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Multiple Choice
1. In ideal situations, the goal of communication is to:
a.
reach mutual understanding.
b.
better prospects of self-advancement.
c.
provide valuable feedback.
d.
commend others.
2. In the communication process, differences in education level, experience, and culture of the sender and the receiver are
examples of:
a.
synergies.
b.
interferences.
c.
chronemics.
d.
connotations.
b
3. A person is unable to communicate a message to his or her audience due to a noisy environment. The noisy
environment is an example of _____.
a.
interference
b.
synergy
c.
chronemics
d.
proxemics
4. The _____ is a channel typified by the organizational chart, which is created by management to define individual and
group relationships and to specify lines of responsibility.
a.
decentralized communication network
b.
formal communication network
c.
grapevine communication network
d.
informal communication network
b
5. Which of the following is true of the formal communication network?
a.
It cannot be depicted accurately by any graphic means.
b.
It has a reputation for being speedy but inaccurate.
c.
It is dictated by the managerial, technical, cultural, and structural environment of an organization.
d.
It undergoes continual changes and does not parallel the organizational chart of an organization.
6. Which of the following is a difference between the formal communication network and the informal communication
network?
a.
The formal communication network is dictated by the cultural environment of an organization, whereas the
informal communication network is dictated by the technical environment of an organization.
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b.
The formal communication network has no single, consistent source, whereas the informal communication
network has a single, consistent source.
c.
The formal communication network has a reputation for being speedy but inaccurate, whereas the informal
communication network is always accurate.
d.
The formal communication network can be depicted graphically by the organizational chart, whereas the
informal communication network cannot be depicted accurately by any graphic means.
7. Which of the following is true of grapevine communication?
a.
It has a reputation for being speedy but inaccurate.
b.
It carries formal as well as informal messages within an organization.
c.
It passes a message through a linear channel.
d.
It has a single, consistent source.
8. Jeff, an employee at Citrus Inc., hears about a change in the company’s leave policy from one of his coworkers and
shares this information with another coworker, Judy. Judy, in turn, passes on the information to her teammates. However,
this information has not been officially confirmed. In this scenario, the information has been exchanged through _____.
a.
kinesic communication
b.
upward communication
c.
downward communication
d.
grapevine communication
9. _____ is the kind of communication that flows from supervisors to employees or from policy makers to operating
personnel.
a.
Upward communication
b.
Horizontal communication
c.
Downward communication
d.
Lateral communication
10. Which of the following is true of downward communication?
a.
The process of creating progress reports is an example of downward communication.
b.
Recording a project’s results and accomplishments involves downward communication.
c.
Orientation to a company’s rules and practices is an element of downward communication.
d.
Problem solving and clarifications in organizations involve downward communication.
11. Identify a true statement about downward communication.
a.
It helps employees learn about the quality of their job performance.
b.
It flows from the front lines of an organization to management.
c.
It primarily includes feedback to requests and actions of supervisors.
d.
It keeps management informed about the feelings of lower-level employees.
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12. Chantelle, the manager of the claims department in an insurance company, explains her team about the new claim
form that the company will be using from next month. This scenario is an example of _____.
a.
upward communication
b.
downward communication
c.
horizontal communication
d.
lateral communication
b
13. In the context of directions of communication flow, _____ is a type of communication that is generally a response to
requests from supervisors.
a.
downward communication
b.
upward communication
c.
horizontal communication
d.
lateral communication
b
14. Which of the following statements is true of upward communication?
a.
It usually flows from supervisors to employees and from policy makers to operating personnel.
b.
It involves teaching people how to perform their specific tasks.
c.
It involves employees getting frequent feedback from managers.
d.
It frequently involves risk to an employee and is dependent on trust in the supervisor.
d
15. One of the major shortcomings of organizational charts is that they do not recognize the role of _____ when they
depict authority relationships by placing one box higher than another and define role functions by placing titles in those
boxes.
a.
horizontal communication
b.
upward communication
c.
downward communication
d.
external communication
16. In the context of levels of communication, internal messages:
a.
are communicated through media advertisements.
b.
lack a defined purpose or strategy.
c.
are intended for recipients within an organization.
d.
are informal and unstructured.
