Chapter 15 Management
Which of the following is the best advice for face-to-face communication? A. Begin with good news, and lead up to bad news. B. Use a face-to-face meeting as an opportunity to multitask. C. Hold "town hall" meetings daily. D. Speak "off the cuff" rather than preparing a dull list of topics that need to be discussed. E. Have face-to-face meetings spontaneously when you encounter a co-worker in the daily course of doing business (for example, in the copy room or lunch room).
A. Begin with good news, and lead up to bad news.
Which of the following is not an element of an effective social media policy? A. Encourage employees to post honest, bold, and even unpopular decisions. B. Align social policy with the organization's culture. C. Explain what is considered illegal. D. Clarify what is confidential. E. Create safe channels for employees to air their concerns before going online.
A. Encourage employees to post honest, bold, and even unpopular decisions.
______ communication channels develop outside the organizational structure and do not follow the chain of command. A. Informal B. Vertical C. Horizontal D. Customary E. External
A. Informal
Which of the following is a step in the communication process? A. The message is transmitted through a medium. B. The sender decodes the message. C. The medium is eliminated. D. Noise is eliminated from the message. E. The receiver selects the medium.
A. The message is transmitted through a medium.
Which of the following is an example of controlling communication? A. You must complete the audit by Friday of this week. B. I have been sensing that you're dissatisfied with this job assignment. C. You can try doing it that way, but it won't work. D. I've been doing this job for much longer than you have; I know the right way to do it. E. Let's put our heads together and figure out a better way to accomplish this task.
A. You must complete the audit by Friday of this week.
Tyrone was recently promoted to manager. Although he used to take advice from his peers, he seems no longer willing to listen to any input from them or his boss, and he is determined to run the project how he thinks best. Which personal barrier to communication is Tyrone exhibiting? A. an oversized ego B. variable skills in communicating effectively C. a tendency to judge others' messages D. an inability to listen with understanding E. variation in interpreting information
A. an oversized ego
Most people from Western cultures tend to ______ when conveying bad news or negative feedback. A. avoid eye contact B. smile C. nod their heads D. lean forward E. yawn
A. avoid eye contact
According to Deborah Tannen, men are more likely than women to A. boast about achievements. B. mention "we" or "you" in a conversation with a coworker. C. use positive overlaps such as "I agree." D. decipher nonverbal cues accurately. E. provide more information than needed.
A. boast about achievements.
Which term refers to the use of the Internet at work for personal use? A. cyberloafing B. jargon C. crowdsourcing D. cyberthreat E. media policy
A. cyberloafing
Ryan is sitting in a seminar where a speaker is explaining the company's retirement plan options. Ryan is only 24 years old, and he thinks retirement is so far away that he doesn't think he needs to pay attention to the speaker. He starts texting his friends and updating his Facebook page; he even slumps in his chair. He has completely tuned out of the presentation. Ryan's listening style in this case is best described as A. detached. B. active. C. involved. D. passive. E. passive-aggressive.
A. detached.
Doug gave some people street directions, but because they only nodded their heads and didn't repeat the directions back to him, he doesn't really know whether the directions were understood. What type of barrier is present here? A. feedback B. sender C. encoding D. medium E. decoding
A. feedback
The introduction to a business speech should A. get right to the point. B. contain at least one joke. C. contain a phrase like "I'm honored to be here." D. contain significant details of the presentation. E. contain an unrelated story to catch the interest of the audience.
A. get right to the point.
Which of the following indicates how official communications should be routed? A. organizational chart B. grapevine C. lateral networks D. corporate culture E. personnel files
A. organizational chart
Debbie works part time in a coffee shop. Some of the equipment is so noisy it prevents her from correctly hearing what the customer orders. The noisy equipment is an example of a(n) ______ barrier to communication. A. physical B. semantic C. personal D. encoding E. feedback
A. physical
Compared to women, men tend to A. use emoticons to express sarcasm and banter. B. easily indicate their uncertainties. C. use more "we" statements. D. provide more information than needed. E. make more apologies.
A. use emoticons to express sarcasm and banter.
Channels of communications that follow the chain of command and are considered as official are _____ communication channels. A. prescribed B. formal C. vertical D. horizontal E. external
B. formal
Diane, a marketing manager, shares some of the market research her department has analyzed with the research and development group. Diane is communicating A. by wandering around. B. horizontally. C. upward. D. through the grapevine. E. externally.
