Communicating at Work Ch 1 LS/SB
The biggest reason employees do not participate more often in upper communication is that they
Fear getting in trouble with employers (Page 17: upward communication)
Communication Principles
1. Communication is Unavoidable 2. Communication is Strategic - instrumental communication (messages aimed at accomplishing the task at hand) - relational communication (messages that shape and reflect the way people regard one another) ---identity management (practice of presenting yourself in ways that produce a preferred image and distinctive sense of self) 3. Communication is Irreversible 4. Communication is Process 5. Communication is Not a Panacea - won't always get what you want and won't solve all problems
Communication Channels Characteristics
1. Richness - the amount of information available in a given channel. facial expression, tone of voice, eye and body movement. 2. Speed - Speed of the channel refers to how quickly the exchange of messages occurs. High-speed or instantaneous channels are called synchronous communication (communication that occurs without a time lag ex. face-to-face) asynchronous communication: delay between sending and receiving of a message. ex) text or email 3. Control - the degree to which you can manage the communication process.
In face-to-face communication, The term "________" refers to the degree to which the speaker is able to manage the communication process.
Control
Match the channel communication with a description of its richness, speed, control, tone, or level of detail.
Face-to-face - high-level of richness. Instant messaging and text messaging - asynchronous but potentially quick Telephone, teleconferencing, and video conferencing - Control over receiver's attention is moderate; tone is personal. Email and hard-copy (hand written or printed out) - high level of detail, but the tone can be moderate and dependent on the writer's style (Page 11: consider channel characteristics)
True or false: It is critical to foster and emotional and personal relationship with your mentor
False
successful mentoring
In the initial phase, the parties get to know one another and gain confidence in each other's commitment to the relationship. After the initial stage, a period of cultivation occurs in which the mentor guides his or her protégé through a series of conversations and tasks with the goal of building knowledge, confidence, and skill. By the third phase of the relationship, the protégé can function mostly on his or her own, with occasional guidance from the mentor. Finally, the fourth stage involves either separation or a redefinition of the relationship as one of peers.
It is important to realize that each potential networking prospect is a(n) _________ and to recognize that _________ Plays a role in networking practices
Individual; culture (Page 23: be sensitive to personal and cultural factors)
Types of downward communication include: check all that apply.
Providing feedback Giving job instructions (Page 15: downward communication occurs whenever superiors initiate message to their subordinates)
Written communication creates a permanent record, which can be useful for which of the following? Check all that apply.
Providing the history of an issue so others can review it in the future. Preventing later misunderstandings or disputes. Setting a formal tone. (Page 12: consider the desired tone of your message)
Which of the following are rules that guide mentoring relationships? Check all that apply.
Show respect for your mentor's time. Understand that any personal insight or information your mentor shares with you should be kept confidential. Rather than taking your personal problems to mentor, realize that a mentor relationship should be primarily professional. (Page 24-25)
If you need to deal with an issue now, this is your best choice. (synchronous or asynchronous communication)
Synchronous.
Which of the following are true about excellent communication skills on the job? Check all that apply.
They are important in almost every line of work. They are essential to personal career success. —————- Page 5: no matter what kind of position you're seeking—from entry-level jobs to highly technical professional positions—chances are you'll see "excellent communication skills" listed as a job requirement. Regardless of occupation, people spend a staggering amount of time communicating on the job
An unscrupulous executive might opt for a short-term windfall, pad his own pockets, then bail out before the company suffers the long-term consequences. Charlie is the opposite. He prioritizes the health and longevity of the company over his own personal gain. His goal is to share the company's success and profit among all its employees over the long term. Which ethical approach does Charlie exemplify? Virtue Utilitarian Common-Good Fairness
Utilitarian designed to be useful or practical rather than attractive.
Which of the following statements about instrumental and relational communication are true?
Virtually all messages contain both instrumental and relational dimensions. Negative relationships can make it difficult to achieve instrumental goals
Ultimately, and communications, channel selection is a question of
Went to use each channel most effectively
Which of the following is not a situation in which written communication should be chosen over oral communication?
