Ch 15: interpersonal and organizational communication

Rank the following media in terms of media richness, placing the medium with the least richness at the top and the medium with the greatest richness at the bottom.

1. Newsletter 2. Text message 3. Phone Call 4. Video conference 5. Face-to-face meeting

What is cyberloafing?

Accessing the Internet at work for personal use

Which techniques will lead to more effective listening? (Check all that apply.)

Ask questions to make sure you understand. Use nonverbal cues to demonstrate interest.

What tips are recommended for building a professional network of contacts?

Build networks that serve your professional purposes. Identify your career goals, and target contacts who will help you achieve them.

Kyle, an American, is giving a presentation in the Middle East. The audience is not laughing at his jokes, and people are even scowling at some of his hand gestures. What is most likely causing Kyle's distress?

Cultural differences

_____ communication typically involves hostility, anger, or passivity, whereas _____ communication is assertive and direct.

Defensive; nondefensive

Good communicators are _____ and effective. That is, their messages are transmitted in a short time, and people understand them.

Efficient

People who transmit their messages accurately in the least time are ______ communicators.

Efficient

What is the ability to recognize and understand another person's feelings and thoughts?

Empathy

In the communication process, translating a message into symbols or language for transmission is referred to as _____.

Encoding

Eye contact serves which of the following functions?

Expresses emotion Reflects interest Shows attention

The term _____ describes when the receiver expresses his or her reaction to the sender's message.

Feedback

Mariposa, a young office manager, is trying to exchange text messages with her supervisor, Bill. Although Bill has been the general manager of the business for years, he has never learned how to use the texting function on his cell phone. What barrier to communication is Alexandria experiencing?

Generational differences

What are some of the main causes of poor listening in modern times?

Information overload Mindlessness Cell phones

Why is cyberloafing bad for business?

It exposes the company to computer viruses. It uses up bandwidth. It causes employees to waste time instead of doing their jobs.

Which of the following is an example of a physical barrier to communication?

Jonathan and his team members are located in different time zones around the world, making it difficult to schedule video conferences together.

Which statements accurately describe the way gender influences communication?

Men are less likely to admit when they feel uncertain. Women tend to provide more information than is needed.

What is a state of reduced attention that often leads to thoughtless, rigid behavior, and causes people to forget names soon after hearing them?

Mindlessness

Which elements often become cross-cultural barriers to communication?

Nonverbal gestures Ethnocentrism Religious beliefs

What technology has most profoundly changed the principles of management and the nature of how businesses operate?

Online social media

Which statements accurately describe the way messages are interpreted?

People's individual experiences affect the way they interpret what someone is saying. Communication is a perceptual process that varies from person to person. The speaker is responsible for ensuring that the listener understands the message.

Sarah emails Joyce to tell her about a new project opportunity. What is Joyce's role in the communication process?

Receiver

According to Dale Carnegie, what are the three rules of an effective speech?

Say it Tell them what you said Tell them what you are going to say

Identify the disadvantages brought about by the digital age. (Check all that apply.)

Security breaches decreased privacy Too many emails

Which personal attributes are important for a career in business communication?

Self-efficacy Self-awareness Self-motivation

To prepare for a career in business communication, you need to become competent in which areas?

Social intelligence Teamwork and collaboration New media literacy

What conditions must be present before a company's social media strategy will succeed?

The company's personnel must be competent in using technology. The company's customers must have social media skills. The company must dedicate resources to the effort.

The information that is shared in the communication process is called ______.

The message

Which statements regarding social media strategies in business are true?

The message should be surprising. Marketers should track the results.

Why do businesses establish a presence on social media platforms?

To increase sales To interact with customers To increase brand awareness

Why can it be beneficial for a company to allow employees some use of personal texting on the job?

To relieve stress To improve work-life balance

How should a business communication be written?

Use few adjectives and adverbs.

Charlie complains to a coworker, "Chris has lied to us so many times about how he's going to try to get us a raise that I don't believe a thing he says anymore." Which personal barrier to effective communication does this BEST describe?

Variations in trustworthiness and credibility

To avoid errors in writing, what precautions should be taken with every business communication?

Watch for auto-correct errors. Pay particular attention to the spelling of people's names and titles.

Effective communicators realize that ______.

a speaker is responsible for making sure the listener understands the message.

