Deck 2: Improving Personal and Organizational Communications

Question 1

When managers demonstrate the desire to listen to their employees,employees still tend to keep ideas and complaints to themselves.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

When level of trust in an organization is low,it is best to communicate messages through the grapevine.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Terms like added value or job satisfaction are examples of clear,concise language,not subject to semantics.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Impersonal communication is the one-way transmission of facts,instruction,and the like.

Question 5

For true communication to take place,the message must be understood by the person receiving it in the same way the sender intended it to be understood.

Question 6

Each country has a dominant language but most countries are multicultural.

Question 7

Benefits of active listening can include stronger relationships,more and new information,and fewer misunderstandings.

Question 8

Men typically use communication to establish and maintain relationships.

Question 9

The use of repetition,careful selection of words,and consideration of the timing of a message are all effective ways to improve personal communication.

Question 10

Gestures are a transnational means of communicating,in that they have the same or universal meaning across cultures.

Question 11

Using an informal e-mail address such as [e-mail] is appropriate in the business setting because it seems unintimidating.

Question 12

Hearing and listening are both innate abilities.

Question 13

When a speaker's verbal and nonverbal messages conflict,others tend to believe the verbal message.

Question 14

Facebook,Twitter,and LinkedIn combine personal interaction and technology.

Question 15

Effective use of social media requires us to be better spellers,write our ideas clearly,and continue to use communication etiquette.

Question 16

With the popularity of all the types of cell phones,smart phones,and tablet devices,we can ignore many of the basics of communication etiquette.

Question 17

In a typical organization,employees are eager to share ideas and point out problems.Hence,it is relatively easy for managers to build a climate that supports upward communication.

Question 18

One of the best ways for management to cope with the grapevine is to identify the organization's information leaders and use them to promptly and honestly clarify information heard via the grapevine.

Question 19

Impersonal communication allows the person receiving the information to clarify vague or confusing information.

Question 20

The sender is 100 percent responsible for clear and effective communication.

Question 21

Effective communication involves the sender,receiver,message,and​

A) ​feedback.
B) ​filter.
C) ​semantics.
D) ​interpersonal communications.

Question 22

The use of e-mail​

A) ​offers greater message privacy than normal written correspondence.
B) ​is effective in building rapport.
C) ​is always the quickest way to communicate.
D) ​has accelerated the pace of exchanging information.

Question 23

Author Maggie Jackson's thinks that today's distracting high-tech culture has significantly diminished our ability to focus.It's difficult to think when there are/is​

A) ​many disruptions.
B) ​many small jobs to do at one time.
C) ​continuous information streaming in.
D) ​all of the above

Question 24

William,VP of Operations,is talking via telephone with Javier,GM of the Mexico City plant,about an agreement William thought had been made several weeks ago.English is Javier's second language.What does the language difference represent that can make communication more complex?​

A) ​Feedback
B) ​Filter
C) ​Message
D) ​Channel

Question 25

When verbal and nonverbal messages match,​

A) ​it is critical to maintain eye contact.
B) ​it gives the impression that you can be trusted.
C) ​people can become suspicious of your intentions.
D) ​the verbal message is dominant.

Question 26

John (VP of finance),Evie (manager of accounting),and Rebecca (a staff accountant) are discussing an upcoming audit.In terms of organizational communication,this is an example of​

A) ​the grapevine.
B) ​horizontal communication.
C) ​vertical communication.
D) ​telecommuting.

Question 27

Peter,marketing director at Shout,has been using PrintSmart products for years and feels that they have served Shout's marketing needs well.Beth,head of Shout's technology department,has discovered a new brand of products,TopPrint,and explains to Peter that she feels they should switch brands.Peter is having difficulty listening to Beth's perspective because of his favorable experience with PrintSmart.Peter's reaction to Beth is being filtered by​

A) ​emotions.
B) ​role expectations.
C) ​gender bias.
D) ​attitudes.

Question 28

Rosa and Andrew are discussing a project over the phone.Rosa,as Andrew's boss,tells him she wants to "hit a home run" with it.Rosa means she wants a winner;Andrew thinks she means that she wants to drop the project and get as far away from it as possible.This misunderstanding is an example of the communication filter of​

A) ​emotions.
B) ​role expectations.
C) ​semantics.
D) ​attitudes.

Question 29

Joshua got a promotion but the job involves moving to Brazil.He can be more successful if he:​

A) ​talks with Brazilians living in America.
B) ​learns the language with tapes.
C) ​increases his cultural intelligence.
D) ​does a good job there.

Question 30

Women use conversation as a way to​

A) ​build and maintain relationships.
B) ​negotiate.
C) ​exchange information.
D) ​discover differences and uniqueness.

