Business Communication Essentials, 8e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 1 Understanding Business Communication in Today’s Workplace
1) How does communication affect the leadership process?
A) The higher in the organization one moves, the more employees, and therefore more possible
communication issues.
B) The lower in the organization one is, the more one is judged on communication skills.
C) The lower in the organization one is, the more often one’s work is reviewed for accuracy and
attention to basic communication conventions.
D) The higher in the organization one moves, the more time one spends on the task of
communicating.
E) The higher in the organization one moves, the less time one spends on the task of
communicating.
2) Which of the following is promoted when you use effective communication skills?
A) Faster problem solving
B) Less trust between you and your coworkers
C) Minimal engagement between workers
D) Independent decision making
E) Increase business costs on safety issues
3) Which of the following best describes the process of communication?
A) Transferring of information between senders and receivers
B) Using digital media to convey data
C) Providing inspiration to others
D) Agreeing upon meaning
E) Selling an idea to those who may need it
4) Which of the following best supports the need for effective communication in a person’s
career?
A) The more technical the position, the less likely the employee will need to communicate
outside of the organization.
B) The higher in the organization an employee is, the more likely the employee will need to
communicate effectively both internally and externally to the organization.
C) The higher in the organization an employee is, the less likely the employee will need to
communicate effectively both internally and externally to the organization.
D) Top executives spend very little of the workday communicating with others.
E) Top executives spend more time listening than communicating.
5) Which of the following is the result of using an effective communication process in an
organization?
A) An effective communication process slows down the problem-solving time, allowing for
better analysis of options before decisions are made.
B) An effective communication process hampers employee satisfaction and increases employee
turnover.
C) An effective communication process increases timely, reliable information, leading to
“information overload” during the decision-making process.
D) An effective communication process is more costly than other communication processes.
E) An effective communication process provides the ability to influence conversations,
perceptions, and trends.
6) Which of the following least supports the purpose of communication?
A) Providing data
B) Providing information
C) Providing inspiration
D) Providing control
E) Providing insight
7) In which of the following fields would the ability to share complex ideas about a project be
most critical?
A) Engineering
B) Sales
C) Human resources
D) Entrepreneurial start ups
E) Independent contractors
8) Crafting a message to generate a specific response from an audience requires the use of what
type of information?
A) Practical
B) Factual
C) Concise
D) Clear
E) Detailed
9) When developing a recommendation for action that might be construed negatively by
stakeholders, what technique should be incorporated in the communication?
A) Practical and useful information only
B) Factual information that supports the opinion
C) Conciseness to save people’s time
D) Clearly identified concepts
E) Detailed information that explains every possible opinion
10) Giving opinions as vague impressions allows the reader to form their own opinion about the
validity of information provided.
11) Strong communication skills provide an opportunity to stand out from the competition.
12) An audience-centered approach means focusing on what?
A) The corporation’s needs
B) The sender’s needs
C) Technology use
D) The audience’s needs
E) Time
13) Using concrete and specific language and including evidence to support a conclusion is an
example of what type of information?
A) Practical
B) Factual
C) Concise
D) Clear
E) Persuasive
14) Performing at a high level and conducting oneself with purpose and pride is an example of
what?
A) Ethical behavior
B) Strong communication skills
C) Being a team player
D) Ethics
E) Professionalism
15) Professionalism includes knowing how to contribute to a larger cause, and includes knowing
how to resolve conflicts and interacting with a variety of personalities, which is referred to as
what?
A) Being positive
B) Being ethical
C) Being a team player
D) Being dependable
E) Being respectful
16) A communicator’s ability to listen, understand and meet the needs of others is an example of
what type of communication?
A) Audience-centered
B) Etiquette-based
C) Digital
D) Chain of command
E) Ethical
17) Which of the following represents the expected norms of behavior in a particular situation?
A) Ethics
B) Professionalism
C) Being a team player
D) Etiquette
E) Communication
18) Digital information fluency is often expected of employees by employers.
19) Audience-centered communication is based on objective, fact-based information, not
etiquette or other social norms.
20) Describe the six distinct traits of professionalism.
21) Discuss ways in which mobile technology is challenging the way in which businesses
communicate.
22) The motivation for writing a business message will help determine and shape which of the
following?
A) Audience reaction to the message
B) Audience acceptance to the message
C) Audience understanding of the message
D) The idea of the sender
E) The transmittable medium
23) When a communicator expresses an idea with words or images, they are doing which of the
following?
A) Encoding the idea as a message
B) Writing the idea into a message
C) Sharing the idea as a message
D) Transmitting the idea to the audience
E) Developing the idea they want to communicate in the message
24) The method used to share an idea with an audience is called what?
A) Channel
B) Encoding
C) Medium
D) Decoding
E) Delivery
25) When using a PowerPoint presentation to develop a sales message, the communicator is
using PowerPoint as which of the following?
