Deck 4: Navigating the Business Communication Environment

Question 1

Business communications are influenced by environments which are shaped by national culture,corporate culture,individual behaviors,and widespread trends.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: Business communications are heavily influenced by the environments in which they are created and interpreted. Part of this environment is shaped by national culture, such as the growing concern about business ethics, and part is shaped by corporate culture. A part is shaped by individual behaviors, such as those involved in interpersonal communication. A final part is shaped by widespread trends such as globalization or the green movement.

Question 2

A common reason for not reporting ethical misconduct is loyalty of employees to colleagues,managers,or the company.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Common reasons for not reporting ethical misconduct is that employees feel that it is a standard practice and sometimes considered as not big an issue to be reported. Another reason is loyalty to colleagues, manager, or the company. This may also be staged negatively as fear of consequences.

Question 3

Nonverbal language has explicit meaning and can never be misinterpreted.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Even within a single culture, a nonverbal symbol may have more than one meaning. They can be misinterpreted just as easily as can verbal symbols and the misunderstandings can be harder to clear up.

Question 4

After a conversation,it is important to avoid writing points from the conversation because it implies that the person does not remember key points.

Question 5

Active listening alone can reduce the conflict that arises when two people want apparently inconsistent things.

Question 6

Skills in listening,conversation,nonverbal communication,and networking are an important part of interpersonal skills.

Question 7

You-attitude is more useful for listening than it is for writing.

Question 8

Smiling,frowning,and how long someone keeps a visitor waiting are examples of non-verbal communication.

Question 9

Characteristics of popular corporate cultures include flexible work arrangements,profit sharing,and wellness programs.

Question 10

According to linguist Deborah Tannen,questions such as whether one shows interest by asking lots of questions helps reveal one's own conversational style.

Question 11

Paraphrasing content,offering to help,and asking for help are examples of acknowledgment responses.

Question 12

An important element of listening skills at work is being oblivious to one's own emotional responses especially when the topic is controversial.

Question 13

A major reason for some people being more successful than others is strong interpersonal communication.

Question 14

Successful professionals communicate exclusively with managers or superiors.

Question 15

Listening to the feelings of co-workers is an important part of listening skills at work.

Question 16

Social signals is a part of nonverbal communication and refer to the tone of voice,gestures,proximity to others,and facial expressions.

Question 17

In order to reduce listening errors,one should ignore instructions that seem unnecessary.

Question 18

Inattention and emotions can cause listeners to misinterpret a speaker.

Question 19

People who do not know each other well and feel more comfortable with one another if a piece of furniture separates them is an example of a spatial cue.

Question 20

Formal companies are characterized by flat organizational structures.

Question 21

A way to manage time better is to decide at the end of a day's work,what one will do in the next day's work session.

Question 22

Sarah Roswell works at a software company in Indonesia and recently wrote a report on "Corporate Social Responsibility." In her report,she explained how in the past decade,Indonesia has witnessed severe impacts of climate change.She states that several large multinational companies are making a paradigm shift to renewable energy to tackle the problem of climate change.She suggests that lowering the company's carbon footprint is a good step toward corporate social responsibility.Which of the following is Roswell's report influenced by?

A) Religious feelings
B) Individual behaviors
C) Intuition
D) Trends
E) Philosophical beliefs

Question 23

Helen Bradley who works at an advertising firm in Manhattan is popular among her colleagues because of her strong interpersonal skills.Strong listening skills help her perform tasks well and share a good working relationship with employees.Which of the following does Bradley most likely do to be a good listener?

A) Use me-attitude which helps her to be portrayed as a confident person
B) Paraphrase the speaker's words to make her understanding accurate
C) Avoid writing down points which indicate she did not understand key points
D) Ignore instructions which may seem unnecessary or irrelevant
E) Avoid being aware of her own emotions which may cloud listening skills

Question 24

A tried and true way of improving customer service is increasing the oral communication skills of sales representatives and customer service agents.

Question 25

Body language is easy to understand because each nonverbal sign has one specific meaning.

