Senior executives at a large tire company learned that one line of tires had a tendency to fall apart in very warm weather. This resulted in several vehicle accidents in the Middle East and South America. However, the executives did not hear about these problems until several weeks after they were known to lower-level managers. Although the senior executives encourage staff to communicate all information, the lower-level staff held back the information for fear that they might lose their jobs. Which communication concept best describes this communication situation?
A)Filtering
B)Flaming
C)Information overload
D)Persuasive communication
E)Media richness

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The communication concept that best describes this situation is filtering. Filtering occurs when the sender manipulates information so that it will be seen more favorably by the receiver. In this case, the lower-level managers filtered the information they received from their subordinates to avoid conveying bad news to the senior executives. They held back the information for fear of losing their jobs or being blamed for the problem. As a result, the senior executives did not receive the full and accurate information they needed to address the problem promptly, and this led to accidents in different countries.

Senior Executives at a Large Tire Company Learned That One