Test Bank + Interpersonal And Organizational + Ch.15

Management, 9e (Kinicki)

Chapter 15 Interpersonal and Organizational Communication:

Mastering the Exchange of Information

1) Sylvie had many spelling and grammar mistakes in her report, some of which made the content difficult to understand. Sylvie's report is an example of poor encoding.

2) Noise is any disturbance that interferes with the transmission of a message, and it can occur in any medium.

3) The sun was shining directly into Luca's eyes, so he looked away and missed the coach's demonstration of a defensive technique. In this case, the sun acts as feedback in the communication process.

4) Face-to-face communication is the richest form of communication because the receiver observes multiple cues in the message.

5) If you must tell an employee that he is facing a sexual harassment investigation, you should use a rich medium of communication.

6) An order taker who has a thick accent, and someone who speaks too fast at a fast-food drive-through, are examples of communication barriers.

7) When a supervisor is afraid to voice an idea because she or he fears criticism, the result is a receiver barrier.

8) Formal channels of communication are typically faster than the grapevine.

9) When using text messages for important workplace communications, use abbreviations and emojis to streamline the communication.

10) Generally people retain about 75 percent of what they hear.

11) Which of the following statements is NOT true about communication in the workplace?

A) Communication is a form of social information processing, in which receivers interpret messages by cognitively processing them.

B) Efficient communicators can transmit their message accurately in the least amount of time.

C) The pathway by which a message travels is called the medium.

D) The communication process involves sender, message, and receiver; encoding and decoding; the medium; feedback; and dealing with "noise," or interference.

E) E-mails can cut through the misunderstandings that result from misinterpreted phone calls.

12) Communication is

A) speaking or writing so that another is able to comprehend the meaning.

B) interpretation of messages sent via any media.

C) the combined activities of speaking and listening.

D) a process involving only the sender, message, and receiver.

E) the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another.

13) You are a(n) ________ communicator when your intended message is sent accurately in the least amount of time.

A) economical

B) collaborative

C) formal

D) efficient

E) effective

14) Which of the following is NOT an element of the communication model?

A) sender

B) decoder

C) feedback

D) noise

E) message

15) ________ is the process of translating a message into understandable symbols or language.

A) Mediation

B) Transformation

C) Encoding

D) Decoding

E) Enriching

16) When the band came out on stage and the lead singer shouted, "Hello, Philadelphia!" the crowd roared with applause. The crowd's response is an example of

A) decoding.

B) medium selection.

C) noise.

D) feedback.

E) encoding.

17) Which of the following is NOT an example of noise in the communication process in a typical classroom?

A) a student in the back of the classroom texting a friend

B) a student answering a professor's question

C) groundskeepers mowing the lawn outside the classroom window

D) uncomfortable classroom desks

E) an attractive person walking by the open classroom door

18) Thinking about the communication process, which of the following would be an accurate description of one of the steps?

A) The message is transmitted through a medium.

B) The sender decodes the message.

C) The medium is eliminated.

D) Noise is eliminated from the message.

E) The receiver selects the medium.

19) A(n) ________ form of media allows receivers to observe multiple cues, such as body language and tone of voice, and allows senders to get feedback. Face-to-face communication is an example of this form of media.

A) encoded

B) dense

C) rich

D) informal

E) formal

20) Which of the following is the most appropriate medium for a manager advising employees of a revision to the company's bonus structure?

A) The manager should e-mail all those affected.

B) A face-to-face meeting should be called between the manager and employees.

C) An announcement should be posted near the office coffee machine.

D) The manager should telephone each employee.

E) A personal note should be sent to each from the manager.

21) Of the following, which medium is the richest?

A) company newsletter

B) telephone

C) videoconference

D) memo

E) e-mail

22) Of the following, which medium is the LEAST rich?

A) e-mail

B) instant messaging on the Internet

C) flyer on a bulletin board

D) handwritten note

E) conference telephone call

23) A manager needs to inform employees that the quarterly project management training will start on June 1, about three months from now. Generally, which of the following should the manager use in this situation?