Question 26

Which of the following is a feature of popular work culture?

A) Top-down structure
B) Profit sharing
C) Rigid rules
D) Static in nature
E) Autocratic structure

Question 27

Which of the following needs to be undertaken to avoid listening errors from misinterpretation?

A) Avoid summarizing points because it may seem disrespectful
B) Avoid checking the person's background which may seem over curious
C) Write down key points that affect how work will be evaluated
D) Ignore instructions which may seem unnecessary or irrelevant
E) Raise a controversial issue to make a conversation interesting

Question 28

Intercultural competence is the ability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures and countries,based on an understanding of cultural differences.

Question 29

Corporate security measures include bans on personal electronic devices,using scans of fingerprints,eyes,or faces to limit and track access to specific computers.

Question 30

Listening on a job is more difficult than listening in a class because:

A) jobs have unclear signposts about tasks that need to be done.
B) they comprise repetition of points which makes data boring.
C) one needs to identify and understand feelings of co-workers.
D) it involves reading reports before understanding what one is saying.
E) one always has a better understanding of things compared to others.

Question 31

Good networkers avoid mirroring postures,behaviors,and emotional states of people because it makes them lose their identity.

Question 32

True networking may be defined as creating connections before they are needed,creating diverse connections across wide areas,knowing which people to turn to when one needs additional expertise,and knowing people outside the company.

Question 33

Which of the following is an example of an acknowledgment response?

A) Thinking
B) Contemplating
C) Nodding
D) Introspecting
E) Intuiting

Question 34

Open body positions suggest that people are accepting and open to new ideas.

Question 35

Time sinks help people manage time more efficiently.

Question 36

Which of the following is most likely to be a characteristic of formal work culture?

A) Individual offices
B) Non-hierarchical structure
C) Decentralization
D) Casual attire
E) Self-managed teams

Question 37

Listening errors are most likely to arise when:

A) there are signposts and instructions.
B) important points are repeated.
C) discussions are well-organized.
D) topics are controversial.
E) you-attitude is used.

Question 38

Which of the following is true of ethics in business communication in today's world?

A) Ethical concerns are no more a part of the business environment.
B) Business ethics comprise exclusively of international pacts.
C) Basic communication decisions do not have an ethical component.
D) Employees nowadays have limited means for whistleblowing.
E) Activities at the heart of business may be ethical or manipulative.

Question 39

A person's body language may be indicated through one's facial expressions,eye contact,gestures,posture,and body positions.

Question 40

Katherine Anderson recently joined as a communications executive at a new travel company.Over the last few days,she has noticed that the company has an informal work culture and very different from the one at the previous organization she worked in.Which of the following are most likely to be a characteristic of Anderson's new work culture?

A) Arbitrary structure
B) Rigid rules and regulations
C) Flat organizational structure
D) Strict monitoring of activities
E) Limitation on individual activities

Question 41

A _____ refers to an informal source of company information.

A) website
B) grapevine
C) blog
D) floating block
E) tip sheet

Question 42

Which of the following is true of change in business communication?

A) Change which involves changes for the better is free from stress.
B) College programs can teach everything one needs to know about working life.
C) Communication skills become less important while one climbs a career ladder.
D) Reading professional websites does not help in keeping up with professional changes.
E) Undertaking company's training courses can help in staying abreast in one's profession.

Question 43

E-mails that try to lure receivers to send sensitive information are known as _____.

A) phishing messages
B) greylisting
C) honeypots
D) spamtraps
E) tarpits

Question 44

Which of the following is a good way to demonstrate active listening when a person is dealing with problems?

A) Dismissing a problem
B) Scrutinizing an issue
C) Acknowledging a problem
D) Minimizing an issue
E) Giving a quick solution

Question 45

Dorothy Rogers,during her lunch hour at work,listens to her colleague,Sarah Jones' woes about being re-located to the office in San Francisco.Sarah states,"I have just moved to New York and I am in no state of mind to being relocated to another city so soon.I do not understand why I of all people in the team need to re-locate!" What active listening skill should Rogers use which will help Jones feel better?

