Deck 11: Communication and Negotiation

Question 1

The structure and processes of organizations shape the effectiveness and nature of communication that takes place within and between them.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The term media richness is used to classify different media according to their cost-benefit ratio.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

A medium is the message itself,not the method or means of transmitting the message.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict,receivers often give more weight to the words used.

Question 5

Communication is the process of transferring information,meaning,and understanding from sender to receiver.

Question 6

Verbal communication includes both oral and written communication.

Question 7

Within the context of negotiation,positions represent a party's concerns and desires,whereas,interests are a party's stance regarding those positions.

Question 8

A "gatekeeper" is an associate who grants or declines permission for people to communicate with people in positions of authority.

Question 9

In recent years,the communication capabilities of the Internet have facilitated the emergence of large-scale,word-of-mouth networks.

Question 10

Lateral communication is sent from lower organizational levels to higher levels.

Question 11

Individuals in high-context cultures tend to pay little attention to the situational factors surrounding the communication process.

Question 12

Nonverbal communication cues are more important in low-context cultures than in high-context cultures.

Question 13

In organizations with strong hierarchical values,upward communication tends to be more frequent.

Question 14

Managers who are involved in negotiations can try to lessen the competition between the two parties by establishing an atmosphere of collaboration.

Question 15

Noise can interfere at any point in the communication process.

Question 16

Since reaching an agreement inherently involves communication,negotiation and communication are inseparably linked.

Question 17

Selective perception involves the tendency to oversimplify and generalize about groups of people.

Question 18

Culture cannot exist without communication,and human communication only occurs within a cultural context.

Question 19

Networking is a process of developing regular patterns of communication with particular individuals or groups to send and receive information.

Question 20

The basic model of communication is fundamental and universal; therefore,it exists outside of cultural,organizational,and personal contexts.

Question 21

Along which parameter are media classified based on their capacity to facilitate shared meaning?

A) communication technology
B) cost of communication
C) content of the communication
D) media richness

Question 22

The act of constructing a message is known as ________.

A) encoding
B) transmission
C) interpretation
D) receiving

Question 23

Which of the following is an example of oral communication?

A) memos
B) faxes
C) videoconferences
D) reports

Question 24

Liam is a college major from the University of Long Beach,California.He is forced to take a sabbatical from studies due to personal reasons and writes a detailed letter to his professor explaining the circumstances of his decision to discontinue the course.The medium of this communication between Liam and his professor is considered to be lean because ________.

A) Liam cannot receive a response from his professor immediately
B) the nature of the content of the communication is highly personal
C) Liam offers well-explained reasons for his decision to discontinue the course
D) a letter is a relatively more expensive mode of communication than e-mail

Question 25

A manager has to resolve a serious disagreement between two of her sales staff,one of whom accuses the other of "stealing" his clients.________ would be the best way for the manager to expedite the resolution of this dispute.

A) Face to face meetings
B) E-mail correspondence
C) Formal letters
D) Telephone conversations

Question 26

Which of the following steps in the communication process involves interpreting a message?

A) encoding
B) sending
C) receiving
D) decoding

Question 27

Which of the following situations is best suited for communication via a rich medium?

A) A team leader has to intimate team members of the schedule for the next meeting.
B) An employee wishes to discuss a hike in his salary.
C) An accountant requests employees to file their income tax returns.
D) A salesperson has to claim reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses.

Question 28

Which of the following statements is true of nonverbal communication?

A) The increasing use of electronic communication has lessened the importance of nonverbal communication in today's organizations.
B) When verbal and nonverbal messages are contradictory, receivers often give more weight to the nonverbal signals than to the words used.
C) Nonverbal messages should be different from the verbal messages in order to increase the diversity and range of the overall communication.
D) Nonverbal messages help simplify the dimensions of communication as they are nearly universal in meaning, in contrast to verbal communication.

Question 29

Which of the following is an example of a rich medium?

