mgmt 309: chpt 18
An organizational grapevine would be most likely to form in the absence of what kind of communication? a. Upward b. Downward c. Horizontal d. Diagonal e. Informal
ANS: B
The office grapevine usually is not linear at all but an informal ____ communication network. a. chain b. Y c. circle d. all-channel e. wheel
ANS: D
Which of the following factors influences the encoding process? a. The content of the message b. The familiarity of the sender and receiver c. Sender's personal distractions d. The message composition or makeup e. All of these choices
ANS: E
Which of the following is a channel of communication? a. Telephone call b. Letter c. Facial expression d. Job interview e. All of these choices
ANS: E
Which of the following is a type of organizational communication? a. Downward communication b. Upward communication c. Horizontal communication d. Electronic communication e. All of these choices
ANS: E
A work team composed of various functional managers would tend to encourage a. horizontal communication. b. professional jargon. c. downward communication. d. effective communication. e. a managerial grapevine.
ANS: A
After a message is transmitted, it must then be a. decoded. b. encoded. c. channeled through an all-channel network. d. sent to the proper recipient. e. scrubbed for noise.
ANS: A
All of the following are examples of nonverbal communication EXCEPT a. a conference. b. someone's body position. c. the distance between two people. d. images. e. furniture arrangement in the room.
ANS: A
Donald Rumsfeld said "Going to war without the French is like going deer hunting without your accordion." This is an example of a. images. b. setting. c. body language. d. effective communication. e. None of these choices
ANS: A
Effective communication would be most important for a. a pilot transferring control of the aircraft. b. someone complaining about the weather. c. an after-dinner speaker at a Lions Club meeting. d. a campaign speech. e. a company newsletter.
ANS: A
Employees of CNN saw military boats around D.C. and someone said they heard gunfire. CNN reported military action. However, there was no gunfire and the Coast Guard was doing training only. This illustrates which disadvantage of oral communication? a. It can be quite inaccurate. b. It often creates a need for feedback. c. It is more time-consuming than written communication. d. Managers are uncomfortable using oral communication. e. All of these choices
ANS: A
Greg received a sales idea from his boss. As he reads the memo, he is trying to understand the words and phrases. In terms of the communication process, this is an example of a. decoding. b. encoding. c. noise. d. channel selection. e. message crafting.
ANS: A
If you want to engage in successful negotiations, one of the important rules to follow is to have the negotiation meeting held in your offices rather than in the office of the party with whom you are negotiating. This is an example of the use of a. nonverbal communication. b. transactional communication. c. oral communication. d. status differences as a barrier to communication. e. noise.
ANS: A
Leah is in a meeting. She is freezing, so she has her arms and legs crossed. Paul observes her and thinks her body is crossed because she does not like the information she is receiving. If Leah would speak up, this barrier could be eliminated. a. Reluctance to communicate b. Semantics c. Communication overload d. Inconsistency e. Image deterioration
ANS: A
Management by wandering around increases ____ communications within an organization. a. vertical b. transactional c. downward d. horizontal e. informal
ANS: A
Managers who announce they have an "open door" policy and actually want people to use it are encouraging ____ communication. a. vertical b. transactional c. downward d. horizontal e. informal
ANS: A
Marsha just received a letter of complaint from one of her customers. She called her sales manager to remedy the problem and is now faxing a reply to her customer. This is an example of a. the communication process. b. ineffective communication. c. noise. d. miscommunication. e. a semantics problem.
ANS: A
Mary Ellen talks all the time. She states her opinion as fact. Coworkers disregard even her good suggestions because of a. overload. b. poor listening skills. c. status or power differences. d. semantics. e. reluctance to communicate.
ANS: A
On the television show Mad Men, one character requires everyone to take off their shoes when entering his office. This is an example of a. nonverbal communication. b. transactional communication. c. oral communication. d. status differences as a barrier to communication. e. noise.
ANS: A
One of the reasons for the success of Righetti Specialties, Inc. is the fact that its employees were there when the company began and have developed strong personal relationships with each other. These strong relationships have produced a. synergy. b. entropy. c. subsystem failure. d. open systems reactivity. e. closed systems thinking.
ANS: A
One outcome of good interpersonal relations in organizations is a. synergy. b. entropy. c. subsystem failure. d. open-systems reactivity. e. closed-systems thinking.
ANS: A
The biggest single drawback of written communication is a. its slow feedback and interchange. b. its lack of clarity. c. the formal implications it carries. d. the lack of time for preparation. e. its lack of accuracy.
ANS: A
The communication process is a. meaning, encoding, transmission, decoding, feedback. b. meaning, noise, transmission, decoding, feedback. c. idea, encoding, transmission, decoding, feedback. d. meaning, decoding, transmission, encoding, feedback. e. idea, decoding, transmission, encoding, feedback.