A) "I am sure you are worrying about nothing. San Francisco is a lovely city! I have lived there for three years and enjoyed every bit of it."
B) "You told me that a bunch of your relatives live there. Who knows, you may begin to live the place even more than New York!"
C) "I understand how you must be feeling. Re-locating when you just moved to a new city can be difficult."
D) "Remember Lisa Green from the marketing branch? She too recently re-located and is quite happy with the decision."
E) "Moving to a new city should be the least bit of your concern. Think of the work opportunities and the increased pay package!"

Question 46

Which of the following is an example of a social signal?

A) Gesturing
B) Talking
C) Narrating
D) Planning
E) Contemplating

Question 47

April Reyes works for Gordon Bank and has been given a sales target of 50 accounts for the month of September.She shares her problem with Linda Davis and says,"I do not know how I can achieve a target of 50 accounts when I have been doing only 30 a month for the last two years.This is just asking for the impossible!" What appropriate active response should Davis give which will help Reyes feel better?

A) "You are worrying about nothing! I am sure if you work in on weekends, you will be able to achieve the 50 mark."
B) "A target of 50 is still better. Josh Lucas from the South Branch has a target of 65!"
C) "Why don't you put down a plan on paper and figure out how best you can achieve the target?"
D) "You are saying that the target of 50 accounts is unrealistic because so far you have done 30 accounts."
E) "You should have seen this coming. The new sales manager announced a higher target next month if you remember."

Question 48

Which of the following is most likely to represent a spatial cue?

A) Placing a table between two people during a conversation
B) Laughing at a humorous story or a joke someone is sharing
C) Sitting upright during a presentation by a project manager
D) Leaning forward to listen intently to an ongoing discussion
E) Making eye contact with a client during a price negotiation

Question 49

Which of the following is an example of an open body language in the United States?

A) Leaning forward with uncrossed arms
B) Hands in front pockets of one's trousers
C) Crossed legs while sitting
D) Leaning back in a chair while someone is talking
E) Arms crossed across one's chest

Question 50

Which of the following represents the relating conversational style?

A) Seeing questions as requests for information and offering solutions
B) Seeing aggressiveness as a way of organizing the flow of conversation
C) Interpreting statements about other issues as efforts to change the topic
D) Not requiring new comments to relate explicitly to last speaker's comment
E) Tending to define topics gradually and progressively

Question 51

Which of the following is true of acknowledgement responses?

A) They are the same in all cultures.
B) They may comprise of smiling or frowning.
C) They help carry a message that one is talking.
D) They involve thinking about ideas.
E) They involve performing a task.

Question 52

Which of the following are used by companies to monitor their employees?

A) Global position systems
B) Typosquatting
C) Phishing
D) Brandjacking
E) Cybersquatting

Question 53

Leah Ramos recently gave a presentation on "Milestone Achieved and Lessons Learnt from the Warren and Co.Project." Her presentation had a visual appeal and provided crucial information that was important to the growth of the organization.However,she shifted from one topic to another too quickly and spoke in a monotonous tone which made the session slightly boring.Which of the following do these characteristics indicate?

A) Networking skills
B) Conversational style
C) Conflict Resolution
D) Acknowledgement response
E) Active listening

Question 54

Jonathan Mill works as a guest relations executive at a five star property,Le Gardenia.He is welcoming a new guest,Mr.Jordan Burns at the hotel today.On interacting with him,he finds that the guest is warm,friendly,and communicates his presence through non-verbal communication.Which of the following is Burns most likely doing?

A) Sharing humorous anecdotes of his other hotel experiences
B) Saying how much he likes the décor and location of the hotel
C) Making an effort to learn more about Mill to build a personal rapport
D) Making eye contact and smiling when Mill talks
E) Narrating interesting work related stories to Mill

Question 55

Which of the following should be used to manage time better?

