Chapter 1—Understanding Business Communication
TRUE/FALSE
1. Employees prefer to receive bad news through the personal medium of email.
2. A study of the ten characteristics that employers seek in employees identified communications as the
number one skill.
3. Employers report major deficiencies in the written and oral communication skills of new employees.
4. Successful communication involves messages that are sent, received accurately, and understood.
5. The five components of communication are the stimulus, filter, medium, destination, and message.
6. An internal stimulus is one that forms within your own organization.
7. Facial expressions such as frowns and smiles are nonverbal messages that you formulate in response to
a stimulus.
8. Written messages might be conveyed through a brochure, a blog posting, a web page, or a company
newsletter.
9. Individual experiences, culture, and personality affect how you filter a stimulus.
10. An example of noise in the communication system is an employee who is too busy to read an
important email.
11. When you choose a medium, you are deciding how you will decode the message for transmission.
12. Email is the most frequently used communication medium but this use is declining.
13. Lateral communication typically involves persuading others who report to us.
14. If you frown as someone speaks to you, you are providing the sender with feedback about the message.
15. Ideally, the communication process is incomplete without feedback.
16. Communication flows in an orderly, linear manner from one stage to the next.
17. Cascading communication flows upwards and downwards from an important organizational leader.
18. Using instant messaging at work may annoy some people, but others believe that it saves time.
19. You have more flexibility in conveying ideas to others when you use oral communication than when
you use written communication.
20. At work, your personal email is protected free speech, thus shielded from lawsuits.
21. Negative comments about your company, its products, or suppliers are usually acceptable if made in
electronic forums not controlled by your employer.
22. You have achieved successful communication when your audience receives your written message,
whether or not it is read.
23. Audiences may become skeptical if euphemisms are used frequently to avoid giving bad news.
24. The organization’s formal communication network consists of upward, downward, lateral, and cross-
cultural communication.
25. Downward communication is used more frequently than upward communication in most
organizations.
26. Upward communication fosters an environment where employees can offer suggestions and feel they
are important to the organization.
27. Lateral communication provides managers at all levels with the information they need to make
decisions.
28. Messages on social media channels are most effective if they are short, personal, and one-way.
29. Over time, companies that are considered ethical and highly effective communicators provide higher
returns to shareholders than companies without these characteristics.
30. Less than half of the information communicated through the grapevine is accurate.
31. The grapevine is active at every level of the organization, moving information from one manager or
employee to the next.
32. Managers can stop rumors by counteracting the free flow of information through the grapevine.
33. It is good business to share both good news and bad news with employees as quickly and completely
as possible.
34. The grapevine is most active in an organization when the level of fear is high.
35. Differences in how the sender and receiver assign meanings to the same word can become a
communication barrier.
36. The term denotation refers to “the associations you have with a word.”
37. As the receiver, you might misinterpret a word used by the sender because of your personal reaction to
its connotations.
38. When communicating internationally, you should translate important documents into the second
language and then back into English to ensure correct interpretation.
39. Jargon is an efficient way of communicating specialized information to broad audiences.
40. Jargon is technical terminology used within specialized groups⎯sometimes called “the pros’ prose.”
41. When writing about a sensitive topic, you might use euphemisms rather than words that could offend
your audience.
42. Wherever possible, you should use abstract rather than concrete words to make your messages easier
to understand.
43. You can avoid polarization if you choose words that take the middle ground rather than words that
represent an extreme position.
44. Not all communication problems are spoken or written, some are related to how you act.
45. If your cover letter states that you have excellent proofreading skills, a typographical error (a
nonverbal signal) will overshadow the actual message content.
46. Senders filter their perceptions about receivers through differences in interpretation.
47. If what we say and what we do contradict, observers are likely to believe what we say.
48. An ethical message is one that is factually correct, even if it leaves out important information.
49. Technology that allows multitasking is likely to result in more efficient and accurate workplace
communication.
50. Lean media are best for routine, neutral, and simple messages.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
51. Research results show that all but which one of the following statements is true of business
communications?
a.
The top characteristic sought in job candidates is communication skills.
b.
Communications is the most important area of knowledge for securing employment after
graduation and for advancement and promotion once on the job.
c.
As many as one-third of employees write poorly.
d.
Employees who are happy with how their company communicates difficult decisions are
much more likely to recommend their company.
e.
Communication skills are more important in corporate settings than in self-employment.
52. You will not be able to communicate effectively if
a.
you convey your message through verbal and nonverbal means.
b.
you use lean media choices.
c.
your message contains words that the receiver cannot understand.
d.
you fail to use current technology.
e.
you are unaware of your organization’s goals.
53. Which component is not required for communication to take place?
a.
feedback
b.
medium
c.
stimulus
d.
message
e.
filter
54. Which of the following creates the need for someone to initiate communication?
a.
medium
b.
filter
c.
message
d.
stimulus
e.
denotation
55. Which is an example of an internal stimulus?
a.
