MGMT 309 Exam 3

Kamiya has been asked to determine how to best manage the cost of benefits for her organization. She asks three of her employees, Jewel, Darian, and Ahmed, to offer suggestions on this issue to her. She chose these three specifically because she knows they are key people in the grapevine. How is Kamiya using the grapevine to her advantage?

Kamiya is sounding out potential reactions before making decisions.

The final step in the Lewin model of change is _____.

refreezing

Effective communication is the process of _____.

sending a message in such a way that the message received is as close in meaning as possible to the message intended

Simon is a professional basketball player. Even though he loves his job, he sometimes feels that practice games are monotonous. In order to keep Simon engaged in the sport, his coach has asked him to coach junior members of the team. Which of the following methods of job design has Simon's coach implemented?

Job enrichment

Anna has an important announcement to make to her team of 12 sales representatives. To ensure that each of them receives the exact same message at the same time, Anna has typed up the announcement, along with all key details, and emailed it to her team. One member of the team, Steve, did not receive the email because his computer crashed. Which feature of the communication process is taking place between Anna and Steve?

Noise

Michelle and Chuck were reviewing the layout of the new ad campaign when Chuck diverted his attention to read and respond to a text message. In terms of Michelle and Chuck's communication, this is an example of _____.

Noise

Management at Azim's company has rolled out a new quality assurance process. It will be faster than the old process with little impact on actual quality. Azim feels that the new process will negatively impact product quality and will, ultimately, harm sales. Management might have been able to prevent Azim's resistance if Azim had been involved in planning and implementing the changes, rather than just notified of them. Which method of overcoming resistance would that have entailed?

Participation

What are considered to be the two most important types of technical innovations?

Product and process

When would oral communication be the most effective form of communication?

When media richness is most important

After several employees complained about being underpaid, management was able to collect data from the industry to show that the firm pays a competitive wage and offers excellent benefits. In this scenario, management is trying to change _____.

perceptions

For years, Rabeya's purchasing department has used a cycle counting system to monitor inventory levels. Upper management has decided to convert to an automated perpetual inventory system that will reduce costs and improve accuracy. This type of organization change is known as _____.

reengineering

Willa has a sensitive announcement to make to her team of 12 sales representatives. She wants to meet with each of them independently so that she can discreetly address any of their individual concerns. Which form of interpersonal communication is Willa using?

Oral

Dajhia heard rumors about an upcoming merger that she knew, as a person on the team looking into the potential merger, were incorrect. She decided to write a memo to her employees dispelling the rumors. Which of the following types of communication was Dajhia responding to?

A grapevine

What is the first step in the communication process?

A sender wanting to share a fact, idea, or opinion

Franchesca, the chief executive officer (CEO) of a tea manufacturing company, has a very thorough selection procedure while hiring employees. As a result, most of the employees in her company are very competent and are well trained. In this scenario, which of the following will be most effective in Franchesca's company?

A wide span of management

Which pattern of communication is the most decentralized pattern of communication?

All channel

As a new manager, Yui wears a dress skirt, blouse, and jacket to work every day. She wants to convey authority and leadership to her staff, customers, and other leaders in the organization. Which element of nonverbal communication is Yui using to indicate her professionalism?

Body Language

Nour learned that the upcoming company reorganization is likely to impact her department, meaning changes of duties for some of them. Nour quickly shared this information with the members of her team, and by the end of the day, word was spreading that many of them were going to be let go. Word got back to Rene, the department manager. While it is true that a reorganization is in the works, there are no plans to eliminate any positions. How can Rene minimize the damage that the grapevine does?

By clearly and openly explaining that no one will lose their jobs

What is the clear and distinct line of authority among the positions in an organization?

Chain of command

Ben learned that the upcoming company reorganization is likely to impact his department, meaning changes of duties for some of them. Of the eight people on Ben's team, he is closest with Linda and Roberto. He shares this news with the two of them. Linda keeps it to herself, but Roberto tells Davida. This is an example of which type of grapevine?

Cluster chain

Which of the following is typically associated with a tall structure of management?

