Question 1

When employees confront information overload, they may resort to ________.

Accepted Answer

When employees confront information overload, filtering can help them focus on the most important and relevant information while ignoring the rest. Delegating may not be an option for all employees and mentally shutting down or deleting old emails may not address the root problem of information overload.

Question 2

Ulysses has difficulty staying focused during conversations, especially long "speech" type comments from the speaker. This is likely because ________.

Accepted Answer

Listeners can process words much faster than speakers can say them, leading to potential distraction during slower-paced or lengthy speech segments.

Question 3

When Terrence explained to the employees why layoffs were necessary, he spoke about return on investment, debt, and cash flow-terms his shareholders clearly understood. But his employees had no clue what he meant. Terrence's explanation would have been more effective if he had ________.

Accepted Answer

Terrence could have tailored his language to make it more easily understandable for the employees instead of using technical terms that were better suited for shareholders.

Question 4

Sarah needs funding to research the efficacy of a certain drug for the treatment of cancer. Though her initial trials have been inconclusive, Sarah is sure that the drug will prove to be effective. However, the organizations she plans to approach for funding will not be very impressed with the results of the previous trials and may withhold funding. Sarah decides to structure her proposal in such a way that she emphasizes the positives about the drug and minimizes the negative information. Which one of the following best describes Sarah's technique for writing her proposal?

Accepted Answer

Sarah is using the filtering technique, where she chooses to highlight only positive information about the drug while suppressing the negative results of her trials. She is presenting a biased view of her research to secure funding.

Question 5

Which one of the following is true for active listeners?

Accepted Answer

Active listeners should avoid interrupting the speaker, but should feel free to ask questions to gain a better understanding of the topic. They should also show nonverbal cues such as eye contact and nodding to indicate that they are engaged in the conversation. Additionally, active listeners should listen for full meaning and may paraphrase what the speaker is saying to ensure they have understood correctly. Developing empathy for the speaker is also important as it helps to build trust and understanding in the relationship.

Question 6

Which one of the following is true of filtering?

Accepted Answer

Filtering occurs when information is withheld or distorted as it moves through different levels of an organization. The more levels there are, the more opportunities there are for filtering to occur. Choice A is incorrect because filtering involves distorting a message, which does not aid effective communication. Choice C is incorrect because while individuals can engage in filtering, organizations can take steps to discourage it. Choice D is incorrect because the use of e-mail can actually decrease filtering, as it allows for more direct communication between individuals.

Question 7

The communication process is susceptible to noise.

Accepted Answer

Noise refers to any factor that hinders effective communication or affects the accuracy of the message being communicated. These factors can be physical, psychological, semantic, or cultural, and they can occur at any stage of the communication process, making it susceptible to noise.

Question 8

Teresa called her work group together, explained the instructions for the new machine, and left. Later, after one of the workers had jammed the machine and injured a coworker, she discovered the worker had not followed the instructions. This problem may have been avoided if Teresa had ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Teresa called her work group together, explained...

Question 9

During her performance evaluation, Cindy omitted a few of the details about her problems with her subordinates because she was afraid her supervisor would think her unfit for management. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of During her performance evaluation, Cindy omitted a...

Question 10

Jargon is ________.

Accepted Answer

Jargon is specialized terminology that members of a group use to communicate among themselves.

Question 11

Which one of the following helps an individual to understand the actual content of a message?

Accepted Answer

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. This can help an individual to understand the actual content of a message because it allows them to see things from the perspective of the person delivering the message. Through empathy, one can gain a better understanding of the emotions and intent behind the message, which can lead to improved communication and effective problem-solving.

Question 12

When a person tells his or her manager what the manager wants to hear, which one of the following barriers to effective interpersonal communication is the person using?

Accepted Answer

Filtering occurs when a sender manipulates information so that it will be seen more favorably by the receiver. In this case, telling the manager what they want to hear is a form of filtering because the person is altering the message to make it more acceptable or favorable to the manager.

Question 13

Listening for full meaning without making premature judgments or interpretations is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Active listening involves fully focusing on the speaker and avoiding premature judgments or interpretations. Passive listening is a more passive and disengaged listening style, while empathic listening involves actively trying to understand and connect with the speaker's emotions. Decoding refers to the process of interpreting the meaning of a message.

Question 14

Which one of the following is a way for managers to overcome the barriers to communication?

Accepted Answer

Feedback allows managers to assess whether the intended message was received and understood by the receiver, and identify any misunderstandings or issues that may arise. This helps to overcome communication barriers by ensuring that the message is conveyed clearly and effectively. Decoding, encoding, and filtering all relate to the process of communication rather than strategies to overcome barriers.

Question 15

As the employees began to leave the meeting room, some were overheard grumbling that those at the top were just profiteers, that it didn't make any difference to Leona if employees lost their jobs. Which barrier to effective communications do these statements represent?

Accepted Answer

The employees' grumbling suggests a defensive attitude toward management and the company, indicating that they may be resistant to receiving information and could be filtering information through their negative perspective. This barrier to effective communication is known as defensiveness.

Question 16

By the time that Sandra had finished the presentation to the employees, she had spoken for one and one-half hours, shown 14 visual aids, and no one asked a question. The employees were probably dealing with which one of the following barriers to effective communication?

Accepted Answer

The employees' lack of questioning and possible difficulty paying attention for one and a half hours suggest information overload, where too much information is presented at once and the recipients are unable to process it effectively. This can lead to a decrease in engagement and active listening, which could manifest as a lack of questions from the audience.

Question 17

While Victor was explaining a problem that was frustrating him, his manager smiled widely. Victor wanted to wipe the smirk off the manager's face in a none too friendly manner. What went wrong here?

Accepted Answer

The mismatch between the seriousness of the problem and the manager's non-verbal communication, i.e. smiling widely, sent a message to Victor that the manager was not taking him seriously. This caused Victor to feel frustrated and want to react aggressively.

Question 18

________ is the deliberate manipulation of information to make it appear more favorable to the receiver.

Accepted Answer

The answer of ________ is the deliberate manipulation of information...

Question 19

Listening is an active search for meaning, whereas ________ is passive.

Accepted Answer

Hearing refers to the physiological process of receiving sound waves, whereas listening involves actively interpreting and making meaning from the sound.

Question 20

The accountant told Ellen that he had difficulty understanding some of the technical terms used in her memorandum. These technical terms are commonly known as ________.

Accepted Answer

Jargon refers to technical terms or specialized language used by a particular group or profession. In this case, Ellen's memorandum contains technical terms that are specific to her field, which may be difficult for someone outside of that field (such as an accountant) to understand.

Quiz 14: Managing Communication