Deck 6: Communication Across the Organisation

Question 1

What is organisational culture and how does it develop in an organisation? What is the role of organisational culture in improving communication? Explain your ideas with examples.

Answer 1

Answers will vary.

Question 2

Within groups and departments in informal networks, gossip travels along

A) the single strand.
B) the probability chain.
C) the cluster chain.
D) the grapevine.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

What is the major challenge for management?

A) To find a balance between control, motivation, efficiency and effectiveness
B) To identify the various communication processes
C) To identify the needs of individuals and the organisation
D) To give appropriate feedback within an organisation

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Organisational cultures are similar across different organisations.

Question 5

To be effective in communicating within an organisation, one needs to

A) identify the divisions and departments in an organisation.
B) identify the organisation's characteristics.
C) identify the degree of formality or informality within the organisation.
D) identify organisational, individual and cultural factors within the organisation.

Question 6

An established culture is sustained exclusively through selection practices, the actions of top management, socialisation and communication.

Question 7

An organisation can change its culture by changing material symbols and varying routines and rituals.

Question 8

What, according to Drucker (1973) and others, is the contemporary aim of communication?

A) Enhance the rapid development of information technology.
B) Increase knowledge acquisition, applications and services.
C) Change how people behave in the workplace.
D) Communicate more effectively with managers.

Question 9

The communication purpose in early organisational theories was task-oriented whereas, in modern organisational theories, it is knowledge-oriented.

Question 10

How is 'Organisational culture' defined?

A) By the values the organisation represents.
B) By the common understandings among members.
C) By the pattern of shared assumptions, beliefs and norms uniting members of an organisation.
D) Through how members of an organisation should behave.

Question 11

Decentralised communication will result in a reduction in initiative and lower productivity in the workplace.

Question 12

How people work and how organisations are valued in contemporary economies are often changed by the exercise of authority, coordination and control in an organisation.

Question 13

There is insufficient evidence to show that the way a business functions can have a major impact on how communication takes place and on its effectiveness.

Question 14

In which way is the culture of an organisation communicated and reinforced?

A) By unique terms and ways of using words
B) Through stories, material symbols, language and rituals
C) Through the history of the organisation
D) By attending the training classes of an organisation

Question 15

A first-line supervisor might 'filter' or withhold unpleasant information from her manager. This is an example of:

A) tact, diplomacy and picking the right moment.
B) the misuse of an upward communication channel.
C) managing upwards, managing your boss.
D) challenging managerial authority.

Question 16

Culture cannot be passed on and learnt.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of communication within an informal structure in an organisation?

A) Sara receives formal documentation from her senior staff member, Akbul.
B) Managers Lucas and Jill are having a telephone conversation ahead of a business meeting.
C) Maria phones Ms Porter, her client, to follow up about a booking.
D) None of the above.

Question 18

According to early organisational theorists, what was the purpose of communication?

A) To study how staff communicate in an organisation.
B) To take into account the human relations aspects in organisations.
C) To achieve work efficiency and production goals.
D) To study how people communicate across cultures.

Question 19

Acknowledgement and feedback to individuals and groups on their achievements normally leads to increased job satisfaction.

Question 20

In which of the following situations is lateral communication more likely to occur?

A) Between friends and like-minded colleagues in an organisation.
B) Between competing individuals or divisions in an organisation.
C) When the organisation is organic or when project teams are in operation.
D) When either diagonal or downward communications are beginning to fail.

Question 21

Why does a matrix organisation enable quicker and more efficient decision making?

A) It is simple to administer.
B) It is functional and divisional with both vertical and horizontal command chains.
C) Managers and staff have strong interpersonal and communication skills.
D) It is a complex and formal structure.

Question 22

The least commonly used network in an organisation is the cluster chain.

Question 23

What does it mean to have a functional structure?

A) When the organisation combines similarity of expertise, skills and work activity.
B) When the organisation has a traditional hierarchical management system.
C) When the organisation's departments are grouped into functional areas.
D) None of them above.

Question 24

The more complex the organisation, the more complex the communication within it, and the greater the opportunity for communication barriers to develop.

Question 25

The grapevine is an important part of any group or organisation's communication network and well worth understanding.

Question 26

What is the key to efficient decision making and performance in a matrix structure?

A) Dual authority and centralised approval
B) Managers and staff with strong interpersonal and communication skills
C) Cooperation and communication between functional and divisional managers
D) Capable administrators

Question 27

Which of the following organisations evidence a high level of centralisation?

A) Organisation Blue has lots of emails, submissions and reports prepared for decision makers.
B) Organisation Green has better control systems in place and more effective decision making.
C) Organisation Orange has better access to information, better focus, clearer surety of purpose and improved results.
D) Organisation Purple has many filters through which information is communicated and poorer outcomes.