The process of actively decoding and interpreting verbal messages is known as _____ listening.

active

The transfer of information and understanding from one person to another is known as _____.

communication

Connor rereads the email that he has received in order to make sense of its message. On what part of the communication process is Connor focusing?

decoding

Interpreting and trying to make sense of the message is called ______.

decoding

Active listening is the process of ______.

decoding and interpreting verbal messages`

During an argument with a coworker, Analiese became increasingly hostile and profane. This would BEST be described as _______ communication.

defensive

When trust is lacking between two people communicating with each other, the individuals tend to become ____ rather than focus on the meaning of the message.

defensive

When Marta explains a project to members of her staff, they are able to understand her intended message accurately. This suggests that Marta is a(n) _____ communicator.

effective

Miriam's employee explains that he was absent because his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Miriam thinks about what it would be like to be in her employee's position, and she realizes that she is both frightened and sad. Miriam is demonstrating ______.

empathy

Putting a message into understandable symbols or language to send to another person is called _____.

encoding

True or false: Effective listening is an innate skill; it cannot be learned.

false

True or false: The "rules" for eye contact are the same across all cultures.

false (Eye contact varies considerably across cultures. For instance, Westerners are taught at an early age to look at parents who are speaking to them. However, Asians are taught to avoid contact with a parent or superior to show obedience and subservience.)

True or false: The classic advice given by Dale Carnegie for public speaking is to say what you have to say only once.

false (His advice was to tell your audience what you are going to say, say it, and then tell them what you said.)

True or false: Writing is NOT important for a career in management, because managers have administrative assistants who edit and correct their business correspondence.

fasle

The expression of the receiver's reaction to the sender's message is known as

feedback

An organization's ______ communication channels include official memos, letters, reports, and announcements.

formal

Jackson sends a memo to his staff announcing a project review meeting to be held the next day. This is an example of _____ communication.

formal

The basic types of barriers to communication are physical, personal, cross-cultural, nonverbal, and ______ differences.

gender

The _____ is the unofficial communication system of the informal organization, a network of in-person and online gossip and rumor.

grapevine

What type of communication channels do NOT follow the chain of command and develop outside the formal structure of the organization?

informal

Garrett told his sales team to send their monthly sales figures to him via email rather than calling him on the phone. Garrett is indicating his preference for a _____ medium.

lean

How well a particular medium conveys information and promotes learning is called ______.

media. richness

An email, a handwritten notice, or a voicemail are each an example of a ______ in the communication process.

medium

In communication, ______ (men or women?) are more likely to use "I" statements.

men

Nanci needs to let Morgan know that the production line will be down until tomorrow and the items she needs to ship to the customer won't be ready on time. The information Nanci wants to share is called the

message

Building and maintaining a wide array of professional contacts is called ______.

networking

Any disturbance that interferes with the transmission of a message in the communication process is known as

noise

During the professor's lecture, Jake was distracted by a classmate's coughing. This distraction is an example of _______ in the communication process.

noise

After a staff meeting in which a coworker criticized Elena, she approached him and stated calmly, "I am unhappy about the way you treated me during the meeting, and I want to discuss it." This is an example of ______ communication

nondefensive

After a staff meeting in which a coworker criticized Elena, she approached him and stated calmly, "I am unhappy about the way you treated me during the meeting, and I want to discuss it." This is an example of ______ communication.

nondefensive (A defensive response would be angry, attacking, or withdrawing. Elena's response was direct and assertive, which are characteristics of nondefensive communication.)

A rich medium is more effective with _____ situations.

nonroutine

Eye contact, facial expressions, and body movements and gestures are forms of _____ communication.

nonverbal

What type of communication consists of messages sent outside of the written or spoken word?

nonverbal

One of the dangers of using a rich medium for routine matters is information _____ , in which the receiver gets more information than necessary.

overloading/ overload

The wall separating Henri from his manager made it hard to hear what his manager was saying. The wall is an example of a ______ barrier.

physical

Which of the following are types of barriers to communication? (Check all that apply.)

physical, personal, and cross- cultural barriers

In the communication process, the person for whom the message is intended is the

receiver

The digital era and social media have caused major problems for businesses, including security breaches and ______.

reduced productivity due to handling large volumes of e-mail

A lean medium is more effective with _____ situations.

routine

Except in unusual circumstances, which employees are usually NOT allowed to text at work?

sales associates cashiers customer service representatives

Cell-phone and Internet-based technologies that generate interactive dialog among members of a network are known as _____.

social media

Which forms of communication are still popular among older generations but are considered outdated by some younger people?

telephone calls email

Janeen hears a rumor from a colleague in sales that there is going to be a layoff on Friday afternoon. She quickly calls her friend in accounting to let her know. This is an example of _____.

the grapevine

The means by which a communicator sends a message is called ______.

the medium

Which of the following are types of informal communication channels? (Check all that apply.)

the office grapevine face to face communication

Because emails and texting have replaced the telephone in much business communication, ______ has become an increasingly important management skill.

writing