MGT CH 17
In the context of communication channels, which of the following statements is true of electronic communication?
Managers use e-mail or text messaging to avoid the emotional discomfort of a real-time conversation.
In the context of the model of communication, which of the following individuals is giving feedback?
Marc, who replies to his manager's email about quality improvement with his own ideas
In the context of managing communication, which of the following statements is a difference between routine and nonroutine messages?
Nonroutine messages are ambiguous, whereas routine messages are straightforward.
Which of the following is a difference between a centralized communication network and a decentralized communication network?
A decentralized network allows members to process information equally until all agree on a decision, whereas a centralized network limits the number of people involved in decision making.
In the following diagram, select the correct word or phrase to identify the information channels on a continuum of high-to-low channel richness.
A: Face to face communication B: telephone C: electronic messages D:letters and memos E: reports/bulletins
Which of the following examples involves personal communication?
An IT specialist is friends with the CEO, and when they have lunch, the specialist tells the CEO about how dissatisfied most engineers in the company are with their jobs.
Which of the following behaviors shows good listening skills?
Asking for clarification after someone has spoken.
Which of the following behaviors is not an example of effectively developing a professional network?
Avoid attending team retreats due to not being comfortable around people.
Your company repairs household appliances such as microwaves, dishwashers, and clothes dryers. Your manager, Naomi, is excited about the potential for social media to drive organizational performance. She is considering a number of possible projects, and she asks your advice about how to use social media appropriately. Which of the following could be a good social media initiative for our company?
Begin using an internal social networking site like Yammer where repair technicians can report a problem and quickly get advice from other technicians who have seen that problem before
_________ is defined as the process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with the intent to influence or motivate behavior.
Communication
_______________ is the most familiar and obvious flow of formal communication that consists of the messages and information sent from top management to subordinates.
Downward communication
If Intermountain Healthcare wants to facilitate horizontal communication among health care professionals and administrators at its 22 hospitals and over 300 clinics, it could promote the use of email for this purpose. What guideline would not be an appropriate part of the organization's email policy?
Email is the medium of choice for communicating disappointing or negative information, because using email avoids potentially heated personal interactions that may adversely impact the work environment.
Which of the following statements is true of managers' communication?
Everything that a manager does and says communicates something to the employees.
Popular examples of social media sites are _______________ and Twitter, where companies can track and respond to customer feedback.
Formal communication channels are the primary way information spreads and work gets accomplished in most organizations.
False
You are developing a personal communication network. Which of the following rules should guide your choice of the people in your network?
Get the maximum number of different types of people you can in your network.
In the context of personal communication channels, which of the following statements is true of gossip that travels through the grapevine in an organization?
Gossip has a negative connotation, but it may actually be good for the company.
Management at Work You are the executive director of a nonprofit that runs an animal shelter and animal services, such as low-cost spay/neuter programs. Your biggest donor, a local foundation, has just withdrawn funding, saying that it has refocused its mission on supporting arts programs and your activities do not align with that mission. Unless other funding can be found, and soon, the shelter building will need to be closed, paid staff laid off, and most animals turned over to other, already crowded shelters. Your employees and volunteers are very worried and are looking to you for leadership. Which of the following do you do? Check all that apply.
Hold meetings with employees, volunteers, and representatives of other local shelters and listen carefully as they brainstorm ideas. Honestly acknowledge the challenges the organization faces while also communicating optimism about finding the resources to fulfill your mission.
You've just been promoted into a management position, and you know that candor is important to creating a positive environment for communication. Which of the following behaviors will you do to communicate with candor? Check all that apply.
I will take accountability for my thoughts, reactions, and needs by using "I statements." When I am frustrated with someone, I will explain the cause of my frustration without making judgments about the person.
Purpose-Directed: - direct attention to vision, values, desired outcomes - ?
Influence employee behavior
Fortunately, you have a large personal network of diverse contacts both inside and outside the company. But you know that some of your employees have much smaller networks, and you worry that they will not have the contacts they need in order to get a good perspective on the restructuring. Which of the following pieces of advice should you give to your employees to help them build their networks? Check all that apply.
Make sure that when you build your network, you don't always expect your contacts to be giving to you. You have to give as well as receive in order for a network to be effective. Reach out to people and do as many activities as you can with them. Try to fill your calendar so that you connect with as many people as possible. You're going to have a hard time building a network that you can use to support you through this restructuring, but start now to build your network before you need it the next time.
What can you do to listen more effectively to your colleague?
Remain objective.
Management at Work A hurricane has disrupted operations at one of your company's facilities and shut down operations completely for several of your key suppliers. Inputs to your manufacturing process will be exhausted within days, and the company will be unable to fulfill its contracts with customers. In addition, many employees have suffered serious damage to their homes, and a few people are missing. You are a manager, and your employees are looking to you for leadership. Which of the following do you do? Check all that apply.