A) videoconference

B) e-mail

C) personal note

D) face-to-face meeting

E) telephone

24) Executives at Amalfi Construction want to let middle managers know that the company is going to be acquired by its largest competitor. Assuming the following paths of communication are possible, how should executives communicate this information?

A) Send a note to all managers.

B) Post a notice on all bulletin boards.

C) Hold a face-to-face meeting.

D) Send an e-mail to all managers.

E) Schedule a conference phone call.

25) Gina wanted to tell her employees about the seminar, but she put the flyer in a stack of papers and forgot about it until after the deadline, so none of her employees were able to sign up for the seminar. What type of barrier has occurred in this situation?

A) feedback barrier

B) encoding barrier

C) medium barrier

D) sender barrier

E) receiver barrier

26) Chenglei worked on a global team for an American company, and all her work had to be completed in her second language, English. Sometimes her teammates misinterpreted her meaning. Chenglei has unintentionally created a(n) ________ barrier to communication.

A) decoding

B) sender

C) feedback

D) encoding

E) receiver

27) Brett was talking to a coworker in a meeting, and he wasn't listening when his supervisor announced work assignments. This situation is a(n) ________ barrier to communication.

A) medium

B) receiver

C) feedback

D) decoding

E) encoding

28) Gabrielle works part time in a coffee shop. Some of the equipment is so noisy it prevents her from correctly hearing what the customer orders. The noisy equipment is an example of a(n) ________ barrier to communication.

A) physical

B) semantic

C) personal

D) encoding

E) feedback

29) Joi, working at a research facility in Washington, DC, needs to communicate with Jesús, who is in Mexico City, about a project they are working on. Although Jesús has a perfect command of English, they are still facing a(n) ________ barrier to communication.

A) semantic

B) physical

C) encoding

D) medium

E) personal

30) ________ is a state of reduced attention that is expressed in behavior that is rigid or thoughtless. This state is natural because human beings simply cannot keep up with all the stimuli they receive.

A) Mindfulness

B) Cognitive distortion

C) The mirror effect

D) Nonverbal communication

E) Mindlessness

31) ________ is terminology that is specific to a particular profession or group. For example, statisticians talk about t-tests, chi-square tests, confidence intervals, and normal distributions.

A) The grapevine

B) Technology

C) Gossip

D) Jargon

E) Rhetoric

32) Which of the following is NOT a personal barrier to communication?

A) generational differences

B) a large ego

C) lack of credibility

D) mindlessness

E) obsolete technology

33) JJ was recently promoted to manager. Although he used to take advice from his peers, he seems no longer willing to listen to any input from them or his boss, and he is determined to run the project how he thinks best. Which personal barrier to communication is JJ exhibiting?

A) an oversized ego

B) variable skills in communicating effectively

C) a tendency to judge others' messages

D) an inability to listen with understanding

E) variation in interpreting information

34) Which of the following is NOT a way in which nonverbal communication is expressed?

A) grimacing

B) avoiding eye contact

C) looking away while talking to someone

D) texting during a meeting

E) touching someone's shoulder

35) Most people from Western cultures tend to ________ when conveying bad news or negative feedback.

A) avoid eye contact

B) smile

C) nod their heads

D) lean forward

E) yawn

36) Which of the following should you NOT do when attempting to improve communication?

A) Occasionally nod in agreement.

B) Close your eyes.

C) Speak in a quiet, reassuring tone.

D) Smile and show animation.

E) Lean toward the speaker.

37) Which of the following should you do when attempting to improve communication?

A) Close your eyes.

B) Lick your lips or play with your hair.

C) Look away from the speaker.

D) Speak very slowly.

E) Maintain eye contact.

38) Compared to women, men tend to

A) use emoticons to express sarcasm and banter.

B) easily indicate their uncertainties.

C) use more "we" statements.

D) provide more information than needed.

E) make more apologies.

39) Knowing that men and women communicate differently, which of the following statements would be more likely true for men?

