Deck 10: Communication: Theory and Modern Media

Question 1

Which of the following statements is true of memos?

A) When writing to someone outside the organization, employees usually send a memo.
B) They are an informal way of sending a written message.
C) They take a relatively short time to prepare and deliver.
D) Because of their formality, memos lend themselves to communication within an organization.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A conclusion drawn from the facts available is referred to as:

A) prejudice.
B) stereotype.
C) noise.
D) inference.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Active listening typically involves:

A) replying promptly with a yes/no answer.
B) decoding the information conveyed rather than the emotion of the speaker.
C) understanding the feelings the speaker is conveying through a message.
D) participating actively in a group discussion.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

A supervisor can best combat biases in attention by:

A) using statements that phrase inferences as facts.
B) using technical jargon to grab the attention of the listener.
C) phrasing messages carefully to appeal to the receiver.
D) switching to nonverbal forms of communication.

Question 5

The communication process begins when the sender of a message:

A) decodes the message.
B) creates noise.
C) encodes the message.
D) gives feedback.

Question 6

Darien loves to play GameCube games.While he is playing,he gets so involved that when someone asks him a question,he answers,"Uh-huh".He is most likely:

A) listening, but not hearing.
B) hearing, but not listening.
C) communicating effectively.
D) using formal communication.

Question 7

Feedback is best defined as:

A) the way the receiver of a message responds or fails to respond to the message.
B) the actions that can distort a message by interfering with the communication process.
C) the way people draw negative conclusions about a category of people based on stereotypes.
D) the path along which informal communication travels in an organization.

Question 8

To overcome the barrier of information overload,supervisors should ideally:

A) give employees only the information that will be useful to them.
B) encourage the employees to turn to the grapevine for information.
C) not ask for feedback because employees might get distracted.
D) speak clearly in a loud tone of voice.

Question 9

Select the correct statement about the communication process.

A) The sender encodes, but does not do any decoding.
B) The receiver decodes, but does not do any encoding.
C) Noise and feedback do not affect communication.
D) The receiver of a message must listen to it rather than just hear it.

Question 10

Grace is a supervisor at an advertising agency.While conducting performance appraisal meetings with her employees,she instructs her secretary to hold all calls and to prevent any other interruptions.This action of Grace:

A) ensures that distractions which might hamper communication are avoided.
B) increases the likelihood of messages being distorted during the communication process.
C) distinguishes between opinions and facts so that communication is not hampered.
D) shows that she uses the informal mode of communication to make employees comfortable.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about inferences and facts is true?

A) Statements using the words "never" and "always" are less likely to be inferences.
B) A fact is a conclusion drawn from the inferences available for scrutiny.
C) When sending a message, a supervisor should avoid statements that phrase inferences as facts.
D) An inference is a conclusion drawn from observation.

Question 12

Which of the following is most likely to help one in communicating effectively?

A) Ignoring the receiver's viewpoint
B) Learning from feedback
C) Hearing rather than listening
D) Being emotional

Question 13

Which of the following statements about nonverbal messages is true?

A) Nonverbal forms of communication work best when a supervisor wants to remove biases in attention.
B) Our facial expression, posture, and even silence provide nonverbal cues.
C) The meanings of nonverbal messages are universal and do not change from culture to culture.
D) Nonverbal messages generally have lesser influence on the receiver than verbal messages.

Question 14

The negative conclusions about a category of people based on stereotypes are known as:

A) prejudices.
B) perceptions.
C) retrospective biases.
D) reverse biases.

Question 15

When faced with cross-cultural communication,supervisors should:

A) stick to complex words.
B) talk fast without pausing.
C) avoid using the jargon of his/her industry.
D) speak clearly in a loud tone of voice.

Question 16

To communicate with employees,supervisors usually depend on:

A) written communication.
B) nonverbal communication.
C) haptic communication.
D) oral communication.

Question 17

The difference between a fact and an inference is that a(n):

A) fact is a conclusion drawn from statements using the words "never" and "always".
B) inference is a conclusion drawn from the facts available.
C) fact is a conclusion drawn typically from an informal mode of communication.
D) inference is a conclusion drawn from the noise around.

Question 18

Misunderstandings are least likely to occur when:

A) a message is complicated.
B) technical jargon is used.
C) simple words are used.
D) a message is emotional.

Question 19

Which of the following is an advantage of memos?

A) They take a relatively short time to be prepared and delivered.
B) They are the preferred mode of communication for writing to people outside the organization.
C) They provide a written document for the receiver to review.
D) They allow the supervisors to send out nonverbal messages more effectively.

Question 20

The technique that involves hearing what the speaker is saying,trying to understand the facts and feelings the speaker is trying to convey,and then stating what the listener understands that message to be,is called:

A) upward communication.
B) active listening.
C) downward communication.
D) feedback.

Question 21

Organizational communication in which a message is sent to someone at a lower level is referred to as:

A) diagonal communication.
B) upward communication.
C) lateral communication.
D) downward communication.

Question 22

Communication is the process by which people send and receive information.

Question 23

To be well informed and benefit from employees' creativity,a supervisor should primarily encourage:

A) nonverbal communication.
B) grapevine communication.
C) upward communication.
D) haptic communication.

Question 24

For effective communication to occur,it is mandatory for the sender to play an active role,but the receiver can play a passive role.

Question 25

Which of the following is typically true of rumors?

A) The supervisor is often obligated to participate in spreading rumors.
B) Rumors rarely tell a complete or unbiased version of the truth.
C) Rumors are always based on facts.
D) Much of the formal communication takes the form of rumors.

Question 26

Organizational communication in which a message is sent to someone at a higher level is referred to as:

A) upward communication.
B) diagonal communication.
C) lateral communication.
D) downward communication.