Set up a system for communicating facts as soon as they are determined so employees hear them first from management and not on the news. Walk around to be visible and accessible to as many employees as possible so they know you are engaged in crisis management.
Managers at Intermountain Healthcare know that a regional medical emergency, such as an epidemic, could place high demands on their organization. How can they best communicate in such a crisis? Check all that apply.
Set up an internal message board for employees to post information about the fast-moving situation and ask and answer questions. Have a crisis communication plan in place that instructs managers to communicate calmly and to keep themselves visible to their employees.
What is the most important message your colleague is trying to convey?
She wants to present a new draft of the ethics policy.
Personal communication systems such as personal networks and grapevines:
Spread more information across organizations than formal communication channels such as downward communications
A neurologist needs to counsel a stroke victim and her husband about possible outcomes, treatment options, and lifestyle changes that may be necessary. The patient is located in rural Utah, and the neurologist is in Salt Lake City. What is the most appropriate way for the physician to communicate?
The doctor should talk to the patient and her husband through video conferencing so facial expressions can be read and understanding confirmed in real time.
Nonverbal communication sends powerful messages through body language and facial expressions. This set of questions covers nonverbal behavior as it is typically expressed in U.S. business culture. Your country or culture may use different styles of nonverbal communication. When an employee speaks to a manager, the manager pays more attention to:
The employee's vocal tones and gestures
Which of the following statements is true of effective communication?
The nature of effective communication is cyclical.
In the context of managing communication, which of the following statements is true of good listeners?
They capitalize on the fact that thought is faster than speech.
Ethan, a manager, says, "Email is a very efficient way of communicating, especially across time zones and to large numbers of people. Are there situations in which I shouldn't use email?" You advise Ethan that he should not send an email in which of the following situations? Check all that apply.
To another manager who has just commandeered the computer equipment Ethan needs to meet a critical deadline To the coordinator of a conference when Ethan needs to cancel his appearance as the keynote speaker
Which of the following tactics is not a good way to improve your writing?
To have more impact on readers, write a longer memo.
Executives need to manage communications effectively so that the grapevine is not the only source of information in times of rapid change, uncertainty, or crisis.
True
Your company repairs household appliances such as microwaves, dishwashers, and clothes dryers. Your manager, Naomi, is excited about the potential for social media to drive organizational performance. She is considering a number of possible projects, and she asks your advice about how to use social media appropriately. Which of the following could be a good social media initiative for our company?
Use Twitter to post news of product recalls and safety tips for customers, such as the importance of getting safety checks for furnaces and water heaters each fall.
A new manager that is effective at developing his professional network would be most likely to engage in which of the following behaviors?
Use lunch-time to meet new people in the organization or in the industry.
Lola is responsible for redesigning work in her organization, and she frequently must persuade people to accept change, often not an easy task. She asks you for some tips. What advice do you give her? Check all that apply.
Use multiple channels to communicate the same message, such as face-to-face meetings followed up with emails. Describe the benefits that employees will experience as a result of the changes.
Alex just started his first job as a new manager after he graduated from college. Alex relocated to a new city for this position and does not know many people at his employer or in the community. Which of the following actions would help Alex develop his professional network?
Using his lunches to meet and network with new people.
You decide to write a memo to your employees to help them understand the restructuring. Which of the following sentences would be good to include in the memo? Check all that apply.
We are restructuring the company in March. This memo will tell you about the restructuring and how it will affect you. The production operators are not being reorganized now.
In the context of gender differences in communication, which of the following is a difference between the communication styles of men and women?
When men make decisions, they process internally until they come up with a solution, whereas when women make decisions, they tend to process and think of options out loud.
If Mark Allen wants to train healthcare providers in the system to communicate better with one another about patient health, which of the following would be appropriate topics for the training? Check all that apply.
When one physician asks another for a second opinion, the consulted physician can make sure he understands the patient's condition by reflecting or restating the information given. When members of a patient's care team experience conflict, their communication should focus on facts rather than judgments, and statements should begin with "I" rather than "you." When a doctor believes a nurse may not understand the instructions for a patient, the doctor should ask the nurse questions about the patient's care.
Channel richness is, in part, determined by the ability to handle multiple cues simultaneously. This means that a telephone call will be less rich than __________ , because
a face to face chat you re not getting as many types of information from the exchange
It is hard for a manager to pay attention when someone is speaking because
a manager has constant interruptions and distractions.
