Ch. 1 Communicating at Work Smartbook Assignment

Which situations illustrate the fact that communication is irreversible?

- If you have said the wrong thing, you might want to take it back but find it impossible. - When you try to eliminate an unfortunate tweet, all you are likely to do is draw more attention to what you wrote.

Which are examples of social or business networking sites on the Internet?

- LinkedIn - Pinterest - Facebook

Which of the following are true about excellent communication skills on the job?

- They are essential to personal career success. - They are important in almost every line of work.

When determining which communication channel to use, you should use oral communication in situations where you ______.

- are presenting an idea that requires visual support such as photos or slides - need immediate feedback, for example, in a question-and-answer session

In communication, messages ______.

- are transmitted by senders - may be deliberate or unintentional

Which activities are examples of networking?

- attending career fairs - interning at an organization - volunteering with off-campus organizations

Which are roles that a mentor has?

- counselor - trainer - guide

Which are examples of horizontal communication?

- employees from the Los Angeles office communicating with their counterparts in the Atlanta office - coworkers talking about the best way to accomplish tasks

Organizational charts depict which optimal flows of communication?

- horizontal - upward - downward

Which are examples of feedback?

- nodding and smiling during a conversation - yawning during a speech - failure to answer a letter - refusing to return a phone call

Which are types of downward communication?

- providing feedback - giving job instructions Downward communication occurs when leaders send messages to lower-level employees. It is usually one-directional and does not invite a response from the lower-level recipient. Casual conversation should involve some give and take.

Informal communication networks are patterns of interaction based on a number of factors, including ______.

- proximity - shared career interests - friendships

Not long ago (specifically, before the information revolution that began to take hold in the 1980s), businesspeople could choose from only a few communication channels, including which ones?

- telephone - written memo - in-person

Which are types of messages conveyed by upward communication?

- unsolved work problems - how subordinates feel about each other and the job - what subordinates are doing

Which options are considered new business technology options?

- web conferencing - social media - live streaming

Which aspects determine the richness of a channel?

- whether it can handle many types of cues at once - whether it allows for quick feedback from both senders and receivers - whether it allows for a personal focus

Which of the following best illustrates the fact that communication is unavoidable?

Even when you seemingly do not communicate (for example, giving someone "the silent treatment"), you are still sending a message.

______ communication offers the highest degree of control over the receiver's attention.

Face-to-face

Informal networks should not exist in a well-managed professional workplace.

False Alongside the formal networks, every organization also has informal communication networks—patterns of interaction based on friendships, shared personal or career interests, and proximity.

An employee expressing concerns about the working environment to the supervisor is an example of downward communication.

False An employee expressing concerns about the working environment is an example of upward communication. Downward communication begins with the superior.

The communication process begins with a messenger, also known as the person who receives the message.

False The communication process begins with the sender, the person who transmits the message.

When you avoid seeing someone, you aren't actually communicating.

False The notion that we are always communicating means we send messages even by our absence. Failing to show up at an event or leaving the room suggests meaning to others.

With the advent of social media and the ability to take down or delete a post, communication has become reversible for the first time in history.

False Unfortunately, once you communicate something—even on social media—it cannot be taken back. Communication is truly irreversible.

When building your personal network, only seek information from people removed from your network by one degree.

False Your personal network is expansive; going beyond one degree will provide more benefits. If you ask 10 people for referrals and each of them knows 10 others who might be able to help, you have the potential to obtain support from 100 information givers.

Face-to-face communication does not allow for the communication and decoding of verbal and nonverbal cues.

False Face-to-face communication would likely be preferred in such a situation because it allows for the communication and decoding of verbal and nonverbal cues, simultaneous feedback, and a personal focus.

Which of the following is not a useful tip for building a personal network?

Recognize that building a network is easy.

Which of the following statements about ethics is true?

There is no single "right" approach to ethics.

The company's inter-office messaging system is an example of a communication network.

True Whether the people we work with are in adjacent cubicles or on the other side of the world, we are members of communication networks—patterns of contact created by the flow of messages among communicators through time and space.

Because communication is a two-way process, you can never have complete control over it.

True While you can never have complete control, there are communication channels with different types of control.

The power of personal networks is clear from the "six degrees of separation" hypothesis, which means that ______.

any two people in the world are separated by an average of six personal links

The method used to deliver a message is known as the ______.

channel

Although all of us have personal contacts, personal networking involves ______.

deliberately meeting people for information, advice, and leads Personal networking has a strategic dimension that goes beyond being sociable.

A superior telling subordinates that they have performed well on a task is an example of ______ communication.

downward

Whenever superiors initiate messages to their subordinates, ______ communication is occurring.

downward

Maria creates personal to-do lists for each team member who serves under her. What is this an example of?

downward communication

The discernible, or observable, response that a person gives to a message is called ______.

feedback

Which of the following is NOT one of the principal characteristics to consider when choosing which communication channel to use?

flexibility—how much you can adapt the channel to your needs

In contrast to oral communication, written communication is best for creating a(n) ______ tone.

formal

Systems designed by management to dictate who should talk to whom to get a job done are known as ______ communication networks.

formal

The two kinds of communication networks are classified as ______.

formal and informal

Synchronous communication is another term for a ______ channel.

high-speed

The name for the kind of communication in which members of an organization with equal power exchange messages is ______ communication.

horizontal

A mentor is someone who ______.

imparts the kind of wisdom that comes from firsthand experience

Receivers actively interpret and respond to the messages they have received ______.

intentionally and unintentionally

Messages that flow from ______ are known as upward communication.

lower-level employees to superiors

Communication involves at least two parties, a sender and a(n) ______.

receiver

In a(n) ______ channel, tone of voice, body movement, and facial expression help you to better understand the person with whom you are communicating.

rich

The amount of information that is available in a given channel term is referred to as ______.

richness

Doing the ethical thing is not easy, and on a personal level you are likely to face conflicts between what you believe is ______ and what is ______.

right; practical

The term "______" refers to how quickly the exchange of messages occurs in a given channel.

speed

If you need a price quote now, you should use a(n) ______ communication channel.

synchronous

High-speed or instantaneous channels are called ______ communication, whereas low-speed channels, or channels that involve a time lag between transmission and reception, are referred to as ______ communication.

synchronous; asynchronous

Which of the following is not a situation in which written communication should be chosen over oral communication?

when your goal is to build strong relationships