A) They boast about achievements.

B) They mention "we" or "you" in a conversation with a coworker.

C) They use positive overlaps such as "I agree."

D) They decipher nonverbal cues accurately.

E) They provide more information than needed.

40) Which of the following statements is true?

A) Men are more skilled at deciphering nonverbal cues than women are.

B) Men are less willing than women to talk over others.

C) In terms of answering questions, men tend to provide more information than needed, while women tend to be quick and to the point.

D) Men tend to withdraw and isolate themselves when problem solving, whereas women seek out others for support.

E) Men are more likely than women to indicate that they are uncertain about an issue.

41) ________ is a person's characteristic speaking patterns, such as the use of pacing, pausing, questions, and stories.

A) Horizontal communication

B) A communication device

C) A formal message

D) A linguistics style

E) Multi-communication

42) Channels of communication that follow the chain of command and are considered as official are ________ communication channels.

A) prescribed

B) formal

C) vertical

D) horizontal

E) external

43) Which of the following indicates how official communications should be routed?

A) organization chart

B) grapevine

C) lateral networks

D) corporate culture

E) personnel files

44) A manager who is instructing his employee about work tasks is communicating

A) informally.

B) horizontally.

C) externally.

D) through the grapevine.

E) vertically.

45) The more management levels through which a message passes, the

A) more important the message is.

B) higher the chance the message will become external.

C) more informal the organization.

D) more disorganized the organization.

E) more distorted the message may become.

46) The vice president of finance at Capital City College disseminated a new five-year strategic plan to deans and department chairs. This is an example of ________ communication.

A) external

B) horizontal

C) corporate

D) downward

E) informal

47) Maureen, a marketing manager, shares some of the market research her department has analyzed with the research and development group. Maureen is communicating

A) by wandering around.

B) horizontally.

C) upward.

D) through the grapevine.

E) externally.

48) At the end of the fiscal year, Thompson Investments releases an earnings report to clients. By sending the earnings reports to its clients, Thompson Investments is communicating

A) vertically.

B) externally.

C) horizontally.

D) downward.

E) upward.

49) ________ communication channels develop outside the organizational structure and do NOT follow the chain of command.

A) Informal

B) Vertical

C) Horizontal

D) Customary

E) External

50) Gossip and rumor in an organization are part of the ________, which itself is a type of ________ communication channel.

A) organizational chart; horizontal

B) culture; horizontal

C) grapevine; informal

D) grapevine; horizontal

E) organizational chart; informal

51) The grapevine is

A) a formal communication channel.

B) almost wholly inaccurate.

C) slower than formal channels.

D) the source of as much as 90 percent of all organizational communication.

E) more active when official communication is lacking.

52) The key to protecting digital communication systems against fraud, hackers, identity theft, and other threats is

A) using file-sharing services.

B) hiring ethical employees.

C) using prevention techniques like strong passwords.

D) creating a well-funded IT department.

E) minimizing turnover.

53) When thieves use your name and good credit rating to get cash or buy things, they are engaging in

A) Robin Hood theft.

B) credit mishandling.

C) credit exploitation.

D) identity theft.

E) misuse of standing.

54) All of you taking this course have e-mail, even if it is only the student account issued by the college or university, and probably check it multiple times a day, but think about the average user. Which of the following statements would be FALSE?

A) The average worker can receive hundreds of e-mails in a day.

B) Texting and social networking have begun to reduce the dominance of e-mail.

C) The number of e-mail users worldwide has peaked and begun to decline.

D) Many computer applications require an e-mail address for access.

E) Most workers feel that they can answer only a few dozen e-mails per day.

55) Which of the following is appropriate for workplace e-mail?

A) forwarding e-mails to friends and relatives

B) complicated topics

C) maintaining work–life balance by not sending e-mails before or after work hours

D) informality and grammatical errors

E) sensitive personal issues

56) The source for crowdsourcing is most often

A) executive advisory councils.

B) the Internet and social media.

C) boards of directors.

D) professional associations.

