Deck 6: Communicating in a Noisy World

Question 1

Most supervisors find it easier to engage in upward communication rather than downward communication.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Supervisors should attempt to eliminate the grapevine in order to reduce the number of distracting rumors in the workplace.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Effective communication means a successful transfer of information,meaning,and understanding from a sender to a receiver.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

If an idea received has the same meaning as the one intended,effective communication has occurred.

Question 5

Upward communication is necessary so that supervisors can convey their ideas concerning activities related to their work to upper management.

Question 6

Supervisors should never listen to the grapevine.

Question 7

Horizontal communication is concerned with communication between people at the same level of the organization.

Question 8

The grapevine can offer considerable insight into employees' thoughts and feelings.

Question 9

The grapevine is part of the formal communication channel established by the organization.

Question 10

The greatest single advantage of oral communication is that it takes less time than written communication.

Question 11

In order to be considered effective communication,the transmission of information must be put in writing.

Question 12

A supervisor's ability to communicate effectively will be a crucial element in determining the success or failure of that supervisor.

Question 13

The downward channel of communication involves supervisors giving instructions.

Question 14

An analysis of supervisors' activities would likely find that more than 75% of their workday involves giving and receiving information.

Question 15

Grapevines fulfill employee needs,including the needs for information and socialization.

Question 16

Upward,downward,and vertical communication are the three formal channels found within an organization.

Question 17

The skills of effective communication can be developed.

Question 18

Upward formal communication channels normally involve discussions and meetings between department heads.

Question 19

Silence is considered a form of body language.

Question 20

Horizontal communication usually occurs between people who are usually on the same level of the management hierarchy in different departments.

Question 21

"That's the best idea I have heard all day" is a killer phrase,meaning it is likely to kill the conversation.

Question 22

Before communicating,think through the point you wish to communicate so that it is clear in your mind.

Question 23

It often times helps to repeat a message several times,preferably using different words and different methods.

Question 24

Most people tend to value information overload because it helps them to be well informed employees.

Question 25

Stereotyping is a barrier to effective communication.

Question 26

The responsibility for upward communication typically falls on the supervisor.

Question 27

Because of the number of responsibilities that supervisors have,they are not required to contribute timely suggestions and ideas to their managers.

Question 28

In most organizations,policies,rules,information,guidelines,instructions,and goals follow which communication channel?

A)Upward
B)Horizontal
C)Informal
D)Downward

Question 29

Asking the listener if the instructions are clear is the best feedback technique.

Question 30

Upward communication involves:

A)giving directions.
B)asking questions.
C)making decisions.
D)providing training.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is true about communication?

A)It requires a two-way exchange of information.
B)It is required the least at the supervisory level.
C)It is considered complete when the information has been sent by the sender.
D)It does not require the receiver to decipher the information to be considered effective.

Question 32

During decoding,senders put messages into forms that receivers can interpret.

Question 33

Which of the following statement about communication is true?

A)It is necessary to have an agreement for an effective communication.
B)In a business scenario, communication occurs only during the leading function of management.
C)There must be mutual understanding for the communication to be successful.
D)Communication is a one-way process in most cases.

Question 34

Feedback is by far the most important method of improving communication.

Question 35

Downward communication does NOT involve supervisors:

A)receiving instructions.
B)explaining information
C)explaining procedures
D)training employees.

Question 36

The jargon used by an accountant is meaningful to a computer technician.

Question 37

Repetition can be a useful method to improve the effectiveness of communication.

Question 38

It is never a good idea to filter information when relaying information to others.

Question 39

Obstacles that distort messages between people can be called noise.

Question 40

Ann needs to talk to her supervisor,Mikayla,who is working feverishly on the departmental budget (which must be turned in to Mikayla's boss in one hour).If Mikayla wants to be an effective supervisor,however,she should immediately put aside the budget and instead focus attentively on Ann and her concerns.

Question 41

_____ is the degree of responsibilityand power afforded by aperson's professional or socialposition.

A)Prototype
B)Status
C)Stereotype
D)Exposure

Question 42

The perception that all people in a group share attitudes,values,andbeliefs is called ______.

A)stereotyping
B)deskilling
C)filtering
D)arbitrating

Question 43

Which of the following statements concerning the grapevine is correct?

A)Supervisors should tune into the grapevine because it can offer considerable insight.
B)The grapevine is not important to the supervisor and does not affect the supervisor.
C)The best cure for rumors on the grapevine is to ignore them so they will go away.
D)The grapevine is a formal channel of organizational communication.

Question 44

The grapevine:

A)may contain half-truths and rumors.
B)is more active at the top-management level.
C)is considerd as a formal chain of communication.
D)communicates information less rapidly than official communication.

Question 45

The first major step toward becoming a better communicator is:

A)ensuring that the message includes jargon.
B)thinking through the message before sharing the information.
C)eliminating body language and other nonverbal language cues.
D)using words with multiple meanings.

Question 46

All of the following are barriers to effective communication,EXCEPT:

A)jargon.
B)filtering.
C)noise.
D)feedback

Question 47

Which of the following practices helps make management ​by walking around effective?

