BA105W Ch1
Which of the following is an example of an internal organizational communication?
A meeting of all department managers
Which of the following is an example of upward communication in an organization?
A warehouse worker suggests to his boss a way to improve employee morale.
What has led to the increase in the number of companies that operate globally?
All of these (the rise of new communication technologies and advanced forms of transportation, the removal of trade barriers, and saturated local markets)
Which of the following is an example of an informal organizational communication channel?
An employee starts a blog to share her personal work experiences, opinions, and observations.
Which of the following statements about laws is least accurate?
Anything published on the Internet is in the public domain and can be used freely.
Peter has started a new job and has noticed that there is a lot of gossip in his new workplace. He wants to come across professionally. What is the best advice you can give him?
Attack any rumors about himself aggressively.
Gerard's company will no longer store its data using in-house hardware and software; instead, data will be stored online at a remote location. This type of technology is called
Cloud computing.
Which of the following statements about communicating in today's digital world is least accurate?
Communication generally flows one way, from businesses to consumers.
Which of the following statements about formal and informal communication channels is most accurate?
Companies should monitor social media sites to see what customers and others are saying about the company
Which of the following statements about team-based management is least accurate?
Companies that use team-based management prefer to train employees in teamwork skills rather than hire new workers who already possess these skills.
Which of the following is an advantage of written communication?
Creates a permanent record
Chandra spent part of her workday booking flights and accommodations for her vacation next month. She tells herself that this is okay because all of her colleagues use the Internet for personal business at work, and they do it far more than she does. Into what ethical trap did she fall?
Doctrine-of-relative filth trap
The most prevalent communication channel in the workplace today is
Which of the following statements is least accurate?
Employees should expect employers to provide them with a clearly defined career path.
Mickey Monus knew that his company Phar-Mor was destined for greatness; he, therefore, felt it was okay to manipulate the accounting records to show a profit instead of a loss to get the company through the rough times. Into what ethical trap did he fall?
Ends-justify-the-means trap
Which of the following is considered a rich medium?
Face-to-face conversation
Communication today generally flows one way—from companies to the public.
False
E-mail is rapidly becoming the preferred communication channel for online customer service.
False
External communication includes sharing ideas and messages with superiors, coworkers, and subordinates.
False
Information flows through formal communication channels in three directions: downward, upward, and spiral.
False
Maxwell is sending an e-mail message to the Securities and Exchange Commission to ask about a specific Sarbanes-Oxley regulation. This is an example of internal communication.
False
Only workers at the highest levels of management are expected to think creatively and critically.
False
Social presence is greater in asynchronous communication (e-mail, forum post) than in synchronous communication (live chat, IM).
False
The three primary business communication functions are to inform, to persuade, and to entertain.
False
You are born with the abilities to read, listen, speak, and write effectively.
False
Alyssa has been asked by her boss to sign off on financial statements that she believes are false. Although she feels uncomfortable doing this, she's afraid that she'll be fired if she doesn't comply. Into what ethical trap has Alyssa fallen?
False necessity trap
What statement about communicating in today's work environment is least accurate?
Hard-copy memos and letters still outnumber other forms of communication.
Which of the following statements about writing skills is most accurate?
Having good writing skills can improve your chances for promotion and can result in higher earnings.
Sandra owns a medium-sized financial services firm. She would like to make the best use of the grapevine for communication. What advice would you give her?
Increase the amount of information delivered through formal channels.
When faced with an ethical dilemma, what is the first question you should ask?
Is the action I am considering legal?
Naoko has just moved to the United States and is taking a class to improve her English skills. What organizational communication barrier is she trying to overcome?
Lack of communication skills
Melinda was recently hired as manager of a small retail establishment. She immediately noticed that employees seem afraid to speak with her. She wants her employees to feel comfortable coming to her about anything. What organizational communication barrier is she trying to overcome?
Lack of trust between management and employees
Mina wants to use the communication medium with the highest social presence. Which of the following should she choose?
Live Chat
Bert is CEO of an organization with many layers in the chain of command. He is looking for ways to reduce these layers so that he can communicate more directly with the first-line employees. What organizational communication barrier is he trying to overcome?
Long lines of communication
Which of the following statements about global competition is least accurate?
Only medium and large companies compete globally.
What type of technology makes it possible to locate and identify a computing device as soon as users connect to the network?
Presence technology
Which of the following is not an advantage of oral communication?