When your goal is to build strong relationships (Page 12)
Business communication is ________, talking about an act of communication as though it were an isolated event is not very accurate
a process
Which of the following are examples of horizontal communication?
employees from the Los Angeles office communicating with their counterparts in the Atlanta office. coworkers talking about the best way to accomplish tasks
An open-door policy, grievance procedures, and the suggestion box are all examples of _______ vehicles for promoting upward communication
formal
Which of the following are types of messages conveyed by upward communication?
how subordinates feel about each other and the job unsolved work problems what subordinates are doing
The fact that communication is _____ means that effective communication cannot solve all problems.
not a pancea
A study of informal communication revealed that general managers been a great deal of time talking to people who Check all that apply
seemingly have a little power or importance within the organization. are neither direct subordinates, superiors, or peers
Which of the following is the best example of identity management?
shaping your resume to convery a strong sense of your personality and abilities
Which of the following statements about instrumental and relational communications are true? Check all that apply
virtually all messages contain both instrumental and relational dimensions. Negative relationships can make it difficult to achieve instrumental goals (Page 8)
Which of the following statements about management, employees, and downward communication is accurate?
Employees have a strong desire for feedback from their supervisors, most likely because supervisors seldom provide enough of it
Which of the following is not an example of downward communication?
" please don't make me work with Jim. He's hard to deal with and doesn't pull his weight."
Which of the following statements accurately characterize feedback? check all that apply.
- feedback can be oral or written. - it may be nonverbal, such as facial expression. - sometimes no response at all—for example, refusing to answer a question—can be a form of feedback. (Page 10: some feedback is nonverbal—smiles, size, and so on. Sometimes it's oral as when you react to colleague'a idea with questions or comments. Feedback can also be written, as when you respond by writing your coworker an email. In many cases, no message can be a type of feedback.)
The phrase, "Maybe we've had a couple differences in the past, but let's talk about how we can get past them and work together" is an example of which type of horizontal communication?
Conflict resolution (Page 18)
The power of personal networks is clear from the " 6 degrees of separation" hypothesis, which means that
Any two people in the world are separated by an average of six personal links (Page 23: get referrals to secondary sources)
Examples include email, inter-office memos, and voicemail. (synchronous or asynchronous communication)
Asynchronous
A key benefit is that it allows for a more thoughtful response. (synchronous or asynchronous communication)
Asynchronous.
A key benefit is that it does not involve any timeframe or deadline (synchronous or asynchronous communication)
Asynchronous. (Page 11. High-speed or instantaneous channels are called synchronous communication.) (page 12: asynchronous communication: low speed channels.)
Which of the following most accurately defines the activity of encoding?
Choosing words or nonverbal methods to send an intentional message (Page 9: basics of the communication model)
"This proposal is not the most profitable, but we ought to choose it because it is the one that will most likely help revitalize the downtown area." Which ethical approach is reflected in this statement? Common-Good Justice Virtue Utilitarian
Common-Good
Which of the following statements accurately describe the nature of communication and the roles of sender and receiver? check all that apply.
Communication is a two-way process. A person simultaneously acts as sender and receiver. (Page 10)
Which of the following are roles that a mentor has? Check all that apply.
Counselor Guide Trainer (Page 23: seek a mentor. A mentor is a person who acts as a guide, trainer, coach, and counselor; who teaches you the informal rules of an organization or a field; and who imparts the kinds of wisdom that comes from first-hand experience.)
Aside from the message related considerations, the _________ other organization in which you work may influence your choice of communication channels.
Culture
A superior telling subordinates that they have performed well on a task is an example of ________ communication.
Downward. (Page 15: downward communication occurs whenever superiors initiate messages to the subordinates. There are several types of downward communication: Job instructions, job rationale, feedback, & indoctrination)
Which of the following is not one of the useful functions informal communication serves within an organization?
Eliminating or obviating official channels (Page 20: functions of informal networks within organizations: Confirming formal messages, expanding on formal messages, expediting official messages, contradicting official messages, circumventing formal channels)
The statement "one cannot not communicate" means that
Even when you say nothing, you're communicating something. (Page 7: facial expression, posture, gesture, clothing, and a host of other behaviors offer cues about our attitudes. The impossibility of not communicating means we send messages even by our absence)
Because sending or receiving a message is not an isolated event,
Every communication event need to be examined as part of its communication context. (Page 8-9: Communication is a process.)
When others give you information, be sure to _______ and —even better—let them know ___________.
