Question 1

While conducting an orientation session for new employees, Clayton noticed looks of confusion on the faces of some listeners.He then paused and asked his audience, "What questions do you have so far?" Clayton was striving to overcome interpersonal communication barriers by

Accepted Answer

Clayton is creating an environment for useful feedback by encouraging his audience to ask questions. By doing so, he is allowing for open communication and giving his audience the opportunity to address any confusion or misunderstandings they may have. This helps to overcome interpersonal communication barriers.

Question 2

While reading an e-mail message from her boss, Mallory is distracted by numerous typographical and spelling errors.These errors that detract from the message and make it difficult to read are called

Accepted Answer

The typos and spelling errors are examples of noise in the communication process, which is anything that interferes with the transmission or reception of a message. In this case, the noise is making it difficult for Mallory to understand the boss's message.

Question 3

As her supervisor explains the new procedure, Rachel nods her head.Rachel's response is an example of

Accepted Answer

Rachel's nodding of her head is a nonverbal response, indicating her understanding or agreement with what her supervisor is explaining. Therefore, the correct choice is D) nonverbal feedback.

Question 4

Jessica sends her résumé to several companies.Unfortunately, it is poorly formatted and contains several typographical errors.What kind of communication barrier may this cause?

Accepted Answer

The poorly formatted résumé with typographical errors may cause physical distraction as it may be difficult for employers to read and comprehend the information presented. This may cause them to overlook important information or become frustrated with the format and errors, leading to a negative evaluation of Jessica as a job candidate.

Question 5

Thomas includes the sentence "Let me know whether I can answer any questions" at the end of his e-mail message as a way to encourage

Accepted Answer

Including the sentence "Let me know whether I can answer any questions" at the end of an email message encourages feedback from the receiver, giving them the opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of an internal disruption in the decoding process?

Accepted Answer

Brianna's distraction is an internal factor that is disrupting her ability to decode the message being presented in the lecture.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about communication in today's business organizations is most accurate?

Accepted Answer

With the rise of online customer service, web chat has become an increasingly popular form of communication in business organizations. Memos and letters are still used but are no longer dominant. While text messaging may have been considered unprofessional in the past, it is becoming more acceptable in certain contexts. A company intranet typically requires login credentials and is only accessible to authorized personnel.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of an internal organizational communication?

Accepted Answer

A meeting of all department managers is an example of internal organizational communication, as it involves communication within the company between different departments and employees. A and B are examples of external communication, as they are directed towards customers and the public. D is also an example of external communication, as it is directed towards stockholders who are not necessarily employees of the company.

Question 9

Differences in frames of reference are especially significant when

Accepted Answer

Frames of reference refer to a person's background, experiences, and perceptions that influence how they interpret and communicate information. When communicating with someone from a different culture, there are likely to be significant differences in frames of reference, requiring greater awareness and sensitivity in communication.

Question 10

Aleksandr is having trouble concentrating on a report he is reading because his cell phone keeps ringing and his colleagues keep sending him text messages and tweets.What kind of communication barrier is this?

Accepted Answer

The barrier in this scenario is digital interruptions, such as phone calls, text messages, and tweets. These interruptions can make it difficult to concentrate and focus on the task at hand.

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of external organizational communication?

Accepted Answer

External organizational communication refers to communication that occurs between an organization and stakeholders outside of the organization, such as customers, vendors, or the general public. A brochure sent to a prospective customer is an example of external organizational communication.

Question 12

The three basic functions of business communication are to

Accepted Answer

The three basic functions of business communication are to inform, persuade, and promote goodwill. While entertainment and impressing others may also be secondary objectives, they are not the primary functions of business communication. Informing provides knowledge on a particular topic or issue, persuading attempts to change a person's opinion or behavior, and promoting goodwill seeks to maintain positive relationships with customers or colleagues.

Question 13

An American sales team offended a group of Brazilian businesspeople by starting its sales presentation without first engaging in informal conversation as expected in the Brazilian culture.The communication barrier in this instance could be attributed to

Accepted Answer

The failure to engage in informal conversation before starting the sales presentation indicates a lack of recognition of the different frames of reference between American and Brazilian cultures. In Brazil, building relationships and socializing are important before conducting business. By not adhering to this cultural norm, the American sales team failed to recognize the importance of informal communication in the Brazilian culture, causing offense to the Brazilian businesspeople.

Question 14

____ helps the sender know whether the message was received and understood.

Accepted Answer

Feedback is an essential part of communication, especially in ensuring that the message is received and understood by the recipient. It provides the sender with information about how the message was received, what was understood, and whether any changes or clarifications are necessary. Noise refers to any interference that affects the quality or accuracy of the message, while bypassing occurs when people fail to understand each other because of differences in interpretation or meaning. An evaluative response is a form of feedback that involves providing an opinion or judgment about the message rather than a summary or clarification of its content.

Question 15

Naoko has just moved to the United States and is taking a class to improve her English skills.What interpersonal communication barrier is she trying to overcome?

Accepted Answer

Naoko is trying to overcome a lack of language skill to improve her ability to communicate with others in English.

Question 16

Suzanne has just received an e-mail message from a client and is reading it carefully to determine her client's needs.She is involved in the ____ part of the communication process.

Accepted Answer

Suzanne is decoding the client's message to understand their needs, which falls under the decoding aspect of the communication process. The other options (encoding, channel selection, feedback) are not applicable in this scenario.

Question 17

Robert must send an e-mail message to a client in Turkey.He is carefully selecting his words to ensure that his Turkish client, who speaks English as a second language, will understand them.He is involved in which part of the communication process?

Accepted Answer

Robert is carefully selecting his words to ensure that his Turkish client will understand them, which is part of message encoding.

Question 18

You are talking with the president of your company about a possible merger.Which of the following is the most useful feedback you can provide during the conversation?

Accepted Answer

Providing a summary of the president's recommendation shows that you are actively listening and trying to understand their perspective. It also allows for clarification and further discussion. Options A, C, and D are unhelpful and can be seen as confrontational or dismissive.

Question 19

Jeanette is offended when she notices that only masculine pronouns are used in the company's human resources manual.What type of decoding problem does this cause?

Accepted Answer

This is a semantic obstacle, as the language used in the manual is excluding and offending a certain group of people.

Question 20

Ryan says that he will answer his client's questions "soon." Ryan plans to answer the questions by early next week; his client expects the answers by the end of the day.This misunderstanding results from

Accepted Answer

Bypassing occurs when two people have different understandings of the same word or phrase, leading to miscommunication. In this case, "soon" is interpreted differently by Ryan and his client.

Quiz 1: Effective and Ethical Communication at Work