Module 1

Eye contact has the same in meaning in all cultures. True False

False

Experts say that we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand less than 10 percent of everything we hear. 25 percent of everything we hear. 50 percent of everything we hear. 75 percent of everything we hear.

75 percent of everything we hear.

Which of the following statements about team-based management is least accurate? - Many companies use cross-functional teams to empower employees and boost their involvement in decision making. - When individuals on teams don't share the same background or training, working relationships can become strained. - Some organizations form ad-hoc teams that solve particular problems and then disband once they have accomplished their objectives. - Companies that use team-based management prefer to train employees in teamwork skills rather than hire new workers who already possess these skills.

Companies that use team-based management prefer to train employees in teamwork skills rather than hire new workers who already possess these skills.

Daniel must handle a complex organizational issue. Which of the following media would be best for this purpose? - Videoconference - E-mail message - Telephone conversation - Face-to-face meeting

Face-to-face meeting

Because e-mail is an informal communication tool, it's not necessary to check your messages for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. True False

False

Giving credit to external sources is important only in academic writing; on the job, it is ethical to use print or online sources freely without documenting them. True False

False

Jessica's team is experiencing considerable conflict and tension as they get used to working with one another. They are most likely in the forming phase of team development. True False

False

Listening in a college classroom is more challenging than listening on the job. True False

False

The three primary business communication functions are to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. True False

False

Gwen is leading a meeting and wants to make sure that they stick to the agenda and end on time. What should she do to move the meeting along? - Say as much as possible during the meeting. - Move divergent topics to a separate list to be discussed later. - Not worry so much about time; the most important thing is to make sure that all agenda items are discussed fully. - Ask anyone who monopolizes the conversation to leave.

Move divergent topics to a separate list to be discussed later.

Which of the following statements about facial expressions and posture is the most accurate? - Most people can control their facial expressions well enough to control the nonverbal messages they send. - Standing up straight sends a message of confidence, competence, diligence, and strength. - Words carry more weight than facial expressions and posture. - Leaning toward a speaker suggests confrontation.

Standing up straight sends a message of confidence, competence, diligence, and strength.

Which of the following statements about workplace diversity is the most accurate? - Teams with diverse membership are more likely to create the products that consumers demand. - The number of older workers is decreasing. - More men pursue higher education than women. - A diverse staff is less able to respond to changes in the customer base in local and world markets.

Teams with diverse membership are more likely to create the products that consumers demand.

E-mail is considered a leaner medium than face-to-face communication.​ True False

True

Flattened management hierarchies allow companies to react more quickly to market changes. True False

True

One challenge posed by flatter organizations is that ​every employee must be a skilled communicator. True False

True

The 21st-century economy depends mainly on information and knowledge. True False

True

When determining what to wear to an interview, it is acceptable to call ahead and ask ​the interviewer or receptionist what is appropriate for that organization. True False

True

Which of the following statements about communication in today's business organizations is most accurate? - Many companies used intranets to communicate with customers, outside vendors, and governmental agencies. - Smartphones and tablet computers are prevalent in the workplace but do not have the capabilities to replace laptops and personal computers. - Wireless access is increasingly blanketing entire office buildings, airports, hotels, restaurants, school and college campuses, cities, and other public spaces. - The most common workplace use of tablet computers is blogging.

Wireless access is increasingly blanketing entire office buildings, airports, hotels, restaurants, school and college campuses, cities, and other public spaces.

Leaning forward, maintaining eye contact, and listening to more than a person's spoken words are ways to show that you are capitalizing on lag time ​aware of gender differences ​separating facts from opinions actively involved

actively involved

Media richness most directly refers to ________. - the cost of the communication channel - the length of a written message - ​the amount of helpful cues and immediate feedback a medium provides - ​the level of the person who sends the message

​the amount of helpful cues and immediate feedback a medium provides

Media richness most directly refers to ________. - ​the cost of the communication channel - the length of a written message - ​the amount of helpful cues and immediate feedback a medium provides - ​the level of the person who sends the message

​the amount of helpful cues and immediate feedback a medium provides

Which of the following is an example of external organizational communication? - An employee performance appraisal - A brochure sent to a prospective customer - A report recommending a change in company procedure - An e-mail message to employees about an upcoming training seminar.