A) e-mail
B) memos
C) fax
D) face-to-face meeting

Question 30

________ refers to the interference with the transmission or decoding of a message.

A) Negative feedback
B) Medium
C) Positive feedback
D) Noise

Question 31

Which of the following situations is best suited for communication via a lean medium?

A) An airline plans to layoff a significant part of its ground crew.
B) A CEO wishes to announce the company's merger with a competitor.
C) A manager wants to postpone a scheduled meeting by a few days.
D) A team leader needs to address a "clear-the-air" meeting in the light of some team disharmony.

Question 32

Which of the following is a disadvantage of oral communication?

A) subject to misinterpretation
B) low flexibility
C) easy to ignore
D) does not command attention

Question 33

Which of the following is the leanest medium of communication?

A) face to face meeting
B) videoconference
C) e-mail
D) telephone call

Question 34

Which of the following is a characteristic typically associated with a rich medium?

A) impersonal nature of communication
B) multiple cues to aid in decoding
C) delayed feedback
D) wide reach

Question 35

The means of transmitting information from sender to receiver is known as the ________ of communication.

A) body
B) medium
C) essence
D) interference

Question 36

Which of the following is an example of nonverbal communication?

A) letters
B) e-mail
C) gestures
D) videoconferences

Question 37

Which of the following is a characteristic typically found in lean media?

A) delayed feedback
B) multiple cues to aid in decoding
C) high cost of transmission
D) personal nature of communication

Question 38

When nonverbal messages are ________ the spoken message,the odds of effective communication taking place are ________.

A) distinct from; improved
B) similar to; greatly reduced
C) consistent with; increased
D) incompatible with; unaffected

Question 39

________ is defined as the process of transferring information,meaning,and understanding from sender to receiver.

A) Management
B) Planning
C) Communication
D) Programming

Question 40

Which of the following is an advantage of written communication?

A) greater translation precision
B) decreased misinterpretation
C) high degree of flexibility
D) difficult to ignore

Question 41

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of an organization that affects communication?

A) Organizations are composed of only groups, rather than individuals.
B) Organizations have continuity through time.
C) Organizations have only integrated functions.
D) Organizations are oriented towards performance, rather than goals.

Question 42

Which of the following is an example of upward communication within an organization?

A) an HR manager reporting the results of the recruitment process to her boss
B) a team leader addressing a team meeting
C) the marketing department requesting the IT team's help with a software problem
D) a manager's message to employees indicating the schedule of the next meeting

Question 43

Lateral communication is oriented toward ________ -both formal and informal-that assist or affect coordination and joint problem solving.

A) asking questions
B) exchanging information
C) reporting problems
D) establishing goals

Question 44

Which of the following types of communication is the least frequent in an organization with strong hierarchical values?

A) upward communication
B) parallel communication
C) downward communication
D) lateral communication

Question 45

Which of the following is an example of lateral communication within an organization?

A) a manager's message to employees indicating the schedule of the next meeting
B) a supervisor reporting his division's performance to his manager
C) managers of two marketing teams discussing joint training programs
D) an employee requesting permission from his boss to go on leave

Question 46

Which of the following is a feature of upward communication in an organization with a strong hierarchical culture?

A) Subordinates address superiors by their first names.
B) Upward communication focuses on providing directions and decisions.
C) Upward communication is more frequent than downward communication.
D) Conversations between superiors and their subordinates tend be highly formal.

Question 47

Which of the following statements is true of formal communication channels?

A) Formal communication channels tend to operate more laterally than vertically compared to informal communication channels.
B) Formal communication channels define who has responsibility for information dissemination and indicate the proper recipients of work-related information.
C) Formal communication channels facilitate faster movement of information as people are highly motivated to pass information on.
D) Formal communication channels are designed to carry both work-related and nonwork information that can be easily regulated by the organization.

Question 48

Which of the following is an example of downward communication within an organization?

A) a CEO's mail congratulating employees for their performance
B) an employee requesting permission from his boss to go on leave
C) a supervisor reporting his division's performance to his manager
D) the HR department requesting performance reports from the engineering department

Question 49

A(n)________ is a route for communication that an organization authorizes,plans,and regulates and that is directly connected to the organization's official structure.

