Deck 12: Communication in Organizations

Question 1

Oral communication is usually better than written communication when the message is:

A) impersonal, routine, and longer.
B) personal, routine, and longer.
C) impersonal, routine, and shorter.
D) personal, nonroutine, and shorter.
E) impersonal, nonroutine, and longer.

Answer 1

D
Oral communication is the form of interpersonal communication preferred when the message is personal, nonroutine, and brief.

Question 2

Which of the following is an advantage that written communication has over oral communication?

A) It is more suitable when a message is nonroutine.
B) It can be used to transfer information.
C) It is faster than oral communication.
D) It is more suitable when a message is personal.
E) It provides a permanent record of an exchange.

Answer 2

E
Written communication is often quite accurate and provides a permanent record of an exchange unlike oral communication.

Question 3

Twanya is the school counselor responsible for scheduling. While looking at a set of data, she notes student evaluations were periodically low for a certain instructor. Upon further research, she notes that evaluations were lowest for all Money and Banking classes considered to be difficult, no matter who taught the class. Her initial information about the first instructor was:

A) incomplete.
B) inaccurate.
C) irrelevant.
D) false.
E) untimely.

Answer 3

A
Complete information provides the manager with all the information that he or she needs. If the information is less than complete, the manager is likely to get an inaccurate or distorted picture of reality.

Question 4

Information that provides a reliable and valid reflection of the real world is said to be:

A) accurate.
B) complete.
C) differentiated.
D) systematic.
E) dependable.

Question 5

Vikranta is reading a policy letter about absences. In terms of the communication process, this is an example of:

A) noise evaluation.
B) decoding.
C) information overload.
D) channel selection.
E) encoding.

Question 6

If you have an informal or brief message to convey, the best form of interpersonal communication would be:

A) oral.
B) written.
C) lateral.
D) informal.
E) downward.

Question 7

Information that is complete:

A) must be available at the appropriate time.
B) must present all pertinent facts.
C) must accurately reflect the real world.
D) must have bearing on the problem at hand.
E) must be useful to managers according to circumstances.

Question 8

How is information different from data?

A) Data is less accurate.
B) Information is raw figures and facts reflecting a single aspect of reality.
C) Information is data presented in a way or form that has meaning.
D) Data provides a basis for action.
E) Data is more detailed.

Question 9

For information to be of real value to a manager, it must be accurate information. What is meant by accuracy?

A) Accuracy means that the information must provide a valid and reliable reflection of reality.
B) Accuracy means that information needs to be available in time for appropriate managerial action.
C) Accuracy means that information must be communicated by using the right medium.
D) Accuracy means that information should be analyzed.
E) Accuracy means that information should be complete.

Question 10

Renu has the customer satisfaction statistics. In this case, Renu has:

A) data that requires analyzing and organizing before they will be of value.
B) information that can be used as a basis for future actions on her part.
C) information that requires analyzing and organizing before it will be of value.
D) data that can be used as a basis for actions on her part without any further manipulation.
E) information that need not be analyzed.

Question 11

Which of the following is likely to make a communication process more effective?

A) The different cultural backgrounds of the sender and the receiver
B) The questions asked by the sender and receiver
C) A telephone call in the middle of a job interview
D) The emotional turmoil of the receiver of a message
E) A disturbance in the room where a conversation is taking place

Question 12

Raw figures and facts reflecting a single aspect of reality are referred to as:

A) data.
B) information.
C) opinion.
D) meaning.
E) knowledge.

Question 13

Which of the following is an integral characteristic of effective communication?

A) The oral mode of transmission used by the speaker
B) The overload of information provided to the listener by the speaker
C) The message received by the listener is close to the meaning intended by the speaker
D) The advanced information technology used by the speaker to communicate
E) The presence of noise in the communication process

Question 14

Ashley was giving an interview for a job opening when her interviewer was interrupted by her assistant with an urgent phone message. This is an example of:

A) miscommunication.
B) semantics.
C) decoding.
D) noise.
E) oversight.

Question 15

An upper-level executive at Gucci has just received a monthly sales report. The two-page analysis indicates which urban area successfully implemented a new policy and which areas failed in their attempts along with the reasons for the outcomes. This document is an example of:

A) data that marketers need to understand.
B) information because it has been analyzed.
C) raw facts that are not easily comprehensible.
D) data that are not in a format that could be useful for carrying out the company's business.
E) resources used to convert data into information.

