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Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
1. Routine messages tend to be simple and straightforward, such as conveying data or statistics.
a. True
b. False
2. Managers facilitate strategic conversations by using open communication, actively listening to others, asking questions,
and using feedback for learning and change.
a. True
b. False
3. Team members, in decentralized networks, must communicate through one individual to solve problems or make
decisions.
a. True
b. False
4. Most managers spend 80 percent of their time telling and 20 percent asking, but it should be the other way around.
a. True
b. False
5. Messages that are designed to share information among teams and departments that can help the organization change,
grow, or improve are called change initiatives and improvements.
a. True
b. False
6. Types of information generally communicated upward include performance reports, suggestions for improvement, and
performance feedback.
a. True
b. False
7. Communication can break down if sender and receiver do not encode or decode language in the same way.
a. True
b. False
8. A grapevine is a type of personal channel used in many organizations.
a. True
b. False
9. The receiver usually will give more weight to behavioral actions than to verbal messages when verbal and nonverbal
messages are contradictory.
a. True
b. False
10. Managers spend 80 percent of every working day doing desk work.
a. True
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b. False
11. Forms of nonverbal communication include blushing, perspiring, glancing, crying, and laughing.
a. True
b. False
12. The choice of a communication channel can convey a symbolic meaning to the receiver.
a. True
b. False
13. Formulating in your mind what you are going to say next is an important part of effective listening.
a. True
b. False
14. Social media does not include blogs and wikis.
a. True
b. False
15. Procedures and practices are downward communication topics that define the organization’s rules, regulations,
benefits, and structural arrangements.
a. True
b. False
16. Horizontal communication is particularly important in teaching organizations, where teams of workers are
continuously solving problems and searching for new ways of doing things.
a. True
b. False
17. Huge corporations are more likely than smaller businesses or nonprofits to use social media to communicate with
customers.
a. True
b. False
18. Without feedback, communication is only a two-way process, sender to receiver and receiver to sender.
a. True
b. False
19. Face-to-face discussion is the richest channel, in terms of channel richness.
a. True
b. False
20. A formal communication channel flows within the chain of command or task responsibility defined by the
organization.
a. True
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b. False
Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
21. __________ is necessary for communication to be considered two-way.
a. Message
b. Channel
c. Feedback
d. Noise
e. Circuit
22. Strategic conversations include:
a. directing attention to values.
b. asking questions.
c. social media.
d. personal networks.
e. influencing employee behavior.
23. When interviewing prospective employees, Samuel, a seasoned manager, often observes hand gestures, facial
expressions, and use of space to gauge individuals’ personalities. These are all examples of:
a. listening.
b. nonverbal communication.
c. empathizing.
d. direct communication.
e. nuance communication.
24. Jay, a divisional vice president of a consumer goods manufacturer, gives a presentation to all divisional employees to
outline the company’s goals for the coming year. This is an example of which of the following types of organizational
communication?
a. Virtual communication
b. Grapevine communication
c. Lateral communication
d. Downward communication
e. Upward communication
25. Most executives now believe that important information flows from the:
a. top down.
b. bottom up.
c. diagonal level.
d. horizontal level to the diagonal level.
e. internal to the external.
26. What percentage of a manager’s time is spent in direct communication?
a. 20 percent
b. 100 percent
c. 50 percent
d. 80 percent
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e. 40 percent
27. Jenna composes an e-mail from home to her boss to inform him that she will be late getting to work that day. The act
of composing an e-mail involves which of the following stages of the communication process?
a. Selecting a channel
b. Sifting through noise
c. Providing feedback
d. Encoding the message
e. Decoding the message
28. When an electronic mail system is installed as part of the communication system, what element of the communication
process is changed?
a. Channel
b. Message
c. Sender
d. Filter
e. Receiver
29. What percent of the details passed through a grapevine is accurate?
a. 15 to 20 percent
b. 25 to 35 percent
c. 40 to 60 percent
d. 70 to 90 percent
e. 100 percent
30. Which of the following is the most familiar and obvious flow of formal communication?
a. Downward communication
b. Gossip
c. Horizontal communication
d. Upward communication
e. Vertical communication
31. __________ and __________ are potential sources for communication errors, because knowledge, attitudes, and
background act as filters.
a. Encoding; channel
b. Encoding; noise
c. Decoding; channel
d. Decoding; encoding
e. Decoding; noise
32. Upward communication is usually used to communicate information about all of the following, EXCEPT:
a. suggestions for improvement.
b. performance reports.
c. indoctrination.
d. financial and accounting information.
e. grievances and disputes.
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33. The skills of __________ require receiving messages to accurately grasp facts and feelings to interpret the meaning of
the message.
a. communication
b. listening
c. managing
d. reception
e. telling
34. Silvia, a seasoned assembly line worker at an automobile manufacturer, wants to demonstrate to Allison, a new
trainee, how her job relates to other organizational activities. This encompasses which of the following downward
communication topics?
a. Goals
b. Practices
c. Performance feedback
d. Indoctrination
e. Job instructions
35. Louise, a top-level manager at INF Inc., has the difficult task of informing 12 employees that they are about to be laid
off. Which communication channel should Louise use to break the news?
a. Face-to-face
b. E-mail
c. Instant messaging
d. Telephone
e. Handwritten letter
36. According to the text, all of the following are ways managers can improve their writing skills, EXCEPT:
a. writing lengthy explanations.
b. respecting the reader.
c. getting a second opinion.
d. knowing your point and getting to it.
e. writing clearly rather than impressively.
