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Page 1
1.
Selecting a strategy or purpose that distinguishes the organization from its competitors
is called
A)
alignment.
B)
strategic planning.
C)
strategic positioning.
D)
branding.
2.
Descriptors such as cheapest, fastest, and most reliable are typically used in the
expression of a company's
A)
competitive strategy.
B)
advertisement.
C)
identity.
D)
alignment.
3.
By which of the following processes do companies communicate to customers how their
product or service is unique in the industry?
A)
Diversification
B)
Differentiation
C)
Competition
D)
Alignment
4.
A person who believes that technology benefits the economic elite is
A)
utopian.
B)
contingent.
C)
partial.
D)
dystopian.
5.
Communication technology that allows for two-way, real-time communication is
referred to as
A)
rich.
B)
asynchronous.
C)
dialogic.
D)
synchronous.
6.
If a person wants to use the "richest" medium to communicate a message, which of the
following is the best choice?
A)
Telephone
B)
E-mail
C)
Face-to-face meeting
D)
Letter
Page 2
7.
According to the text, how long should it take you to explain what you do and why your
business is worthy of attention?
A)
About thirty seconds
B)
About one minute
C)
More than one minute, but no more than five minutes
D)
As long as you can keep the listener's attention
8.
Which of the following best describes how Chapter 10 views change?
A)
Competitive analysis
B)
Strategic thinking
C)
Positioning
D)
Producing
9.
Companies such as Mary Kay and Tupperware, which specialize in unconventional
ways to reach customers through door-to-door selling and home-sale "parties," use
which of the following competitive strategies?
A)
Product- or service-driven
B)
Market-driven
C)
Distribution-driven
D)
Sales- and marketing-driven
10.
Which of the following is an optimistic view from which information technology serves
to equalize power relationships at work by bridging time and space, thereby improving
both productivity and work life?
A)
Dystopian view
B)
Utopian view
C)
Contingent view
D)
Neutral view
11.
Developing a competitive strategy means paying close attention to
A)
message design.
B)
dialogue.
C)
focus group feedback.
D)
alignment.
Page 3
12.
The phrase "I never knew I needed that until I saw it" is a reflection of which of the
following practices?
A)
Strategic thinking
B)
Branding
C)
Developing a niche
D)
Differentiation
13.
Organizations need to engage in a competitor analysis as a part of their strategic
positioning. Competitor analysis involves all of the following practices EXCEPT
A)
identifying whether or not a similar product or service exists.
B)
learning if a similar product or service has been released in the past.
C)
finding out if a similar product or service has ever failed.
D)
identifying the vendors or other stakeholders that support a competitor.
14.
Employees who are recruited, selected, and hired through which of the following
processes are usually immediately capable of making a contribution to the company's
performance?
A)
Competitive selection
B)
Targeted selection
C)
Strategic positioning
D)
Mindful communication
15.
Which of the following subfields of organizational communication focuses on the
purposeful facilitation of strategic systems change?
A)
Training
B)
Employee empowerment
C)
Organizational development
D)
Competitive analysis
16.
In one recent study, medical residents on patient rounds were observed missing
important clinical information 34 percent of the time because they were distracted by
their smartphones. This is an example of which view of communication technology?
A)
Dystopian view
B)
Utopian view
C)
Contingent view
D)
Neutral view
Page 4
17.
Extremist supporters of the dystopian view of technology are sometimes referred to as
A)
laggards.
B)
"Luddites."
C)
traditionalists.
D)
purists.
18.
An example of an asynchronous form of communication would be a(n)
A)
chat room.
B)
telephone call.
C)
instant message.
D)
answering machine.
19.
Which of the following is a concern in the analysis of communication technology?
A)
Understanding is partial.
B)
Technology is politically ambiguous.
C)
Humans are agents.
D)
All of the options are correct.
20.
What is one negative effect of social media on an organization?
A)
The creation of an urgent "update culture"
B)
Instant feedback on products and services
C)
Development of smartphone apps
D)
Increased productivity
21.
According to the text, the competitive strategy of McDonald's focuses the least on
which of the following items?
A)
Food
B)
Security
C)
Predictability
D)
Comfort
22.
During which of the following stages of an organization's life cycle do companies face
the important process of letting go of old business practices in favor of new ones?