Question 16

The best form of interpersonal communication to use when you have a personal or nonroutine message to communicate is:

A) horizontal.
B) oral.
C) downward.
D) written.
E) upward.

Question 17

Willie asks Louise, "How are sales?" and Louise responds, "1.3 million dollars." Louise is providing _____ to Willie.

A) conclusions
B) evidence
C) compilations
D) information
E) data

Question 18

When is oral communication most likely to be inaccurate?

A) When pertinent details are not included
B) When noise is excluded
C) When a message is personal
D) When a message includes information
E) When a message includes data

Question 19

Which of the following is a disadvantage of oral communication?

A) It is prone to being inaccurate.
B) It is hard to use.
C) It creates obstacles in giving feedback.
D) It is not comfortable for managers.
E) It requires considerable amount of preparation.

Question 20

Which of the following is a medium for transmitting an oral message within an organization?

A) A memo
B) A report
C) Meetings
D) E-mail messages
E) A handwritten note

Question 21

Eufronio is the CEO of a company. Each morning he gets information related to the industrial environment and the strategies used by his company's competitors. This helps him in making informed decisions for his company. The type of system he is using is a(n):

A) expert system.
B) intranet.
C) transaction processing systems.
D) artificial intelligence systems.
E) executive support system.

Question 22

In _____, people work at home on their computers and communicate with colleagues and coworkers using electronic media.

A) blogging
B) coworking
C) outsourcing
D) telemarketing
E) telecommuting

Question 23

Boeing's information system shares quality control information with its suppliers. This is an example of a(n):

A) intranet.
B) extranet.
C) Internet.
D) executive support system.
E) decision support systems.

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of upward communication in organizations?

A) An email sent by a higher-level manager of a company appreciating the work of a fresher
B) A leave request sent by a team member to the team manager
C) A suggestion given by a manager in a team meeting
D) A news letter containing information about the annual profits of an organization
E) An email containing the specifications of a project sent by a manager to a subordinate

Question 25

Which of the following is a characteristic of intranets?

A) They allow selected outsiders limited access to an organization's internal information system.
B) They use artificial intelligence.
C) They restrict the use of firewall.
D) They are used for inter-organizational transactions.
E) They operate within the boundaries of a single organization.

Question 26

Graham, Jed, and Clara, the three production managers at Ged Inc. get together every month to discuss the productivity of their respective teams and ways of improving the same. Which of the following is best exemplified in the given scenario?

A) Downward communication
B) Vertical communication
C) Horizontal communication
D) Upward communication
E) Grapevine communication

Question 27

A marketer for a motion picture company is determining when to release a movie to gain maximum exposure and viewers. The marketer needs to use a(n) _____ system which has detailed information about the seasons during which theaters receive the most number of viewers.

A) transaction-processing
B) decision support
C) artificial intelligence
D) management information
E) intranet

Question 28

Decentralized networks tend to perform better when a group's task is _____.

A) simple and nonroutine
B) complex and nonroutine
C) simple and conventional
D) complex and routine
E) simple and routine

Question 29

Bill, the HR manager at Esposito Inc., compiles the company newsletter and in the process coordinates with the managers of other departments. The communication seen in this scenario best exemplifies:

A) vertical communication.
B) upward communication.
C) diagonal communication.
D) horizontal communication.
E) informal communication.

Question 30

Which of the following is considered to be a form of personal electronic technology?

A) Artificial Intelligence
B) Laptop computers
C) Decision support systems
D) Management information systems
E) Transaction-processing systems

Question 31

A company blog at Wegmans gathers information from a group of people on a topic. For example, everyone who interviewed a prospective job candidate could post their assessment on a blog and comment on each other's observations. This is an example of a(n) _____ communication network.

A) all-channel
B) chain
C) wheel
D) Y
E) circle

Question 32

Which system is typically used by online retailers to take orders from customers?

A) Transaction-processing systems
B) Executive support systems
C) Artificial intelligence
D) Expert systems
E) Personal Digital Technology

Question 33

Businesses are using social media in new ways to communicate. Passengers using the services of Delta can buy tickets on Delta's Facebook page. This is a change in _____ systems.