Communication Problems

Which of the following refers to a pattern through which the members of a group communicate?

Communication network

What is the basis of effective communication?

Consistency of meaning

According to Graicunas, which type of interaction is between subordinates only?

Cross

Apoorva has sent her team a message on the new customer specifications. When her staff reads and interprets her message, which part of the communication process is occurring?

Decoding

In the communication process, what is the process of interpreting the meaning to the best of our ability?

Decoding

Yingqio and Geert received the news that their proposal was accepted with minor modifications. They got together to review the modifications the client outlined. Which step in the communication process did they need to use to interpret the meaning of the message?

Decoding

Hua added additional tasks to the work performed by each employee in an effort to make their jobs more interesting. While he saw some advantages to the new strategy, he also faced disadvantages, as training costs increased and the unions asked for pay increases since the workers were doing more tasks. Which type of job development did Hua implement?

Enlargement

Which alternative to job specialization increases the total number of tasks workers perform without increasing worker control over the job to reduce the level of job dissatisfaction?

Enlargement

Martin's purchasing department is converting to an automated perpetual inventory system that will reduce costs and improve accuracy. Martin is aware of his employees' anxiety about the change. During the conversion, he made only the necessary changes, announced those changes well in advance, and allowed time for employees to adjust to new ways of doing things. Which technique did Martin use to overcome resistance to this change?

Facilitation

Based on the forces for change, what is a primary reason for problems that organizations face?

Failure to anticipate or respond to change properly

Ahmed wants to improve productivity and employee morale while cutting costs. Which organizational structure will allow him to do this?

Flat

Which of the following can be used to overcome resistance to organizational change so that employees can understand the facilitation of change will be less detrimental than the consequences of not changing?

Force-field analysis

Montazar learned some interesting news about Dezmon, a colleague in another department. Montazar shared the information with his work team at their morning break, and with other work friends at lunch. Some of these people shared the information with others, while some did not. This is an example of which type of grapevine?

Gossip chain

Which type of communication network can permeate an entire organization and follow a variety of communication patterns?

Grapevine

Which type of communication flow is best suited for joint problem solving?

Horizontal

Which type of innovation refers to a new product, service, or technology that modifies an existing one?

Incremental

Julius and his coworkers have been anxious for the past week. Senior managers at their firm have been holding many meetings behind closed doors. The content of the meetings has not been revealed to the employees, but the mood is grim. Yesterday, as the top management team left the conference room, Julius's manager glanced his way. Even though he gave Julius a friendly nod, Julius's concerns rose. The managers' looks of defeat and exhaustion have only elevated the anxiety being experienced by Julius and his coworkers. Julius's anxiety is being fueled by _____ communication.

Informal (through nonverbal cues)

EvruTech developed an innovative new way to deliver products to its customers. At this point, most companies in the industry have access to this delivery method and are now using it. EvruTech's innovation has reached which stage?

Innovation maturity

Hua spends the majority of the day responding to email, in conferences, and meeting with clients. Which managerial skills does Hua spend most of his time on?

Interpersonal relations

Which of the following is true of organizational structure?

It encompasses designing jobs in an organization.

Which of the following is true of an incremental innovation?

It modifies existing products and processes.

What is a key advantage of oral communication?

It promotes prompt feedback.

When determining the best way to encode a message, what should the sender base his or her choice on?

Knowledge of the situation and receiver

Why does written communication inhibit feedback and exchange?

Lag time

What is the type of position that is in the direct chain of command and is responsible for the achievement of an organization's goals?

Line

Which of the following factors favors a narrow span of management?

More nonsupervisory work in a manager's job

During class today, Zereth's professor is talking about the upcoming exam, but Zereth is having a hard time paying attention because she has a bad cold. What is causing the failure of communication between Zereth and her professor?

Noise

Which of the following is a medium for transmitting an oral message?

Phone call

Which type of change is associated with lower risk?

Planned

Jinhoon and Aviva have worked together on several projects, and have enjoyed working together. On occasion, they get together with their spouses and all of them spend time socializing on weekends. Which of the following does this relationship describe?