ANS: A
The first step in the communication process is a. meaning. b. encoding. c. decoding. d. transmission. e. channel creation.
ANS: A
What approach to formal information systems is an organization taking when it appoints an individual to become familiar with and to provide for the information needs of the organization's various units? a. Operational b. Elemental c. Managerial d. Supervisory e. Investigative
ANS: A
Which of the following individual skills for improving communication is probably most important? a. Developing good listening skills b. Being sensitive to the sender's point of view c. Being aware of meanings that other people assign to words d. Asking appropriate questions e. Being patient
ANS: A
Which of the following is an individual barrier to effective communication? a. Poor listening skills b. Semantics c. Noise d. Different perceptions e. All of these choices
ANS: A
Which of the following statements about communication and the manager's job is TRUE? a. Communication is a part of almost all managerial activities. b. The planning function requires little communication. c. Communication is the only thing that holds an organization together. d. Thanks to electronics, the role of communication is less important now than it was ten years ago. e. Communication is so complex that managers need not try to understand the process.
ANS: A
Which of the following statements does NOT describe a characteristic of the grapevine? a. Everyone is always included. b. The grapevine can start anywhere. c. Some people are included in virtually all messages. d. The grapevine flows in all directions. e. The two primary types of grapevines are cluster and gossip.
ANS: A
Young adults use acronyms when texting. Many adults do not understand them (which is the point after all). This is a deliberate use of a. language differences. b. semantics. c. jargon. d. overload. e. dialogue.
ANS: A
Luzia is 6'1" tall. When she meets with people she prefers to sit at a table. This is an example of a. images. b. setting. c. body language. d. effective communication. e. management by sitting down.
ANS: B
Maurice asked Sylvia, "Does your telephone system have a Traverser at the central office to aggregate Internet, phone, and TV service?" In terms of the communication process, Maurice's use of jargon was part of his a. transcending. b. encoding. c. channeling. d. decoding. e. deciphering.
ANS: B
The new president installed suggestion boxes where employees can pass along their suggestions to the president. The new president is encouraging a. whistle-blowing. b. vertical communication. c. horizontal communication. d. downward communication. e. the creation of a grapevine.
ANS: B
The person who transmits the message is the a. receiver. b. sender. c. messenger. d. translator. e. boss.
ANS: B
The second step in the communication process is a. decoding. b. encoding. c. channeling through an all-channel network. d. sending to the proper recipient. e. scrubbing for noise.
ANS: B
The two approaches organizations can take to create a formal information system are a. supervisory and investigative. b. managerial and operational. c. directive and consultative. d. managerial and functional. e. supervisory and participative.
ANS: B
The two most commonly occurring grapevines are a. wheel and chain. b. cluster and gossip. c. all-channel and circle. d. Y and circle. e. wheel and all-channel.
ANS: B
Which barrier to communication exists when two people attach different meanings to the same word? a. Jargon b. Semantics c. Synergetics d. Overload e. Dialogue
ANS: B
Which of the following forms of organizational communication is most likely to be distorted? a. Vertical b. Upward c. Downward d. Horizontal e. Written
ANS: B
Which of the following is NOT necessary for communication to take place? a. At least two people b. Each of the elements occurs in a relatively short time c. Someone must have information to be passed on d. An attempt to transmit information e. A fact, idea, or some other kind of message to be communicated
ANS: B
Which of the following statements does NOT describe an advantage of oral communication? a. It is easy to use. b. It is accurate. c. It facilitates feedback. d. It is comfortable for managers. e. It can be done with little preparation.
ANS: B
Which of the following statements does NOT describe an effect that telecommuting has on organizations and the people in them? a. People have a difficult time developing solid working relationships with others in the organization. b. People keep up better with the advancements in their field because they have more time for study. c. People tend to drop out of the organizational grapevine and thus lose touch with the informal organization. d. People tend to be victimized by organizational politics because they are not present to defend themselves. e. Organization cultures tend to be weaker than they are when everyone is working on site.
ANS: B
Which of the following would NOT be considered noise in the communication process? a. Sender and receiver with different cultural backgrounds b. Sender and receiver asking questions c. A telephone call in the middle of a job interview d. Receiver under personal stress e. A new, inexperienced employee having to make a presentation to a group of top managers
ANS: B
Written pages, face-to-face discussion, and airwaves are examples of a. decoding devices. b. communication channels. c. receiver attributes. d. communication attributes. e. encoding.
ANS: B
Alisca's firm has been cutting back. The computers are getting older and slower. Customers with newer programs are starting to have problems with program compatibility. This is causing a. channel clatter. b. interference. c. noise. d. static. e. transmission difficulty.