A brochure sent to a prospective customer

Which of the following statements about ending a meeting is most accurate? - The meeting should not end until all agenda items have been fully discussed. - If minutes are taken, they should be distributed at the next meeting. - Because all participants should be responsible for paying attention during the meeting, a summary at the end of the meeting would be a waste of time. - All participants should leave the meeting with a full understanding of what has been accomplished.

All participants should leave the meeting with a full understanding of what has been accomplished.

Regularly using your cell phone during meetings​ can build your credibility because it shows that you are good at multitasking. True False

False

Social presence is greater in asynchronous communication (e-mail, forum post) than in synchronous communication (live chat, IM). True False

False

The term "information worker" refers to an employee who is responsible for creating and maintaining company databases. True False

False

Brent will be leading a committee meeting and wants to make sure it is effective and efficient. What should Brent do to get the meeting started? - Wait until all participants arrive before beginning the meeting. - Give a quick recap to anyone who arrives late. - Go over ground rules at the beginning of the meeting. - Limit each topic to five minutes.

Go over ground rules at the beginning of the meeting.

Which of the following statements comparing oral and written communication is most accurate? - Written communication provides a permanent record only if it is sent as a hard copy, printed message. - Written messages do not require as much thought as oral messages. - One advantage of oral communication such as a face-to- face meeting is that it allows for immediate feedback. - Oral communication is preferred when presenting formal or complex ideas.

One advantage of oral communication such as a face-to-face meeting is that it allows for immediate feedback.

A working group was formed to rewrite the company's mission statement. The members have been meeting for quite some time. They are extremely loyal to one another and have figured out how to solve any conflicts that might arise. Information is flowing freely, they are happy with their results, and they will soon meet the deadline set by management. What phase of team development are they experiencing? Forming Storming Norming Performing

Performing

Riley is a customer service representative and has just gone through training to improve his listening skills. Which of the following skills was he most likely taught that will make him a better listener? - Mentally criticize grammar, voice, tone, and speaking style to get a better sense of what the customer is like. - Tune out what the customer is saying if you already know the answer.. - Remain silent for a few seconds after a customer finishes to be sure the thought is completed. - Because listening is automatic, divide your attention among two or more tasks to be more productive.

Remain silent for a few seconds after a customer finishes to be sure the thought is completed.

Morgan has just been appointed to a task force and wants to be a positive member. Which of the following is the best advice you can give her? - Ignore members who are being silent to show respect for them. - Tell a lot of jokes throughout the meeting to ease tensions. - Share her ideas with other team members, even if they might not be adopted. - Bring a list of ground rules she has established to the first meeting.

Share her ideas with other team members, even if they might not be adopted.

Lucy works in an office that has nonterritorial workspaces. This is new to her, and she would like to display good open office etiquette. What should she do? - Speak in a soft voice and wear headphones to cut down on noise. - Try to get to the office first each morning so that she always gets the best desk. - Engage in a lot of chitchat to get to know her coworkers better. - Eavesdrop as often as possible to learn about the company culture.

Speak in a soft voice and wear headphones to cut down on noise.

A company's CEO has developed a five-year strategic plan and will share it with all employees. This is an example of True False

True

A good agenda includes any premeeting preparation expected of participants. True False

True

As meeting leader, Benjamin should always begin on time, even if some participants have not yet arrived. True False

True

Virtual teams may be global or local. True False

True

Because your department has not reached its sales quota, your boss has asked you to change figures to show that sales were higher than they actually were. Which of the following questions is not important as you decide what to do? - Is the action you are considering legal? - Are there better alternatives? - Would family, friends, or coworkers approve? - What is the best channel of communication to use in responding to your boss?

What is the best channel of communication to use in responding to your boss?