A) formal communication channel
B) lateral communication channel
C) parallel communication channel
D) unsanctioned communication channel

Question 50

________ refers to messages sent from lower organizational levels to higher levels.

A) Upward communication
B) Lateral communication
C) Synchronous communication
D) Downward communication

Question 51

Which of the following factors is the most important to be considered when choosing a medium based on its richness?

A) cost of using the communication medium
B) ease of use of the communication technology
C) degree of potential ambiguity in the message
D) level of comfort users have with the medium

Question 52

The contents of communications within organizations usually vary according to ________.

A) the richness of the media being used for communications
B) the speed of feedback expected of the receiver
C) the size of the communication's audience
D) the direction of the communication activity

Question 53

Which of the following statements is true of informal communication channels?

A) They are authorized, planned, and regulated by the organization.
B) They define who has responsibility for information dissemination and indicate the proper recipients of work-related information.
C) They facilitate vertical rather lateral communication among organizational members more often than formal communication channels.
D) They are developed through interpersonal activities of organization members and facilitate faster information flow.

Question 54

A(n)________ is a communication route that the organization doesn't prespecify but that develops through the interpersonal activities of employees.

A) informal communication channel
B) sanctioned communication channel
C) authorized communication channel
D) regulated communication channel

Question 55

Which of the following technologies provides the greatest degree of richness in communications carried out by participants located at great distances from each other?

A) videoconferencing
B) electronic mail
C) mobile telephony
D) social network sites

Question 56

Which of the following is most likely to be the content of an upward communication in an organization?

A) directions
B) decisions
C) questions
D) goals

Question 57

Which of the following is a disadvantage of informal communication channels in an organization?

A) They carry only nonwork related information and are detrimental to organizational productivity.
B) Some of the messages passed through them are inaccurate and focus only on negative information.
C) Lateral communication is greatly hindered as messages are closely regulated by the organization.
D) Informal communication channels are incompatible with advances in Internet and other modern communication technologies.

Question 58

Which of the following is most likely to be the content of an downward communication in an organization?

A) feedback
B) questions
C) suggestions
D) dissent

Question 59

________ refers to messages sent from higher organizational levels to lower levels.

A) Upward communication
B) Parallel communication
C) Downward communication
D) Lateral communication

Question 60

________ refers to messages sent across essentially equivalent levels of an organization.

A) Synchronous communication
B) Lateral communication
C) Parallel communication
D) Vertical communication

Question 61

A manager is considering three staff members as possible candidates for a new position.One morning she asks each of them,in private,whether they might be interested in the new position.She also asks them not to discuss the new position with anyone.At a function after work,she is approached by several staff members.They ask her about the new position they have heard about "on the grapevine." What important feature of informal communication channels does this scenario illustrate?

A) They only carry work-related information.
B) They often transfer information rapidly.
C) They often transfer inaccurate information.
D) They tend to follow the organizational hierarchy.

Question 62

________ is the tendency to oversimplify and generalize about groups of people,especially those groups or cultures other than one's own.

A) Cognitive dissonance
B) Stereotyping
C) Locus of control
D) Selective perception

Question 63

Which of the following characteristics is found in a high-context culture?

A) The rank of the receiver may affect the message and the medium.
B) Nonverbal communication cues are not considered to be important.
C) The message is considered more important than the medium.
D) Fewer adjustments are made to messages from situation to situation.

Question 64

Which of the following is the best example of selective perception acting as a barrier to interpersonal communication?

A) A subordinate employee does not make eye contact with his manager when speaking to him.
B) A customer focuses only on the product's price and ignores the salesperson's advice on quality.
C) An employee agrees with his boss' suggestions even though he believes his boss is wrong.
D) An employee misinterprets a colleague's sincere compliment as mockery.

Question 65

Which of the following statements is true of interpersonal barriers to communication?