A)Discouraging upward communication
B)Asking questions to subordinates about work
C)Eliminating downward communication
D)Reducing the productivity targets if employees

Question 48

_____ refers to words that are specific to a person's background or specialty.

A)Semantics
B)Jargon
C)Syntax
D)Stereotype

Question 49

Marissa,a production manager,recently contacted the managers within the marketing and shipping departments to help her tackle an issue related to product design and packaging.This is an example of what type of communication?

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

Question 50

Which of the following statements about the Internet and TMI is NOT true?

A)Internet use can become a time-consuming activity for some employees.
B)Lost productivity has resulted from inappropriate Internet use at work.
C)The Internet has the potential to give employees resources to do a better job.
D)Most businesses do not believe Internet surfing by their employees to be problematic.

Question 51

Delilah requested a meeting with her supervisor to negotiate a pay increase.This is an example of what type of communication?

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

Question 52

Communicating through body language:

A)must be avoided in business scenarios.
B)is most effective when used without any other form of communication.
C)may be interpreted differently by differentpeople.
D)is universal.

Question 53

When supervisors ask employees,customers,and others what they can do to help,they are employing which horizontal communication technique?

A)Cross-functional meetings
B)Grapevine communication
C)Management by objectives
D)Management by walking around

Question 54

Deb learned from her colleague Sean that the company's new secretary will be leaving after only two months on the job This information most likely came from which channel of communication?

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

Question 55

Jana,a manager,is coordinating with a lawyer to settle an agreement with another company.Jana had great difficulty communicating with the lawyer as she could not understand most of the words he used.The words used by the lawyer were very specific to his occupation.Which of the following communication obstacles is illustrated in the scenario?

A)Jargon
B)Syntax
C)Semantics
D)Stereotyping

Question 56

Which technique should Melinda use to ensure that her work-related email communication does not result in information overload?

A)KISS technique
B)Use of jargon
C)Deskilling
D)Filtering technique

Question 57

Joe believes that people from the state of Lanslot are hostile and reserved.At his workplace,he actively avoid interacting with colleagues who hail from Lanslot even if they don't come across as hostile or reserved.Which of the following communication barriers is illustrated in the scenario?

A)Jargon
B)Status
C)Stereotyping
D)Filtering

Question 58

Which method of communication is Raoul using if he sends an email to one of his subordinates with deadlines and guidelines on how to complete a specific task?

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

Question 59

_____ is the process of omitting or softening unpleasant details.

A)Filtering
B)Deskilling
C)Telecommuting
D)Clarifying

Question 60

_____ refers to obstacles that distort messagesbetween people.

A)The grapevine
B)Noise
C)The KISS factor
D)Semantics

Question 61

Benjamin is nervous about an upcoming meeting with his supervisor.To ensure that the meeting is effective,Benjamin should do all of the following EXCEPT:

A)provide information without filtering.
B)advertise success.
C)brainstorm potential problems and solutions.
D)show willingness to accept unrealistic workloads.

Question 62

Which of the following helps supervisors effectively deliver information to their subordinates?

A)Using direct language
B)Filtering information
C)Using jargon
D)Eliminating non-verbal cues

Question 63

Which of the following does NOT help develop effective listening skills?

A)Doodling while the person is talking
B)Adopting an attitude that you will always have something to learn
C)Waiting until the person is done speaking before asking questions
D)Reading body language

Question 64

Which of the following is an effective way of managing meetings with the boss?​

A)Complain constantly in case of problems.
B)Tell your bosses only what they want to hear.
C)Try and claim all credit for success.
D)Analyze the boss's listening style.

Question 65

Why is an agenda so important when planning for a meeting with one's boss?

Question 66

In attempting to limit too much information,what are some guidelines to follow when using electronic communication systems such as e-mail,fax,and voice-mail systems?

Question 67

Which of the following is a good listening practice?

A)Pretending to listen to the speaker
B)Finishing the speaker's statements
C)Establishing eye contact with the speaker
D)Showing indifference to the speakers feelings

Question 68

What are the advantages and disadvantages of oral communication?

Question 69

The most important method available to assure that proper comprehension of a message has occurred is through the use of:

A)one-way communication.
B)jargon.
C)filtering.
D)feedback.

Question 70

Which of the following is a method of overcoming barriers to effective communication?​

A)Keeping the communication a one-way process
B)Using jargon as much as possible to transfer information
C)Communicating when one party is visibly upset
D)Developing listening skills every chance possible

Question 71

What takes place during downward communication?

Question 72

Why does effective communication mean better supervision?

Question 73

Which of the following statements regarding repetition of the message is correct?

A)Messages that are instructions should not be repeated.
B)It is helpful to repeat a message several times using different words or methods.
C)A message must be repeated at least 15 times intermittently.
D)It is helpful to repeat messages using only one communication channel.

Question 74

Which of the following is NOT an effective way to manage meetings with the boss?

A)Planning the agenda
B)Filtering information
C)Respecting the boss's time
D)Learning to say no to unrealistic workloads

Question 75

What can a supervisor do to ensure effective communication?

Question 76

The communication process is fraught with many potential problems.Describe some of the barriers that can potentially interfere with this process.

Question 77

The most effective feedback technique is to:

A)ask whether the instructions were clear.
B)observe the receiver's body language.
C)evaluate the end result.
D)ask the receiver to paraphrase the information received.