Channel richness is, in part, determined by the ability to facilitate rapid, two-way feedback. This means that an instant message will be richer than ___________ , because:
an e-mail You can respond immediately to what the person is saying
Channel richness is, in part, determined by the ability to establish a personal focus for the communication. This means that a Facebook status update will be less rich than ____________ , because:
an individual e-mail you do not know that the person message is intended for you personally
Managers can expect communication to take up ___________ of their workday.
at least 80%
In this conversation, verbal speech is the __________.
channel
As an effective communicator, the director of public relations knows that face-to-face communication with journalists is high in _____________ because people can engage in give-and-take, while press releases are much lower in that regard.
channel richness
Domino's used social media to apologize to customers after someone uploaded a damaging video to YouTube showing employees defacing pizzas. This is an example of how companies can use social media to _____________
communicate with customers
Employees feel that Sheryl ________ because she is direct and truthful about what they need to do and how they can improve, but she is never sarcastic or shaming.
communicates with candor
Jorge knows his employees are wrestling with complex decisions, and he uses ______________ to empower them to discuss alternatives with one another until they reach consensus about the best action to take.
decentralized network
You receive an email from your manager that says, "Please call the customer back as soon as possible." You ___________ when you think, "My manager is very anxious about our relationship with this customer."
decode the message
Ed's thought represents _____________.
decoding
Nanci's thought represents _________.
decoding
This diagram represents _________________ communications. Which of the following are examples of this type of communication? Check all that apply.
downward The CEO of Nokia, Stephen Elop, meets with 2,000 employees to tell them why he is recommending that they abandon Nokia software to use less popular software from Microsoft. Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman announces to employees that HP will cut its workforce by up to 30,000 people.
Information dropoff from higher to lower levels of an organization is a major problem with _____________ communication. Which of the following actions can managers take to resolve this problem? Check all that apply.
downward Use the correct communication channel for the message. Use active listening to get feedback on what message has been received. Maintain consistency between verbal and nonverbal messages.
Frank's transition from thought to speech represents ____________.
encoding
Social media sites like Facebook for Work and Yammer help companies ____________________ by allowing them to share professional information and ideas with each other.
engage employees
Ed's speech represents _______________.
feedback
Marcela heard her manager loud and clear: Marcela needed to be more careful in her work or she wouldn't have a job. Marcela _____________ to her manager, saying, "I will definitely make fewer errors from now on."
feedback
Strategic Conversations: - open communication climate - asking questions - listening - ?
feedback
Anjali, a manager at an investment firm, needs to downsize her team by five employees. She is faced with the difficult task of informing and explaining the necessity of this decision to the five team members who are being laid off. In order to handle this task most effectively, Anjali should:
have a face-to-face discussion with each of the five team members.
What message is the interviewer expressing nonverbally?
he is actively engaged in your interview
Interdepartmental politics is a major problem with _______ communication. Which of the following actions can managers take to resolve this problem? Check all that apply.
horizontal Focus communication on achieving a certain task or outcome. Establish goals for communication in advance.
Ann's speech segment represents _________.
message
Because the CEO wanted the acquisition of a smaller company to be on the board's agenda, she called the board president _____________ requesting that the acquisition be discussed at the next board meeting.
message
Morgan decodes Sally's message incorrectly as a result of _________.
noise
Your company is facing hard times, and you must cut your annual expenses by 20% in order to survive. You want to get employee feedback before making this difficult decision. How should you request that feedback? This is a _______ message, so you should:
non routine Visit employees personally and talk with them individually or in small groups
A CEO who communicates about the opportunities and challenges facing the company to employees at all levels and in all departments is engaged in __________.
open communication
In contrast to formal channels, ____________ channels cut across departmental boundaries and skip levels in the chain of command.
personal communication
Steve is the VP of marketing, and Garth is a computer operator. They have lunch together regularly because both have three-year-old twins who are a handful and they enjoy sharing stories about their kids. Their lunchtime conversations are _____________________.
personal networking
Methods: - rich channels - social media - upward, downward, horizontal channels - ?
personal networks
In this conversation, Morgan is the __________.
receiver
Your boss has just asked you to take over coordination of the company's monthly potluck, which is scheduled for next week. How should you get the word out to participants? This is a ___________ message, so you should:
routine send a mass e-mail to all participants
You want to keep your manager updated on your activities every week. What is the best way to do this? This is a ___________ message, so you should:
routine send your manager an e-mail
In this conversation, Sally is the _________.
sender
A content community like YouTube is an example of ___________________
social media
One of the elements of workplace communication for managers to master is using:
social media to improve internal and external communication.
InterValley Inc. is undergoing major changes at its managerial level. It is also about to appoint a new CEO. Although this information is strictly confidential and has not yet been told to the employees, almost every employee in the company knows about it and is anticipating major changes in the firm in the near future. In this context, the employees at InterValley Inc. gained knowledge of the changes taking place in the company even before receiving any official message through _____.
the grapevine
The purpose of asking questions is not
to show managerial expertise.
This diagram represents __________ communications. Which of the following are examples of this type of communication? Check all that apply.
upward Anya Kamenetz, a reporter for The Village Voice, presents her editor with the first draft of a story in a yearlong series titled "Generation Debt: The New Economics of Being Young." Cargill's director of high-intensity sweeteners, Zanna McFerson, tells her boss, Marcelo Montero, the president of Cargill's Health and Nutrition division, that a glycoside called Rebiana can be used to create a new artificial sweetener to be called Truvia.