Express your appreciation; exactly how the information helped you. (Page 23: treat your contacts with gratitude and respect)
Lakeisha Is this silly and gullible one among her close-knit friends, bed at work lakeisha works hard to come across as professional and competent. this is known as
Identity management (Page 8: Identity management, Which is the practice of presenting yourself in ways that produce a preferred image and distinctive sense of self)
The two kinds of communication networks are classified as:
Formal and informal. (Page 14: communicating in and beyond organization. Communication networks—patterns of contact created by the flow and messages among communicators through time and space. Two kinds of networks exist: formal and informal.)
Organizational charts are the most common way of describing ________ communication networks.
Formal. (Page 14: formal communication networks are systems designed by management to dictate who should talk to whom to get a job done. the most common way of describing formal communication networks is with organizational charts. they provide a clear guideline of who is responsible for a given task in which employees are responsible for others' performance. They also depict optimal flows of communication, including downward, upward, and horizontal communication.)
Which of the following are examples of the I nfluence of organization's culture on the choice of communication channels? Check all that apply
If you are a Microsoft employee, chances are you primarily use email. Voicemail is preferred channel of communication at silicon graphics. Some departments favor email, while others might respond best to phone calls. (Page 12: consider the organization's culture. Besides the message related considerations, the culture of the organization in which you work may favor some communication channels over others.)
A key benefit is that it permits immediate feedback, so you can respond to questions as they arise. (synchronous or asynchronous communication)
Synchronous
A survey of corporate recruiters found that the main factors contributing to job success included:
Good communication skills. (Page 6: Communication skills are essential to personal career success to technical people with good communication skills earn more and those who are weak communicators suffer.
Synchronous Communication is another term for a __________ channel
High-speed
Messages aimed at accomplishing the task at hand (as, for example, when his supervisor assigns a deadline to an employee) are referred to as ________ Communication.
Instrumental (Page 8: Communication is Strategic. Virtually all communication is aimed at achieving goals. instrumental communication— Messages aimed at accomplishing the task at hand.
Which of the following is not a situation involving an obvious ethical challenge?
It comes to your attention that your team could reduce project turn around time, cut expenses, and improve quality but has somehow failed to do so
Personal Networking
It is the process of deliberately meeting people and maintaining contacts to get career information, advice, and leads—and in turn to help others 1. View Everyone as a Networking Prospect 2. Be Sensitive to Personal and Cultural Factors 3. Treat Your Contacts with Gratitude and Respect - When others do give you information, be sure to express your appreciation. At the very least, a "thank-you" is in order. Even better, let your networking contacts know exactly how the information they gave you was helpful. 4. Help Others 5. Get Referrals to Secondary Sources - A study on the "six degrees of separation" hypothesis involving more than 45,000 messages and more than 150 countries has demonstrated that the average number of links separating any two people in the world is indeed a half-dozen 6. Seek a Mentor
Which of the following is not one of the five purposes that horizontal communication serves?
Job instruction (Page 18: task coordination, problem-solving, Sharing information, conflict resolution, building rapport.)
When Kiki applied for a position at her father's firm, he hired an external recruitment agency to oversee the candidate selection. Which ethical approach explains this action? Utilitarian Rights Justice Common-Good
Justice
Students tend to think that good communication skills are _____ important than they really are and that their own communication skills are ______ than they really are.
Less; better (Page 7: students are more likely than employers to believe they are good communicators. in other words, many students underestimate the importance of good communication while overstating their own abilities. this is not a recipe for success.)
Examples of social or business networking sites on the Internet include: Check all that apply.
LinkedIn. Google+ Facebook. (Page 22: personal networking. It is a process of deliberately meeting people and maintaining contact to get career information, advice, and leads—and in turn to help others. some professionals use social networks such as Facebook for business contacts, while others are networking at sites like LinkedIn.)
Messages that flow from ______________________ are known as upward communication.
Lower-level employees to superiors. (Page 16: upward communication. Messages flowing from subordinates to superiors are labeled upward communication.)
A channel, also known as the __________, is the method a sender uses to deliver a message
Medium
When determining which communication channel to use, you should use oral communication in situations where you: Check all that apply
Need immediate feedback, for example any question and answer session Are presenting an idea that requires visual support such as photos or slides
Which of the following are useful tips for building a personal network? Check all that apply.
Network throughout your career. Network with everyone you meet. Seek a mentor.
Almost everyone you meet has the potential to be a source of ________, and when networking some of the best prospects are people __________.