A) Multitasking to achieve deadlines
B) Avoid spending a majority of time on important demands
C) Using time sinks to fit several tasks in a short time period
D) Keeping lists and prioritizing items on the list
E) Undertake smaller tasks first and keep large ones for later

Question 56

Erica Mason was talking to Erin Porter,a team member,about the problems she is facing with a client who is rude,demanding,and obnoxious.She says,"Mr.Lewis yesterday banged the phone down on my face while I was still talking.Today,when I called to give him quotes on a travel package he requested for,he said that I should not call him and waste his precious time if I cannot offer him a 30% discount." Porter in her response,instead of acknowledging Mason's problem,said something which made her feel she did not understand her problem.Which of the following did Porter most likely say?

A) "Maybe you should try talking to him more politely. I am sure he will come around if you are just a little more patient with him."
B) "You should one day observe Kylie Taylor deal with her clients. She is just brilliant!"
C) "The problem is you are too emotional. You should not take such clients so seriously!"
D) "Is there anything you want me to do to help you with the package?"
E) "The client I handled was even more difficult to deal with but I think I handled him well."

Question 57

_____ is used by companies to increase work-life balance of employees.

A) Overtime
B) GPS
C) Telecommuting
D) Furlough
E) Punch clock

Question 58

A person with a debating conversational style is most likely to:

A) see aggressiveness directed at the audience personally, as negative.
B) interpret statements about side issues as efforts to shape a topic.
C) expect new comments to acknowledge the last speaker's comment.
D) see and identify questions as requests for information.
E) offer solidarity and share troubles to establish a sense of community.

Question 59

_____ refers to hiring services and products that were once produced by the organization's employees.

A) Insourcing
B) Nearshoring
C) Outsourcing
D) Asset stripping
E) Cross docking

Question 60

Betty Morgan who works as a travel consultant is attending a training program on ticketing.Throughout the session,she uses active listening skills to indicate that she is paying attention to what the speaker is saying.Which of the following is Morgan most likely doing?

A) Frowning whenever a ticket reservation process is difficult
B) Smiling when the speaker uses a humorous anecdote
C) Nodding to indicate that she is understanding the process
D) Asking to cite an example to clarify a ticketing process
E) Saying "uh huh" to indicate she is listening intently

Question 61

What is active listening? Explain.

Question 62

According to linguist Deborah Tannen,answers to what questions help reveal one's own conversational style?

Question 63

List out some common tips for time management.

Question 64

Discuss the trend of globalization and outsourcing.

Question 65

Joshua who works for a telecom company was recently moved to a new project much after it started functioning.Joining in the middle of a fully functioning program made him feel lost and frustrated.Over lunch,Joshua shares his concerns with his colleague,Larry and states,"I do not know why I was moved into a project when it is so close to its completion.What is worse,I was not briefed about the details of the project.I do not know how I can help achieve the projects goals when I cannot understand the processes well." What should Larry say that will show that he understands and empathizes with Joshua's problem?

Question 66

What key guidelines should one follow to reduce listening errors caused by misinterpretation?

Question 67

What are some things one should avoid saying in order to prevent blocking communication? Explain.

Question 68

Lillian works as a climate campaigner at an environmental organization in China.In the past few months,she has been working on multiple projects which has left her drained.She shares her work woes with Victoria who sits in the next cubicle.She says to her,"In the last three months,I have worked on eight campaigns.There is always so much work that I have been working on weekends as well.It is extremely exhausting." Explain how best Victoria can respond to Lillian which will demonstrate active listening skills.

Question 69

Dawn Rivera is joining a new organization next week as a communication executive.Explain how her listening skills will play an important role in business communication and some common listening errors that she should steer clear from.

Question 70

How can body language communicate one's feelings? Explain.

Question 71

List the common reasons for not reporting ethical misconduct.

Question 72

How can nonverbal communication help us in a business environment?

Question 73

What is a corporate culture? Explain.

Question 74

Discuss the trend of work-life balance in business communication.

Question 75

Explain the trend of environmental concerns in the business environment.