B. horizontally.
Which of the following is a "don't" when attempting to improve communication? A. Occasionally nod in agreement. B. Close your eyes. C. Speak in a quiet, reassuring tone. D. Smile and show animation. E. Lean toward the speaker.
B. Close your eyes.
Which of the following is not an example of noise in the communication process in a typical classroom? A. a student in the back of the classroom texting a friend B. a student answering a professor's question C. groundskeepers mowing the lawn outside the classroom window D. uncomfortable classroom desks E. an attractive person walking by the open classroom door
B. a student answering a professor's question
Which of the following is not an element of the communication model? A. sender B. decoder C. feedback D. noise E. message
B. decoder
A manager needs to inform employees that the quarterly project management training will start on May 1, about two months from now. Generally, which of the following should the manager use in this situation? A. videoconference B. e-mail C. personal note D. face-to-face meeting E. telephone
B. e-mail
At the end of the fiscal year, Dilinger Investments releases an earnings report to clients. By sending the earnings reports to its clients, Dilinger Investments is communicating A. vertically. B. externally. C. horizontally. D. downward. E. upward.
B. externally.
Which of the following is the most appropriate medium for a manager advising employees of a revision to the company's bonus structure? A. e-mail to all those affected B. face-to-face meeting C. an announcement posted near the office coffee machine D. telephone call to each E. personal note to each
B. face-to-face meeting
Tracie, working at a research facility in Washington, DC, needs to communicate with Juan, who is in Mexico City, about a project they are working on. Although Juan has perfect command of English, they are still facing a(n) ______ barrier to communication. A. semantic B. physical C. encoding D. medium E. personal
B. physical
Roger was talking to a coworker in a meeting, and he wasn't listening when his supervisor announced work assignments. This situation is an example of what type of barrier to communication? A. medium barrier B. receiver barrier C. feedback barrier D. decoding barrier E. encoding barrier
B. receiver barrier
Which of the following is a tip for writing more effectively for business purposes? A. avoid using a subject line when sending an e-mail B. start by stating your purpose and what you expect of the reader C. use the passive voice (rather than the active voice) D. construct interesting, complex sentences E. begin an e-mail with an informal greeting like "Hey"
B. start by stating your purpose and what you expect of the reader
The source for crowdsourcing is most often A. executive advisory councils. B. the Internet and social media. C. boards of directors. D. professional associations. E. competitors.
B. the Internet and social media.
______________ is the process of translating a message into understandable symbols or language. A. Mediation B. Transformation C. Encoding D. Decoding E. Enriching
C. Encoding
Executives at Breakers Engineering want to let middle managers know that the company is going to be acquired by its largest competitor. Assuming the following paths of communication are possible, how should executives communicate this information? A. Send a note to all managers. B. Post a notice on all bulletin boards. C. Hold a face-to-face meeting. D. Send an e-mail to all managers. E. Schedule a conference phone call.
C. Hold a face-to-face meeting.
Which of the following is an example of a barrier in cross-cultural communication? A. You are trying to get through to a colleague on the telephone, but you keep getting a buy signal. B. Men are less likely than women to indicate that they are unsure about an issue. C. The "OK" hand symbol means "all right" or fine in the United States, but is considered an insult in parts of Europe. D. Those over the age of 70 are significantly less likely to use any form of social media. E. Due to a hurricane affecting the East Coast, all Internet connections are down for thousands of miles.
C. The "OK" hand symbol means "all right" or fine in the United States, but is considered an insult in parts of Europe.
Which of the following is not true of e-mail? A. The average worker can receive hundreds of e-mails in a day. B. Texting and social networking have begun to reduce the dominance of e-mail. C. The number of e-mail users worldwide has peaked and begun to decline. D. Many computer applications require an e-mail address for access. E. Most workers feel that they can answer only a few dozen e-mails per day.
