Deck 14: Managing Communication

Question 1

Prejudgment is a type of ________ barrier to effective communication.

A) noise
B) perception
C) feedback
D) sender

Answer 1

B

Question 2

To manage the barriers to effective communication, companies should

A) train all organizational members in effective use of communication technologies.
B) provide a diverse mix of communication channels.
C) ensure employees have appropriate communication skills such as listening and nonverbal communication skills.
D) all of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Organizational communication patterns operate

A) downward.
B) upward.
C) horizontally.
D) all of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is a decoding barrier?

A) The sender sends a message to an uninterested audience.
B) The poor reading skills of an employee prevent him from using a safety manual.
C) The sender uses vocabulary that is too technical for the audience.
D) A written memo that is inadequate for explaining complicated changes is used to update employee benefits information.

Question 5

A manager who has a negative earlier experience with a young employee may generalize this to other young people and become resistant to hiring young applicants even when positive information is available. This is an example of the ________ barrier to effective communication.

A) noise
B) perception
C) feedback
D) sender

Question 6

In the communication process, the sender ________ the message.

A) receives
B) encodes
C) decodes
D) feeds back

Question 7

Knowledge workers

A) manage information and make it available to decision makers in the organization.
B) are the most common type of worker in the twenty-first century organization.
C) depend on communication to obtain information to do their jobs effectively.
D) all of the above

Question 8

Which of the following is a source of noise?

A) A receiver's poor vision that makes him unable to read a memo
B) Time pressures that reduce availability to listen to a message
C) An employee's thick accent that is difficult to understand
D) all of the above

Question 9

When the receiver focuses on the parts of the message that are most salient to his or her interests and ignores other parts that are not relevant, the receiver is experiencing

A) selective perception.
B) prejudgment.
C) feedback barrier
D) receiver barrier.

Question 10

Translating the symbolic verbal, written, or visual symbols into an undistorted, clear message is

A) feedback.
B) decoding.
C) encoding.
D) noise.

Question 11

Feelings are more likely to be communicated

A) verbally.
B) in written documents.
C) nonverbally.
D) electronically.

Question 12

Employee suggestion systems that are used to improve product and process quality are examples of

A) horizontal communication.
B) downward communication.
C) upward communication.
D) feedback.

Question 13

When the Acme Company sends a company-wide e-mail to announce an acquisition, they are using

A) noise.
B) decoding.
C) two-way communication.
D) one-way communication.

Question 14

When the manager gives his employee her performance evaluation, he is using

A) horizontal communication.
B) downward communication.
C) upward communication.
D) feedback.

Question 15

A high proportion of communications between knowledge workers in which information is shared consists of ________ communication.

A) downward
B) upward
C) horizontal
D) electronic

Question 16

Communication is successful when

A) information is transmitted.
B) meaning is understood.
C) information is received.
D) all of the above

Question 17

When John encodes a message to send to Jim, he can make sure the true meaning is received by using

A) decoding.
B) feedback.
C) one-way communication channels.
D) noise.

Question 18

Marco's thick accent may be a source of

A) feedback.
B) communication channel barrier.
C) noise.
D) decoding barrier.

Question 19

When Sarah is too busy focusing on other things to be able to listen to and understand the instructions her manager is giving her, Sarah is experiencing which barrier to effective communication?

A) Decoding
B) Sender
C) Receiver
D) Noise

Question 20

Feedback may be communicated

A) upward.
B) horizontally.
C) downward.
D) horizontally or vertically.

Question 21

If a meeting topic exceeds the agenda's allotted time

A) determine which other topics can be deleted.
B) ask to extend the meeting time.
C) return to it later and go on to the next topic.
D) ask for the speaker to send you his or her comments later.

Question 22

The potential information-carrying capacity of data refers to

A) constructive feedback.
B) information richness.
C) communication channel effectiveness.
D) channel efficiency.

Question 23

A disadvantage of e-mail is that it can

A) present a long menu of options that waste time.
B) contribute to information overload.
C) not be motivated by the company.
D) all of the above

Question 24

The ________ meeting addresses strategic issues and involves executives who formulate long-range goals.

A) team
B) corporate or business-unit
C) staff
D) task force

Question 25

The classic smiley is known as a(n)

A) wink.
B) communication channel.
C) emoticon.
D) juvenile addition to letters.

Question 26

The richest channel of communication is

A) face-to-face.
B) a company bulletin board.
C) electronic newsletters.
D) the telephone.

Question 27

A limitation of ________ communication is that there is no provision for feedback.

A) face-to-face
B) bulletin boards
C) e-mail
D) written

Question 28

To make meetings more productive

A) end the meeting with a plan of action.
B) create an agenda for the meeting.
C) ask yourself if it's even important to schedule a meeting.
D) all of the above

Question 29

To provide constructive feedback

A) focus your feedback on specific behaviors that were successful or unsuccessful.
B) focus on who rather than what.
C) wait for an end-of-quarter meeting to give feedback.
D) catch people doing things wrong so you can correct them.

Question 30

The heading of a memo should indicate

A) the intended audience.
B) the subject of the memo.
C) the name of the sender.
D) all of the above

Question 31

Memos are an example of ________ communication.

A) face-to-face
B) horizontal
C) written
D) informal

Question 32

Managers can spend up to ________ percent of their time in meetings.