A) Random noise
B) Channel
C) Delivery system
D) Medium
E) Encoding device
26) The ability of the receiver to determine the main idea of the message is known as what?
A) Encoding
B) Channel
C) Medium
D) Reading
E) Decoding
27) Evaluating the effectiveness of a message is most often accomplished in which stage of the
Communication Process Model?
A) The sender has an idea.
B) The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium.
C) The audience receives the message.
D) The audience decodes the message.
E) The receiver provides feedback.
28) The influence of culture, thinking styles and moods can have the greatest impact on what
step of the Communication Process Model?
A) Encoding the message
B) Transmitting the message
C) Decoding the message
D) Responding to the message
E) Providing feedback
29) During what step of the Communication Process Model does the receiver’s motivation and
ability to remember to act on a message become most important?
A) When providing feedback
B) When responding to the message
C) When receiving the message
D) When decoding the message
E) When selecting the message
30) A communication method/model that is open to all who wish to participate is considered
which of the following?
A) Communication Process Model
B) Web-based Communication Model
C) We Talk, You Listen Model
D) Social Communication Model
E) Broadcasting Model
31) Which of the following would be an example of an effective use of the Social
Communication Model?
A) Using email to send interoffice memos
B) Sharing information on a blog
C) Using instant messaging to update team members on the status of a project
D) Using virtual meetings
E) Town hall meetings for new product launches
32) Which of the following is an advantage of using the Social Communication Model in
shaping messages?
A) People can take pieces of the communication based on interest.
B) The message is well controlled by the sender.
C) There is less information overload.
D) There is increased productivity and increased employee engagement.
E) Conversational threads are easier to respond to.
33) Which of the following is one of the most common uses of social media among U.S.
businesses?
A) Starting conversation threads to end users
B) Communicating with stakeholders
C) Allowing employees to voice concerns
D) Monitoring online discussions about a company
E) Increasing the publishing mindset amongst employees
34) When a receiver offers a smile when reading a message, the sender can be assured the
message has been well received.
35) The potential for failure in the Communication Process Model can happen anywhere during
the process.
36) Discuss ways and examples of how Social Media has changed the way businesses interact
with employees and stakeholders.
37) Describe the Communication Process Model and identify potential areas that might cause a
failure in the communication process.
38) What percent of Internet access occurs via a mobile device?
A) More than 50 percent
B) More than 60 percent
C) More than 70 percent
D) More than 80 percent
E) More than 90 percent
39) Which of the following has contributed to the rise in social communications?
A) Uniformity of documents
B) Limited ability to multitask
C) Connectivity on mobile devices
D) Increased network security
E) Wearable technology
40) Which of the following is a primary result of the change in the nature of communication as a
result of mobile technology?
A) Spelling and grammar skills have improved.
B) The relationship between senders and receivers has been altered.
C) There are fewer opportunities to create new business.
D) There are fewer communication challenges between the sender and receiver.
E) Businesses place less emphasis on writing skills.
41) Which of the following is an outcome of trying to read large files on mobile devices?
A) Readers take more time to read a message thoroughly.
B) Senders and receivers expect immediate feedback.
C) Receivers will attempt to verify information using video and other apps.
D) It is easier to misinterpret the message.
E) There are fewer distractions when reading the files allowing for increased comprehension.
42) The ability to send vast amounts of data instantly, constantly, and globally, and the
expanding role of social media is referred to as what?
A) Radical connectivity
B) Mobile first
C) Publishing
D) Wearable technologies
E) Location aware content
43) Which of the following is a disadvantage of mobile connectivity?
A) Mobile connectivity can blur the boundaries of personal and professional time and space.
B) Mobile connectivity gives employees less flexibility in meeting personal obligations.
C) Mobile connectivity increases operating costs.
D) Mobile connectivity does not support nontraditional work models.
E) Mobile connectivity limits multitasking efforts.
44) Which of the following is true when formatting messages for mobile devices?
A) Messages should contain more graphics to aid in readability.
B) Messages should be short with several web links embedded in them.
C) Messages should be written in a traditional format to aid in understanding.
D) Messages should be based on location-aware technology.
E) Messages should be formatted differently to make reading easier on mobile devices.
45) Why would an organization develop a policy prohibiting the use of personal devices at the
worksite?
A) To increase the employee’s ability to spend time on personal business
B) To encourage employees to use corporate owned equipment
C) To encourage the use of equipment that has met corporate security standards
D) To limit access to corporate networks and data
E) To encourage accessibility for customers and clients
46) Which of the following is true regarding mobile connectivity in the workplace?
A) Mobile connectivity increases decision-making time as more research becomes available.
B) Mobile connectivity allows for additional research to be conducted during meetings.
C) Mobile communication limits quality customer service.
D) Mobile communication decreases accuracy of crisis communication efforts.
E) Mobile communication requires more engaging experiences for users.
47) Location-aware content includes things such as maps and property information that enhance
the mobile experience.