You read a memo from your supervisor requesting sales figures for the past five years.
b.
While photocopying reports, you overhear two managers talking about upcoming layoffs.
c.
Your office is too hot because the air conditioner isn’t working properly.
d.
You notice an intern pocketing money from the petty cash fund.
e.
You dream about an idea for a new commercial to promote your company’s product.
56. Your unique perception of reality acts as a ____ when you are interpreting a stimulus.
a.
nonverbal message
b.
medium
c.
filter
d.
feedback mechanism
e.
communication process
57. Which of the following is not an example of a filter?
a.
personality
b.
culture
c.
socioeconomic status
d.
communication medium
e.
an individual’s emotional state
58. As a sender, you are encoding when you
a.
select the medium for transmitting a verbal or nonverbal message.
b.
filter noise out of incoming stimuli.
c.
notice and interpret an external or internal stimulus.
d.
observe the destination of the message.
e.
formulate a verbal or nonverbal response to a stimulus.
59. A(n) ____ is considered a conventional channel of communication.
a.
web seminar
b.
instant message
c.
email
d.
blog
e.
tweet
60. Which of these statements about the destination component of communication is not correct?
a.
The sender loses control once the message enters the receiver’s sensory environment.
b.
Communication may not occur even after the message enters the sender’s sensory
environment.
c.
The receiver might perceive the message but incorrectly interpret its meaning.
d.
Once the message enters the receiver’s sensory environment, it becomes a filter for that
person.
e.
The message is successful if it reaches its destination and the receiver interprets it as the
sender intended.
61. When a message you transmit reaches its destination, it becomes
a.
feedback for the receiver.
b.
a stimulus for the receiver.
c.
a medium for the receiver.
d.
a filter for the receiver.
e.
a communication channel for the receiver.
62. If you put on a puzzled look as a coworker tries to explain the company’s new sick-leave policy, you
are
a.
using a nonverbal medium to filter the message.
b.
adding noise to the communication environment.
c.
providing an internal stimulus for your audience.
d.
simultaneously sending and receiving a message.
e.
eliminating the feedback portion of the process.
63. A microblog cannot help you
a.
present the company’s perspective on a current issue.
b.
report breaking news.
c.
convey a complex, nuanced message.
d.
respond to a customer’s questions without delay.
e.
connect with customers.
64. Which of the following statements is not true of technology-based communication?
a.
Companies will often use multiple communication channels.
b.
A podcast provides short text files for downloading.
c.
Wikis are online spaces where people collaborate.
d.
Instant messaging allows you to know when someone is available for a quick response.
e.
Social networking sites are used by people of all ages.
65. ____ is synchronous, overlapping communication.
a.
Multicommunication
b.
Geolocating
c.
Instant messaging
d.
Posting to Facebook
e.
Handing out printed flyers
66. Which of the following is not a relationship consideration helpful in selecting communication media?
a.
Is this message confidential or private?
b.
Do you need the message documented?
c.
How urgent is the message?
d.
Are you building a relationship with the audience?
e.
How is the audience likely to react?
67. Which of the following is not considered a rich medium for communication?
a.
oral presentation
b.
email
c.
phone call
d.
chat over coffee
e.
formal department meeting
68. Which of the following is not a true statement about social media?
a.
It encourages online interaction.
b.
It is widely used among Fortune Global 100 companies.
c.
Most online participants are teens and young adults.
d.
It is based upon second-generation (web 2.0) technologies.
e.
Much of the online content is user-generated.
69. Texting may be useful for all of the following reasons except
a.
providing fast client contact.
b.
advertising your new product or service.
c.
commenting during a speech by a client.
d.
confirming deliveries.
e.
sending important information in a meeting.
70. A computer-support specialist who sends an email to other computer-support specialists in the same
company about the need for training on the latest software is engaging in ____ communication.
a.
upward
b.
downward
c.
lateral
d.
matrix
e.
nonverbal
71. As a department head, you cannot assume that your downward communication is
a.
being received and understood by other department heads.
b.
offering employees the opportunity to air grievances.
c.
received and understood by people who report to you.
d.
sharing complete information with your peers.
e.
an informal network trusted by employees.
72. Which of the following is not a reason why upward communication is important?
a.
It provides feedback to let receivers know that lateral messages have been received and
understood.
b.
It helps managers recognize whether lower-level employees received and correctly
interpreted downward messages.
c.
It gives managers information they need to make critical decisions.
d.
It provides opportunities for employees to offer input, make suggestions, and air
grievances.
e.
It allows information to flow from lower levels to higher levels of the organization.
73. ____ communication occurs when peers within a department share ideas, coordinate activities, and
negotiate differences.
a.
Upward
b.
Downward
c.
Lateral
d.
Vertical
e.
Outsourced
74. Which of the following is an example of lateral communication?
a.
Your supervisor sends you an email that lists your strengths and weaknesses.