C. The number of e-mail users worldwide has peaked and begun to decline.
Which of the following is not one of the top five qualities that employers are looking for most in college graduates? A. leadership B. teamwork C. creativity D. problem-solving skills E. written and verbal communication skills
C. creativity
Of the following, which medium is the least rich? A. e-mail B. instant messaging on the Internet C. flier on a bulletin board D. handwritten note E. conference telephone call
C. flier on a bulletin board
Gossip and rumor in an organization are part of the _____, which itself is a type of ______ communication channel. A. organizational chart; horizontal B. culture; horizontal C. grapevine; informal D. grapevine; horizontal E. organizational chart; informal
C. grapevine; informal
Which of the following is appropriate for workplace e-mail? A. forwarding e-mails to friends and relatives B. complicated topics C. maintaining work-life balance by not sending e-mails before or after work hours D. informality and grammatical errors E. sensitive personal issues
C. maintaining work-life balance by not sending e-mails before or after work hours
A(n) ______ form of media allows receivers to observe multiple cues, such as body language and tone of voice, and allows senders to get feedback. Face-to-face communication is an example of this form of media. A. encoded B. dense C. rich D. informal E. formal \
C. rich
Imagine that you work for a life insurance company. The company is offering a new type of life insurance policy for senior citizens (people over age 65) and retirees. Keeping generational differences in mind, which of the following is the best medium for communicating with potential customers/clients? A. e-mail B. YouTube videos C. telephone calls D. Facebook E. text messages
C. telephone calls
The key to protecting digital communication systems against fraud, hackers, identity theft, and other threats is A. using file-sharing services. B. hiring ethical employees. C. using prevention techniques like strong passwords. D. creating a well-funded IT department. E. minimizing turnover.
C. using prevention techniques like strong passwords.
Of the following, which medium is the richest? A. company newsletter B. telephone C. videoconference D. memo E. e-mail
C. videoconference
Which of the following is an example of empathetic communication? A. "We need to get this job finished on time if we want to keep our jobs." B. "These intense deadlines are both unreasonable and unfair." C. "You don't have a choice; this is the job we hired you to do." D. "I understand your frustration; this deadline is intense, and we're running on reduced staff." E. "If you don't like your job, we can easily replace you."
D. "I understand your frustration; this deadline is intense, and we're running on reduced staff."
________ is a person's characteristic speaking patterns, such as the use of pacing, pausing, questions, and stories. A. Horizontal communication B. A communication device C. A formal message D. A linguistics style E. Multi-communication
D. A linguistics style
______ is terminology that is specific to a particular profession or group. For example, statisticians talk about t-tests, chi-square tests, confidence intervals, and normal distributions. A. The grapevine B. Technology C. Gossip D. Jargon E. Rhetoric
D. Jargon
Which of the following statements is true? A. Men are more skilled at deciphering nonverbal cues than women are. B. Men are less willing than women to talk over others. C. In terms of answering questions, men tend to provide more information than needed, while women tend to be quick and to the point. D. Men tend to withdraw and isolate themselves when problem solving, whereas women seek out others for support and can interpret men's withdrawing as lack of caring. E. Men are more likely than women to indicate that they are uncertain about an issue.
D. Men tend to withdraw and isolate themselves when problem solving, whereas women seek out others for support and can interpret men's withdrawing as lack of caring.
Among people age 18-24, the most popular social network is _______; among people aged 35-44, the most popular social network is ________. A. Facebook, Pinterest B. Twitter, Google+ C. Instagram, Tumblr D. Snapchat; LinkedIn E. Pinterest, Twitter
D. Snapchat; LinkedIn
Which of the following is not appropriate to include in the conclusion of a speech? A. a signal phrase to cue listeners about the wind-up B. "Thank you" C. a call to action D. details you forgot from earlier E. a little upbeat story or a quotation
D. details you forgot from earlier
The dean at Corbin Business College disseminated a new five-year strategic plan to department chairs. This is an example of ________ communication. A. external B. horizontal C. corporate D. downward E. informal
D. downward
You are a(n) ________ communicator when your intended message is sent accurately in the least amount of time. A. economical B. collaborative C. formal D. efficient E. effective
D. efficient
Lai worked on a global team for an American company, and all her work had to be completed in her second language, English. Sometimes her teammates misinterpreted her meaning. Lai has unintentionally created of a(n) ______ barrier to communication. A. decoding B. sender C. feedback D. encoding E. receiver
D. encoding
When the band came out on stage and the lead singer shouted, "Hello, Dallas!" the crowd roared with applause. The crowd's response is an example of A. decoding. B. medium selection. C. noise. D. feedback. E. encoding.