A)
Birth
B)
Childhood
C)
Adolescence
D)
Maturity
Page 5
23.
A business cannot accomplish its strategy or communicate its desired image without
which of the following elements?
A)
Differentiation
B)
Competitive advantage
C)
Strategic alignment
D)
An advertising budget
24.
According to the text, which of the following concepts is NOT considered to be a
progressive human resource practice of organizations that seek talented employees?
A)
Self-managed teams
B)
Employee empowerment
C)
Extensive training
D)
Job security
25.
The ability to think, reason, and make decisions is identified as which of the following
basic skills that employees are expected to possess?
A)
A foundational ability
B)
A learning area
C)
A primary ability
D)
A secondary ability
26.
Strategic alignment is usually a gradual process.
A)
True
B)
False
27.
When FedEx claims that it can get your package delivered overnight, it is proving that it
is a distribution-driven company.
A)
True
B)
False
28.
Positioning involves selecting a strategy or purpose that distinguishes the organization
from its competitors.
A)
True
B)
False
29.
Crafting a competitive strategy from a communication perspective involves attention to
message design.
A)
True
B)
False
Page 6
30.
Strategic alignment is most successful when management keeps it secretive, especially
among lower-level employees in the organization.
A)
True
B)
False
31.
Organizations that treat people as their most important asset are also the most profitable.
A)
True
B)
False
32.
Competitive strategies are easily transferable between products and services, as long as
you have a skilled manager to lead the process.
A)
True
B)
False
33.
The successful implementation of any communication technology will consider both the
social and the political environments of the organization before attempting any sort of
technological change.
A)
True
B)
False
34.
Developing a competitive strategy is always a complex process.
A)
True
B)
False
35.
The "birth" of an organization is concerned mainly with developing a strategy and
finding a niche.
A)
True
B)
False
36.
The 7-S model is also referred to as the "anti-strategy" strategy.
A)
True
B)
False
37.
The strategic-alignment process is best approached by thinking of the organization as a
total communication system.
A)
True
B)
False
Page 7
38.
Managers are rarely involved in the training and development process. If they are
involved, it is usually only during the initial training of an employee.
A)
True
B)
False
39.
Even with a formal system in place, most managers go with their "gut feeling" and play
favorites during performance reviews.
A)
True
B)
False
40.
The most progressive companies make sure that there are clear links between training
and development programs and performance reviews.
A)
True
B)
False
41.
What does it mean to think strategically? Provide an example from your own experience
in organizations in which you had to think strategically.
42.
The textbook offers several examples of organizations that have performed effective
competitor analyses. Describe one of these organizations, and explain why their strategy
works.
43.
What language might an organization use to communicate a lowest-cost strategy?
44.
What language might an organization use to communicate a differentiation strategy?
45.
The text highlights some strategies for training and development as a way to promote
strategic alignment and quality management. What are some employee development
strategies that have been particularly useful?
46.
Define superordinate goals, and offer an example that illustrates this concept.
47.
How might a total quality management strategy proceed?
Page 8
48.
How does the process of targeted selection ensure that individuals are being hired into
positions where they can be immediately useful?
49.
How does strategic change proceed according to an organizational development
perspective?
50.
Distinguish between the utopian and dystopian views of communication technology.
51.
The 7-S model has been used as a successful model to promote strategic alignment.
Outline the parts of the model, and provide an integrated example that illustrates the
seven parts of the process.
52.
Consider the relationship between new communication technologies and the need for
secrecy and privacy. How has this relationship changed in recent years? Take a position
on which is more important: the benefits of using technology or the preservation of
privacy. Offer examples to support your point.
53.
Identify an organization that you believe has developed a compelling strategic position.
What makes its message so compelling? What lessons can be taken from the
organization that you can identify and apply to other organizations?
Answer Key
1.
C
2.
A
3.
B
4.
D
5.
D
6.
C
7.
A
8.
B
9.
D
10.
B
11.
A
12.
C
13.
D
14.
B
15.
C
16.
C
17.
B
18.
D
19.
D
20.
A
21.
A
22.
D
23.
C
24.
D
25.
A
26.
A
27.
A
28.
A
29.
A
30.
B
31.
A
32.
B
33.
A
34.
B
35.
A
36.
B
37.
A
38.
B
39.
B
40.
A
41.
42.
43.
44.
Page 10
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
