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9609 · 7.2.5

The role of management in facilitating communication — practice questions

Practice and worked examples for 9609 The role of management in facilitating communication. Short previews only — attempt the full question in MarkScheme against the official scheme.

Worked example 1

Employee survey shows only 22% understand company strategy; 65% say 'management doesn't listen.' As HR director, recommend how line managers should improve communication.

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Vision: Quarterly team briefings with consistent slides from CEO — managers explain local impact.

Upward feedback: Monthly one-to-ones with documented actions; digital suggestion box with published responses.

Visibility: MBWA — ops managers spend 2 hours/week on floor, not only in office.

Accountability: Communication KPI in manager appraisals — survey scores tracked year on year.

Avoid: One-off town hall without follow-up — worsens cynicism.

Worked example 2

Precision Parts Ltd has 150 factory employees and suffers from a 30% annual staff turnover rate. Exit interviews blame poor communication from line managers. The cost to replace an employee is estimated at $4,000. A new communication initiative is proposed, costing $13,000 in its first year for training and equipment. The target is to reduce turnover to 20%. Calculate the net financial benefit of this initiative in its first year if the target is achieved.

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Step 1: Calculate the current annual cost of staff turnover. Number of employees leaving = 150 employees × 30% = 45 employees. Current annual cost = 45 employees × 4,000=4,000 = 180,000.

Step 2: Calculate the projected annual cost with the new initiative. Projected number of employees leaving = 150 employees × 20% = 30 employees. Projected annual cost = 30 employees × 4,000=4,000 = 120,000.

Step 3: Calculate the gross annual financial saving. Gross saving = Current cost - Projected cost Gross saving = 180,000−180,000 - 120,000 = 60,000.60,000.

Step 4: Calculate the net financial benefit in the first year. Net benefit = Gross saving - Cost of initiative Net benefit = 60,000−60,000 - 13,000 = 47,000.47,000.

Conclusion: The initiative is financially justifiable, with a projected net benefit of $47,000 in the first year. This provides a strong quantitative argument for management to invest in facilitating better communication.

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