A) Precision is important when a sender needs to persuade a receiver using a language that is not the receiver's preferred language.
B) It is usually the receiver's obligation to choose the language and words of the communication with the greatest possible precision.
C) Obstacles to interpersonal communication occur only at the receiver's end.
D) The burden of ensuring that accurate communication occurs is entirely on the sender.

Question 66

Which of the following barriers to communication occurs at the organizational level?

A) language
B) ethnocentrism
C) frame of reference
D) hierarchical barriers

Question 67

A manager is considering three staff members as possible candidates for a new position.One morning,she asks each of them,in private,whether they might be interested in taking up the post.She also asks them not to discuss the offer with anyone.At a function after work,she is approached by several staff members.They ask her about the new position they have heard about "on the grapevine." What important feature of informal communication channels does this scenario illustrate?

A) They only carry work-related information.
B) They often transfer information rapidly.
C) They often transfer inaccurate information.
D) They tend to follow the organizational hierarchy.

Question 68

Which of the following barriers to communication originates at the interpersonal level?

A) emotion
B) stereotyping
C) ethnocentrism
D) cultural distance

Question 69

A monthly interdepartmental meeting goes badly because the managers cannot agree on an agenda.Sales managers argue that new advertising strategies should be a top priority because sales have dropped; operations managers argue that equipment acquisition should take precedence because a key system is down.The failure of this meeting can be most clearly attributed to ________.

A) cultural barriers
B) organizational barriers
C) interpersonal barriers
D) emotional barriers

Question 70

A(n)________ is an identifiable pattern of communication within and between organizations,whether using formal or informal channels.

A) organizational culture
B) communication orientation
C) communication network
D) organizational configuration

Question 71

Which of the following statements is true of networking?

A) Even though networking is beneficial in the organizational context, it does not affect an individual's salary or career prospects.
B) Women are traditionally known to be more successful and attuned to the art of networking than men.
C) When managers are members of established networks, it is easier for them to influence the other people or groups involved in the networks.
D) Network patterns of communication are unaffected by factors such as age, gender, or ethnicity of the individuals involved.

Question 72

A person from a high-context culture is likely to view the lack of change in communication style of individuals from low-context cultures as evidence of ________.

A) sincerity
B) immaturity
C) dedication
D) sophistication

Question 73

________ refers to the process of screening out some parts of an intended message because they contradict our beliefs or desires.

A) Selective perception
B) Groupthink
C) Attribute substitution
D) Subjective validation

Question 74

A person from a low-context culture is likely to view wide swings in communication styles of another person as evidence of ________.

A) sophistication
B) maturity
C) insincerity
D) selfishness

Question 75

________ is the belief in the superiority and importance of one's own group.

A) Ethnocentrism
B) Jingoism
C) Narcissism
D) Machiavellism

Question 76

Which of the following refers to a process of developing regular patterns of communication with particular individuals or groups to send and receive information?

A) brainstorming
B) networking
C) featherbedding
D) outsourcing

Question 77

The term ________ refers to an existing set of attitudes that provides individuals a simplified way of interpreting messages that helps them make sense of complex communications.

A) cognitive dissonance
B) locus of control
C) cognitive complexity
D) frame of reference

Question 78

Which of the following characteristics is typically associated with a low-context culture?

A) Nonverbal cues are considered to be very important.
B) The rank of the receiver has a major influence on the message and the medium.
C) The medium may be as important as the message itself.
D) More and greater adjustments are made in messages.

Question 79

Which of the following barriers to communication originates at the cultural level?

A) nonverbal cues
B) stereotyping
C) selective perception
D) frame of reference

Question 80

Which of the statements is true of cultural barriers to communication?

A) Culture cannot exist without communication, but human communication occurs outside a cultural context as well.
B) The greater the cultural differences between sender and receiver, the greater the ease in communicating.
C) The industry of an organization has no influence on its internal culture.
D) The intended meaning of a message is more likely to be transferred if the sender and receiver share the same culture.