged in the activity, which may have been made illegal, to continue to be so engaged.

Graphology - The study of handwriting, often used as a way of analysing a person's character. See graphology.

Grass Roots - The ordinary people in a business or organisation, rather than the management or the decision-makers.

Gratis - To do or give something without payment. Free of charge.

Graveyard Market - A term used on the Stock Exchange to describe a Bear Market in which share owners are reluctant to sell because they face substantial losses, and buyers are reluctant to buy because the financial outlook is poor. Those who are in it can't get out, and those who are on the outside have no desire to get in.

Gravy Train - A business activity which makes a large profit for an individual or an organisation without much effort. To have it easy.

Green Audit - Also called Environmental Audit. An official assessment which shows the effect that an organisation or a company has on the environment.

Greenback - An informal term for US paper money, i.e., the dollar, derived from the colour of the money.

Green Card - In the US, a legal document which allows an immigrant to become a permanent resident, to work legally and to become eligible for citizenship.

Green Taxes - Also called Ecotax. Taxes which are levied on companies, businesses, etc., to discourage activities which will harm the environment.

Grey Knight - A third person, or company, who makes an unsolicited bid in a corporate takeover, and who takes advantage of any problems which arise between the first bidder (White Knight) and the company being acquired.

Grip - In the film and TV industry, a member of the film crew who makes sure that the lighting is right for a scene. They also move scenery and set up large pieces of equipment.

Gross Profit Margin - Expressed as a percentage, what is left from a company's sales after cost of goods sold is paid out. Gross profit margin is obtained by dividing gross income by net sales.

Guru - An influential teacher or an expert in a particular subject who shares their knowledge, often by writing books.