Question 31

The most communicative element of nonverbal communication is an individual's​

A) ​words.
B) ​tone.
C) ​personal space.
D) ​eye contact.

Question 32

Barbara wants to be a more empathic listener.To do that,she needs to​

A) practice patience and be nonjudgmental when listening.​
B) ​take notes and ask reflecting questions.
C) ​listen primarily for facts and avoid semantic confusion.
D) question what is said but demonstrate agreement with it.​

Question 33

Mark has arrived at the company picnic and is looking forward to mingling with his colleagues on the relaxing beach shore.He spots his boss near the grill and approaches to chat.In this situation,Mark should chat at a​

A) ​personal distance of 18 inches to 4 feet.
B) ​personal distance of 4 to 12 feet.
C) ​social distance of 18 inches to 4 feet.
D) ​social distance of 4 to 12 feet.

Question 34

Nancy heard from Molly,a coworker,that Amy was going to become their new supervisor.Molly heard the news from John,a friend from another department.This is an example of which form of organizational communication?​

A) ​Impersonal communication
B) ​Horizontal communication
C) ​Network communication
D) ​The grapevine

Question 35

Amy informs her employees that they can offer any constructive criticism regarding her leadership style by placing anonymous notes in her mailbox.This is an example of​

A) ​telecommuting.
B) ​an informal communication channel.
C) ​a formal communication channel.
D) ​upward communication.

Question 36

Critical listening involves a number of important skills,including​

A) ​being patient.
B) ​analyzing presented information.
C) ​using words carefully.
D) ​demonstrating a listening attitude.

Question 37

Melinda,human resources director at Exceed,has noticed lately that several employees have been dressing inappropriately on Fridays.Melinda decides to revise the company's casual Friday policy and communicate it to employees by posting it on the company's e-bulletin board.This is an example of​

A) ​horizontal communication
B) ​grapevine communication
C) ​interpersonal communication
D) ​impersonal communication

Question 38

One of the most effective ways to improve organizational communication is to​

A) promote the use of the grapevine.​
B) ​create a nonthreatening climate to encourage upward communication.
C) ​communicate everything in writing.
D) ​communicate everything vertically.

Question 39

Rana has been promoted to Director.Many of her colleagues that worked with her when she was an assistant director may encounter challenges in working with her now due to which filter?​

A) ​Emotions
B) ​Role expectations
C) ​Nonverbal messages
D) ​Language and cultural barriers

Question 40

Horizontal communication within an organization carries messages​

A) ​among people on the same level of authority.
B) ​among all employees.
C) ​between top executive levels and the lowest levels of the organization.
D) ​only in written form.

Question 41

____________________ helps a communicator determine whether or not the information has been understood in the way they intended.

Question 42

Case 2.1
​
B.F.E. ,Inc.is changing its employee benefits plan.Some of the changes will be positive and some will take current benefits away.As vice president of human resources,Cynthia is concerned that the communication to the employees be as accurate as possible.When the changes are communicated from management to the employees,a small group of employees reacts negatively.The employees don't like the changes and feel the company once again is taking advantage of them,even though the positive changes outweigh the negative ones.This group sends a representative to Cynthia to express their concerns.Cynthia is anxious to understand this group's concerns.
Refer to Case 2.1.The few dissatisfied employees have filtered the company's message through their​

A) role expectations.​
B) ​attitudes.
C) ​semantic filters.
D) ​gender bias.

Question 43

Case 2.1
​
B.F.E. ,Inc.is changing its employee benefits plan.Some of the changes will be positive and some will take current benefits away.As vice president of human resources,Cynthia is concerned that the communication to the employees be as accurate as possible.When the changes are communicated from management to the employees,a small group of employees reacts negatively.The employees don't like the changes and feel the company once again is taking advantage of them,even though the positive changes outweigh the negative ones.This group sends a representative to Cynthia to express their concerns.Cynthia is anxious to understand this group's concerns.
Refer to Case 2.1.In order to better understand the disgruntled employees' concerns,Cynthia needs to​

A) ​use clear,concise language.
B) ​use her active listening skills.
C) ​use horizontal communication.
D) ​engage in squelching grapevine communication.

Question 44

Case 2.1
​
B.F.E. ,Inc.is changing its employee benefits plan.Some of the changes will be positive and some will take current benefits away.As vice president of human resources,Cynthia is concerned that the communication to the employees be as accurate as possible.When the changes are communicated from management to the employees,a small group of employees reacts negatively.The employees don't like the changes and feel the company once again is taking advantage of them,even though the positive changes outweigh the negative ones.This group sends a representative to Cynthia to express their concerns.Cynthia is anxious to understand this group's concerns.
Refer to Case 2.1.As vice president of human resources,Cynthia wants to communicate the changes in benefits to the employees clearly with an opportunity for response.Her best communication tool for this would be​

A) ​the grapevine.
B) ​the horizontal communication channel.
C) ​a memo from her department.
D) ​e-mail with a way for employees to ask questions.