A) transaction-processing
B) management information
C) expert
D) decision support
E) integrated

Question 34

Which of the following statements about the grapevine is true?

A) It should be avoided when information needs to be transmitted quickly.
B) It can permeate an entire organization.
C) It is a useful way to transmit confidential information.
D) It is limited to the boundaries of an organization.
E) It is a formal network of communication.

Question 35

Which of the following is a characteristic of vertical communication?

A) It consists exclusively of messages from subordinates to superiors.
B) It is limited to communication between two subsequent levels in an organization.
C) It can involve only two people.
D) It includes communication that flows up and down an organization.
E) It typically covers informal reporting lines.

Question 36

KFC used Facebook, Twitter, and the KFC website to introduce 18- to 25-year-olds to Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC. In this scenario, KFC used a(n) _____.

A) social media system
B) management information system
C) decision support system
D) expert system
E) intranet

Question 37

Manish is giving a party at his home and has put together a complete plan for the event. He has chosen to invite eleven people to the party. Which type of network would be most effective in communicating the invitations?

A) Chain
B) Y
C) Circle
D) All channel
E) Wheel

Question 38

Which of the following shows the correct order, from the simplest, most basic data, to the most sophisticated and highly aggregated data?

A) TPS, MIS, DSS, ESS
B) DSS, TPS, ESS, MIS
C) DSS, TPS, MIS, ESS
D) TPS, DSS, ESS, MIS
E) MIS, DSS, TPS, ESS

Question 39

Centralized networks perform with greater efficiency and accuracy when a task is _____.

A) simple and routine
B) simple and unconventional
C) complex and routine
D) complex and conventional
E) simple and nonroutine

Question 40

When is downward communication most likely to occur?

A) When an employee sends a resignation letter to a manager
B) When a manager sends project details to a subordinate
C) When an employee lodges an official complaint against a colleague
D) When a team member gives suggestion to a team leader in an official meeting
E) When an employee engages in grapevine communication

Question 41

_____ is the process of transmitting information from one person to another.

Question 42

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Accurate
b. Complete
c. Relevant
d. Timely
_____ information pertains to the problem at hand.

Question 43

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Accurate
b. Complete
c. Relevant
d. Timely
_____ information presents the manager with all the known, relevant facts.

Question 44

Discuss the organizational barriers to communication.

Question 45

Compare and contrast oral and written communication.

Question 46

_____ communication blurs the differences between oral and written communication and can help each be more effective.

Question 47

Cell phone dropped calls, an e-mail hung up at the server, and a page missing from a copy of a memo are all examples of _____ in the communication process.

Question 48

Which barrier to communication exists when a sender is considered an unreliable source of information?

A) Information overload
B) Language differences
C) Prejudice
D) Lack of credibility
E) Poor listening habits

Question 49

When Ferguson talks, his hands and face move expressively. This is a type of _____ communication.

Question 50

Which of the following includes nonverbal communication?

A) An e-mail message
B) A Skype video conference
C) A legal contract
D) An iTouch
E) A cell phone text message

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of organizational barriers to effective communication?

A) Conflicting or inconsistent signals
B) Credibility about the subject
C) Reluctance to communicate
D) Predispositions about a subject
E) Status differences

Question 52

Compare vertical and horizontal communication.

Question 53

Regulating information flow is an organizational skill in which the sender or receiver takes steps to ensure that _____ does not occur.

Question 54

Unlike verbal communication, nonverbal communication:

A) conveys less of the content of a message.
B) relies on association of words.
C) conveys message content indirectly.
D) includes telephone conversations.
E) includes e-mail transactions.

Question 55

Wi-Fi technology is further extending the impact of _____ technology.

Question 56

Data turns into information when it is organized and presented in a way that has _____.

Question 57

Michelle was an advocate for health care reform. In spite of statistics showing the cost of health care increasing after reform, she refuses to believe that reform had led to higher costs. She has the individual barrier of:

A) inconsistent signals.
B) credibility.
C) predispositions.
D) poor listening skills.
E) reluctance to communicate.

Question 58

When a politician is caught withholding information, he loses his _____ in the subject in question.

Question 59

The EPA is considering two different sticker designs for auto fuel economy. One design included a letter grade A+ to D, but a few members argued that the letter grade fell short because it is imbued with memories people have of school. Some others argued that it was simple and easy to understand. The result was that neither of the parties tried to understand what the other was saying. This scenario best exemplifies the organizational barrier of:

A) semantics.
B) information overload.
C) status difference.
D) different perceptions.
E) conflicting signals.

