Practise IB Business Management SL/HL 2.6.1 by applying formal and informal communication concepts to exam-style questions.
Reading enables all People (RP)
R P is a non-profit and non-governmental organization (NGO) that teaches reading to financially disadvantaged children and teenagers. RP's mission statement is: "To educate those in need in order to foster social inclusion and change".
R P has 64 paid full-time staff and 350 part-time volunteers, mostly college students, who work in all areas of the city where R P is located. Volunteers do not work under contract. R P is experiencing communication problems. One young volunteer complained, "I often receive contradictory information. One person says one thing and another says something else". R P 's organizational structure is tall. There are several formal methods of communication present at R P, but most of the information passes through informal communication channels.
R P is planning to extend its literacy program to rural areas. The program will last five years. R P 's current sources of finance are insufficient to fund the new program. At present, R P is only financed by national businesses. Alice Lire, R P 's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has contacted the government for financial support. However, the state budget is limited and chances of government cooperation are low.
As part of its corporate social responsibility policy, McMikey, a multinational company that markets products to children, is willing to pay for the books for the program for two years. Alice is ready to accept the offer, but she would prefer McMikey to guarantee its support for five years. However, there is internal disagreement at McMikey. The Finance Manager believes that it would be too costly. However, the Marketing Manager argues that McMikey's brand image would be improved by a longterm association with R P 's literacy program.
Explain one formal method of communication that might be used at R P.
Explain one formal method of communication that might be used at RP.
Formal methods of communication that might be used at R P could include the following:
- Oral communication: one-to-one talks, telephone, meetings etc. Oral communication can be planned or spontaneous. If someone is an effective speaker, he or she can sharpen the message by control of tone and use of facial expressions and body gestures. With oral communication, the speaker runs the risk of going "off script", which can weaken or compromise the intended message.
- Written communication: memos, reports, notices pinned on boards etc. Written communication allows the writer to say exactly what they intend and a permanent record of the communication exists, which can thus be referred back to. With written communication - emails are notorious for this because they are often written in haste - the author has to worry about spirit in which the message will be read and thus the writer has the difficult challenge of conveying tone in writing. Email, letters, or other types of written communication can be considered a substitute for written communication.
- Visual communication: videos, posters, charts etc. Visual communication can get people's attention and, if done well, send a message that is easy to remember. With visual communication, the producer can use pictures, format, and other visual cues which shape the viewers understanding. With visual communication, some risk exists that the message will be oversimplified. At other times, visual communication gets to the heart of the matter (YES! to the question of collective action, for example).
Accept any other relevant explanation.
Award [1 mark] for a correct and relevant identification of a formal method of communication and [1 mark] if the candidate provides a reasoned explanation. Candidates do not have to say exactly what is written above, but some relevant explanation of the method they have identified. Award a maximum of [2 marks].