Deck 15: Communicating

Question 1

Computer-aided communication results in faster and higher-quality decisions for groups, and greater member satisfaction compared with face-to-face communication.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Although organizations rely heavily on computer-aided communication for group decision making, face-to-face groups generally take less time, make higher-quality decisions, and are more satisfying for members.

Question 2

Errors can occur in all stages of the communication process.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Errors can occur in all stages of the communication process. In the encoding stage, words can be misused, facts left out, or ambiguous phrases inserted. In the transmission stage, a memo may get lost on a cluttered desk, or words might be spoken with ambiguous inflections.

Question 3

Screening is the process of withholding, ignoring, or distorting information.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Filtering is the process of withholding, ignoring, or distorting information. Senders do this, for example, when they tell the boss what they think the boss wants to hear or give unwarranted compliments rather than honest criticism.

Question 4

Advantages of oral communication include that it can be revised and it provides a permanent record.

Question 5

Perception is the process of receiving and interpreting information.

Question 6

Circular communication means not only that the receiver provides feedback, but also that the sender is receptive to the feedback.

Question 7

Filtering and perceptual differences increase the likelihood that another person means what you think he means or understands the meanings you intend.

Question 8

Channels of communication include oral, written, and personal.

Question 9

When an employee tells the boss what he thinks she wants to hear, he is filtering.

Question 10

The relayer initiates the communication process by conveying information to the receiver.

Question 11

One-way communication is a process in which information flows in only one direction, from the sender to the receiver, along a feedback loop.

Question 12

The transmission of information and meaning from one party to another through shared symbols is called decoding.

Question 13

One-way communication, by definition, cannot become two-way.

Question 14

The use of instant messaging in business settings is growing.

Question 15

Fewer mistakes are made and fewer problems arise with two-way communication than with one-way communication.

Question 16

Effective communication is a fundamental aspect of job performance and managerial effectiveness.

Question 17

A blog can be used as a team's central location for project updates and interactions.

Question 18

Web 2.0 refers to the costly problem of employees' use of Internet access at work for personal reasons.

Question 19

One disadvantage of electronic media as a communication channel is the difficulty of solving complex problems, which require more extended interaction.

Question 20

When receivers respond to senders, two-way communication has occurred.

Question 21

Even for e-mail, a writer should use a dictionary and a thesaurus, and avoid the use of fancy words.

Question 22

Using jargon is an ineffective way to communicate with others.

Question 23

Observation is dependent upon accurate interpretation.

Question 24

Flat organizations have disadvantages associated with excessive filtering.

Question 25

E-mail is most appropriate for routine messages that do not require the exchange of large quantities of complex information.

Question 26

The average Japanese person spends about twice as many hours per day in conversation as the average American.

Question 27

A virtual office is a mobile office in which people can work anywhere, as long as they have the tools to communicate with customers and colleagues.

Question 28

Research suggests that facial expression and tone of voice can account for as much as 25 percent of the communication between two people.

Question 29

Reflection is a process by which a person states what he or she believes the other person is saying.

Question 30

In order to listen effectively, one should make it a priority to absorb all of the facts and details.

Question 31

It is advisable to adjust your language when writing or speaking based on the receiver's background, both cultural and technical.

Question 32

Rich media are quicker and more personal than lean ones, but allow less feedback.

Question 33

For managers, listening is critical; failure to listen not only causes managers to miss good ideas but can even drive employees away.

Question 34

The best way for a manager to confirm a meeting time with 10 employees is by phone.

Question 35

E-mail messages sent at work are the private property of the sender.

Question 36

A workplace may monitor an employee's e-mail and use these messages in court cases brought against that person or someone else.

Question 37

Authenticity is important for persuasive speaking.

Question 38

Effective writing is typically lengthy and full of details that cover all possible scenarios, so that nothing important is missed.

Question 39

Nonverbal messages can support or undermine the stated message.

Question 40

Straight talk is important and typical among top-level managers.

Question 41

Components of the communication process include which of the following?

A) Sender, receiver, and volume.
B) Volume and message.
C) Feedback and channel.
D) Clutter and message.
E) Channel and clutter.
Figure 15.1 shows a general model of how one person communicates with another. It includes the sender, who transmits the message through some channel, such as a verbal or written medium. The receiver may provide feedback to the sender by encoding a message in response to the sender's message.

Question 42

The grapevine can assist with helping new employees to learn their jobs.

Question 43

Dialogue with a goal of helping another be more effective and achieve his or her full potential on the job is known as mentoring.

Question 44

A boundaryless organization is typically plagued by information overload.

Question 45

Employees in top-performing companies spend more time in communicating with their peers, including socializing, than employees of average companies.

Question 46

The problems common in upward communication are much more serious than those for downward communication.

Question 47

A process in which information flows in only one direction, from sender to receiver, with no feedback loop is referred to as

A) Decoding.
B) Centralized decision making.
C) One-way communication.
D) Decentralized communication.
E) Two-way communication.

Question 48

Communication with others outside the firm is known as outward communication.

Question 49

Communication noise is

A) Audible disruptions to the communications process.
B) Avoidable by selecting quiet channels.
C) Anything that interferes with accurate communication.
D) An important way to gain the attention of the receiver.
E) Anything that causes a receiver to seek information elsewhere.