Question 60

A drawback to _____ communication is that the receiver might forget part of the message.

Question 61

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Individual barrier
b. Organizational barrier
Reluctance to communicate

Question 62

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Individual barrier
b. Organizational barrier
Status or power differences

Question 63

Which of the following is a characteristic of extranets?

A) They allow selected outsiders limited access to an organization's internal information system.
B) They are invariably the same as the Internet.
C) They are accessible only to employees via entry through electronic firewalls.
D) They are exclusively used for intra-organizational transactions.
E) They operate within the boundaries of a single organization.

Question 64

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Individual barrier
b. Organizational barrier
Credibility about a subject

Question 65

Information that provides all of the facts about a situation is described as _____.

A) incidental
B) solicited
C) timely
D) relevant
E) trivial

Question 66

Which of the following is used to limit access to an intranet?

A) Transaction-processing systems
B) Firewall
C) Internet explorer
D) Google chrome
E) Decision support systems

Question 67

How do the management information systems (MISs) support an organization's managers?

A) By providing internet access
B) By using thought processes
C) By performing physical tasks
D) By providing an interactive interface
E) By providing daily reports

Question 68

Which of the following is an advantage of the intranet?

A) It curbs the use of grapevine communication among employees.
B) It allows an organization to share information with other organizations.
C) It primarily assists with executive-level decisions and problems.
D) It provides outsiders access to a firm's data base.
E) It helps companies in securing important information.

Question 69

Which of the following is a characteristic of horizontal communication?

A) Horizontal communication occurs more among nonmanagers than among managers.
B) Horizontal communication covers only informal communication in an organization.
C) Horizontal communication is limited to two participants.
D) Horizontal communication primarily involves a superior and a subordinate.
E) Horizontal communication flows laterally within an organization.

Question 70

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Accurate
b. Complete
c. Relevant
d. Timely
_____ information is received by the manager when needed.

Question 71

Horizontal communication is different from vertical communication in that it involves:

A) superiors and subordinates.
B) upward communication.
C) downward communication.
D) colleagues and peers at the same level of an organization.
E) formal communication.

Question 72

The Transaction-processing systems for first-level (operational) activities:

A) is well defined, with predetermined data requirements.
B) follows different steps to complete the transactions in a system.
C) uses artificial intelligence.
D) is an interactive system that locates and presents information needed to support a decision-making process.
E) can be defined as the construction of computer systems, both hardware and software, to imitate human behavior.

Question 73

Which of the following disturbs the communication process?

A) Information
B) Contradiction
C) Noise
D) Information
E) Reference

Question 74

Which of the following statements is true of vertical communication?

A) It consists exclusively of messages from superiors to subordinates.
B) It is limited to communication between two subsequent levels in an organization.
C) It can and usually should be two-way in nature.
D) It includes communication that flows up in an organization and not the communication that plays down.
E) It typically covers grapevine communications.

Question 75

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Individual barrier
b. Organizational barrier
Conflicting or inconsistent signals

Question 76

How does the degree of difference in status between a superior and a subordinate create problems?

A) The greater the degree of difference in status, the more likely it is that upward communication will take place.
B) The greater the degree of difference in status, the more likely it is that the subordinate will suppress or distort information.
C) The greater the degree of difference in status, the more likely it is that the subordinate will engage in whistle blowing activities.
D) The greater the degree of difference in status, the more likely it is that the subordinate will engage in downward communication.
E) The greater the degree of difference in status, the more likely it is that the subordinate will be victimized by organizational
Politics.

Question 77

What is an advantage of horizontal communication?

A) It helps a manager in addressing the concerns of his or her subordinates.
B) It facilitates coordination among interdependent units.
C) It encourages downward communication.
D) It facilitates formal communication between a superior and a subordinate.
E) It encourages upward communication.

Question 78

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Accurate
b. Complete
c. Relevant
d. Timely
_____ information provides a valid, reliable picture of reality.

Question 79

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Individual barrier
b. Organizational barrier
Language differences

Question 80

Match the following numbered items with the most correct response letter.
A response may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
a. Individual barrier
b. Organizational barrier
Poor listening skills