E) competitors.

57) Generally, typical listeners retain ________ of what they hear.

A) 5 percent

B) all

C) 75 percent

D) two-thirds

E) 20 to 50 percent

58) Active ________ is the process of actively decoding and interpreting verbal messages, which requires full attention and processing.

A) empathizing

B) comprehension

C) hearing

D) listening

E) evaluation

59) Which of the following is NOT a suggestion that may help you be a good listener?

A) Show respect for the speaker; do not interrupt.

B) Ask good questions.

C) Paraphrase and summarize remarks.

D) Use nonverbal cues to demonstrate interest and involvement.

E) Mentally compose your response.

60) Active listening requires all of the following EXCEPT

A) decoding.

B) interpreting verbal messages.

C) full attention.

D) processing of information.

E) focusing on the delivery rather than content.

61) Which of the following is a tip for writing more effectively for business purposes?

A) Avoid using a subject line when sending an e-mail.

B) Start by stating your purpose and what you expect of the reader.

C) Use the passive voice (rather than the active voice).

D) Construct interesting, complex sentences.

E) Begin an e-mail with an informal greeting like "Hey."

62) The introduction to a business speech should

A) get right to the point.

B) contain at least one joke.

C) contain a phrase like "I'm honored to be here."

D) contain significant details of the presentation.

E) contain an unrelated story to catch the interest of the audience.

63) Which of the following is NOT appropriate to include in the conclusion of a speech?

A) a signal phrase to cue listeners about the wind-up

B) "thank you"

C) a call to action

D) details you forgot from earlier

E) a little upbeat story or a quotation

64) Luke gave some people street directions, but because they only nodded their heads and didn't repeat the directions back to him, he doesn't really know whether the directions were understood. Why?

A) Because they did not respond, there may have been a feedback barrier.

B) Because they did not respond, there may have been a sender barrier.

C) Because they did not respond, there may have been an encoding barrier.

D) Because they did not respond, there may have been a medium barrier.

E) Because they did not respond, there may have been a decoding barrier.

65) Which of the following is the best advice for face-to-face communication?

A) Begin with good news, and lead up to bad news.

B) Use a face-to-face meeting as an opportunity to multitask.

C) Hold "town hall" meetings daily.

D) Speak "off the cuff" rather than preparing a dull list of topics that need to be discussed.

E) Have face-to-face meetings spontaneously when you encounter a coworker in the daily course of doing business (for example, in the copy room or lunch room).

66) Imagine that you work for a life insurance company. The company is offering a new type of life insurance policy for senior citizens (people over age 65) and retirees. Keeping generational differences in mind, which of the following is the best medium for communicating with potential customers/clients?

A) e-mail

B) YouTube videos

C) telephone calls

D) Facebook

E) text messages

67) Which of the following is an example of a barrier in cross-cultural communication?

A) You are trying to get through to a colleague on the telephone, but you keep getting a buy signal.

B) Men are less likely than women to indicate that they are unsure about an issue.

C) The "OK" hand symbol means "all right" or fine in the United States, but is considered an insult in parts of Europe.

D) Those over the age of 70 are significantly less likely to use any form of social media.

E) Due to a hurricane affecting the East Coast, all Internet connections are down for thousands of miles.

68) Among people aged 18–29, the most popular social network is ________, and ________ is the most popular social network among people aged 30–59.

A) Facebook; Facebook

B) Twitter; Google+

C) Instagram; Tumblr

D) Snapchat; LinkedIn

E) Pinterest; Twitter

69) Which of the following statements about social media is FALSE?

A) Social media can lead to hiring discrimination by revealing applicants' religious affiliation, age, family composition, or sexual orientation.

B) Your overall presence on the Internet and social media sites should reflect a mature and responsible individual and include nothing you'd be afraid to see in the newspaper.

C) In terms of job recruiting, LinkedIn is the most widely used social media site.

D) The use of social media in the workplace often leads to reduced turnover, higher performance, and increased job satisfaction.

E) Social media rarely reduces productivity in the workplace.

