Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
Chapter 1: Business and Professional Excellence in the Workplace
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Shyness describes what type of communication apprehension?
a. trait
b. group
c. introverted
d. evaluative
2. KEYS, a communication process designed to enhance your ability to critically assess and then
improve your communication skills, stands for ______.
a. know yourself, evaluate the professional context, your communication interaction,
step back and reflect
b. kinesics, extemporaneous, your nonverbal and verbal strengths and weaknesses
c. know your communication, evaluate the reaction, your communication competencies,
success strategies
d. keys to communication skills, exemplify and enhance, your own and the
communication of others, signs and symbols
3. Holding a meeting late on Friday afternoon just before closing an office may create ______
that will interfere with your message.
a. a feedback loop
b. truancy
c. internal noise
d. fatigue
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
4. A cell phone ringing in the middle of class is an example of ______.
a. external noise
b. a distraction
c. a noise channel
d. nonverbal communication
5. ______ and feedback are critical to the success of business and professional communication.
a. Perspective taking
b. Emotional control
c. Role-taking
d. Expressiveness
6. How does conspicuousness cause communication apprehension?
a. through the creation of anxiety about being in the spotlight
b. by creating anxiety about others’ evaluations
c. by introducing anxiety about a formal environment
d. by focusing on anxiety about doing something new
7. Senders ______ messages, while receivers of messages are left to ______ them.
a. encode; decode
b. decode; encode
c. encrypt; decrypt
d. decrypt; encrypt
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
8. Kim teaches English classes and thinks she is very clear with assignment instructions.
However, every student in her class is confused about the instructions throughout the
semester. Kim’s behavior is known as ______.
a. misinformation
b. communication inefficiency
c. communication bravado
d. miscommunication
9. Since Ben’s supervisor is out sick, Ben has been called on to give an impromptu briefing to
the other employees at his company. This situation is likely to cause ______ communication
apprehension.
a. trait
b. novelty
c. subordinate
d. formal
10. Ethics is the discussion, determination, and deliberation processes that attempt to decide
which of the following?
a. what is right or wrong
b. what others are capable of doing or not doing
c. what is considered appropriate for others, but not ourselves
d. who is to blame when things go wrong.
11. What is the role of the telephone during a conference call?
a. medium
b. channel
c. source
d. context
12. The location, time, and occasion where communication occurs is referred to as ______.
a. context
b. setting
c. environment
d. background
13. Lisa is about to give a presentation to the other students in her class when she becomes
nervous because nobody appears to be focusing on her. What type of communication
apprehension is Lisa feeling?
a. lack of attention
b. novelty
c. formality
d. conspicuousness
14. At Robin’s new company, Robin is asked to sign an agreement that pledges that he will
follow safety guidelines, promote teamwork within his team, and do his job with integrity.
What values does this document support?
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
a. team values
b. group values
c. organizational values
d. institutional values
15. Jennifer was recently passed up for a promotion in favor of her coworker Ryan. However,
Jennifer finds out from another employee that Ryan has been plagiarizing his presentations at
work. Jennifer knows this isn’t fair, but she doesn’t want Ryan to be fired either. What is
Jennifer experiencing?
a. conflict of interests
b. ethical dilemma
c. teamwork dilemma
d. coworker dilemma
16. Travis is nervous about his upcoming speech because the other students will be grading his
speech instead of the professor. This is an example of what type of communication
apprehension?
a. peer evaluation
b. formality
c. dissimilarity
d. subordinate status
17. Moral principles or rules that determine ethical behaviors are known as ______.
a. codes of honor
b. values
c. beliefs
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
d. impressions
18. Leroy is always nervous in social situations and is often considered shy. What type of
communication apprehension does Leroy have to manage?
a. contextual communication apprehension
b. trait communication apprehension
c. audience-based communication apprehension
d. situational communication apprehension
19. Blythe’s supervisor routinely holds their team meetings at 4 p.m. on a Friday. Blythe finds it
difficult to pay attention because by that time she is starting to mentally prepare for the
demands of her weekend. What kind of noise is affecting Blythe’s ability to pay attention?
a. internal noise
b. external noise
c. surface noise
d. deep-level noise
20. When you are experiencing anxiety stemming from a concern about how your coworkers
will respond to you, your communication apprehension is being caused by ______.
a. formality
b. novelty
c. subordinate status
d. peer evaluation
21. Eduardo is not comfortable with his company’s work–life policies. Specifically, he feels that
employees without children should be given the same flexibility and opportunities for paid time
off as employees with children. He has noticed many of his colleagues who are parents get time
off work when their children are sick. As a result, to even things out, he has begun claiming
illness in order to get paid time off work even when he is feeling just fine. He feels guilty but
also feels justified in lying to his boss. What is Eduardo caught in?
a. a bad cycle
b. an ethical dilemma
c. a paradox
d. He isn’t caught in anything; this is just how business is done.
22. Why is it important to understand the communication context in any communication
situation?
a. so you can let the context shape your message
b. so you can change the context to better suit your purposes
c. so you can tell others how they should change the context to better suit your
purposes
d. all of these
23. Which of the following is the method by which you send the message?
a. avenue
b. conduit
c. conductor
d. channel
24. What does it mean to say that one cannot not communicate?
a. Everything is communication.
b. Messages have both a verbal and nonverbal component.
c. Messages that constitute communication are only verbal.
d. Messages that constitute communication are only nonverbal.