D. feedback.
When thieves use your name and good credit rating to get cash or buy things, they are engaging in A. Robin Hood theft. B. credit mishandling. C. credit exploitation. D. identity theft. E. misuse of standing.
D. identity theft.
Active ______ is the process of actively decoding and interpreting verbal messages, which requires full attention and processing. A. empathizing B. comprehension C. hearing D. listening E. evaluation
D. listening
Claire wanted to tell her employees about the seminar, but she put the flier in a stack of papers and forgot about it until after the deadline, so none of her employees were able to sign up for the seminar. What type of barrier has occurred in this situation? A. feedback barrier B. encoding barrier C. medium barrier D. sender barrier E. receiver barrier
D. sender barrier
Which of the following is not a way in which nonverbal communication is expressed? A. grimacing B. avoiding eye contact C. looking away while talking to someone D. writing a thank-you note E. touching someone's shoulder
D. writing a thank-you note
Generally, typical listeners retain _____ of what they hear. A. 5 percent B. all C. 75 percent D. two-thirds E. 20-50 percent
E. 20-50 percent
Which of the following statements is not true about communication in the workplace? A. Communication is a form of social information processing, in which receivers interpret messages by cognitively processing them. B. Efficient communicators can transmit their message accurately in the least amount of time. C. The pathway by which a message travels is called the medium. D. The communication process involves sender, message, and receiver; encoding and decoding; the medium; feedback; and dealing with "noise," or interference. E. Emails can cut through the misunderstandings that result from misinterpreted phone calls.
E. Emails can cut through the misunderstandings that result from misinterpreted phone calls.
____ is a state of reduced attention that is expressed in behavior that is rigid or thoughtless. This state is natural because human beings simply cannot keep up with all the stimuli they receive. A. Mindfulness B. Cognitive distortion C. The mirror effect D. Nonverbal communication E. Mindlessness
E. Mindlessness
Which of the following is a "do" when attempting to improve communication? A. Close your eyes. B. Lick your lips or play with your hair. C. Look away from the speaker. D. Speak very slowly. E. Smile.
E. Smile.
Which of the following statements is not true of social media? A. Social media can lead to hiring discrimination by revealing applicants' religious affiliation, age, family composition, or sexual orientation. B. Your overall presence on the Internet and social media sites should reflect a mature and responsible individual and include nothing you'd be afraid to see in the newspaper. C. In terms of job recruiting, LinkedIn is the most widely used social media site. D. The use of social media in the workplace often leads to reduced turnover, higher performance, and increased job satisfaction. E. Social media rarely reduces productivity in the workplace.
E. Social media rarely reduces productivity in the workplace.
Active listening requires all of the following except A. decoding. B. interpreting verbal messages. C. full attention. D. processing of information. E. focusing on the delivery rather than content.
E. focusing on the delivery rather than content.
Which of the following is not a suggestion that may help you be a good listener? A. show respect for the speaker; do not interrupt B. ask good questions C. paraphrase and summarize remarks D. use nonverbal cues to demonstrate interest and involvement E. mentally compose your response
E. mentally compose your response
The grapevine is A. a formal communication channel. B. almost wholly inaccurate. C. slower than formal channels. D. the source of as much as 90 percent of all organizational communication. E. more active when official communication is lacking.
E. more active when official communication is lacking.
The more management levels through which a message passes, the A. more important the message is. B. higher the chance the message will become external. C. more informal the organization. D. more disorganized the organization. E. more distorted the message may become.
E. more distorted the message may become.
Which of the following is not a personal barrier to communication? A. a small vocabulary B. a large ego C. lack of credibility D. mindlessness E. obsolete technology
E. obsolete technology
Communication is A. speaking or writing so that another is able to comprehend the meaning. B. interpretation of messages sent via any media. C. the combined activities of speaking and listening. D. a process involving only the sender, message, and receiver. E. the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another.
E. the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another.
A manager who is instructing his employee about work tasks is communicating A. informally. B. horizontally. C. externally. D. through the grapevine. E. vertically.
E. vertically.