70) Which term refers to the use of the Internet at work for personal use?

A) cyberloafing

B) jargon

C) crowdsourcing

D) cyberthreat

E) media policy

71) Which of the following is NOT an element of an effective social media policy?

A) Encourage employees to post honest, bold, and even unpopular decisions.

B) Align social policy with the organization's culture.

C) Explain what is considered illegal.

D) Clarify what is confidential.

E) Create safe channels for employees to air their concerns before going online.

72) Which of the following is an example of empathetic communication?

A) "We need to get this job finished on time if we want to keep our jobs."

B) "These intense deadlines are both unreasonable and unfair."

C) "You don't have a choice; this is the job we hired you to do."

D) "I understand your frustration; this deadline is intense, and we're running on reduced staff."

E) "If you don't like your job, we can easily replace you."

73) Tucker is sitting in a seminar where a speaker is explaining the company's retirement plan options. Tucker is only 24 years old, and he thinks retirement is so far away that he doesn't think he needs to pay attention to the speaker. He starts texting his friends and updating his Facebook page; he even slumps in his chair. He has completely tuned out of the presentation. In this case, Tucker has a(n) ________ listening style.

A) detached

B) active

C) involved

D) passive

E) passive-aggressive

74) When someone restates in their own words the crux of what they heard, they are

A) providing feedback.

B) paraphrasing.

C) using active listening.

D) encoding a message.

E) decoding a message.

75) Ally is known for not listening in meetings and for misunderstanding directions. Ty has decided to take a new approach with her, regardless of whether he is speaking with her or sending her an e-mail. The last thing he asks Ally to do is use her own words to tell him what she is supposed to do. How does Ty want Ally to respond?

A) by encoding

B) by decoding

C) by paraphrasing

D) by providing feedback

E) by eliminating noise

76) Rob told Tamara to get him a report "right away." Tamara was not sure what "right away" meant. This is an issue of

A) jargon.

B) semantics.

C) medium.

D) encoding.

E) feedback.

77) Contrary to stereotypes, ________ has no impact on media richness preference.

A) gender

B) culture

C) language

D) education

E) age

78) When Rosalyn comes into the office, she speaks to no one, shuts her door, and is rarely seen again until lunch. She supervises a team of 12 people though. Carmelita has a new idea she would like to share with management, but is unsure if she should take it to Rosalyn. How would you describe this upward communication?

A) lacking trust

B) proper use of a rich medium

C) missing a chain of command

D) disorganized organization

E) confusing semantics

79) Jyllian, a supervisor, told her employees, "The store will close Monday for inventory and all employees are expected to participate." Without knowing how Jyllian communicated her message, we know it was done

A) by wandering around.

B) horizontally.

C) upward.

D) through the grapevine.

E) downward.

80) Which of the following is a danger of using a lean medium for nonroutine matters?

A) It results in information overloading.

B) It doesn't provide enough of the information the sender needs and wants.

C) The delivery has more information than necessary.

D) It results in information oversimplification.

E) It is too personal.

81) Kelly, a small business owner, regularly seeks input from her external stakeholders about her products. She is most likely speaking to all of the following EXCEPT

A) customers.

B) employees.

C) suppliers.

D) peers in the community.

E) shareholders.

82) What should a meeting participant NOT do?

A) Prepare but stay flexible.

B) Ask "why" questions.

C) Be on time.

D) Participate intelligently.

E) Follow up.

83) Michelle just got back from spending two weeks in her company's Germany office. Her flight was delayed, so instead of going home and getting some rest, she went right into the office. At the morning status meeting, Michelle thought that everyone was sharing their weekend plans, instead of giving their division reports. Why did she feel that way?

A) sender barrier

B) encoding barrier

C) receiver barrier

D) decoding barrier

E) feedback barrier

84) What is a disadvantage to open-plan offices?

A) People may feel "on" all day.

B) Introverted peoples are encouraged to collaborate.

C) They are cheaply constructed.

D) They are too bright and airy.

