Chapter 13

Selina is meeting with her subordinate Mike for his annual performance review. At the end of the review, Mike tells Selina that he is confused about some things she said. By asking Selina to explain certain things in more detail, Mike is engaging in which component of the communication process?

Providing feedback

T/F Managers facilitate strategic conversations by using open communication, actively listening to others, applying the practice of dialogue, and using feedback for learning and change.

True

T/F Messages that are designed to share information among teams and departments that can help the organization change, grow, or improve are called change initiatives and improvements.

True

T/F Most managers spend 80 of their time telling and 20 percent asking, but it should be the other way around.

True

T/F Procedures and practices are downward communication topics that define the organization's rules, regulations, benefits, and structural arrangements.

True

T/F Routine messages tend to be simple and straightforward, such as conveying data or statistics.

True

T/F The choice of a communication channel can convey a symbolic meaning to the receiver.

True

T/F The receiver usually will give more weight to behavioral actions than to verbal messages when verbal and nonverbal messages are contradictory.

True

What percent of the details passed through a grapevine is accurate?

70 to 90 percent

What percentage of a manager's time is spent in direct communication?

80 percent

_____ and _____ are potential sources for communication errors, because knowledge, attitudes, and background act as filters.

Decoding; encoding

Jay, a divisional vice president of a consumer goods manufacturer, gives a presentation to all divisional employees to outline the company's goals for the coming year. This is an example of what type of organizational communication?

Downward communication

Which of the following is the most familiar and obvious flow of formal communication?

Downward communication

____ refers to the messages and information sent from top management down to subordinates.

Downward communication

Jenna composes an email from home to her boss to inform him that she will be late getting to work that day. The act of composing an email involves which stage of the communication process? a. Selecting a channel b. Sifting through noise c. Providing feedback d. Encoding the message e. Decoding the message

Encoding the message

Strategic conversations include:

asking questions

Most executives now believe that important information flows from the: a. top down b. bottom up c. diagonal level d. horizontal level to the diagonal level

bottom up.

Louise, a top-level manager at INF Inc., has the difficult task of informing 12 employees that they are about to be laid off. Which communication channel should Louise use to break the news? a. Face-to-face b. e-mail c. Instant messaging d. Telephone e. Handwritten letter

Face-to-face

T/F Formulating in your mind what you are going to say next is an important part of effective listening.

False

T/F Horizontal communication is particularly important in teaching organizations, where teams of workers are continuously solving problems and searching for new ways of doing things.

False

T/F Huge corporations are more likely than smaller businesses or nonprofits to use social media to communicate with customers.

False

T/F Managers spend 80 percent of every working day doing desk work.

False

T/F Social media does not include blogs and wikis.

False

T/F Team members, in decentralized networks, must communicate through one individual to solve problems or make decisions.

False

T/F Types of information generally communicated upward include performance reports, suggestions for improvement, and performance feedback.

False

T/F Without feedback, communication is only a two-way process, sender to receiver and receiver to sender.

False

_____ is necessary for communication to be considered two-way. a. Message b. Channel c. Feedback d. Noise e. Circuit

Feedback

_____ occurs when the receiver responds to the sender's communication with a return message.

Feedback

____ channels are those that flow within the chain of command or task responsibility defined by the organization.

Formal communication

_____ communication is the lateral or diagonal exchange of messages among peers or coworkers.

Horizontal

Silvia, a seasoned assembly line worker at an automobile manufacturer, wants to demonstrate to Allison, a new trainee, how her job relates to other organizational activities. This encompasses which downward communication topic?

Job instructions

____ involves the skill of grasping both facts and feelings to interpret a message's genuine meaning.

Listening

When a group of workers have routine tasks to perform, a _____ communication structure allows more time for the task to be completed.

centralized

A(n) _____ is a team communication structure in which team members communicate through a single individual to solve problems or make decisions.

centralized network

The amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode is known as _____.

channel richness

In a(n) _____ network, individuals can communicate freely with other team members.

decentralized

To translate the symbols used in a message for the purpose of interpreting its meaning is called _____.

decoding

Information distortion or loss of message content is a major problem with:

downward communication.

To _____ a message is to select the symbols used to compose a message.

encode

To be effective communicators, managers should:

encourage the use of multiple channels of communication.

The _____ is an informal, person-to-person communication network of employees that is not officially sanctioned by the organization.

grapevine

Upward communication is usually used to communicate information about all of the following, except:

indoctrination.

The term _____ covers a broad range of applications, including wikis, blogs, content communities, and virtual social worlds.

social media

Channel richness refers to the:

the amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode

Formal _____ includes messages that flow from the lower to the higher levels in the organization's hierarchy.

upward communication

According to the text, all of the following are ways managers can improve their writing skills, except:

writing lengthy explanations.

T/F A formal communication channel is a communication channel that flows within the chain of command.

True

T/F Communication can break down if sender and receiver do not encode or decode language in the same way.

True

T/F Face-to-face discussion is the richest channel, in terms of channel richness.

True

T/F Forms of nonverbal communication include blushing, perspiring, glancing, crying, and laughing.

True

T/F Grapevine is a type of personal channel used in many organizations.

True

Which of the following comprises the lowest channel richness?

Bulletins

When an electronic mail system is installed as part of the communication system, what element of the communication process is changed? a. Channel b. Message c. Sender d. Filter e. Receiver

Channel

___ channels exist outside the formally authorized channels and do not adhere to the organization's hierarchy of authority.

Personal communication

The skills of _____ require receiving messages to accurately grasp facts and feelings to interpret the meaning of the message.

listening

About 75 percent of effective communication is:

listening.

When informing your staff of the date for the company picnic, a _____ would be most practical and successful. a. memo b. telephone call c. video conference d. face-to face contact e. newspaper notice

memo

When interviewing prospective employees, Samuel, a seasoned manager, often observes hand gestures, facial expressions, and use of space to gauge individuals' personalities. These are all examples of: a. listening b. nonverbal communication c. empathizing d. direct communication e. nuance communication

nonverbal communication.