Question 28

A major impact on the effectiveness of communication in the workplace is determined by:

A) the behaviour of senior staff and the way an organisation is structured.
B) the type of background that employees have.
C) the level of education achieved by management.
D) the level of communication technologies deployed.

Question 29

How is the nature of formal organisational communication influenced?

A) By the people, the processes and the approach to strategy.
B) Through the levels of complexity, formalisation, centralisation and interactions among people, processes and approach to strategy.
C) By the organisation's charter, the Board and the circumstances at the time.
D) Through structure, people, finances and the interplay between these aspects of the organisation's operations.

Question 30

Discuss the statement 'The grapevine ought to be banned. It creates nothing but mischief!' Do you agree or disagree? Support your opinion with evidence from Chapter 6.

Question 31

Briefly describe the various types of communication channels that are used in organisations. What value is there for a manager who understands communication channels? Give some examples to illustrate your response to this question.

Question 32

What is the purpose of understanding an organisation's structure and communication flows?

A) To identify a number of features of an organisation.
B) To decide what type of organisation is operating.
C) To identify the ways people interact and communicate with one another.
D) To understand the organisation's framework, its culture and cohesiveness.

Question 33

What does the effectiveness of a matrix structure depend on?

A) Its complexity and formalisation.
B) Its environment and communication climate.
C) The dual authority in a matrix structure.
D) The interpersonal competence of leaders, managers and staff.

Question 34

The way of passing information randomly, with one person telling another person, who then tells one or two others, is known as the Probability Chain.

Question 35

An organisation's structure has the most impact on:

A) the nature of the organisation.
B) the levels of complexity within an organisation.
C) the way people interact and communicate with one another.
D) the hierarchy and specialisation of functions.

Question 36

Complexity in an organisational structure relates to

A) jobs and levels of differentiation.
B) the range of tasks that have to be carried out.
C) the level of sophistication of service and product delivered.
D) the range and depth of tasks that have to be carried out.

Question 37

Horizontal communication channels are often created to short-circuit the hierarchy imposed by vertical channels.

Question 38

Whatever form it takes, the informal communication contact between employees in an organisation is not as important as the formal links.

Question 39

Centralisation in organisations refers to:

A) the appropriate balance between laissez faire and rigidity.
B) the focusing of control, whether a flat or tall organisational structure exists.
C) physical or virtual location.
D) where the major decisions are made.

Question 40

An organisation that has a low level of formalisation shows:

A) a flat management structure and little formality during interactions.
B) little control and independence for employees.
C) small or no power available for employees.
D) a low level of control by management.

Question 41

What is the mapping and measuring flows between people and groups within an organisation referred to as?

A) Knowledge management.
B) Social networking analysis.
C) Network analysis.
D) None of the above.

Question 42

While all organisations have a formal and an informal structure, the informal structure is developed to provide official links between people in the organisation.

Question 43

The matrix structure and reporting lines are designed to focus on the status of staff.

Question 44

Lois is a sales manager and is the central person who for her sales employees, and acts as a conduit for all group communication. What kind of network would this be referred to as?

A) a Y network.
B) a circle network.
C) a wheel network.
D) an all-channel network.

Question 45

In a bureaucratic structure, the organisation is complex with many different levels of management.

Question 46

According to Robbins et al (2008), culture is NOT created by

A) founders indoctrinating and socialising employees to their way of thinking and feeling.
B) founders' own behaviour in acting as role models to encourage employees to identify with them.
C) founders hiring and keeping employees who are more creative than they are.
D) all of the above.

Question 47

In an organisation with a tall structure, decision making is usually highly centralised with decisions requiring the approval of senior management.

Question 48

In knowledge-management structures, low formalisation gives knowledge workers a high degree of autonomy, discretion and control over their work.

Question 49

What constitutes the informal organisational structure?

A) The links between individuals as a result of their patterns of behaviour.
B) The links within official lines.
C) The links between functional departments in most organisations.
D) The links between staff and clients.

Question 50

The informal organisation is avoidable. To deal with it, management should recognise its avoidability and influence its direction.

Question 51

Knowledge management organisational structures comprise of knowledge leaders.

Question 52

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the informal organisational structure?

Question 53

Which of the following is not a feature of a knowledge management structure?

A) Information is transferred between people faster than in a traditional structure
B) Decisions are usually decentralised
C) A flat, informal structure
D) Complexity

Question 54

Matrix structures and the organisation's culture should enable managers and teams to collaborate.

Question 55

Decisions are usually decentralised in a knowledge-management structure.

Question 56

Why is a 'boundaryless organisation' long-lasting?

A) It comes from traditional structures responding to the demands of globalisation, strategic alliances, and technological and supply interdependence.
B) It redirects communication without feedback.
C) It eliminates the vertical boundaries exclusively.
D) It creates a flatter structure.

