Question 1

With reference to the communication process, when a sender speaks, the speech is the ________.
A) channel
B) filter
C) message
D) noise
E) transmitter

Accepted Answer

The message is the information or content the sender wants to convey to the receiver. Speech is a form of message, so the answer is C. Channels are the means through which the message is transmitted, filters are barriers that may affect the message, noise is any unwanted interference that masks the message, and a transmitter is the device that sends the message through a channel.

Question 2

What are the eight key parts of the communication process?

Accepted Answer

The eight key parts of the communication process are (1) the sender, (2) encoding, (3) the message, (4) the channel, (5) decoding, (6) the receiver, (7) noise, and (8) feedback. The sender initiates a message by encoding a thought. The message is the actual physical product of the sender's encoding. The channel is the medium through which the message travels. The receiver is the person(s) to whom the message is directed, who must first translate the symbols into understandable form. This step is the decoding of the message. Noise represents communication barriers that distort the clarity of the message. The final link in the communication process is a feedback loop. Feedback is the check on how successful we have been in transferring our messages as originally intended.

Question 3

Group leaders and managers communicating with employees to assign goals and to provide job instructions is an example of a(n) ________ communication.
A) downward
B) lateral
C) upward
D) grapevine
E) horizontal

Accepted Answer

Downward communication flows from higher levels in an organization to lower levels. In this scenario, the group leaders and managers are communicating with employees who are at a lower level in the organizational hierarchy.

Question 4

The receiver of a communication must first ________ the message.
A) encode
B) reproduce
C) transfer
D) translate
E) discard

Accepted Answer

The receiver must translate or decode the message in order to understand it. Encoding refers to the process of creating a message, reproducing refers to making a copy of the message, transferring refers to sending the message to someone else, and discarding refers to getting rid of the message without reading it.

Question 5

A receiver who translates a sender's message is engaging in the process of ________.
A) encoding
B) decoding
C) transmission
D) feedback
E) recoding

Accepted Answer

Decoding is the process of interpreting the encoded message sent by the sender into a understandable form by the receiver. The receiver needs to be able to accurately decode the message in order to understand the meaning intended by the sender.

Question 6

The communication used by managers to offer feedback about performance is ________ communication.
A) downward
B) lateral
C) informal
D) directional
E) grapevine

Accepted Answer

Downward communication refers to the flow of communication from superiors to subordinates, and feedback about performance is typically given from managers (superiors) to their employees (subordinates), making A the best choice. Lateral communication refers to communication between individuals or groups at the same organizational level, informal communication is non-official communication, directional communication is not a commonly used term, and the grapevine refers to unofficial rumors and gossip.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of downward communication flow?
A) An employee provides feedback to higher-ups regarding her progress toward goals.
B) An employee suggests a way of improving efficiency of a process to his team lead.
C) An employee receives mail from her team leader pointing out problems that need attention.
D) An employee informs her colleague about changes in the company policy.
E) An employee informs his friend from a different department about a new coffee shop that has just opened in the town.

Accepted Answer

Downward communication flow refers to communication that originates from higher levels of an organization and flows down to lower levels. In this case, the employee receives mail from her team leader, which is an example of downward communication flow.

Question 8

Helena and Laura were talking on the phone. Laura's two-year-old son fell and started crying loudly. Laura could no longer hear what Helena said. This is an example of ________.
A) feedback
B) decoding
C) noise
D) encoding
E) filtering

Accepted Answer

The crying of Laura's two-year-old son is considered an external factor that affected the communication process, making it difficult for Laura to hear what Helena said. This external factor is known as noise, which is any interference that affects the message transmission and is beyond the control of the sender and receiver. Feedback is the response of the receiver to the message, decoding is the process of interpreting and making sense of the message, encoding is the process of putting the message into a form that can be understood by the receiver, and filtering refers to the selective perception and interpretation of messages.

Question 9

In a communication process, ________ is the check on how successful we have been in transferring our messages as originally intended.
A) editing
B) decoding
C) feedback
D) encoding
E) noise

Accepted Answer

Feedback is the process of receiving information from the receiver about how well the message has been understood. It helps the sender to understand whether the message has been received and understood as intended or not. Feedback can be both verbal and nonverbal, and it can come from various sources, including the receiver, other people, or even the environment.

Question 10

Mary telephones her employee, Joe, to let him know that today's meeting has been moved to one o'clock. In the communication process, Mary is ________.
A) the sender
B) the receiver
C) the decoder
D) the channel
E) the encoder

Accepted Answer

Mary is initiating the communication by calling Joe with the message about the meeting being moved. As the one initiating the communication, she is the sender.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is definitely true regarding an informal communication channel?
A) It traditionally follows the authority chain within the organization.
B) It generally transmits messages related to the professional activities of members.
C) It is established by the organization.
D) It is generally used for communicating personal or social messages.
E) Information regarding change in the policies of the organization is transmitted through it.

