Analyse two limitations to WP of its methods of internal communication.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2023). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. Internal communication is with employees and between managers or between departments.
2. Methods include: meetings, reports, notice boards, memos and email.
3. Reasons for internal communication: To tell employees what to do and what is expected. To let employees have some input into business decision-making. To allow coordination of activities within a business. To give managers feedback from other employees.
4. One-way communication – messages sent in one direction, from sender to receiver, with no feedback.
5. Spoken communication can be ambiguous.
6. When communication is with a large group some receivers may be reluctant to ask for further detail.
7. Spoken communication might not be appropriate for complicated and technical matters.
8. Good ideas from employees are likely to be missed.
9. Written reports do not allow for immediate feedback.
10. Limited communication between functional departments.
11. Time taken in communicating information.
12. Three managers give weekly written reports and meet with the owner.
13. The weekly meeting with employees is one-way, from the owner to the employees.
14. Little evidence of employees being able to influence decisions.
15. There are 35 employees.
16. Managers meet individually with Rona each week.
17. (one-way communication) With one-way communication and limited opportunity for feedback employees may be demotivated AN and this will result in lower productivity L2AN which will reduce output.
18. (large group meetings) may result in limited feedback from employees which could mean that good ideas from employees are likely to be missed AN. This will result in opportunities for improving production to be missed and lower growth in productivity. L2AN
19. (communication between departments) Managers meet individually with Rona reducing opportunity for inter-departmental discussion. This will slow the sharing of information between managers thus limiting coordination of departments AN and thus reducing the effectiveness and efficiency of decisions L2AN
20. (time taken) Rona meets with managers individually which will waste time as she could meet with managers collectively. Individual meetings do not make an efficient use of her time AN and will slow decision making resulting in WP being less responsive. L2AN
21. (time taken) Rona has a weekly meeting with production employees. She could share this information more quickly using notices or email and this would free up her time to focus on more important issues facing WP. AN