Question 45

Identify three types of effective listening and give examples of each.

Question 46

Because it saves money and time,facilitates globalization,and accommodates the virtual office,_____ communication has become increasingly prevalent in the business world.

A) ​digital
B) ​face-to-face
C) ​voice mail
D) ​informal

Question 47

During a political speech,Carlos practices ____________________ skills by focusing on the speaker,taking notes,and eventually asking questions.

Question 48

An appropriate use of organizational e-mail would be to:​

A) ​build rapport with a new client or customer quickly.
B) ​reveal to a coworker that you find her or him very attractive and would like to date.
C) ​provide the duty roster for the upcoming month to a group of employees.
D) ​warn others about a coworker's frequent mistakes and recent poor job performance.

Question 49

Case 2.1
​
B.F.E. ,Inc.is changing its employee benefits plan.Some of the changes will be positive and some will take current benefits away.As vice president of human resources,Cynthia is concerned that the communication to the employees be as accurate as possible.When the changes are communicated from management to the employees,a small group of employees reacts negatively.The employees don't like the changes and feel the company once again is taking advantage of them,even though the positive changes outweigh the negative ones.This group sends a representative to Cynthia to express their concerns.Cynthia is anxious to understand this group's concerns.
Refer to Case 2.1.The best way for B.F.E.to encourage feedback from the employees is to​

A) ​create a nonthreatening environment.
B) ​communicate the plan change in a memo.
C) ​remember that women will be concerned with people issues,men with events and things.
D) ​make the employees accept responsibility for understanding the communication.

Question 50

Maria was recently promoted to management and discovers that some of her coworkers don't take her suggestions seriously.Her communication may be filtered by ____________________.

Question 51

Case 2.1
​
B.F.E. ,Inc.is changing its employee benefits plan.Some of the changes will be positive and some will take current benefits away.As vice president of human resources,Cynthia is concerned that the communication to the employees be as accurate as possible.When the changes are communicated from management to the employees,a small group of employees reacts negatively.The employees don't like the changes and feel the company once again is taking advantage of them,even though the positive changes outweigh the negative ones.This group sends a representative to Cynthia to express their concerns.Cynthia is anxious to understand this group's concerns.
Refer to Case 2.1.By listening to a representative of the group,Cynthia is​

A) ​squelching grapevine communication.
B) ​using a formal horizontal channel to communicate.
C) ​being proactive in trying to build trust.
D) ​eliminating filters.

Question 52

____________________ communication is a one-way process that transfers basic information such as instructions,policies,and data.

Question 53

____________________ is the process of encouraging employees to share their feelings and ideas with their managers.

Question 54

The ____________________ is an informal communication channel that carries information,often unofficial,in many different directions.

Question 55

Jim,Anna,and Hung are three first-line supervisors.They are discussing a resource problem that affects all three of their respective areas of responsibility.Their conversation is an example of ____________________ channels of communication in their company.

Question 56

Differentiate between impersonal and interpersonal communication.

Question 57

Enterprise social networks:​

A) ​include Facebook and LinkedIn.
B) ​improve collaboration on projects across organizational departments.
C) ​have a negative impact on job satisfaction.
D) ​are now in use among about 10% of Fortune 500 companies.

Question 58

The communication process involves a number of filters.When the meaning of the words used in a communication is not clear because of their abstraction and lack of precise meanings,the communication problem is one of ____________________.

Question 59

Tien is a middle-level manager.An employee is complaining about a company policy.Tien is being patient,acknowledging what the employee is saying without being judgmental.Tien is using ____________________.

Question 60

Eye contact,facial expressions,gestures,and personal space are all examples of ____________________.

Question 61

Provide a few examples of nonverbal messages and describe how they affect the communication process.

Question 62

An organization's communication process travels within "channels." Describe the two main types of channels of communication and subsequent lines of communication within each type of channel.

Question 63

Discuss how communication in the business world has changed with social media and mobile devices.

Question 64

Briefly describe the formal and informal channels that communication travels within an organization.

Question 65

What guidelines should you follow when using e-mail in organizational communication?

Question 66

Identify the continuous loop of communication and five filters that interrupt the loops.

Question 67

Describe three examples of how one's blog may encounter problems due to filters that could occur with this type of communication.

Question 68

Describe three skills necessary to being an effective listener.Identify some benefits associated with effective listening.