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ACCA Applied Knowledge · Business and Technology · Communicating in business

A manager must tell an employee that her role is being made redundant. Which method of communication is most appropriate to deliver this message initially?

A private face-to-face meeting followed by written confirmation is best. Redundancy is sensitive news, so the employee needs personal contact, empathy and the chance to ask questions, while the written follow-up provides a formal record. Impersonal channels such as emails, notices or texts would be inappropriate.

  1. AA face-to-face meeting in private, followed by written confirmationCorrect
  2. BA notice on the staff intranet
  3. CA group email to the whole department
  4. DA text message sent outside working hours

Explanation

Sensitive, emotional news needs a medium allowing immediate feedback, empathy and non-verbal cues, so a private face-to-face meeting suits it. Written confirmation afterwards gives a formal record. The group email and intranet notice are impersonal and the text message is inappropriate and insensitive.

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