Networking opportunities; you have never met. Information; you might overlook
The term used to describe the factors that interfere with exchange of messages is:
Noise. (Page 11: One of the greatest barriers to effective communication is noise—factors that interfere with exchange of messages. environmental, physiological, psychological)
Examples include face-to-face conversations, video chat, and telephone conversations. (synchronous or asynchronous communication)
Synchronous
Forces that work to discourage horizontal communication include: check all that apply
Physical barriers, such as having offices scattered throughout various buildings. Rivalry—that is, competition to advance within the organization at another's expense. Specialization, which makes it difficult for people with different specialties to understand one another. (Page 19: rivalry, specialization, information overload, lack of motivation, physical barriers)
Informal communication networks are patterns of interaction based on a number of factors, including: check all that apply
Proximity Shared career interests friendships (Page 19: alongside the formal networks, every organization also has informal communication networks— patterns of interaction based on friendships, share personal or career interests, and proximity.)
In the course of personal networking, you should make an effort to
Put people who will benefit from contact in touch with one another (Page 23. Help others)
Communication involves at least two parties, a sender and a(n)
Receiver. (Page 9: basics of the communication model.)
The amount of information that is available in a given channel term is referred to as:
Richness. Page 11: richness refers to the amount of information available in a given channel: facial expression, tone of voice, eye and body movement
Doing the ethical thing is not easy, and on a personal level you're likely to face conflicts between what you believe is ________ and what is _________.
Right; practical. (Page 25: doing the ethical thing isn't always easy. on a personal level, you're likely to face conflicts between what you believe is right and what is practical.)
"This proposal is good for our city, but it will pollute a small town down the river. Therefore, I cannot agree to it." Which ethical approach is reflected in this statement? Utilitarian Virtue Rights Fairness
Rights
Susie was born in Korea but adopted as an infant by Korean-American parents. She was raised in the United States in a Korean-American community. Which of the following statements about culture is most accurate? Susie is a member of a co-culture. Susie would have identified with Koreans even if she had been raised by non-Korean parents. There is only one correct culture, and that is the Korean-American one. Culture will not affect or influence Susie in any way.
Susie is a member of a co-culture.
Basics of The Communication Model
Sender - person who transmits a message (deliberate or unintentional) Encoding - choosing certain words or nonverbal methods to send an intentional message Channel (medium) - method used to deliver a message Receiver - person who perceives a message and attaches meaning to it, whether or not the message was intended for the person Decoding - process of a receiver attaching meaning to a message Feedback - receiver's response Noise - factors there interfere with the exchange of messages (environmental, physiological, and psychological)
Match the reasons why informal communication networks arise with the appropriate examples.
Shared personal interests - two employees from different departments discover that they both collect comic books. friendship - several people from the office get together on weekends for cookouts and other activities. physical proximity - A group of people who work in adjacent cubicles end up talking about issues that need to be addressed. (Page 19: some informal networks arise because of personal interests.)
According to a useful metaphor coined by two business analysts, formal communication channels are like the _________ of a company, whereas informal ones are more like its ___________.
Skeleton; central nervous system
In high-performing organizations, Employees engage in lateral communication in order to get information on how to _________, Whereas in low-performing organizations, They do so to get information on how to ___________.
Solve complex problems; Follow existing procedures
Which of the following accurately expresses the fact that effective communication cannot solve all problems?
Some problems grow worse the longer they are discussed. (Page 9: Communication is not a panacea.)
In building your personal network, it is important to remember secondary sources, which are
The contacts of your contacts (Page 22: get referrals to secondary sources.)
Which of the following statements about ethics is true?
There is no single "right" approach to ethics
Ethical Communication Choices
Utilitarian Approach (Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill): Does this action provide the greatest good for the greatest number? Rights Approach (Immanuel Kant): Does this action respect the moral rights (truth, privacy, noninjury, promises) of everyone? Fairness or Justice Approach (Aristotle, John Rawls): Is this action fair and free of discrimination or favoritism? Common-Good Approach (Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, John Rawls): Does the action further the common or community good? Virtue Approach: Does this action promote the development of moral virtue (character) in me and my community? Two additional guidelines can help you evaluate whether you are behaving ethically: Professional Ethic: How would an impartial jury of your professional peers judge this action? Publicity Test: Would you be comfortable having the public learn about your behavior in the broadcast or print media?
