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Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
1. Hearing and listening are both innate abilities.
a. True
b. False
2. With the popularity of all the types of cell phones, smart phones, and tablet devices, we can ignore many of the basics
of communication etiquette.
a. True
b. False
3. Impersonal communication is the one-way transmission of facts, instruction, and the like.
a. True
b. False
4. One of the best ways for management to cope with the grapevine is to identify the organization’s information leaders
and use them to promptly and honestly clarify information heard via the grapevine.
a. True
b. False
5. Benefits of active listening can include stronger relationships, more and new information, and fewer misunderstandings.
a. True
b. False
6. Men typically use communication to establish and maintain relationships.
a. True
b. False
7. Effective use of social media requires us to be better spellers, write our ideas clearly, and continue to use
communication etiquette.
a. True
b. False
8. The sender is 100 percent responsible for clear and effective communication.
a. True
b. False
9. The use of repetition, careful selection of words, and consideration of the timing of a message are all effective ways to
improve personal communication.
a. True
b. False
10. Gestures are a transnational means of communicating, in that they have the same or universal meaning across cultures.
a. True
b. False
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11. For true communication to take place, the message must be understood by the person receiving it in the same way the
sender intended it to be understood.
a. True
b. False
12. When managers demonstrate the desire to listen to their employees, employees still tend to keep ideas and complaints
to themselves.
a. True
b. False
13. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn combine personal interaction and technology.
a. True
b. False
14. When a speaker’s verbal and nonverbal messages conflict, others tend to believe the verbal message.
a. True
b. False
15. Each country has a dominant language but most countries are multicultural.
a. True
b. False
16. Terms like added value or job satisfaction are examples of clear, concise language, not subject to semantics.
a. True
b. False
17. When level of trust in an organization is low, it is best to communicate messages through the grapevine.
a. True
b. False
18. In a typical organization, employees are eager to share ideas and point out problems. Hence, it is relatively easy for
managers to build a climate that supports upward communication.
a. True
b. False
19. Impersonal communication allows the person receiving the information to clarify vague or confusing information.
a. True
b. False
20. Using an informal e-mail address such as GroovyGal@address.com is appropriate in the business setting because it
seems unintimidating.
a. True
b. False
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Indicate the answer choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Case 2.1
B.F.E., Inc. is changing its employee benefits plan. Some of the changes will be positive and some will take current
benefits away. As vice president of human resources, Cynthia is concerned that the communication to the employees be as
accurate as possible. When the changes are communicated from management to the employees, a small group of
employees reacts negatively. The employees don’t like the changes and feel the company once again is taking advantage
of them, even though the positive changes outweigh the negative ones. This group sends a representative to Cynthia to
express their concerns. Cynthia is anxious to understand this group’s concerns.
21. Refer to Case 2.1. In order to better understand the disgruntled employees’ concerns, Cynthia needs to
a. use clear, concise language.
b. use her active listening skills.
c. use horizontal communication.
d. engage in squelching grapevine communication.
22. Refer to Case 2.1. The few dissatisfied employees have filtered the company’s message through their
a. role expectations.
b. attitudes.
c. semantic filters.
d. gender bias.
23. The use of e-mail
a. offers greater message privacy than normal written correspondence.
b. is effective in building rapport.
c. is always the quickest way to communicate.
d. has accelerated the pace of exchanging information.
24. Author Maggie Jackson’s thinks that today’s distracting high-tech culture has significantly diminished our ability to
focus. It’s difficult to think when there are/is
a. many disruptions.
b. many small jobs to do at one time.
c. continuous information streaming in.
d. all of the above
25. William, VP of Operations, is talking via telephone with Javier, GM of the Mexico City plant, about an agreement
William thought had been made several weeks ago. English is Javier’s second language. What does the language
difference represent that can make communication more complex?
a. Feedback
b. Filter
c. Message
d. Channel
26. Amy informs her employees that they can offer any constructive criticism regarding her leadership style by placing
anonymous notes in her mailbox. This is an example of
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a. telecommuting.
b. an informal communication channel.
c. a formal communication channel.
d. upward communication.
27. Mark has arrived at the company picnic and is looking forward to mingling with his colleagues on the relaxing beach
shore. He spots his boss near the grill and approaches to chat. In this situation, Mark should chat at a
a. personal distance of 18 inches to 4 feet.
b. personal distance of 4 to 12 feet.
c. social distance of 18 inches to 4 feet.
d. social distance of 4 to 12 feet.
