9-1
Chapter 9: Workplace Communication
Essay Questions
1. Describe some organizations of which you are a member. What activities take place in order to achieve the collective goal?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
2. Explain and give an example of downward, upward, and horizontal communication as they function in a communication network.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
3. Why is communication seen as the substance of organizational life?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
4. What are the differences between formal and informal communication?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
5. Identify, describe, and give an example of the types of organizations classified in the functional classification system of Talcott Parsons.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
6. List and describe the four communicative behaviors that are important in the workplace.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
7. Define and give an example of “formal communication.”
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
8. Explain the different types of communication that occur in formal communication.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
9. Discuss the characteristics of informal communication. How can informal communication affect an organization?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
10. What is emotional labor? Provide an example.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
11. Describe strategic ambiguity. Provide an example.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
12. What are the five approaches to conflict management?
Answer: Avoidance, competition, compromise, accommodation, collaboration
Bloom’s level: Remember
13. Describe some of the compliance-gaining strategies used by customer-service representatives. What are some strategies you use to resist these
tactics?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
14. Describe the four types of workplace aggression.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
15. Explain the difference between quid pro quo harassment and a hostile work environment.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
16. Why is it important to create a personal network? Give some strategies to develop your network.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
17. What can you do to adequately preplan for an interview?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
18. Write an essay explaining why self-inventory is an important step in employment interview preparation.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
19. Why should you, as the interviewee, be prepared to ask questions effectively and ethically?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
20. Discuss at least one strategy mentioned in the textbook for conducting a job search.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
21. Explain why knowledge of a job description is important when preparing for a job interview.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
22. Discuss at least three of the suggestions for writing style you should use when preparing your resume.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
23. Describe the general areas of content that should be included in your resume.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
24. How should you make the decision to use a chronological or functional resume format?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
25. Describe the four sections of a well developed cover letter.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
26. Discuss the three objectives of interpersonally competent communication during a job interview.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
27. What are some strategies for answering questions effectively?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
28. How can employers ensure that interview questions do not violate EEO laws?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
29. What are effective steps to take in the post-interview stage?
Answer: Answers will vary.
Bloom’s level: Understand
True/False Questions
30. Legal institutions such as the Supreme Court are organizations with the goal of integration.
31. If we use immediacy in workplace communication, we intend to create perceptions of psychological closeness with others.
32. Supportive communicators listen with empathy but usually are poor at acknowledging the feelings of others.
33. Competition is an approach to managing conflict that views conflict as a “battle” to be won.
9-3
© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
34. Among the five approaches to managing conflict is the “surrender” approach, whereby you give up the conflict.
35. The president of a company sending a memo to all workers is an example of horizontal communication.
36. Two tellers at a bank sharing tips for effective customer service interactions is an example of horizontal communication.
37. Strategic ambiguity in workplace communication is the purposeful use of symbols that allow multiple interpretations.
38. Managers, who want to effectively persuade their employees, should not engage in strategic ambiguity because using that tactic tends to
upset less experienced employees.
39. Hostile work environments are detrimental to all who work in them, both male and female.
40. Emotional labor can be fiscally rewarding for an organization.
41. Emotional labor can lead to burnout and low job satisfaction for employees.
42. Telling sexist jokes in workplace is a form of quid pro quo harassment.
43. Action verbs are a strong means of communicating completed tasks on a resume.
44. Equal Employment Laws ensure that individuals are selected without bias.
45. If an employer asks you “What traits do you possess that you feel will be an asset to this company,” this would be considered a bona fide
occupational qualification question.
46. Your resume should have a clear articulation of your goals, also known as an objective statement.
47. Over 98 percent of employers said that unclear answers and poor grammar have little to no effect on their hiring decision.
48. The post-interview stage is a relatively unimportant part of the interviewing process.
49. Engaging in interaction management helps establish a smooth pattern of interaction.
50. Everything asked during a job interview should relate to BFOQs.
9-4
© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Bloom’s level: Remember
51. The key to finding great jobs is having a great personal network.
52. If you are asked a question in an interview that you don’t want to answer, it is best to evade the question.
53. The ways in which groups of people both maintain structure and order through their symbolic interactions refers to
a. downward communication.
b. group communication.
c. organizational communication.
d. public communication.
54. Messages between organizational members of the same power level are best described as
a. formal.
b. informal.
c. upward.
d. horizontal.
55. A school is what type of organization?
a. political
b. integration
c. pattern-maintenance
d. economic production
56. The army is what type of organization?
a. economic production
b. political
c. pattern maintenance
d. integration
57. A conflict management style that involves negotiation is also known as
a. avoidance
b. competition
c. compromise
d. accommodation
58. Acme company has a mission statement that is open to interpretation. Many stakeholders identify with it. Their mission statement is
a. validated.
b. ambiguous.
c. interactive.
d. informational.
59. Formal communication consists of all the following except
a. the grapevine.
b. horizontal communication.
c. upward communication .
d. downward communication.
60. Informal communication consists of all of the following except
a. the grapevine.
b. emergent networks.
c. natural social interactions .
d. downward communication.
61. According to the textbook, conditions in the workplace that are sexually offensive or intimidating are known as
a. quid pro quo.
b. hostile.
c. unacceptable.
d. normal.
62. Which of the following statements about emotional labor is not true?
a. Emotional labor can benefit the organization.
b. Emotional labor can benefit the client.
c. Emotional labor can decrease turnover.
d. Emotional labor can decrease job satisfaction.
63. Angela tells Richard that he will not receive a raise unless he agrees to give her a massage. This is what type of sexual harassment?
a. submissive
b. quid pro quo
c. hostile environment
d. matriarchal
64. Which of the following statements about resume writing style is not accurate?
a. You should quantify information.
b. You should use the pronoun “I”.
c. You should not mix bullets and other stylistic devices.
d. You should be concise in your wording.
65. When you organize your experiences by type, which type of resume are you using?
a. functional
b. chronological
c. spatial
d. problem-based
66. EEO legislation states that interview questions must be related to
a. personal characteristics.
b. protected class.
c. bona fide occupational qualifications.
d. reasonable public information.
67. During an interview for a waitress job, Mr. Mitchell (the interviewer) asks Kelly (the interviewee) if she is married or has any children. This
is a violation of
a. personal characteristics.
b. protected class.
c. bona fide occupational qualifications.
d. reasonable public information.
68. Your cover letter should have which four main sections?
a. need, integration, support, intent
b. support, balance, desire, achievements
c. interest, balance, participation, application
d. attention, interest, desire, action
9-6
© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
69. Which of the following is not a general interviewing strategy?
a. Demonstrate competence.
b. Ask and answer questions effectively and ethically.
c. Be prepared to discuss salary at your interview.
d. Preplan for the interview.