A) 15
B) 30
C) 50
D) 80

Question 33

Emoticons

A) are generally used only by virtual teams.
B) are not universally understood.
C) cannot communicate emotion.
D) all of the above

Question 34

There is a high level of interactivity between the sender and receiver in

A) face-to-face communication.
B) bulletin boards.
C) electronic newsletters.
D) Facebook postings.

Question 35

The advantage written documents have over face-to-face communication is that the messages can be

A) revisited.
B) disseminated in identical copies.
C) made available when needed.
D) all of the above

Question 36

A company newsletter that allows each member of the workplace to voice opinions and contribute stories of interest is

A) one-way communication.
B) two-way communication.
C) face-to-face communication.
D) a suggestion box.

Question 37

Voice mail is an example of ________ communication.

A) face-to-face
B) electronic
C) written
D) informal

Question 38

Lean communication channels

A) provide opportunities for feedback.
B) are impersonal.
C) personalize the message for the receiver.
D) all of the above

Question 39

To more effectively use e-mail

A) create electronic files to store important messages for future retrieval.
B) protect sensitive documents with encryption software.
C) avoid sending messages written in all capitals.
D) all of the above

Question 40

The smiley :-> communicates

A) winking.
B) sarcasm.
C) frowning.
D) indifference.

Question 41

A virtual team should schedule periodic face-to-face meetings to

A) build team spirit.
B) build trust.
C) increase productivity.
D) all of the above

Question 42

Lean communication channels provide opportunities for feedback, provide a full range of visual and audio information, and personalize the message for the receiver.

Question 43

If Sam's e-mail message ends with the emoticon :-| , he is communicating

A) sarcasm.
B) happiness.
C) indifference.
D) sadness.

Question 44

To address some of the barriers to effective communication, companies should use only the richest channels of communication.

Question 45

To be effective, managers and employees must know how to interpret the feelings of others.

Question 46

Body movements, eye contact, and tone of voice are components of

A) MBWA.
B) nonverbal communication.
C) aggressive communication.
D) disruptive communication.

Question 47

Sam Walton used ________ to learn what front-line employees were thinking about and see if they needed help with problems.

A) the grapevine
B) MBWA
C) cliques
D) suggestion boxes

Question 48

An effective way to manage rumors and misinformation is

A) the grapevine.
B) MBWA.
C) cliques.
D) punish those participating in the grapevine.

Question 49

When Ellen tries to "get even" with others and fears giving direct feedback, she is using the ________ communication style.

A) horizontal
B) passive
C) aggressive
D) passive-aggressive

Question 50

An advantage to companies using social networking tools for recruiting is

A) it is faster and cheaper than traditional recruiting methods.
B) everyone is already on a social networking site.
C) it ensures that applicants have IT skills.
D) it allows companies to perform due diligence on applicants.

Question 51

Cliques can

A) create social tension between the members of the clique and those excluded.
B) can be disruptive to employee morale.
C) form as a result of friendships between employees.
D) all of the above

Question 52

Informal communication is sometimes referred to as

A) MBWA.
B) feedback.
C) the grapevine.
D) horizontal communication.

Question 53

To engage in active listening

A) listen to words instead of feelings.
B) don't give false reassurances.
C) interpret the other's behavior.
D) try to change the other's views.

Question 54

When Sarah communicates in ways that meet her needs while at the same time respecting the needs and rights of others, she is using ________ skills.

A) assertive communication
B) active listening
C) nonverbal communication
D) passive communication

Question 55

The communication style used by Eric when he does not let others know directly what he wants or needs is

A) nonverbal.
B) passive.
C) aggressive.
D) passive-aggressive.

Question 56

Horizontal communication plays an important role in slimmer organizations with fewer levels.

Question 57

Physical distance

A) expectations vary from culture to culture.
B) is a form of nonverbal communication.
C) can help a speaker create a bond with the audience.
D) all of the above

Question 58

Which of the following is a dysfunctional communication style?

A) Passive
B) Aggressive
C) Passive-aggressive
D) all of the above

Question 59

Prolonged eye contact in business communication

A) is generally recommended.
B) may be interpreted as aggressiveness.
C) is a form of sexual harassment.
D) communicates lack of interest.

Question 60

When writing memos, it is best to send the memo to as many people who might be interested in the content.

Question 61

Discuss the role of listening skills in the communication process.

Question 62

What are some of the challenges of using e-mail?

Question 63

What is nonverbal communication? What are some of its dimensions?

Question 64

Passively listening may unintentionally short-circuit a conversation.

Question 65

What are two important forms of electronic communication?

Question 66

What is communication? What is the role of feelings and facts?

Question 67

What is MBWA and how is it used in the organization?

Question 68

Discuss the less effective assertive communication styles used in the workplace.

Question 69

Discuss the grapevine.

Question 70

Describe the communication model.

Question 71

Describe the three patterns of organizational communication. Provide examples of each.

Question 72

What are the advantages of written communication over face-to-face communication? What are the limitations?

Question 73

What are the barriers to effective communication?

Question 74

Without trust on a virtual team, there can be misunderstandings because team members are less likely to be as generous with each other when someone falls short of performance expectations. This trust can be built with some face-to-face meetings.

Question 75

Discuss information richness and provide examples of rich and lean communication channels.

Question 76

Effective communication involves more than words.

Question 77

If a clique is disruptive to employee morale, employees should be reassigned to different projects where they can form new working relationships with others.

Question 78

E-mail should be considered private.

Question 79

What is an emoticon?

Question 80

What is the difference between one-way and two-way communication?