Case 2.1
B.F.E., Inc. is changing its employee benefits plan. Some of the changes will be positive and some will take current
benefits away. As vice president of human resources, Cynthia is concerned that the communication to the employees be as
accurate as possible. When the changes are communicated from management to the employees, a small group of
employees reacts negatively. The employees don’t like the changes and feel the company once again is taking advantage
of them, even though the positive changes outweigh the negative ones. This group sends a representative to Cynthia to
express their concerns. Cynthia is anxious to understand this group’s concerns.
28. Refer to Case 2.1. As vice president of human resources, Cynthia wants to communicate the changes in benefits to the
employees clearly with an opportunity for response. Her best communication tool for this would be
a. the grapevine.
b. the horizontal communication channel.
c. a memo from her department.
d. e-mail with a way for employees to ask questions.
29. Peter, marketing director at Shout, has been using PrintSmart products for years and feels that they have served
Shout’s marketing needs well. Beth, head of Shout’s technology department, has discovered a new brand of products,
TopPrint, and explains to Peter that she feels they should switch brands. Peter is having difficulty listening to Beth’s
perspective because of his favorable experience with PrintSmart. Peter’s reaction to Beth is being filtered by
a. emotions.
b. role expectations.
c. gender bias.
d. attitudes.
30. Rana has been promoted to Director. Many of her colleagues that worked with her when she was an assistant director
may encounter challenges in working with her now due to which filter?
a. Emotions
b. Role expectations
c. Nonverbal messages
d. Language and cultural barriers
31. Barry is leaving a voice mail message for a vendor. Which of this statements would not be considered necessary to
avoid phone tag?
a. “My phone number is [Barry’s phone number with area code].”
b. “I am always at my desk to take calls between 8 and 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time.”
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c. “I am calling to request a change to order #5062; please increase the quantity to 150.”
d. “Your firm is the only vendor who can supply the item we need in the color we want.”
32. Critical listening involves a number of important skills, including
a. being patient.
b. analyzing presented information.
c. using words carefully.
d. demonstrating a listening attitude.
33. An appropriate use of organizational e-mail would be to:
a. build rapport with a new client or customer quickly.
b. reveal to a coworker that you find her or him very attractive and would like to date.
c. provide the duty roster for the upcoming month to a group of employees.
d. warn others about a coworker’s frequent mistakes and recent poor job performance.
Case 2.1
B.F.E., Inc. is changing its employee benefits plan. Some of the changes will be positive and some will take current
benefits away. As vice president of human resources, Cynthia is concerned that the communication to the employees be as
accurate as possible. When the changes are communicated from management to the employees, a small group of
employees reacts negatively. The employees don’t like the changes and feel the company once again is taking advantage
of them, even though the positive changes outweigh the negative ones. This group sends a representative to Cynthia to
express their concerns. Cynthia is anxious to understand this group’s concerns.
34. Refer to Case 2.1. By listening to a representative of the group, Cynthia is
a. squelching grapevine communication.
b. using a formal horizontal channel to communicate.
c. being proactive in trying to build trust.
d. eliminating filters.
35. Refer to Case 2.1. The best way for B.F.E. to encourage feedback from the employees is to
a. create a nonthreatening environment.
b. communicate the plan change in a memo.
c. remember that women will be concerned with people issues, men with events and things.
d. make the employees accept responsibility for understanding the communication.
36. John (VP of finance), Evie (manager of accounting), and Rebecca (a staff accountant) are discussing an upcoming
audit. In terms of organizational communication, this is an example of
a. the grapevine.
b. horizontal communication.
c. vertical communication.
d. telecommuting.
37. Nancy heard from Molly, a coworker, that Amy was going to become their new supervisor. Molly heard the news
from John, a friend from another department. This is an example of which form of organizational communication?
a. Impersonal communication
b. Horizontal communication
c. Network communication
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d. The grapevine
38. Horizontal communication within an organization carries messages
a. among people on the same level of authority.
b. among all employees.
c. between top executive levels and the lowest levels of the organization.
d. only in written form.
39. The most communicative element of nonverbal communication is an individual’s
a. words.
b. tone.
c. personal space.
d. eye contact.