ANS: C
Ashley was being interviewed for a job opening when her interviewer was interrupted by his assistant with an urgent phone message. This is an example of a. overload. b. miscommunication. c. noise. d. a semantic problem. e. three-way communication.
ANS: C
Effective communication is determined by a. the sender. b. the receiver. c. mutual understanding. d. how the decoding process occurs. e. how the encoding process occurs.
ANS: C
Emilia is allowed to approve expenditures under $10,000. If the amount is higher she needs her boss's approval. This is an attempt to reduce ____ with the boss. a. jargon b. semantics c. overload d. status differences e. power differences
ANS: C
Meaning, encoding, transmission, and decoding are the elements of a. networking. b. MIS. c. communication. d. panel discussions. e. negotiation.
ANS: C
When the message that is received is basically the same in meaning as the message that was sent, the communication is said to be a. simple. b. nonverbal. c. effective. d. pervasive. e. autonomous.
ANS: C
Which of the following is an example of downward communication? a. Employee suggestion box b. Expense account filed by a sales representative with her supervisor c. Standard operating procedure d. Letter to the editor in the company newsletter e. Absenteeism report from the clerk who keeps employee records
ANS: C
Which of the following statements about the grapevine is FALSE? a. It can be used to transmit information quickly. b. It builds a sense of togetherness. c. It is a useful way to transmit confidential information. d. It may extend beyond the organizational boundaries. e. It is often used as a way to get power.
ANS: C
Which of the following statements about the grapevine is TRUE? a. Use of the grapevine is on the decrease because of the advent of more sophisticated communication devices. b. The grapevine format called the cluster chain primarily carries personal information. c. Grapevine information is fairly accurate. d. Grapevines are most active in small companies. e. Since they cannot control the grapevine, managers should make every effort to eliminate it.
ANS: C
____ is an informal communication network among people in an organization. a. Upward communication b. Downward communication c. A grapevine d. Horizontal communication e. An MIS
ANS: C
____ is anything that interferes with the communication process. a. Channel clatter b. Interference c. Noise d. Static e. Transmission difficulty
ANS: C
A company blog at Wegmans gathers information from a group of people on a topic. For example, everyone who interviewed a prospective job candidate could post their assessment on a blog and comment on each other's observations. This is an example of a(n) ____ communication network. a. chain b. Y c. circle d. all-channel e. wheel
ANS: D
According to the text, which of the following behaviors is NOT a type of interpersonal interaction occurring in organizations? a. Professional b. Personal c. Positive d. Predictive e. Negative
ANS: D
Edward Lewis, CEO of Essence Communications, strolls around the organization and starts spontaneous conversations with employees and others involved with the company. He says it allows him to keep his finger on the pulse of the organization. Lewis engages in a. management by objective. b. formal grapevine management. c. management by exception. d. management by wandering around. e. participative management.
ANS: D
Maurice asked Sylvia, "Does your telephone system have a Traverser at the central office to aggregate Internet, phone, and TV service?" In terms of the communication process, Sylvia was unable to ____ the message because she did not understand the jargon Maurice used. a. transmit b. encode c. channel d. decode e. decipher
ANS: D
Politicians sometimes want to gauge public opinion about an idea before they formally announce it. They have subordinates talk off the record with reporters. This is part of the ____. a. upward communication b. vertical communication c. formal communication d. informal communication e. transactional communication
ANS: D
Research indicates that managers spend most of their time a. sending e-mail. b. reading e-mail. c. on the computer. d. interacting with others. e. giving speeches.
ANS: D
The best time to use oral communication is when you have to exchange a. a monthly report on company absenteeism. b. a nonpersonal message. c. a lengthy welcoming message to a new salesperson. d. a brief, time-sensitive, personal message. e. detailed information about an upcoming negotiation.
ANS: D
The best time to use written communication is when you have to exchange a. an extremely time-sensitive message. b. an extraordinary message. c. a personal message such as with a loved one. d. important details. e. information about a missed shipment from a supplier who does not usually make errors.
ANS: D
When a TVA employee found 173 screws lying on the ground underneath a large electrical transformer during his lunch break, he asked some of his coworkers who were with him what they thought he should do. This is an example of ____ communication. a. vertical b. upward c. downward d. horizontal e. formal
ANS: D
When the marketing director coordinates with the production director they are engaging in ____ communication. a. vertical b. upward c. downward d. horizontal e. transactional
ANS: D
Which of the following forms of organizational communication is very useful for coordinating the efforts of interdependent units in an organization? a. Vertical b. Upward c. Downward d. Horizontal e. Informal
ANS: D
Which of the following is characterized as a barrier to communication resulting from interpersonal dynamics rather than from a characteristic of the sender or the receiver? a. Lack of credibility b. Poor listening skills c. Conflicting or inconsistent signals d. Status differences e. Predispositions about the subject at hand
ANS: D
Which of the following sender techniques for improving communication is probably most important? a. Maintaining credibility b. Being sensitive to the other person's position c. Being aware of the meanings others may place on words d. Providing channels for feedback e. Practicing
ANS: D
Which of the following statements about written communication is FALSE? a. Written communication improves accuracy. b. Written communication hinders feedback. c. Written communication is more time-consuming than oral communication. d. Most managers prefer written communication to oral communication. e. Written communication is often quite accurate and provides a permanent record of the exchange.