17. Brandon, a manager at Cerium Corp., is required to provide individual performance feedback to his subordinates. In
this scenario, the communication between Brandon and his subordinates is at a(n) _____ level.
a.
intrapersonal
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b.
interpersonal
c.
public
d.
organizational
b
18. Which of the following represents communication at a group level?
a.
A manager addressing his project team in a meeting
b.
An employee discussing a new technology with his coworker
c.
A company publishing its annual report on the company website
d.
An organization advertising its product in magazines
19. A supervisor at a manufacturing plant is told to dump the chemicals used in the refining process into a local river
rather than disposing them properly according to safety regulations. The chief executive officer of the company insists
that the chemicals are not harmful to the environment. The supervisor knows that dumping is illegal, but he will lose his
job if he reports the issue to authorities at the Environmental Protection Agency. In the context of causes of unethical
corporate behavior, this scenario illustrates the supervisor’s:
a.
obsession with personal advancement.
b.
expectation of not getting caught.
c.
dilemma whether the act is wrong or not.
d.
unwillingness to take a stand for what is right.
d
20. ServProf Inc. is a financial consulting firm that is currently recruiting new employees. One of the policies of
the company states that an employee must work in the company for a minimum of one year and sign a contract
with the company confirming the acceptance. Employees who accept the job offer agree to this policy, and it
does not adversely affect them. However, it is against the law for companies to follow such a policy. In this
scenario, ServProf Inc. has engaged in _____ behavior.
a.
illegal and unethical
b.
illegal yet ethical
c.
legal yet unethical
d.
legal and ethical
b
21. Which of the following is true of stereotypes?
a.
They weaken preconceived notions about a person based on his or her ethnicity.
b.
They facilitate judging a person based on his or her performance.
c.
They influence the way a person interacts with members of another group.
d.
They make a person hold a superior view of his or her culture and cultural practices.
22. One of the most important policies of Windsor Corp. is to provide opportunities to their employees based only on the
skills required for a job. The company’s human resource policy holds that a coworker must not be judged based on the
group to which he or she belongs. Which of the following, if true, will falsify this policy?
a.
The Chinese employees in the company, though ethnocentric, are friendly toward coworkers of all cultures.
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b.
The company hires only Japanese employees for technical jobs as they are stereotyped as being better at such
tasks.
c.
The employees of the company are not prejudiced against their colleagues based on their ethnicity.
d.
The top management of the company promotes employees based only on their tenure of employment.
b
23. _____ requires that organizations have a defined set of values and principles, and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes,
policies, and structures that enable them to work effectively across cultures.
a.
Cultural competence
b.
Cultural imperialism
c.
Cultural assimilation
d.
Cultural appropriation
24. Which of the following statements is true of telecommuting?
a.
It involves regular face-to-face meetings.
b.
It only aids communication that takes place within an organization.
c.
It is ineffective for communication in geographically dispersed locations.
d.
It reduces travel time and increases work flexibility.
d
25. A(n) _____ is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to share information, operational systems, or
computing services within an organization.
a.
telegraph
b.
intranet
c.
intercom
d.
transponder
b
26. _____ is a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,
and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content.
a.
Social media
b.
Static media
c.
An intranet
d.
A cookie
27. A(n) _____ consists of three or more people who collaborate from different physical locations, perform
interdependent tasks, have shared responsibility for the outcome of the work, and rely on some form of technology to
communicate with one another.
a.
ad hoc team
b.
virtual team
c.
matrix team
d.
support team
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b
28. Which of the following statements is true of decentralized decision making?
a.
It primarily involves upward communication.
b.
It requires every decision to be made by the top management.
c.
It enables teams to communicate in a peer-to-peer fashion.
d.
It follows traditional lines of authority.