40. One of the most effective ways to improve organizational communication is to
a. promote the use of the grapevine.
b. create a nonthreatening climate to encourage upward communication.
c. communicate everything in writing.
d. communicate everything vertically.
41. Enterprise social networks:
a. include Facebook and LinkedIn.
b. improve collaboration on projects across organizational departments.
c. have a negative impact on job satisfaction.
d. are now in use among about 10% of Fortune 500 companies.
42. When verbal and nonverbal messages match,
a. it is critical to maintain eye contact.
b. it gives the impression that you can be trusted.
c. people can become suspicious of your intentions.
d. the verbal message is dominant.
43. Melinda, human resources director at Exceed, has noticed lately that several employees have been dressing
inappropriately on Fridays. Melinda decides to revise the company’s casual Friday policy and communicate it to
employees by posting it on the company’s e-bulletin board. This is an example of
a. horizontal communication
b. grapevine communication
c. interpersonal communication
d. impersonal communication
44. Barbara wants to be a more empathic listener. To do that, she needs to
a. practice patience and be nonjudgmental when listening.
b. take notes and ask reflecting questions.
c. listen primarily for facts and avoid semantic confusion.
d. question what is said but demonstrate agreement with it.
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45. Because it saves money and time, facilitates globalization, and accommodates the virtual office, _____
communication has become increasingly prevalent in the business world.
a. digital
b. face-to-face
c. voice mail
d. informal
46. Rosa and Andrew are discussing a project over the phone. Rosa, as Andrew’s boss, tells him she wants to “hit a home
run” with it. Rosa means she wants a winner; Andrew thinks she means that she wants to drop the project and get as far
away from it as possible. This misunderstanding is an example of the communication filter of
a. emotions.
b. role expectations.
c. semantics.
d. attitudes.
47. Effective communication involves the sender, receiver, message, and
a. feedback.
b. filter.
c. semantics.
d. interpersonal communications.
48. Women use conversation as a way to
a. build and maintain relationships.
b. negotiate.
c. exchange information.
d. discover differences and uniqueness.
49. Joshua got a promotion but the job involves moving to Brazil. He can be more successful if he:
a. talks with Brazilians living in America.
b. learns the language with tapes.
c. increases his cultural intelligence.
d. does a good job there.
Enter the appropriate word(s) to complete the statement.
50. ____________________ is the process of encouraging employees to share their feelings and ideas with their
managers.
51. Jim, Anna, and Hung are three first-line supervisors. They are discussing a resource problem that affects all three of
their respective areas of responsibility. Their conversation is an example of ____________________ channels of
communication in their company.
52. Maria was recently promoted to management and discovers that some of her coworkers don’t take her suggestions
seriously. Her communication may be filtered by ____________________.
53. The communication process involves a number of filters. When the meaning of the words used in a communication is
not clear because of their abstraction and lack of precise meanings, the communication problem is one of
____________________.
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54. Tien is a middle-level manager. An employee is complaining about a company policy. Tien is being patient,
acknowledging what the employee is saying without being judgmental. Tien is using ____________________.
55. Eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and personal space are all examples of ____________________.
56. During a political speech, Carlos practices ____________________ skills by focusing on the speaker, taking notes,
and eventually asking questions.
57. ____________________ communication is a one–way process that transfers basic information such as instructions,
policies, and data.
58. ____________________ helps a communicator determine whether or not the information has been understood in the
way they intended.
59. The ____________________ is an informal communication channel that carries information, often unofficial, in many
different directions.
60. Identify three types of effective listening and give examples of each.
61. Identify the continuous loop of communication and five filters that interrupt the loops.
62. What guidelines should you follow when using e-mail in organizational communication?
63. Differentiate between impersonal and interpersonal communication.
64. Briefly describe the formal and informal channels that communication travels within an organization.
65. Discuss how communication in the business world has changed with social media and mobile devices.
66. Provide a few examples of nonverbal messages and describe how they affect the communication process.
67. An organization’s communication process travels within “channels.” Describe the two main types of channels of
communication and subsequent lines of communication within each type of channel.
68. Describe three skills necessary to being an effective listener. Identify some benefits associated with effective listening.
69. Describe three examples of how one’s blog may encounter problems due to filters that could occur with this type of
communication.
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Answer Key
1. False
2. False
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26. d
27. d
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52. role expectations
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