E) All conversations seem like impromptu meetings.

85) Who defines effective communication?

A) the writer

B) the sender

C) the receiver

D) the medium

E) the designer

86) Every time Kiersten's phone buzzed during a meeting, she would step out to either take the call or respond to the text. It did not seem to matter, if she was the one presenting at the time or just listening. She did not even seem to notice the eye rolls from the others or any of the other nonverbal cues. How would you describe Kiersten's behavior?

A) She was using active listening.

B) She was practicing mindlessness.

C) She was experiencing crowdsourcing.

D) She was employing cyberloafing.

E) She was utilizing phubbing

87) While networking, you are more likely to be remembered if you ask

A) "What was the highlight of your day?"

B) "Where do you work?"

C) "Do you live nearby?"

D) "Where did you go to college/school?"

E) "Where are you from/did you grow up?"

88) Portia was preparing for a networking event and kept reminding herself that she needed to keep eye contact with whomever she was speaking, even though that was not typical for her culture. What skill was Portia working on?

A) Portia was attempting to build personal connections.

B) Portia was practicing being mindful.

C) Portia was working on how to follow up.

D) Portia was networking with a purpose.

E) Portia was creating a positive mind-set.

89) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.

First, describe the elements of the communication process.

Next, imagine that you are the CEO of a cosmetics company. Your company is headquartered in Dallas, where you have more than 3,000 employees. You are planning to give a talk to all the employees, a "state of the company" address that reviews the company's performance, victories, and challenges over the past 12 months. Because you want every employee to be able to listen to your address, you decide to do it as a webcast that employees can watch on their computers in real time. Explain how your webcast includes each element of the communication process.

90) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.

First, define the concept of media richness, explaining which forms of media are richer, which are less rich, and why.

Next, suppose that you manage a local branch of the U.S. Post Office. You need to communicate three key pieces of information: (a) an annual performance appraisal for each of the employees at the branch, (2) an update regarding the sales of commemorative stamps to a regional manager, and (3) information regarding postage rate increases to the general public. Which type of media would you use for each of these three pieces of information?

91) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.

First, identify and explain the five types of communication barriers.

Next, imagine that you manage the gate agents at a busy international airport. (The gate agents are the people who staff the gates, taking people's tickets, managing the boarding process, and helping to resolve issues with seating.) Describe how the gate agents might encounter each type of barrier, and what you might do to reduce these barriers.

92) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.

First, define formal communication in an organization.

Second, imagine that you manage a company that is going through layoffs. The company plans to lay off 15 percent of the workforce. Provide an example of how you might use each of the three types of formal communication to communicate with employees about the layoffs.

93) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.

First, what is the grapevine, and when does the grapevine flourish and thrive?

Second, suppose that you manage a small laboratory that develops fragrances (men's colognes, women's perfumes, unisex deodorants). The office grapevine is thriving; employees believe that the company is about to be purchased by a much larger firm, and that the result will be a move to another state, decreased benefits, and massive layoffs. While the company is under negotiations to be purchased, there will be no move or change in benefits based on the purchase. Layoffs could occur, but it's hard to say at this point. Describe several ways that you might get the grapevine under control.

94) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.

First, define the concept of security in the digital age.

Second, imagine that you manage the customer-service department at the local utility (provider of electricity and natural gas). Name at least three specific measures that your department could take to prevent security breaches on the Internet.

95) Explain why it is important to become a good listener.

96) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.

First, list at least four tips for handling a high volume of e-mail in a business setting.

Next, suppose that you manage the back office of a car dealership. Explain how you would implement these tips in your office setting.

97) Discuss general strategies that managers can use to streamline meetings.

98) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.

First, define noise and describe how it can disrupt the communication process.

Second, imagine that you are studying for a final exam for a difficult course. Think about where you typically study. What are the sources of noise in that environment? Describe each, and propose a plan for reducing or eliminating noise so that you can concentrate on your studies.

99) How can social media generate brand recognition with customers?

100) Describe how you can improve your networking skills.