Positive interpersonal dynamics

Anke is writing a proposal to a customer to explain how Anke and her team will perform work for the customer. In the communication process, which role will this customer play?

Receiver

Zereth buys leather goods to sell in her shop from a supplier overseas. Recently it was found that this supplier underpays its workers and has hazardous working conditions. As a result, many customers are refusing to buy this brand. In response, Zereth discontinued that line and replaced it with a local line. Zereth responded to external forces for change in which environment?

Sociocultural

Payal runs the shipping department and has broken down jobs to include reviews, packages, labels, and dispatch of products. The shipping department structures job tasks into small, simple activities. Each employee has become very proficient at his or her assigned tasks, and transfer time between tasks is an average of only 15 seconds. Which approach to running the shipping department does Payal use?

Specialization

Manoj is responsible for providing expertise, advice, and support for employees. Which type of role does Manoj have in his organization?

Staff

When there is a surplus, which type of position represents a drain on an organization's cash and an inefficient use of resources?

Staff Positions

Junhua needed to share new and sensitive information with his staff. He decided the most effective way to share this information was to hold a meeting. In the context of the communication process, what will the meeting be considered as?

The channel

In general, what is the relationship between the amount of interaction that is required and the span of control?

The more interaction required, the narrower the span should be.

According to researchers, why is informal communication in the form of the grapevine increasing in organizations?

The recent increase in merger, acquisition, and takeover activity

Why is oral communication considered to be a "rich" communication tool?

There is a variety of immediate feedback.

Why are positive interpersonal relations in an organization important?

They are a source of satisfaction for many

At its most basic level, how can we define communication?

Transmission of information from one person to another

Which of the following suggests that each person within an organization must have a clear reporting relationship and report to only one boss?

Unity of command

Apoorva is conducting performance reviews with each of her team members. She will meet with each individually to share areas they do well in, and areas that need improvement, and listen to their plans and goals. Which flow of communication is Apoorva using?

Vertical (downward)

Anna is the sales manager for Wheelright Glass Products. She has a sensitive announcement to make to her team of 12 sales representatives. She wants to meet with each of them independently so that she can discreetly address any of their individual concerns. Anna has outlined the points that she needs to convey so that the message is consistent and useful when presented to each employee. To prevent the message from being communicated to members of her team with whom she has not yet spoken, which type of communication network pattern does Anna need to maintain?

Wheel

Geert asked his two top managers, Payal and Aisha, to meet with employees and explain the upcoming merger. Which communication network did Geert use to share this information with his entire staff?

Y

According to Graicunas, direct interactions refer to _____.

a manager's one-to-one relationship with each subordinate

The principal of a school has the responsibility of finalizing the school curriculum for the new academic year. A council of teachers advises the principal on matters that should be included in the school curriculum. It is the principal's duty to hear what the council recommends. The principal has the liberty to heed it or ignore it. In this scenario, the council is an example of a form of staff authority called _____.

compulsory advice

Michael has assigned a supervisor to each of the work groups across all departments. Michael has taken the responsibility of coordinating between the supervisors to track their progress. In this scenario, Michael is _____.

developing an organizational structure

The sender or receiver can take steps to ensure that overload does not occur by _____.

effectively managing the number of messages sent

Raul and Raj have worked together on a project since the project began, and they have formed a close working relationship. Since the project was so well done, regular project meetings are no longer necessary, and monitoring the project will be given to a junior member of the team. Raul and Raj are resistant to the restructuring. Their resistance is based on _____.

feelings of loss

Traditional forms of written communication _____.

inhibit feedback and interchange

People who support one another and who work well together can accomplish much more than people who do not support one another and who do not work well together. This is an example of _____.

synergy

Sushil has purchased and installed new equipment for two of the production lines in her department. This is an example of a change in the area of _____.

technology and operations

Ahmed is a new senior manager at Lock, Stock, and Barrel, a 100-year-old gun manufacturer. He has a different management style from his predecessor, Charlie. Charlie rarely interacted directly with his subordinates. Almost all of his communication was done through email messaging. Ahmed engages frequently with everyone in the office. He is often seen talking with employees at their desks, on walks through the office, out in the parking lot, and at company events. Ahmed uses a particular type of informal communication style known as management by _____.

wandering around

Which of the following is true of vertical communication?