Question 57

In a simple structure, there are fewer decision makers to negotiate with than in a complex one.

Question 58

How many organisational structures are there and how are they different? What are the impacts of different structures on organisational and interpersonal interactions? Give two examples.

Question 59

Conflict can occur as a disadvantage of the informal structure when:

A) there is no change in the informal structure over time.
B) there is resistance to change.
C) the goals of customers and staff are different.
D) the goals of the informal network are different from those of the formal organisation.

Question 60

What is the main disadvantage of a 'network structure'?

A) The lack of rigid tiers of management.
B) The more ambitious staff demand a clear path.
C) Difficulty in promotion, staff turnover and lack of leadership or support.
D) Lack of face-to-face communication.

Question 61

According to Robbins et al (2008), which network sees the highest level of member satisfaction in small group networks?

A) wheel network.
B) all-channel network.
C) network.
D) circle network.

Question 62

What does the phrase 'New Networks' refer to?

A) The use and linkage of modern communication technologies such as the Internet, databases, Customer Relationship Management software and virtual as well as open meetings for stakeholders.
B) Free-form structures where there is freedom of interaction with relevant information, groups and individuals about current or emerging areas of common concern or opportunity.
C) Teams or groups of people affected by change where information is shared openly, where trust is built and where problems or issues are considered from company and user perspectives and specific outputs generated.
D) Autonomous work groups communicating clearly and directly with each other, dynamic rather than static entities, forming and reforming, often with evolving membership structures in successive iterations.

Question 63

Which of the following is NOT a use of communication network analysis?

A) To unearth previously hidden network structures.
B) To find links that don't appear on organisational charts.
C) To locate the best way to communicate with those left out of the network.
D) To determine whether expected communication channels are actually used.

Question 64

In 'networks', the communication structure depends on the technology used to communicate to people.

Question 65

Which of the following is NOT an example of a way in which an organisation could improve its communication?

A) Change organisational structures to enhance communication.
B) Acknowledge emotional intelligence.
C) Promote communication skills.
D) Encourage academic research in its field.

Question 66

A workforce culture that appreciates routine and structure is best served by

A) an organic structure.
B) a mechanistic structure.
C) free-form structures.
D) formal rules, policies and job descriptions.

Question 67

Discuss the impact of social media on organisational communication. In what ways is the use of social media effective, and what kinds of organisational networks would be facilitated through social media?

Question 68

Which of the following statements would most likely result in achieving an organisation's goals?

A) When the points of view of employers and employees are similar.
B) When the employees persuade leaders and managers to appreciate their point of view.
C) When business organisations develop effective communication channels.
D) When the employer and employees work towards the same goals.

Question 69

Jess requires the use of a wheelchair. The main conference room in her place of employment is up a short flight of stairs, and there is no ramp or elevator for her wheelchair. When there is a large meeting for the entire team, Jess must join by phone, as the main conference room is unavailable to her. Jess experiences:

A) systemic or structural discrimination.
B) bullying.
C) harassment.
D) indirect discrimination.

Question 70

Work group interactions on virtual work spaces build closer relationships between different departments such as finance, customer support and research and development.

Question 71

Social media is useful to complement some existing channels of communication in modern organisations.

Question 72

While the direction of communication within an organisation affects the format and effectiveness of that communication, we must also consider the impact of the communication networks that are established.

Question 73

A person who is treated less favourably on the grounds of a personal characteristic has experienced:

A) direct discrimination.
B) systemic discrimination.
C) indirect discrimination.
D) structural discrimination.

Question 74

Digital tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are used for one-way communication with customers and suppliers.

Question 75

Autonomous work groups encourage communication and interaction because an individual or group is given almost total freedom to complete the task.

Question 76

Why is social media proving effective as a means of organisational communication?

A) It enables two-way communication between an organisation and its stakeholders.
B) It can complement existing channels of communication.
C) It fosters partnerships within and outside the organisation.
D) All of the above.

Question 77

Ill health, emotional exhaustion and social withdrawal are risk to an individual who experiences sexual harassment or bullying within an organisation.

Question 78

What are some common patterns of interaction in small group networks? Provide examples.

Question 79

Unsolicited, offensive treatment through malicious, vindictive, cruel or humiliating attempts to undermine an individual or group is known as:

A) stereotyping.
B) discrimination.
C) sexual harassment.
D) bullying.

Question 80

How can communication be improved within and outside an organisation?

A) By shaping the organisation's operations, its performance, the behaviour of people and the flow of communication
B) By analysing an organisation's structure and flow of communication
C) By facilitating open and clear communication by all, across the organisation
D) By identifying organisational, individual and cultural factors