ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · Communicating in business
A finance manager emails a new junior a long list of instructions full of technical abbreviations. The junior does not understand several terms but says nothing and carries out the work incorrectly. Which barrier to communication is MOST clearly demonstrated?
The most clearly demonstrated barrier is jargon combined with a lack of feedback. The junior could not decode the technical abbreviations and did not say so, so the manager never found out the message had failed. Overload and distance are not indicated in the scenario.
- AUse of jargon, with no feedback to confirm understandingCorrect
- BInformation overload caused by too many channels
- CPhysical distance between sender and receiver
Explanation
The abbreviations are jargon the receiver cannot decode. The junior also gives no feedback, so the sender never learns that the message failed. Information overload would need excessive volume across channels, and nothing indicates physical distance is the cause.
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