29. In an organizational setting, a _____ is a small number of people with complementary skills who work together for a
common purpose.
a.
faction
b.
clique
c.
band
d.
team
d
30. Which of the following statements best describes teams?
a.
They lead to decreased interaction between employees and management.
b.
They increase efficiency by eliminating layers of managers whose job was once to pass orders downward.
c.
They function effectively as soon as they are formed, requiring no developmental process to operate.
d.
They require managers to set goals for each team member.
b
31. Identify a true statement about face-to-face communication.
a.
Face-to-face team members typically communicate at the same time in different places.
b.
There is a high potential for deception in face-to-face communication.
c.
There is a high degree of anonymity in face-to-face communication.
d.
Face-to-face team members have access to a wide range of nonverbal cues.
d
32. Which of the following statements is true of an asynchronous message?
a.
There is no time delay between when an asynchronous message is sent and when it is received.
b.
A live video-conference is an example of an asynchronous message.
c.
An asynchronous message is a message that is not read, heard, or seen at the same time you send the
message.
d.
Sending a text message to someone who is monitoring Facebook is an example of an asynchronous
message.
33. _____ is the feeling we have when we act and think as if we’re involved in an unmediated, face-to-face conversation.
a.
Social stratification
b.
Social altruism
c.
Social loafing
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d.
Social presence
d
34. Which of the following is an advantage of a virtual team?
a.
It is characterized by strong leadership.
b.
It results in increased productivity.
c.
It has unlimited access to communication media at all times.
d.
It facilitates face-to-face communication.
b
35. Which of the following is a disadvantage of virtual teams?
a.
Limited market opportunities
b.
Inefficient knowledge transfer
c.
Poor leadership
d.
Decreased productivity
36. _____ describes interactions between organizational units on the same hierarchical level.
a.
Peripheral communication
b.
Vertical communication
c.
Horizontal communication
d.
External communication
37. The term “diversity skills” refers to:
a.
a manager’s ability to allot project tasks specific to an individual’s personal and professional skills.
b.
a manager’s ability to spot talent across various organizational departments to create a cross-functional team.
c.
the ability to communicate effectively with both men and women of all ages, cultures, and minority groups.
d.
the ability to efficiently work on different kinds of tasks in an organization.
38. _____ refers to the assumption that one’s own cultural norms are the right way to do things.
a.
Ethnocentrism
b.
Territoriality
c.
Nepotism
d.
Cultural relativism
39. Lily and Gracie are coworkers whose desks are placed adjacent to each other in their office. Every morning, Lily starts
her day by lighting an incense stick and placing it on her desk. Gracie, however, finds the scent to be too pungent and
feels nauseous because of it. Gracie requests Lily to discontinue this practice, but Lily refuses to do so. Lily says that it is
a good practice followed in her culture and that lighting incense sticks attracts positive energy to the workplace. She also
says that every person should follow this practice if they want to start the day on a good note. In this situation, Lily is
exhibiting _____.
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a.
ethnocentrism
b.
territoriality
c.
nepotism
d.
cultural relativism
40. _____ refers to the study of how a culture perceives time and its use.
a.
Chronemics
b.
Haptics
c.
Proxemics
d.
Kinesics
41. Darren, a team leader at a marketing firm, allots a project to Jack, one of his team members. However, about halfway
through the project, after a progress update from Jack, Darren realizes that Jack will not be able to complete the given task
before the deadline. Darren gets two other members of the team to work alongside Jack to get the project completed on
time. This scenario is an example of _____.
a.
norming
b.
synergy
c.
induction
d.
symbiosis
b
True / False
42. Communication is the process of exchanging and interpreting information and meaning between or among individuals
through a system of symbols, signs, and behavior.
a.
True
b.
False
True
43. In career activities, the only form of communication used is verbal communication.
a.
True
b.
False
False
44. Informing and persuading are common purposes of communication in the workplace.
a.
True
b.
