THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL
DIPLOMA IN SALES AND MARKETING
DIPLOMA IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
DIPLOMA IN TOURISM MANAGEMENT
DIPLOMA IN TOUR GUIDING MANAGEMENT
DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
DIPLOMA IN PETROLEUM MANAGEMENT
MODULE I
COMMUNICATION
SECTION A (32 marks)
Answer ALL the questions in this section in the spaces provided after each question.
1. State three reasons why some organizations hold meetings through teleconferencing. (3 marks)
2. List three barriers to communication that may be caused by a manager in an organization. (3 marks)
3. Outline three advantages of using a flip chart when making a presentation. (3 marks)
4. State four non-verbal signals that may indicate attentiveness in an audience. (4 marks)
5. State three uses of a report in an organization.
6. List four types of interviews that may be held in an organization.
7. Outline three reasons why it is important to have an agenda for a meeting.
8. List two functions of paragraphs in an essay. (2 marks)
9. Jacinta, a personal secretary, has received a telephone call with vital information on behalf of her boss who is away from the office. Outline four advantages of writing this information on a telephone message form
10. Outline three reasons why many managers prefer to use oral communication in an organization.
SECTION B (68 marks)
Answer ALL the questions in this section in the space provided after question 14.
11. A vacancy for the post of Production Assistant at Tumaini Enterprises Limited has been advertised in a daily newspaper. Assume you have the qualifications and write a letter applying for the post. (16 marks)
12. (a) Explain four challenges of using e-mail as a means of communication. (8 marks)
(b) Explain five factors that may make a meeting fail to achieve its objectives. (10 marks)
13. The number of staff members at Utendeti Limited taking meals and refreshments at the staff restaurant has been declining for the past three months. As the Assistant Operations Manger, you have been requested by the Human Resource Manager to investigate the matter. Assume that you have completed the investigation and write a report using the schematic format. (16 marks)
14. Read the passage below and then answer the questions that follow.
The housing sector in Kenya faces a number of challenges. In deed, owning a house remains a dream of many. There is a high demand for formal housing which has fuelled price hikes hence locking out potential buyers. This has, in turn, denied the housing sector much needed funds to re-invest in order to increase the supply which has resulted in low supply of affordable houses.
Real estate analysts and economists are warning that house prices will continue to rise as lenders shy away from the business.
A report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) shows that high prices have locked Kenya’s housing sector out of fast growth. The AfDB is warning of a worsening supply gap because only a handful of private developers in the country can afford to invest in medium to large
scale developments that target the middle to low income earners. According to the Centre for
Affordable Housing Finance in Africa, the annual increase in the demand for housing in Kenya is 206,000 units. The inability of private developers to execute well-done projects at a reasonable cost is becoming a big concern not only in Kenya, but the entire East African region. With the exception of Zambia and to some extent Tanzania, AfDB claims that many regional developers lack experience. In Kenya there are only a few developers who have an average of 5.5 years of experience and arc able to put up large developments of 200 and 250 units al a time. According to data from the Central Bank of Kenya, the average size of a home loan in Kenya has been rising at the rate of about 15 per cent per year. This means that a home loan that was Ksh 5 million in one year would rise to Ksh 5.75 million the following year. The lack of innovative financing options and high interest on mortgages makes affordability of houses a challenge. A research economist at the AfDB found out (hat interest rates on home loans range between 11 and 25 per cent per year. This means that a borrower of Ksh 6.4 million for a 15-year house loan at an interest rate of 18 per cent per year will end up paying Ksh 17.3 million. While currently about 80 per cent of new houses target high and upper middle income earners, the AfDB report shows that the greatest demand – estimated at 83 per cent – is among the middle and low income earners. I According to property firm Hass Consult, this stale of affairs means that 80 per cent of Kenyans living in urban areas do not live in their own houses. Another challenge is that these urban dwellers
who live in rented houses have to contend with fast rising rent hence hindering their potential to save and buy a house of their own. Since 2001, rent in major urban centres has increased by about 300 per cent. For example, a house that was being rented for Ksh 10,000 in 2001 cost about Ksh 30,000 per month in 2013. The lack of innovative mortgage financing solutions is a further challenge. This is because even companies that specialize in developing cheaper houses require their clients to source for financing independently. There is also lack of government support in Kenya especially in the development of infrastructure such as road networks, water and sanitation without which the projects become unattractive to buyers. The market estimates that the cost of privately developed infrastructure adds another 20-30 per cent to the price of houses in Kenya. The problems facing the Kenya housing sector are multi-dimensional and require a holistic
approach if the majority of urban dwellers are to afford houses. The market needs to be educated to accept different building solutions that are more cost effective such as prefabricated houses. Such houses are cheaper and can reduce construction time by up to 50 per cent and the cost of construction by more than 30 per cent.
Adapted from: ‘Magazine’, The East African, 5-11 October 2013
(a) In about 150 words and according to the passage, explain the challenges facing the housing sector in Kenya. (12 marks)
(b) Explain the meaning of the following words and phrases as used in the passage.
(i) lenders
(ii) handful
(iii) put up
(iv) innovative
(v) hindering
(vi) cost effective
