Deck 1: Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication

Question 1

The first step in the communication process is "the sender has an idea."

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Most messages aimed at important external receivers,such as the press,investors,and customers are drafted by the president of the company.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

A message is interpreted correctly when the receiver assigns to the words the same meaning as the sender intended and then responds in the desired way.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Whether you're listening or speaking,communication is a two-way process.

Question 5

Information has become one of the most important resources in business today.

Question 6

A diverse workforce can yield a significant competitive advantage by bringing more ideas and broader perspectives to bear on business challenges.

Question 7

Although companies often communicate with outsiders in a formal manner,informal contacts with outsiders are not important.

Question 8

Grapevines flourish when employees don't receive information they want or need.

Question 9

Company outsiders may form an impression of your organization based on subtle,unconscious clues you transmit through your tone of voice,facial expression,and general appearance.

Question 10

The communication process is a simple one consisting of two phases: the sender transmits the message and the receiver gets the message.

Question 11

Some executives are wary of the informal communication network.

Question 12

The grapevine helps employers determine if their formal means of communication are effective.

Question 13

Employers start judging your ability to communicate on the day you show up for the first interview.

Question 14

Unclear communication not only results in errors and missed deadlines,but also lies at the root of many other serious workplace issues.

Question 15

The "grapevine" is another name for formal horizontal communication.

Question 16

Most often you will be communicating with people who are similar to you in age,profession,and ethnic background.

Question 17

The formal communication network is typically shown as the organizational chart.

Question 18

Communication and effective communication are basically the same thing.

Question 19

Technology always helps a company.

Question 20

Most of the information that flows downward in an organization is geared toward helping employees do their jobs.

Question 21

Sending more messages is usually better than not sending enough.

Question 22

It is best to react emotionally when you receive constructive feedback.

Question 23

Your ability to empathize with,be sensitive to,and generally consider your audience's feelings is the best way to be effective in your communication.

Question 24

To make your messages effective __________

A)give facts rather than impressions.
B)present a lot of information.
C)use a lot of body language.
D)use arguments.

Question 25

A major barrier to effective communication is competing messages.

Question 26

Communicating in today's business environment nearly always requires some level of technical competence.

Question 27

When people must choose between conflicting loyalties and weigh difficult trade-offs,they are facing an ethical lapse.

Question 28

With the audience-centred approach,communicators try to learn as much as possible about their receivers.

Question 29

The more your audience members share your experiences-personal,professional,and cultural-the more likely they are to extract the same meanings that you encode in your messages.

Question 30

Constructive feedback focuses on the process and not the outcomes of communication.

Question 31

When interference in the communication process distorts or obscures the sender's meaning,it is called noise.

Question 32

The stakeholders in an organization do NOT include _____________

A)employees.
B)competition.
C)supervisors.
D)government.

Question 33

A message that means to mislead or manipulate the audience is unethical.

Question 34

Your communication efforts will also be influenced by the organization's corporate culture.

Question 35

"Knowledge workers" are those employees that specialize in acquiring,processing,and communicating information.

Question 36

Inappropriate web surfing while at work can leave employers open to lawsuits for sexual harassment if inappropriate images are displayed.

Question 37

Three principles of etiquette that will get you through almost any situation are respect,fun,and courtesy.

Question 38

Your own skills as a communicator will be as much a factor in your business success as anything else.

Question 39

Setting aside time to attend to email and telephone messages all at once is one way to help minimize distractions.

Question 40

Because of technology's speed and efficiency,it is the best choice for every communication situation.

Question 41

One example of a deceptive tactic is _________________

A)texting at a meeting.
B)not making eye contact.
C)stating opinions as facts.
D)have opposing political views.

Question 42

Employers often express frustration at the poor communication skills of many employees-particularly ____________

A)managers.
B)recent graduates.
C)sales personnel.
D)contract employees.

Question 43

Technonlogy is ________

A)a replacement for interpersonal communication.
B)the only way to communicate.
C)Reduces the need for personal contact.
D)an aid to interpersonal communication.

Question 44

One example that is NOT an example of horizontal communication is communication that flows _________

A)from the Sales department to the Accounting department.
B)from the V.P.Finance to the V.P.Marketing.
C)from one project team member to another project team member.
D)from a Warehouse manager to a Warehouse employee.

Question 45

How many steps are there in the communication process?

A)six steps
B)ten steps
C)eight steps
D)none of the above

Question 46

The final link in the communication process is _________________

A)sending the message.
B)receiving the message.
C)giving feedback to the sender.
D)interpreting the message.

Question 47

The term "corporate culture" refers to ______________________

A)the number of organizational levels within a corporation.
B)the extent to which corporations dominate a particular culture.
C)the mixture of values,traditions,and habits that give a company its atmosphere or personality.
D)a company's sponsorship of cultural events.

Question 48

Some executives are wary of informal communication channels,possibly because they ______________

A)fear the spread of misinformation.
B)believe only formal channels are efficient carriers of information.
C)object to casual conversations on company time.
D)fear a loss of their control over the flow of information.

Question 49

The director of advertising writing a memo to the plant manager is an example of _______________

A)upward communication flow.
B)downward communication flow.
C)horizontal communication flow.
D)informal communication flow.