25. Jose was concerned about a memo he received from his supervisor, Kayla, regarding a
change in the pay structure. He was anxious for a response and did not know where she was, so
he sent her a text message asking specific questions about the memo. Kayla received the
message and, given its complexity, did not respond right away. Jose became frustrated and
even more anxious about the changes, and ultimately went to Kayla’s immediate supervisor for
clarity. This created problems in his working relationship with Kayla and Kayla’s supervisor.
Given the complexity of the message, what communication channel should Jose have used in
the first place to avoid this situation?
a. email
b. memo
c. social media
d. face-to-face
26. Human communication is defined as which of the following?
a. effectively sending and receiving messages
b. the process of understanding our experiences and the experiences of others through
the use of verbal and nonverbal communication
c. the process of coming to an understanding with another human being
d. expressing your viewpoint in a way that others will accept and/or adopt
27. The KEYS process is designed to do which of these?
a. enhance your ability to critically assess and then improve your communication skills
b. simplify communication in the workplace
c. provide organizations with a foolproof route to success
d. identify the best possible communication channel
28. Jose was getting ready for his first performance evaluation at his new company. The room
where the evaluation was to take place was cramped and dimly lit. He was uncomfortable and
this highlighted his nervousness. Though he had prepared for an open, honest discussion with
his supervisor, he found himself to be more defensive when he was confronted with
constructive feedback. What element of the importance of human communication in business
and professional contexts does this example illustrate?
a. Communicators are impacted by their previous communication experiences.
b. Role-taking is critical to the success of business and professional communication.
c. Feedback is critical to the success of business and professional communication.
d. Internal noise influences communicators.
29. Joe was getting ready for his first performance evaluation at his new company. He had
made a list of all the things that he felt he needed to improve upon as was the custom at his
previous organization. He was surprised when he walked into his evaluation meeting to find his
supervisor ready to discuss how he can develop himself for promotional opportunities. What
element of the importance of human communication in business and professional contexts
does this example illustrate?
a. Communicators are impacted by their previous communication experiences.
b. Role-taking is critical to the success of business and professional communication.
c. Feedback is critical to the success of business and professional communication.
d. Physical surroundings influence communicators.
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
30. Which of the following significantly influences the nature of the communication between
organizational members, whether they be strangers or intimates?
a. The perception of trying to take the other’s job
b. The impact of social media on face-to-face conversations
c. The need to save face in every interaction
d. The perceived social hierarchy between communicators
31. These are moral principles or rules that determine ethical behaviors.
a. values
b. ethics
c. expectations
d. norms
32. Situations that do not seem to present clear choices between right and wrong are called
which of the following?
a. paradoxes
b. conundrums
c. ethical dilemmas
d. tight spots
33. These considerations are the variety of factors important for us to consider in any scenario
in which we’re making a decision, conducting an evaluation, or making a selection.
a. ethical
b. pragmatic
c. instrumental
d. relational
34. This kind of noise encompasses any internal condition or state that interferes with the
communicator’s ability to focus on the message.
a. intrinsic
b. extrinsic
c. external
d. internal
35. This refers to the location, time, and occasion where communication occurs.
a. environment
b. context
c. temporality
d. atmosphere
36. A fear of public speaking is a great example of which type of communication apprehension?
a. trait
b. context
c. audience-based
d. situational
Quintanilla, Business and Professional Communication: KEYS for Workplace Excellence 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2020
37. When Joanie arrived at her interview for her first career-related job, she became anxious
even though she had no real reason to fear the interview. Joanie exhibited which type of
communication apprehension?
a. trait
b. context
c. audience-based
d. situational
38. Will was asked to tell his work group of about 30 people about his positive resolution to a
customer service and how he was able to make the customer happy in the long run. Even
though the story was a positive one, Will felt a great deal of anxiety about speaking to his
coworkers. Will was experiencing which type of communication apprehension?
a. trait
b. context
c. audience-based
d. situational
39. Rosie has always been considered to be the “shy girl” in school, at her church, and even
with her extended family. She tends to avoid any type of social event where she might be asked
to speak and never volunteers to speak about her life experiences anywhere. Rosie exhibits
which type of communication apprehension?
a. trait
b. context
c. audience-based
d. situational
40. For the purposes of this course of study, which of the following influences how members of
a business or professional organization frame communication with others both within and
outside that organization.
a. Western culture
b. Eastern culture
c. Foreign culture
d. Organizational culture
41. When Xander is talking with Chloe and he is the one speaking and Chloe is listening, the two
serve in these roles in the communication process to cocreate meaning.
a. Xander is the coder; Chloe is the encoder
b. Xander is the receiver; Chloe is the encoder
c. Xander is the encoder; Chloe is the decoder
d. Chloe is the sender; Xander is the receiver
42. Leroy is trying to give instructions to the new employee on how to execute a delicate
procedure, but every time he makes a statement, the construction crew building the tower
across the street makes so much noise that the new employee cannot hear what Leroy is
saying. What type of noise is interfering with Leroy’s communication with the new employee?
a. internal
b. psychological
c. external
d. inferential
43. Many times in his workplace, Brandon has failed to learn from his communication errors
and to reflect on the successes and failures of his communication interactions. He sees himself
to be an excellent communicator, despite recurring misunderstanding between himself and his
coworkers and clients of his firm. Some clients have complained about his ineffective
communication and some coworkers have asked not be assigned to work with Brandon on
team projects due to that poor communication. It may be said that Brandon exhibits which of
the following?
a. communication primavera
b. communication bravado
c. communication machismo
d. communication apprehension
True/False
1. The second step in the KEYS process is to educate yourself on the communication interaction.
2. Those who possess effective communication skills have a trait known as communication
bravado.