37. To be effective communicators, managers should:
a. focus primarily on enhancing downward communication in the organization.
b. enhance lateral communication opportunities by encouraging teams.
c. limit use of communication technology.
d. strictly push for face-to-face communication.
e. encourage the use of multiple channels of communication.
38. Which of the following comprises the lowest channel richness?
a. E-mail
b. Bulletins
c. Face-to-face talk
d. Telephone
e. Memos
39. Information distortion or loss of message content is a major problem with:
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a. upward communication.
b. formal communication.
c. downward communication.
d. informal communication.
e. horizontal communication.
40. When informing your staff of the date for the company picnic, a __________ would be most practical and successful.
a. memo
b. telephone call
c. video conference
d. face-to-face contact
e. newspaper notice
41. When a group of workers have routine tasks to perform, a __________ communication structure allows more time for
the task to be completed.
a. linear
b. centralized
c. decentralized
d. gossip
e. team
42. Channel richness refers to the:
a. number of messages a channel can carry at one time.
b. speed at which messages can be carried.
c. amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode.
d. number of channels available at any one time.
e. profitability potential of a proposed channel.
43. Selina is meeting with her subordinate Mike for his annual performance review. At the end of the review, Mike tells
Selina that he is confused about some things she said. By asking Selina to explain certain things in more detail, Mike is
engaging in which of the following components of the communication process?
a. Selecting a channel
b. Sifting through noise
c. Providing feedback
d. Encoding the message
e. Decoding the message
44. About 75 percent of effective communication is:
a. listening.
b. telling.
c. asking questions.
d. the ability to persuade.
e. choosing the channel.
Enter the appropriate word(s) to complete the statement.
45. To translate the symbols used in a message for the purpose of interpreting its meaning is called __________.
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46. A(n) __________ is a team communication structure in which team members communicate through a single
individual to solve problems or make decisions.
47. The amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode is known as __________.
48. Formal __________ includes messages that flow from the lower to the higher levels in the organization’s hierarchy.
49. __________ occurs when the receiver responds to the sender’s communication with a return message.
50. __________ involves the skill of grasping both facts and feelings to interpret a message’s genuine meaning.
51. __________ refers to the messages and information sent from top management down to subordinates.
52. __________ channels coexist with formal channels within an organization but may skip hierarchical levels, cutting
across vertical chains of command to connect virtually anyone in the organization.
53. To __________ a message is to select the symbols used to compose a message.
54. __________ communication is the lateral or diagonal exchange of messages among peers or coworkers.
55. __________ channels are those that flow within the chain of command or task responsibility defined by the
organization.
56. In a(n) __________ network, individuals can communicate freely with other team members.
57. The __________ is an informal, person–to-person communication network of employees that is not officially
sanctioned by the organization.
58. The term __________ covers a broad range of applications, including wikis, blogs, content communities, and virtual
social worlds.
59. List the three formal communication channels found in organizations.
60. List the five types of information communicated upward in organizations.
61. Briefly describe the communication process.
62. What is downward communication, and what are five topics generally included with downward communication?
63. Define nonverbal communication and briefly discuss its importance to communicating in organizations.
64. Describe the concept of channel richness, specify the richest channel, and explain why it is so rich.
65. Describe the three categories of horizontal communication.
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Answer Key
1. True
2. True
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52. Personal communication
53. encode
54. Horizontal
55. Formal communication
56. decentralized
57. grapevine
58. social media
59. The three channels are as follows:
1. The upward communication channel
2. The downward communication channel
3. The horizontal communication channel
60. The five types of information communicated upward are as follows:
1. Problems and expectations
2. Suggestions for improvement
3. Performance reports
4. Grievances and disputes
5. Financial and accounting information
61. The communication process begins with the development of a message. The message is encoded into symbols that are
then sent through a selected channel. The symbols are then received and decoded into a received message and then the
response is sent as feedback and the communication process is completed.
62. Downward communication is those messages sent from top management down to subordinates. It normally includes
(1) implementation of goals, strategies, and objectives, (2) job instructions and rationale, (3) procedures and practices, (4)
performance feedback, and (5) indoctrination.
63. Nonverbal communication refers to messages sent through human actions and behaviors rather than words. Sources of
nonverbal communication can include facial expressions, voice, mannerisms, posture, dress, and even office
arrangements. These nonverbal sources can be more important than the actual words that are spoken. When verbal and
nonverbal messages are contradictory, a receiver will usually give more weight to the nonverbals. Managers must be
sensitive to nonverbal sources when communicating and learn to coordinate their verbal and nonverbal messages.
64. Channel richness is the amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode. This is
influenced by the ability to handle multiple cues simultaneously, the ability to facilitate rapid, two-way communication,
and the ability to establish a personal focus for the communication. Face-to-face communication is the richest channel
because it permits direct experience, multiple information cues, immediate feedback, and personal focus.
65. Intradepartmental problem solving is messages that take place among members of the same department and concern
task accomplishment. Interdepartmental coordination is messages that facilitate the accomplishment of joint projects or
tasks. Change initiatives and improvements are messages designed to share information among teams and departments
that can help the organization change, grow, and improve.
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