It involves a superior and a subordinate.

Which of the following is true of job rotation?

It involves moving employees from one job to another.

Aviva tries to assign her employees new and challenging tasks as often as practical to enhance their opportunities for growth and enhancement. Which approach to job design does Aviva use?

Job Enrichment

Jin is the warehouse manager at a bottling company. Employees are on a four-week schedule during which each employee spends one week loading trucks, unloading trucks, verifying invoices, and pulling inventory from storage. Which approach to job design is Jin using?

Job Rotation

Which of the following attempts to increase both the number of tasks a worker does and the control the worker has over the job?

Job enrichment

Which type of authority is considered the formal or legitimate authority created by the organizational hierarchy?

Line authority

Which of the following refers to the set of elements that can be used to configure a company?

Organizational structure

Which of the following is an advantage of job specialization?

Proficiency at each task

Polani knows that employees talk about work even when they are not working. Every quarter, Polani arranges an offsite event for her employees. They relax, socialize, talk about what is happening around town, and even work on occasion. What is Polani hoping to promote by including employees in social gatherings?

Promoting a strong sense of culture

Avec and Raphael work well together and have a great deal of respect for the work of the other, but really have little to talk about other than the job they are doing. How can Avec and Raphael help the work relationship evolve into a more positive interaction?

They should look for common ground

The communication process begins when a sender wants to transmit a fact, idea, opinion, or other information to a receiver. The next step is to _____.

encode the meaning into a form appropriate to the situation

When United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby travels, he makes a point of talking to flight attendants and other passengers to gain continuous insights into running the business more effectively. This is an example of _____.

management by wandering around

Interpersonal relations in an organization can act as a primary source of _____.

needs satisfaction

Eli is spearheading an important project for his firm. He was waiting on an email with critical information from a co-worker, but he never received it. The firm's intranet went down, and there has been no email transmission today. Eli is experiencing the organizational communication barrier of _____.

noise

The span of management indicates _____.

the number of people who report to a particular manager

Helena has been particularly resistant to the new restructuring where she works. Her department is now slightly smaller than it was before, and she feels that this will give her less influence in the company. Helena's resistance is based on _____.

threatened self-interest

Manoj noticed a problem in the production process, and he thinks it is important enough to share with his manager. Which type of communication flow will Manoj use to share information with organizational leadership?

upward

What is true of the grapevine as an informal communications tool?

Its use increases when organizations move to suburbs.

As a manager, Dharma encourages her employees to make decisions and tries to increase their level of engagement and responsibility. What does Dharma use to increase job satisfaction?

Enrichment

Avec wants to use a job design approach that allows workers to become very proficient at each task, that reduces transfer time between tasks, and that makes it easy for someone else to step in when a worker is absent or resigns. Which approach to job design will provide those benefits to Avec?

Job specialization

Woojin's company is considering allowing all employees to work from home, but he is concerned about the long-term effect on the strong culture of the organization. Which of the following is a potential outcome when digital communication replaces face-to-face communications?

Less supportive atmosphere of trust and cooperativeness

Nila set up a meeting with her employee Arayla to explain why Arayla did not get the promotion she applied for. During the meeting, Arayla sat back in her chair with her arms crossed, with a look of anger on her face. When Nila asked if Arayla had any questions, Arayla responded with "No, this is just fine." Nila knew Arayla was mad! What did Arayla use to communicate her feelings about being passed over for promotion?

Nonverbal communication

Ralph C. Davis suggested two different kinds of spans, which depend on the position in the organization. Which type of span did he suggest for lower-level managers?

Operative

In response to the Affordable Care Act, Mikel's firm had to make significant changes to the health insurance segment of its employee benefits package. This is an example of a change in the area of _____.

organization structure and design

Tariq has combined several departments and has made changes to the key leadership reporting relationships at his firm. This is an example of a change in the area of _____.

organizational structure and design