Accepted Answer

An informal communication channel is generally used for communicating personal or social messages. It is not established by the organization and does not necessarily follow the authority chain within the organization. It may transmit messages related to professional activities of members, but that is not its primary function. Information regarding change in the policies of the organization is usually transmitted through formal communication channels.

Question 12

________ communication flows to a higher level in the group or organization.
A) Horizontal
B) Downward
C) Lateral
D) Upward
E) Grapevine

Accepted Answer

Upward communication flows from subordinates to superiors and goes to a higher level in the organization's hierarchy. This can include feedback, suggestions, and reports on progress or problems.

Question 13

In the communication process, decoding precedes encoding.

Accepted Answer

The sender initiates a message by encoding a thought. The message is the actual physical product of the sender's encoding. The receiver is the person(s) to whom the message is directed, who must first translate the symbols into understandable form. This step is the decoding of the message. Decoding comes after the sender's encoding.

Question 14

With reference to the communication process, the ________ is the medium through which the message travels.
A) feedback
B) noise
C) encoder
D) channel
E) decoder

Accepted Answer

The channel is the medium through which the message travels. It can be a physical channel like airwaves, or a digital medium like email or text messaging. Feedback refers to the recipient's response to the message, noise refers to any interference that disrupts the message, and the encoder and decoder are responsible for encoding and decoding the message into a format that can be transmitted and understood.

Question 15

John writes a memo to his employees. Putting his thoughts onto paper is an example of ________.
A) encoding
B) decoding
C) transferring
D) channeling
E) editing

Accepted Answer

Encoding refers to the process of putting thoughts, ideas, or messages into a symbolic form, such as writing or speaking. In this scenario, John is putting his thoughts onto paper, which is an example of encoding.

Question 16

In a communication process, the ________ initiates a message by encoding a thought.
A) receiver
B) decoder
C) channel
D) sender
E) signal

Accepted Answer

The sender is the person who starts the communication process by encoding a message or thought. They then send this message via a channel to the receiver, who decodes the message to understand its meaning. The signal represents the physical form that the message takes, such as sound waves or text. Therefore, the correct answer is D (sender).

Question 17

With reference to the communication process, the ________ is the one to whom the message is directed, who must first translate the symbols into understandable form.
A) editor
B) receiver
C) encoder
D) sender
E) channel

Accepted Answer

The receiver is the person or group of people who receive the message and must decode it. They are the ones who must translate the symbols into a form that they can understand. The other options (editor, encoder, sender, and channel) are all part of the communication process but are not directly responsible for decoding the message.

Question 18

Before communication can take place it needs a ________.
A) purpose
B) channel
C) receiver
D) filter
E) decoder

Accepted Answer

Communication cannot happen without a purpose or intention behind it. The other options - channel, receiver, filter, and decoder - are all components that facilitate communication, but the purpose must be established first.

Question 19

In a communication process, the ________ is the actual physical product of the sender's encoding.
A) channel
B) message
C) feedback
D) transmitter
E) noise

Accepted Answer

The message is the actual physical product of the sender's encoding, such as a speech, email, text message, or phone call. The other options are all components of the communication process, but they do not specifically refer to the product of the sender's encoding.

Question 20

All of the following are examples of downward communication flows except ________.
A) managers assigning goals
B) managers informing employees of procedures
C) managers pointing out problems that need attention
D) employees completing attitude surveys
E) managers telling employees to work more quickly

Accepted Answer

Downward communication flow refers to the direction in which communication flows from higher authorities to lower-level employees. In this context, employees completing attitude surveys is an example of upward communication flow where the information flows from lower-level employees to higher authorities. Therefore, option D is the correct answer as it represents upward communication flow.

Quiz 11: Communication

With reference to the communication process, when a sender speaks, the speech is the ________.

What are the eight key parts of the communication process?

Group leaders and managers communicating with employees to assign goals and to provide job instructions is an example of a(n) ________ communication.

The receiver of a communication must first ________ the message.

A receiver who translates a sender's message is engaging in the process of ________.

The communication used by managers to offer feedback about performance is ________ communication.

Which of the following is an example of downward communication flow?

Helena and Laura were talking on the phone. Laura's two-year-old son fell and started crying loudly. Laura could no longer hear what Helena said. This is an example of ________.

In a communication process, ________ is the check on how successful we have been in transferring our messages as originally intended.

Mary telephones her employee, Joe, to let him know that today's meeting has been moved to one o'clock. In the communication process, Mary is ________.

Which of the following statements is definitely true regarding an informal communication channel?

________ communication flows to a higher level in the group or organization.

In the communication process, decoding precedes encoding.

With reference to the communication process, the ________ is the medium through which the message travels.

John writes a memo to his employees. Putting his thoughts onto paper is an example of ________.

In a communication process, the ________ initiates a message by encoding a thought.

With reference to the communication process, the ________ is the one to whom the message is directed, who must first translate the symbols into understandable form.

Before communication can take place it needs a ________.

In a communication process, the ________ is the actual physical product of the sender's encoding.

All of the following are examples of downward communication flows except ________.