Promotes easy recall
What is the most accurate statement about being an effective communicator in the digital age?
Realize that because of social media and other online technology, your writing will be on display more than ever before; and it must be professional and correct.
Steven included on his résumé the job title "Vice President of Reprographics." A reference check uncovered that he was actually a copy machine operator at Kinko's. Into what ethical trap did he fall?
Self-deception trap
Which of the following is an example of horizontal communication in an organization?
Six marketing reps meet to discuss ideas for targeting new customers.
Kendra is responsible for updating her company's Facebook page with information about products, promotions, and special events. Kendra is using a communication medium called
Social Media
Which of the following statements about social media is most accurate?
Social media are still relatively new and untried communication channels for some businesses.
What is the least accurate statement about social presence?
Social presence is greater in asynchronous communication than in synchronous communication.
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.
What is the most common business communication function?
To inform
A company's CEO has developed a five-year strategic plan and will share it with all employees. This is an example of downward communication.
True
According to media richness theory, face-to-face conversations are the richest because they provide more helpful cues and allow for immediate feedback.
True
Being ethical makes good business sense.
True
Communication in today's workplace is shifting from one-sided, slow forms of communication to interactive, instant, less paper-based communication.
True
David, a payroll clerk, came up with an idea for processing payroll more efficiently and presented it to the Human Resources Department manager. This is an example of an upward flow of communication.
True
Diverse workforces are more likely to create the products that consumers demand.
True
Flattened management hierarchies allow companies to react more quickly to market changes.
True
In making hiring decisions, employers often rank communication skills among the most-requested competencies.
True
Managers can use the grapevine productively by sharing bad news as well as good news.
True
One advantage of oral communication over written communication is that oral communication can be more easily adjusted to the audience.
True
One disadvantage of written communication is that it the paper trail it leaves can be dangerous.
True
Organizations with free-flowing, open communication tend to be more successful.
True
Robert has altered figures on his firm's financial statements to make revenues for the quarter look higher. He thinks that doing this will cause an increase in his firm's stock price, which will make stockholders happy. He has fallen into the ends-justify-the-means ethical trap.
True
Some states have passed "Plain English" laws that require businesses to write policies, warranties, and contracts in language comprehensible to average readers.
True
To improve information flow, many of today's companies have decreased the number of operating units and managers, thereby shortening lines of communication.
True
Which of the following statements about communication in today's business organizations is most accurate?
Wireless access is increasingly blanketing entire office buildings, airports, hotels, restaurants, school and college campuses, cities, and other public spaces.
Which of the following statements about today's work environments is least accurate?
You won't find open workspaces or flexible workstations in traditional offices.
Knowledge and information workers must be able to think critically, make sound decisions, and
communicate information to others.
A free exchange of information helps organizations
do all of these (respond rapidly to changing markets, build employee morale, serve the public).
The most significant trends in today's dynamic workplace include global competition, team-based projects, flattened management hierarchies, new communication technologies, and
expectations of around-the-clock availability.
Daniel must handle a complex organizational issue. Which of the following media would be best for this purpose?
face-to-face meeting
Of the following, the least rich communication media are
flyers or posters.
Ethical business communicators strive to tell the truth, label opinions so that they are not confused with facts, are objective, communicate clearly, use inclusive language, and
give credit when using the ideas of others.
Thinking creatively and critically means
having opinions that are backed by reason and evidence.
Media richness theory attempts to classify media in organizations according to
how much clarifying information they are able to convey from a sender to a recipient.
The three basic functions of business communication are to
inform, persuade, and promote goodwill.
The 21-century economy is based mainly on
information and knowledge.
The most successful job candidate in today's competitive job market
is able to communicate effectively about work that is increasingly complex and intellectually demanding.
"Around-the clock availability"
means that you may be expected to work long hours without extra compensation and be available practically anytime and anywhere, should a crisis strike at work.
To improve communication and to compete more effectively, many of today's companies have
restructured and reengineered themselves into smaller operating units and work teams.
Kendra is responsible for updating her company's Facebook page with information about products, promotions, and special events. Kendra is using a communication medium called
social media.
Social presence is defined as
the degree of "salience" (being there) between a sender and receiver using a communication medium.
Covering up incidents, abusing sick days, lying to a supervisor, taking credit for a colleague's ideas, and inflating grades on a résumé are examples of
unethical actions.