Question 50

The transmission of information and meaning from one party to another through the use of shared symbols is referred to as

A) Negotiating.
B) Communication.
C) Discussion.
D) Dialect.
E) Symbolism.
Communication is the transmission of information and meaning from one party to another through the use of shared symbols. Figure 15.1 shows a general model of how one person communicates with another.

Question 51

A boundaryless organization is one that has no permanent employees and operates under the principles of the commons, or shared access to resources.

Question 52

According to research, workers receive only about 65 percent of the information that is provided from the top of the communication chain.

Question 53

An interference in the system of communication that blocks perfect understanding is referred to as

A) Communication.
B) Noise.
C) Static.
D) Filtering.
E) Dialogue.

Question 54

The social network of informal communications is known as the grapevine.

Question 55

Evidence suggests that the grapevine must be eliminated to avoid negative consequences for formal communication efforts.

Question 56

Which of the following is an example of one-way communication?

A) A telephone conversation.
B) A videoconference.
C) A newscast.
D) A reading group.
E) Slow dancing.

Question 57

Formal communications move only downward.

Question 58

In such an organization as the one the new program would create at Daily, people, jobs, processes, ideas, information, decisions, and actions can move to where they are most needed. True or false?

Question 59

Frederick Taylor, known as the father of scientific management, would have considered open-book management to be a very effective managerial tool.

Question 60

Effective coaching requires honesty, calmness, and supportiveness.

Question 61

A set of Internet-based applications that encourage user-provided content and collaboration is called

A) Web development.
B) Web 2.0.
C) Web commons.
D) Web collaboration.
E) Web assimilation.

Question 62

__________ offices are mobile offices that use communication tools to allow people to work anywhere.

A) Corporate
B) Business
C) Virtual
D) Electronic
E) Second life

Question 63

Which of these is an advantage of written communication?

A) The message is changed and refined when relayed through many people.
B) It is less expensive than oral.
C) The message is more persuasive.
D) It is a permanent record.
E) Receivers can analyze the message more quickly.

Question 64

Which of the following is an example of two-way communication?

A) A television show.
B) A telephone ringing.
C) A political speech.
D) A newspaper article.
E) An argument.

Question 65

Two-way communication has occurred when

A) Receivers respond openly to senders.
B) The receiver properly decodes the message.
C) Feedback is sent to unreceptive senders.
D) Information flows successfully from the sender to the receiver.
E) The sender encodes a meaning.

Question 66

E-mail messages are ______ private property.

A) the system owner's
B) the sender's
C) the receiver's
D) not
E) both the sender's and receiver's

Question 67

When you tell your boss a slightly misleading version of the problem you are having with your subordinates, just so she isn't worried, you are

A) Filtering.
B) Eliminating noise.
C) Decoding.
D) Enhancing perception.
E) Dialoging.

Question 68

E-mail is an example of which communication channel?

A) Nonverbal.
B) Oral.
C) Written.
D) Virtual.
E) Horizontal.

Question 69

Which of the following communication channels includes reports and computer files?

A) Written.
B) Downward.
C) Electronic.
D) Oral.
E) Upward.

Question 70

Oral communication includes

A) Any use of words.
B) Anything audible.
C) Face-to-face discussions.
D) All nonwritten communication.
E) Nonverbal nuances.

Question 71

Which of the following will best reduce misperceptions in communication?

A) Tailor the message for each group by changing the meaning for each group.
B) Say what you don't mean along with what you mean.
C) Encourage others to multitask while receiving the message.
D) Use only one-way communication for important messages.
E) Use silence for emphasis.

Question 72

Which of these is the process of withholding or distorting information?

A) Dialogue.
B) Perception.
C) Shielding.
D) Filtering.
E) Noise.

Question 73

________ communication may result in a proliferation of negative and nasty messages, and misinterpretations, including hurling insults, venting frustration, and otherwise breaching protocol.

A) One-way
B) Electronic
C) Two-way
D) Upward
E) Oral

Question 74

Disadvantages of electronic communication include which of the following?

A) Increased travel expenses.
B) Inability to pick up nonverbal cues.
C) Greater time demands.
D) Inefficiency for newcomers.
E) High investment costs.

Question 75

The process in which information flows in two directions, with the receiver providing feedback and the sender being receptive to the feedback, is referred to as

A) Two-way communication.
B) Downward communication.
C) Horizontal communication.
D) Upward communication.
E) Circular communication.

Question 76

The process of receiving and interpreting information is known as

A) Filtering.
B) Learning.
C) Collaboration.
D) Perception.
E) Dialogue.

Question 77

One-way communication is ________ than two-way communication.

A) easier for the sender
B) more time-consuming
C) better for sensitive issues
D) more effective
E) more likely to be understood

Question 78

Teleconferencing is an example of which communication channel?

A) Nonverbal.
B) Horizontal.
C) Written.
D) One-way.
E) Electronic.

Question 79

Blogs can be used by companies

A) To control employee access to external websites.
B) To replace formal communication with employees.
C) As a method of nonverbal communication.
D) To foster external communication.
E) To make e-mailing more efficient.

Question 80

Face-to-face discussions, telephone conversations, and formal presentations are examples of

A) Written communication.
B) Nonverbal communication.
C) Oral communication.
D) One-way communication.
E) Horizontal communication.