Not long ago (specifically, before the information revolution that began to take hold in the 1980s), business people could choose from only a few communication channels, including: check all that apply.
Written memo telephone in-person (Page 11: consider channel characteristics—In person, telephone, or written memo)
Elevator Speech
Your speech should contain four parts and take less than a minute to deliver. State your name and your current job title or position. "Hi. I'm Claire Yoder. I'm a senior, graduating in December." Describe some personal strengths or distinguishing information. "I'm completing my accounting major this semester with a 3.8 GPA, and I've developed additional skills in tax preparation through volunteer work with Tax-Help USA." Depending on your audience, state what you can do for others or ask for their help. "If you or someone you know needs help with tax preparation, I can help," or "If you know of any openings in accounting, I'd like to hear about them." Indicate how the person can get in touch with you or how you plan to contact this person. "Here's my card with my e-mail address. I'd like to hear from you." While modesty is a virtue, don't be bashful about presenting yourself as an interesting and competent person. Whether or not you want to, you are always presenting yourself to others. Brevity and sincerity are the keys to an elevator speech. Don't overwhelm your audience with information; present enough to make sure you create a positive impression and, ideally, to be asked for more information.
Which of the following groups but most likely host networking events to encourage interaction between community businesses?
chamber of commerce (Page 21)
Which of the following statements about noise as it related to communication are accurate?
anything that interferes with the exchange of messages is noise noise can be internal to a person in the form of mental or physical distractions noise, such as loud sounds, can be external to a person.
In communication, messages: Check all that apply.
are transmitted by senders. Maybe deliberate or unintentional (Page 9: basics of the communication model)
The five purposes served by horizontal communication include
building rapport problem solving sharing information
"When the department heads say the weekly meeting starts at 8am, they really mean it. I heard one guy got chewed out for coming in late" is an example of which type of message?
confirming formal message
Although all of us have personal contacts, personal networking involves:
deliberately meeting people for information, advice, and leads (Page 22: personal networking.)
Compared to formal communication networks, informal networks are which of the following? check all that apply.
faster More dependable (Page 20: informal networks are faster, and often more dependable, than formal channels. They also provide a short cut for the slower and more cumbersome formal channels, making innovation easier)
Students are ________ as likely as employers to recognize the important role communication skills play in becoming an effective professional
half
The name for the kind of communication in which members of an organization with equal power exchange messages is ___________ communication.
horizontal (Page 18: A third type of organizational interaction is a horizontal communication—sometimes called lateral communication—consist of messages between members of an organization with equal power.)
Which of the following Illustrate the fact that communication is irreversible? check all that apply.
if you have said the wrong thing, you might want to take it back but find it impossible. when you try to eliminate an unfortunate tweet, all you are likely to do is draw more attention to what you wrote. (Page 8: Communication is irreversible.)
Misunderstandings between people are often a result of the fact that messages can be decoded.
in more than one way. (Page 10: misunderstandings often arise because messages can be decoded in more than one way.)
Which of the following terms accurately describe the role of the receiver in communication?
interpreting decoding active
It has been said that ethics centers on a sense of responsibility for how your actions and behavior affect
others
Relational communication serves the purpose of
shaping and reflecting the way people regard one another. (Page 8: A second set of goals involves relational communication— Messages that shape and reflect the way people regard one another. Building positive relationships isn't just about being sociable; A positive climate helps achieve instrumental goals. Conversely, a negative relationship can make it difficult, or even impossible, to accomplish them.)
Which of the following statements about nature of communication is false?
successful communication is about convincing others to understand our viewpoint. (Page 10: even though we've describe sending and receiving as discrete roles, communication is actually a two way process, especially when communication is instantaneous. Because sending and receiving are simultaneous and connected, successful communication isn't something active sender to do to passive receivers rather it's a collaborative process in which the participants create a shared understanding through the exchange of messages. Communication isn't something we do to others, it's a process we do with them. Try to understand the other person's viewpoint, whether or not we agree with it. feedback helps us in the process of building shared meaning.)
Which of the following are important reasons you should use multiple channels of communication? Check all that apply.
to increase the chances of getting your message across To capitalize on the strengths of each channel (Page 13: consider using multiple channels)
Channel selection often involves a(n)
trade off (Page 11: Communication channels)
