b.
Three state senators discuss the pros and cons of passing new laws against hate crimes.
c.
The vice president of marketing prepares a report to share with the marketing
representatives.
d.
You respond to an internal survey conducted by a colleague from another department.
e.
You prepare a year-end sales report for your supervisor’s approval.
75. You are using the grapevine when you
a.
ask top management, during a company meeting, about the company’s recent merger.
b.
write a memo to your boss suggesting how to publicize the company’s recent merger.
c.
post a news release on your company’s website announcing its recent merger.
d.
write an article for your company’s newsletter, quoting the CEO’s comments about the
recent merger.
e.
discuss the company’s recent merger while you carpool with a coworker.
76. Which of the following is another term for the grapevine?
a.
upward communication network
b.
lateral communication network
c.
horizontal communication network
d.
downward communication network
e.
informal communication network
77. Which statement about the grapevine is correct?
a.
It moves information rapidly through the organization.
b.
It is less active during times of uncertainty, such as layoffs, mergers, and branch closings.
c.
Most of the information communicated through the grapevine pertains to personal matters.
d.
Information spread through the grapevine is usually incomplete.
e.
It is not an important communication network in large organizations.
78. Savvy managers respond to the grapevine in their organization by
a.
slowing down the free flow of information.
b.
identifying the filters that affect employees’ perceptions.
c.
sharing all news with employees, whether positive or negative.
d.
counteracting the horizontal flow of information.
e.
extending the network to the top of the organization.
79. Which of the following is not a verbal barrier to communication?
a.
inadequate knowledge
b.
differences in interpretation
c.
language differences
d.
inappropriate use of expressions
e.
specific, concrete words
80. Which of the following is a verbal barrier to communication?
a.
A person’s body language does not correspond with his spoken message.
b.
A recipient’s interpretation of a message is not the same as the sender’s interpretation.
c.
Two individuals have differing perceptions of a manager’s comments based on their
personal experiences with her.
d.
People are not focusing on a convention speaker because the seats are too small and are
placed too close together.
e.
A customer service representative has a prejudice against customers who have a southern
accent.
81. Which of the following is the first verbal barrier that can occur in the communication process?
a.
differences in interpretation
b.
overabstraction and ambiguity
c.
inappropriate use of expressions
d.
inadequate knowledge or vocabulary
e.
polarization
82. Which of the following best describes jargon?
a.
a fad expression that is short-lived
b.
a polite expression that is used to soften the impact of an unpleasant situation
c.
a cultural tradition
d.
efficient terminology when communicating within specialized groups
e.
a denotative phrase that characterizes vertical communication
83. Which of the following is an example of slang?
a.
window of opportunity
b.
applet
c.
blog
d.
e-commerce
e.
spam
84. Which of the following is an abstract word?
a.
letter
b.
memorandum
c.
email
d.
report
e.
communication
85. Which statement contains abstract or ambiguous language?
a.
Antwon’s email contains five misspelled words.
b.
More than 76% of the employees belong to a union.
c.
At least eight associates submitted their expense reports after the deadline.
d.
The office manager purchased 15 cartons of paper for delivery on Tuesday.
e.
The customer service department received some complaints today.
86. Which of the following is an example of environmental noise?
a.
You are expected to attend two different meetings that overlap each other.
b.
You miss half the presentation because the speaker is not using a microphone.
c.
You have ten minutes to read two reports before you prepare a summary for your boss.
d.
You are closing a big sale to one client as another client calls with a question.
e.
You receive urgent instant messages from several colleagues who need information right
away.
87. Which of the following is not a typical reason for unethical behavior?
a.
We rationalize that what is ethical depends upon the circumstances.
b.
We do what we must to win.
c.
We rationalize that everyone is doing it.
d.
We enjoy the thrill of “getting away with it.”
e.
We take the easy route to accomplish our goal.
88. The triple bottom line includes all of the following except:
a.
people
b.
profit
c.
purpose
d.
planet
e.
none of these
89. Which of the following questions is not a part of The Framework for Ethical Decision Making?
a.
How will others be affected by my decision?
b.
How likely am I to be discovered doing something unethical?
c.
How will I feel after the decision is known?
d.
Is this action legal?
e.
Is this decision in line with my personal values?
90. Which of the following is an example of professional ethics?
a.
A belief that discrimination is wrong based upon an experience with negative stereotyping.
b.
Legal requirements that employees must be US citizens or have a US work visa.
c.
The expectation of gifts to potential clients in a foreign country.
d.
An understanding with other company salespeople that you will not attempt to sell to each
other’s current clients.
e.