False
True
45. According to the transactional process model of communication, in face-to-face communication situations, parties to
the encounter fail to interpret each other’s nonverbal signals.
a.
True
b.
False
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False
46. In an ideal communication situation, one party would be able to encode his or her message in such a way that it would
be open to interpretation for the receiving party.
a.
True
b.
False
False
47. Organizational communication is the movement of information within a company structure.
a.
True
b.
False
True
48. Only the most formal organizations can function in the absence of an informal communication system.
a.
True
b.
False
False
49. The inaccuracy of the grapevine has more to do with the message output than with the input.
a.
True
b.
False
False
50. Context can influence the content, the quality, and the effectiveness of a communication event.
a.
True
b.
False
True
51. Learning about other cultures and developing sensitivity will help maximize ethnocentric reactions when
dealing with other cultures.
a.
True
b.
False
False
52. The study of body language is known as chronemics.
a.
True
b.
False
False
53. A limitation of language translation is that some words in one language do not always have an equivalent
meaning in other languages.
a.
True
b.
False
True
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54. Like cultural intelligence, cultural competence is a developmental process that evolves over an extended
period.
a.
True
b.
False
True
55. One of the weaknesses of teams is that they prevent companies from drawing on the skills and imagination
of a whole workforce.
a.
True
b.
False
False
56. In successful team environments, shared leadership, which involves more direct and effective
communication between management and its internal customers, is common.
a.
True
b.
False
True
57. Grouping employees into a team structure guarantees that employees will automatically function as a team.
a.
True
b.
False
False
58. The more asynchronous our interaction, the more similar it is to face-to-face interactions.
a.
True
b.
False
False
59. Jared works as a physics teacher at Theta Institute. Juan, a first-generation Latin American, is a student at
the same institute. Juan’s physics classes are scheduled from 3 pm to 4.30 pm every weekday. Acting classes are
also scheduled at the same time every day in the adjacent room. Jared notices that Juan is not performing well in
the physics class and that his grades have not shown any signs of improvement in the last one year. Jared is
worried that at this rate Juan might not clear his final examinations. Jared decides to investigate why Juan is
unable to process information. He also wants to find out the barriers to effective communication. In this
scenario, what is Jared most likely to conclude?
understanding. REJ: Please see the section “The Communication Process” for more information.
60. What is organizational communication? Describe the formal and informal communication networks.
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61. Orton is a manager at Hardwire Technological Solutions (HTS), a multinational information technology company.
Alan and Stephanie work in his team as junior analysts. Stephanie was one of the best performers at HTS. However, her
performance in the last three months has been faltering and is showing no signs of improvement. Orton requested for a
one-on-one meeting with Alan and Stephanie, individually, to discuss the issue. Why did Orton request for a one-on-one
meeting with Alan and Stephanie? How did Orton think this will help Stephanie?
62. Explain the levels of communication with an example each.
63. List four contextual forces affecting business communication. Explain one of the forces in detail.
64. Explain the causes of illegal and unethical behavior.
65. Explain the four dimensions of analyzing ethical dilemmas.
66. Explain communication opportunities and challenges in diversity in businesses.
67. Explain how ethnocentrism, stereotypes, and interpretation of time can create barriers to intercultural
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communication.
information.
68. In the context of barriers of communication, explain personal space requirements, body language, and translation
limitations.
69. Discuss the five essential elements that contribute to a system’s, institution’s, or agency’s ability to become
more culturally competent.
70. Explain how changing technology influences communication.
71. Joseph was appointed as the captain of his office baseball team for an upcoming corporate tournament. In
his first week as captain, Joseph noticed that the team was not up to corporate standards. The team lacked match
practice. Two of the players, Andrew and Jack, did not get along well with each other, resulting in a lot of
friction in the team. The team’s morale was down. However, Joseph knows that the team is capable of winning
if there is synergy in the team. What should Joseph do to maximize the team’s effectiveness?
72. Discuss the abilities that successful business communicators and team members need to possess in the contemporary
business environment.