ANS: D
Which of the following would be likely to include all forms of organizational communication? a. Peers coordinating the details of a project b. A suggestion box c. A memo from the president of the company d. A daily staff meeting e. An absenteeism report submitted by the clerk who keeps employee records
ANS: D
____ communication is more likely to occur among managers than among nonmanagers. a. Vertical b. Upward c. Downward d. Horizontal e. Transactional
ANS: D
Employees of CNN saw military boats around D.C. and someone said they heard gunfire. CNN reported military action. However, there was no gunfire and the Coast Guard was doing training only. The next day, newspapers reported about the miscommunication and helped clarify the confusion. This illustrates which advantage of written communication? a. Its slow feedback and interchange b. Its lack of clarity c. The formal implications it carries d. Its time for preparation e. Its accuracy
ANS: E
If a manager decided to respond to a grapevine by ____, it would most likely be a waste of his or her time. a. determining who the key people in it are b. trying to get information from it c. testing employee reactions to various bits of untrue gossip d. attempting to control the kind of information in it e. attempting to eliminate it
ANS: E
In Rachelle's office, the most effective communication takes place when each subordinate talks only with her because the work done is relatively simple. According to the research on communications networks, what type of network would be most effective in her office? a. Chain b. Y c. Circle d. All-channel e. Wheel
ANS: E
Interpersonal communication a. can be written. b. can be oral. c. is affected by noise. d. occurs between people. e. All of these choices
ANS: E
The process of sending and receiving information from one person to another is called a. talking. b. encoding. c. decoding. d. networking. e. communication.
ANS: E
To which of the following management functions does communicating directly relate? a. Controlling b. Planning c. Leading d. Organizing e. All of these choices
ANS: E
When Esposito compiles the company newsletter, he is preparing ____ communication. a. horizontal b. transactional c. informal d. transformational e. vertical
ANS: E
When a British student was in class he asked to borrow a rubber from the person next to him. An American student would have asked for the person's eraser. The confusion was caused by a. perception. b. status differences. c. noise. d. poor listening skills. e. language differences.
ANS: E
When a TVA employee found 173 screws lying on the ground underneath a large electrical transformer, he immediately reported it to his supervisor, who instructed the employee to forget what he had seen. The employee then began to talk about his find to his coworkers. The coworkers then told more people, and the story about the generator and the supervisor who said to forget it traveled all over the organization via which type of grapevine? a. Gossip b. Chain c. Wheel d. All-channel e. Cluster
ANS: E
When the CEO of an auction company developed chest pains and went into the hospital, the news instantly traveled throughout the organization when one person told groups of people, who then told more groups. Which type of grapevine was most likely used in this situation? a. Gossip b. Chain c. Wheel d. All-channel e. Cluster
ANS: E
Which of the following is an example of body language? a. The speed at which we speak b. Eye contact c. Our style of dress d. Hand gestures e. All of these choices
ANS: E
Which of the following is an example of communication? a. Radio b. Texting c. A listener folding her arms d. A baby crying e. All of these choices
ANS: E
Which of the following is an example of vertical communication? a. Performance evaluation interview b. Company newsletter c. Sales manager conducting a sales meeting d. Employee calling in sick to his or her supervisor e. All of these choices
ANS: E
Which of the following is an organizational barrier to effective communication? a. Credibility b. Reluctance to communicate c. Poor listening skills d. Conflicting signals e. None of these choices
ANS: E
Which of the following is likely to occur if electronic communication is used at the expense of face-to-face meetings and conversations? a. It will be harder to build a strong organization culture. b. It will be harder to develop solid working relationships. c. It will be harder to create a mutually supportive atmosphere of trust and cooperation. d. It will be easier for members of the organization to work from widely separated locations. e. All of these choices
ANS: E
Which of the following statements describes an advantage of oral communication? a. Clarity b. Accuracy c. Avoids problems associated with noise d. Ample time available to introduce new information e. Promotes prompt feedback and interchange
ANS: E
Which of the following types of communication does NOT typically follow formal organizational channels of communication? a. Vertical b. Upward c. Downward d. Horizontal e. Grapevine
ANS: E