In office conversations, which of the following topics is wise to avoid? Your salary or personal finances Problems with your health Your personal relationships All of the above

Your personal relationships

Typical ground rules for meetings include communicating openly, being supportive, listening carefully, participating fully, following the agenda, and ________. - limiting the number of questions each person will ask - confronting conflict frankly - allowing cell phone use for multitasking - inviting guests from other departments

confronting conflict frankly

Richard is attending an important board meeting with his colleagues to discuss future plans for the company. Many ideas are being presented, and Richard is carefully judging and evaluating what he is hearing. He is also listening to decide whether the speaker's message is fact, fiction, or opinion. Richard is engaging in - discriminative listening. - critical listening. - lag time. - supportive listening.

critical listening.

Businesses form teams because teams make better decisions, respond faster, and demonstrate increased productivity. are proficient in using technology. are able to avoid conflict. are used extensively in every culture.

demonstrate increased productivity

The most effective groups and teams have members who are willing to establish rules and abide by those rules. do everything necessary to avoid conflict. keep their opinions to themselves. let the group leader make the decisions.

establish rules and abide by those rules.

To foster collaboration, rather than competition, as part of a team, members should have a genuine interest in achieving team goals rather than individual recognition, contribute ideas and feedback unselfishly, and ________. - evaluate each individual team member's contributions on a weekly or monthly basis - ​monitor team progress, including both what's going right and what's going wrong - ​leave ground rules undefined to allow for flexibility - rotate the role of team leader

monitor team progress, including both what's going right and what's going wrong

Frederick manages the Human Resources Department for his company. The due dates for payroll reports will be changing slightly, and he needs to communicate this information to all company managers. Allan should - send an e-mail or text message to inform the management staff. - prepare an agenda and call a meeting. - consult key people to help him decide whether to call a meeting. - use the grapevine to convey the message.

send an e-mail or text message to inform the management staff.

Managers can use the grapevine productively by respecting employees' desire to know, acting promptly to correct misinformation, and ________. - sharing only good news to keep employee morale high - sharing both good and bad news - ​decreasing the amount of information delivered through formal channels - ​becoming an active part of the grapevine to spy on employees

sharing both good and bad news

A task force charged with reducing overhead costs meets to define their roles and responsibilities and develop ways to reach the group's goals. Tension is fairly high among group members. The team is in the ____ phase of team development. forming storming norming performing

storming

Teleworkers, employees who remain outside of the office most of the time, and self-employed individuals now represent roughly ________ percent of the workforce. ​5 ​15 ​20 ​30

​30

Which of the following zones of personal interaction suggests a distance of 1 1/2 to 4 feet when interacting with coworkers? ​Intimate zone ​Personal zone ​Social zone ​Public zone

​Personal zone

​In which part of the globe do today's workers put in the longest hours on average? ​Japan ​Europe ​United States ​Middle East

​United States

Media with high social presence ________. - involve written communication - ​are personal and convey warmth - ​are sent via Twitter or Facebook - must have a large audience

​are personal and convey warmth.

In addition to possessing strong communication skills, today's workers must also be media savvy, which means ________.​ - exercising good judgment when posting messages on the Internet and writing e-mails. - using effective marketing tools to promote a company's products and services. - ​increasing their computer programming skills - ​connecting with large numbers of people on LinkedIn

​exercising good judgment when posting messages on the Internet and writing e-mails

​"Flattening" of management hierarchies most directly refers to ________. - ​fewer layers of managers separating decision makers from line workers - ​employees being promoted to supervisory positions more quickly - ​more managers overseeing decision making - hiring freezes implemented to save money

​fewer layers of managers separating decision makers from line workers.

You can manage and protect your professional "brand" online by posting thoughtfully to blogs, writing competent e-mails​, and ________. - avoiding social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook - ​updating your resume monthly - ​making astute comments on social media sites - choosing face-to-face interactions over writing

​making astute comments on social media sites

Diversity is an important component of successful teams. True False

True

Which of the following is an advantage of written communication? - Creates a permanent record - Provides immediate feedback - Is more personal than oral communication - Is effective for delivering nonverbal cues

Creates a permanent record

Which of the following is an example of upward communication in an organization? - Three administrative assistants meet to discuss possible software upgrades. - A department manager sends a text message to his employees about a new overtime policy. - A warehouse worker suggests to his boss a way to improve employee morale. - The CEO sends an e-mail message to all employees inviting them to a company picnic.

A warehouse worker suggests to his boss a way to improve employee morale.