A company policy that prohibits attending sporting events with suppliers.
91. Which of the following statements about a strategic communication plan is not true?
a.
It may involve both lean and rich media channels.
b.
It is typically created by corporate leaders.
c.
It is sequenced so that one message never overlaps another.
d.
It helps the company reach multiple audiences.
e.
It typically involves multiple messages in face-to-face and technology-assisted formats.
92. Which of the following is not an example of synchronous communication?
a.
You send a text while watching a video-conference presentation.
b.
You IM the corporate delivery service while talking to a customer about his missing
delivery.
c.
You deliver a speech with PowerPoint slides while watching the reaction of your manager
out of the corner of your eye.
d.
You read email with both text and video components open at the same time.
e.
You attend a web seminar while forwarding slides to a coworker who is not participating
in the seminar.
93. Which of the following would be the best action for building a relationship with a manager in another
division?
a.
an emailed report on your responsibilities and accomplishments
b.
a voice message left on the manager’s phone
c.
a face-to-face meeting in a neutral meeting room
d.
an invitation to download your vlog
e.
a Facebook friend request
94. A private company network for people outside of the company is a(n)
a.
Internet.
b.
extranet.
c.
blog.
d.
intranet.
e.
tweet.
95. Which of the following is not a true statement about print communication?
a.
It is considered official and formal.
b.
Its use is declining.
c.
Some companies no longer use it for internal communication.
d.
It is still used for individual pay or benefit information.
e.
It is not appropriate for job applications.
96. Which of the following guidelines for online communication is least likely to protect both you and
your employer from problems?
a.
In your message, you identify yourself as a company employee but add “my opinion only”
to messages and posts.
b.
You don’t cite or reference customers or suppliers without their prior approval.
c.
You avoid sharing proprietary company information about products or strategies with
anyone outside of the company.
d.
You don’t insult or disparage your employer or any specific employee, even if specific
names are not mentioned.
e.
You avoid doing anything online that would not be acceptable in a face-to-face situation in
your workplace.
97. When clothing retailer Gap Inc. discovered that some suppliers allegedly used under-age workers to
make its clothing, the company quickly stopped selling these products, launched an investigation, and
publicly committed to sever ties to any implicated suppliers. These actions are an example of
a.
situational ethics.
b.
corporate whitewashing.
c.
religious ethics.
d.
corporate social responsibility.
e.
minimal compliance with the law.
98. Which one of the following is a true statement about a personal code of ethics?
a.
They parallel or mirror the legal rules of society.
b.
They are typically formed in childhood.
c.
They are universal and apply across all cultures.
d.
They represent our beliefs about whether an action will benefit us or others.
e.
They are primarily defined by the organizations we work for.
99. Companies use ____ to provide portable audio or video content about their products and services.
a.
wikis
b.
microblogs
c.
voice mail
d.
podcasts
e.
texting
SHORT ANSWER
100. Describe the importance of communication in today’s business world.
101. Identify three of the research findings about the status of communications in today’s businesses. Why
are they significant?
8.
The number one source of employer dissatisfaction with their employees is poor written
communications.
102. List and briefly describe the five components of communication.
b.
d.
103. Why is knowledge of the audience directly related to the purpose of the message?
104. Describe at least three advantages that oral communication has over written communication. Provide
an example of a situation in which oral communication would be more effective than written
communication.
105. List the three directions of communication and describe the types of communication that occur in each.
Explain one problem that can occur in each direction.
106. Briefly describe a personal example of upward, downward, and lateral communication in your life.
107. Describe the formal and informal communication networks.
108. What is the informal communication network? How effective is it? How does an effective manager
deal with it?
109. Discuss what causes differences in interpretation. Provide an example of communication that involves
interpretation problems.
110. Explain the difference between denotation and connotation when referring to the meaning of a word.
Give an example of each.
111. Do you agree with Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. that “A word is not a crystal, transparent and
unchanged, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the
circumstances and time in which it is used.” Why or why not?
112. Define the terms slang, jargon, and euphemism. When is each type of expression appropriate? When
do problems arise?
113. Give an original example of a nonverbal message that reinforces a verbal message and of a nonverbal
message that contradicts a verbal message.
114. Identify nonverbal barriers to communication. Give an example of each.
115. In what circumstances should you choose traditional oral communication for your message?
116. Describe the potential benefits and drawbacks of texting at work.
117. Blogs that allow open comments may generate negative responses from consumers. Why do many
companies view them as worth the risk?
118. Give examples of situations that might require selecting rich media. Give examples of situations that
might require lean media.
119. How can an employee avoid negative legal consequences of his or her communication?