Question 27

The supervisor should choose oral communication over written communication when the message is:

A) official.
B) sensitive.
C) factual.
D) complex.

Question 28

A supervisor is receiving a(n)_____ communication when an employee reports a problem.

A) diagonal
B) upward
C) lateral
D) downward

Question 29

Effective communication is most likely to occur when the focus is entirely on the speaker's viewpoint.

Question 30

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of formal communication?

A) It is directed toward accomplishing the goals of the organization.
B) It is directed toward meeting people's individual needs.
C) It rarely follows the lines of the organization chart.
D) It is typically used by top management but not employees.

Question 31

Lateral communication occurs when a message is sent to a person:

A) at a higher level in the organization.
B) at the same level in the organization.
C) outside the organization.
D) at a lower level on the organization chart.

Question 32

When a supervisor gets a memo from top management describing a new company policy,he/she is receiving a(n)_____ communication.

A) diagonal
B) upward
C) lateral
D) downward

Question 33

The grapevine is:

A) an example of formal communication.
B) the path along which informal communication travels.
C) the mode of communication preferred by supervisors for upward communication.
D) the mode of communication used by supervisors to send messages outside the organization.

Question 34

When feedback is critical,which of the following is the most effective mode of communication?

A) Telephone conversation
B) Memorandum
C) Face-to-face communication
D) Bulletin board notice

Question 35

Communication that is primarily directed toward meeting people's individual needs is called:

A) formal communication.
B) informal communication.
C) diagonal communication.
D) upward communication.

Question 36

A supervisor cannot use feedback when he/she is receiving a message.

Question 37

For emotionally charged issues,the supervisor should typically:

A) communicate face-to-face.
B) communicate through e-mail.
C) use the voice mail.
D) use the bulletin board.

Question 38

With increase in noise,communication breakdowns are less likely to occur.

Question 39

In times of crisis when employees are not satisfied with the amount of information they receive from management,they are most vulnerable to getting incorrect information from:

A) haptic communication.
B) formal communication.
C) the grapevine.
D) the employee handbook.

Question 40

One method that supervisors can use to encourage upward communication is to:

A) persuade one's boss to ask questions.
B) hear rather than listen to employees.
C) use a suggestion box.
D) be authoritative and use a loud tone of voice.

Question 41

Memos are a formal way to send a written message.

Question 42

The written mode is the most effective and efficient method for a message.

Question 43

Inferences based on facts are usually true.

Question 44

Active listening is a technique in which the listener focuses entirely on the information being delivered through a message rather than the feelings of the speaker.

Question 45

An important way to combat information overload is to give employees only information that will be useful to them.

Question 46

The statement,"Asians are known to be intellectuals",is an example of a stereotype.

Question 47

Supervisors should use the figurative meanings of words when speaking to people from other cultures.

Question 48

When a message is complex,listeners are likely to be more attentive and the chances of a misunderstanding are low.

Question 49

A prejudice is a conclusion drawn from the facts available.

Question 50

To avoid misunderstandings,a supervisor should use "you statements" instead of "I statements".

Question 51

An analysis of how to meet a need or solve a problem takes the form of a report.

Question 52

Effective listening begins with a commitment to listen carefully.

Question 53

The way to overcome communication barriers resulting from prejudices is to be aware of the assumptions we make.

Question 54

To avoid misunderstandings,a supervisor should be careful to make appropriate word choices when encoding a message.

Question 55

A common misconception that people have is that a loud tone of voice is the only way to get a message across when talking to a person from a different culture.

Question 56

Oral communication gives the supervisor an opportunity to send and receive many nonverbal cues along with the verbal ones.

Question 57

People of all cultures have the same nonverbal vocabulary.

Question 58

Employees often consider the physical presence of the supervisor as a nonverbal message that the supervisor is interested in what the employees are doing.

Question 59

Tone of voice is a major type of nonverbal message.

Question 60

Supervisors can best combat biases in attention by raising their voice.

Question 61

Verbal messages can be either oral or written.Give three examples of each.

Question 62

Discuss at least one way through which supervisors can ensure that messages in the grapevine are positive and in line with the organization's objectives.

Question 63

Distinguish between hearing and active listening.

Question 64

A memo sent to the supervisor from top management about a new company policy is an example of lateral communication.

Question 65

The supervisor should participate in enough lateral communication so that the work of his/her department is well coordinated with the work of other departments.

Question 66

Much of the communication that occurs in an organization is directed toward meeting people's individual needs.

Question 67

What are prejudices? Explain with an example how they act as barriers to effective communication.

Question 68

Discuss what a supervisor can do when a speaker uses words or phrases that evoke an emotional reaction.

Question 69

To keep rumors and gossip under control,the supervisor should ignore them because they will typically go away.

Question 70

Written communications,such as e-mail,are rarely suited for objective messages.

Question 71

In the context of communication,what is noise? Give at least three examples.

Question 72

Since rumors and gossip are a fact of life in the workplace,a supervisor's participation in it should be encouraged.

Question 73

The grapevine is important to supervisors because employees use it as a source of information.

Question 74

What should a supervisor do when a message has not been received fully and correctly by the receiver?

Question 75

Suppose your teacher is standing in front of the class with his/her arms folded across the chest.List the different types of nonverbal messages that you can interpret from this situation.

Question 76

Distinguish between upward communication and downward communication.

Question 77

When a supervisor needs to reach someone in a hurry,letters and memos should be avoided as they are too time-consuming.

Question 78

People will receive a message only if it comes through a channel they feel comfortable using.

Question 79

Disciplinary action calls for a written record as well as a face-to-face meeting.

Question 80

How can a supervisor respond to the barrier of information overload?