Question 50

In the first step of the communication process,________________

A)the sender decides what to say.
B)the sender has an idea.
C)the sender chooses a medium of transmission.
D)the sender transmits the message.

Question 51

Work on your communication skills ___________________________

A)when you have been with the company for a while.
B)When you get a promotion.
C)before starting your business career.
D)when you are assigned to a team.

Question 52

Unethical communication includes __________________

A)carrying out plagiarism.
B)borrowing money from a colleague.
C)failing to introduce a colleague.
D)acting with transparency.

Question 53

Companies that restrict the flow of information limit their _______________

A)competitive potential.
B)potential employee promotions.
C)audience base.
D)management control.

Question 54

Multitasking _____________

A)creates communication distractions.
B)is an effective way to increase productivity.
C)does not adversely affect the communication process.
D)is not a common habit among workers.

Question 55

A casual conversation between co-workers is an example of ______________

A)upward communication.
B)downward communication.
C)interdepartmental communication.
D)informal communication.

Question 56

An example of external communication would be ____________________

A)an email from a salesperson to a customer.
B)a memo from a manager at headquarters to a manager at a store in another state.
C)a teleconference among company sales representatives in several states.
D)talking on a cell phone to a colleague.

Question 57

Bad connections,poor acoustics,and illegible copy are all examples of _______________

A)problems with feedback.
B)physical distractions.
C)problems with background differences.
D)overload problems.

Question 58

A flatter organizational structure ___________________

A)decreases the chance of misunderstandings occurring.
B)increases costs and reduces productivity.
C)can reduce profit.
D)creates more opportunities in middle management.

Question 59

An example of downward communication flow is ___________

A)a junior staff person giving information to a staff supervisor.
B)a sales manager giving instructions to a salesperson.
C)an email message about sick leave sent from one staff secretary to another.
D)a company briefing held on the organization's top floor.

Question 60

Communication is effective only when _____________________

A)the sender has a meaningful idea,sends it,and it is received.
B)the idea becomes a message.
C)the message gets transmitted without noise.
D)others understand your message correctly and respond to it in the way you would like.

Question 61

Plagiarism includes ___________

A)selectively misquoting.
B)misrepresenting numbers.
C)distorting visuals.
D)violating a copyright.

Question 62

An organization's corporate culture is the mixture of values,traditions,and habits that give a place its atmosphere or personality.

Question 63

After getting a message,a receiver responds by giving the sender feedback .

Question 64

Whether exchanging emails,giving a formal presentation,or chatting with co-workers at lunch,you are engaging in communication.

Question 65

The informal communication network within an organization is referred to as the grapevine .

Question 66

Noise is interference in the communication process that distorts or obscures the sender's meaning.

Question 67

Your receiver must cooperate by decoding your message-absorbing and understanding it.

Question 68

Some business communicators try to manipulate their receivers by using deceptive tactics.

Question 69

Which of the following is an example of an ethical dilemma?

A)Deciding whether or not to inform employees that layoffs are coming,when a big project needs to be finished
B)Deciding whether or not to sell company stock when you have inside information on a coming downturn
C)Deciding whether or not to use the copy machine for your personal papers
D)Deciding whether or not to declare the costs of your vacation travel as a deductible business expense

Question 70

There are many new technologies available to improve Business Communications.Which of the list below are NOT among them?

A)Blogging
B)Email
C)Online chats
D)Ergonomic offices

Question 71

The exchange of information within an organization is referred to nas iternal communication.

Question 72

An organization can foster ethical communication by _______________

A)helping top managers to become more frequent communicators.
B)setting ethical examples with ethical company leadership.
C)using an ethical lapse.
D)creating a mission statement.

Question 73

Collectively,the people with whom you interact-your colleagues,employees,supervisors,customers,and so on-are referred to as stakeholders .

Question 74

Regardless of your specialty,most companies also expect you to be a competent communicator.Which of the following is NOT a communication skill desired by most businesses?

A)Organizing ideas logically
B)Presenting ideas persuasively
C)Communicating forcefully
D)Listening effectively

Question 75

To make your business messages more effective you should _______________.

A)include as many details as possible.
B)give facts not impressions.
C)use "smart" words.
D)be sure to put in a lot of pictures.

Question 76

Increased globalization and workforce diversity mean that employees must be able to communicate with people from other cultures.

Question 77

When you put your idea into a message that your receiver will understand,you are encoding the message.

Question 78

Soft skills (communication,teamwork,problem solving)are just as important as technical abilities,as employers look for well-rounded individuals who will integrate well into their companies.

Question 79

Which of the following is an example of an ethical lapse?

A)Putting suggestions in the company suggestion box without signing your name
B)Informing a new employer about your previous (competing)employer's major clients
C)Telling your supervisor that another employee is stealing office supplies
D)Providing incorrect data in a report,even though you didn't know it was incorrect at the time

Question 80

Ethics in the workplace is an increasingly important issue.Which of the following examples is not considered unethical?

A)Self promotion
B)Plagiarism
C)Misrepresenting numbers
D)Distorting visuals