Palm Nut Oil Ltd

Managers want workers to share ideas they may have about working processes, so a notice is placed on the canteen noticeboard and a suggestion box is placed in the canteen.

On and after Jan. 1^st a payment of $25 will be given to anyone making suggestions for improving our computer-aided production processes which we subsequently decide to adopt.

Sabrina Patel

Managing Director

An incentive is offered and a good response is expected. However, management is not trusted by the workforce, who see this as a worthless gesture, so either they do not make any useful suggestions or they make ones that are unprintable!

The message is written in the wrong language. This often happens when the sender is a specialist, e.g. an accountant or engineer.

The tone of the language is not right. This can happen in any form of communication, but is most prone to occur when the message is spoken. This is particularly true if body language can also be observed.

In its layout the message is formal and unfriendly. The Managing Director could not even be bothered to sigh it – her name was just printed on the notice.

The wrong medium may have been selected. You don’t leave a message you really want to work to the chance reading of a notice board.

The receivers have negative attitudes to the sender and misinterpret the message. They need to be convinced, a more direct and personally involved approach was needed.

Task.

1. Identify four barriers to effective communication in this example. (4)

2. Select a more appropriate method of communication than the noticeboard for Plm Nut Ltd. (6)

3. Explain why you consider your method to be more suitable for encouraging workforce participation within this company. (10)

Revision questions

1. Define ‘effective communication’. (2)

2. Distinguish between the internal and external communication and give the example of each. (4)

3. Outline two reasons why effective communication is important to a business. (4)

4. Give two examples of communication media. (2)

5. Identify three barriers to effective communication.(3)

Date: 2015-01-02; view: 1223