IB Business Management HL 2.6 Communication Question Bank

4. Motuoro High School (MHS)
Motuoro High School (MHS) is a new residential (boarding) school for 16-18 year olds. It is a public-private partnership funded 60 % by the state and 40 % by the private sector.
The school has two managers:
- Charles Ledger, a government official, who is responsible for finance.
- Julian Santiago, a successful businessman, who manages the daily operations.
Julian was asked to help set up M H S as a new innovative and flexible school. He interviews all new students. They can choose to attend classes or telework from their rooms. MHS has an up-to-date Internet system to provide communication and educational resources. It has a flat organizational structure. Teachers and students are at the same level of hierarchy, but below Charles and Julian.
The teachers were selected by Julian and did not sign contracts. Julian and the students meet to decide together on the appraisal process for teachers. The teachers themselves are not present at these meetings.
MHS provides teachers with free accommodation, food and a generous salary. 12 months ago a television series about the opening of the school gave it enormous publicity. This lead to many applications from potential students and teachers.
However, a number of problems have now emerged. New student applications are decreasing. Government funding has been reduced. A number of students are missing classes or not submitting work. Teachers are insisting that MHS provide contracts. They are also concerned that the informal organization within the school is having too much influence on Julian's decision making. One frustrated teacher complained to Charles without Julian knowing. This caused an issue between Charles and Julian. Julian wanted to dismiss the teacher, but Charles was concerned that dismissing the teacher would have lead to strike action. This would have created unwelcome publicity at a time when student numbers were falling. Julian suggested that a no-strike agreement should be put in place and that teachers should consider working at M H S as a privilege. The meeting finished without a resolution.