Chapter 3—Interpersonal Communication Skills
TRUE/FALSE
1. When customers are listened to online, they are more likely to contribute to company social media
sites.
2. Although a nonverbal message is not written or spoken, it may be conveyed along with a verbal
message.
3. Using your eyes is a particularly effective way to express meaning without words.
4. When using social media to attract customers, a company should listen to what customers have to say
and encourage feedback from them.
5. The way you stand and where you position your legs or arms signal whether your verbal message is
emotional or rational.
6. Good grooming helps ensure that you make a positive first impression in your communication with
others.
7. In some cultures, maintaining eye contact is not important and may even be considered impolite.
8. As long as companies provide a way for customers to provide feedback online, the companies
shouldn’t worry about responding consistently.
9. Getting their message out is the primary objective of companies that use social media effectively.
10. In almost all cultures, adults usually use higher-pitched voices when speaking to children.
11. Our culture, status, and specific situation influence the meaning we attach to time.
12. Most people instinctively know how to use touch as a form of business communication.
13. Individuals from London or the United States are likely to touch people they are talking with more
frequently than individuals from Paris or Puerto Rico do.
14. In terms of space and territory, communication can occur within the intimate zone, the personal zone,
the social zone, or the public zone.
15. At a staff meeting, people tend to maintain a distance of 4 to 12 feet from each other, reflecting the
social zone where this interaction typically occurs.
16. Hearing consists of interpreting and assigning meanings to the sounds that are heard.
17. It is possible to listen and yet not understand.
18. The communication skill we use most is speaking.
19. One of the major causes of poor listening is lack of training in the process.
20. Poor listeners may not be aware of their weakness.
21. Poor listening is due, in part, to the difference between the speed at which the sender speaks and the
speed at which the receiver’s brain processes data.
22. When you are striving to improve your listening skills, you can more easily eliminate physical
distractions than mental distractions.
23. It is just as important for a listener to maintain eye contact with the speaker as for the speaker to
maintain eye contact with the whole audience.
24. Multitasking while making a business call is acceptable in most cases.
25. It is generally acceptable to call someone’s personal phone at night when they could have been reached
during the day on a company phone.
26. To remain actively involved in a presentation, it helps to paraphrase the speaker’s remarks internally.
27. Building meaningful relationships with customers and employees online primarily requires good
technological skills.
28. Important business decisions can and sometimes should be made through a text message conversation.
29. During a telephone call, you should use your voice to project a friendly, competent image.
30. Answer the phone quickly to demonstrate that you care about your caller.
31. It is important to schedule VoIP calls ahead of time to ensure that any technical difficulties can be
resolved well before the meeting is to take place.
32. Studies done by Kelly Services shows that most employees prefer to have virtual or online meetings
rather than those conducted face-to-face.
33. The desire for face-to-face meetings crosses not only cultures, but generations as well.
34. For companies such as JetBlue, social media creates a collaborative, cost-effective way to interact with
customers.
35. Companies that are active on many online sites and that heavily engage customers are called
“Wallflowers.”
36. Engaging and responding to customers online often leads to customer avoidance of company websites.
37. One benefit of having an intranet for employee feedback is that it helps to keep such feedback internal,
rather than publicly available.
38. A company that handles online chat poorly may be doing more harm than good.
39. Because they do not include nonverbal clues to meaning, the office phone and text messaging free
employees from worries about business etiquette.
40. Avoid taking calls during business meetings.
41. Principles for using an office phone do not apply to work-related calls you receive on your personal
smartphone.
42. The first step in planning a meeting is to determine the specific purpose and assess whether face–to–
face contact is even necessary.
43. Holding a meeting is more efficient than sending an email message for communicating routine
information.
44. With an agenda, you can better prepare for a meeting by gathering background information and
remaining focused on what is to be covered.
45. When planning a meeting, invite only those who have a specific reason to attend.
46. Proper logistics, including appropriate timing, location, and room setup, can enhance the productivity
of a meeting.
47. Starting on time sends a clear message that the attendees will not delay discussions and decisions
while awaiting chronic latecomers.
48. Unless an attendee suggests a new topic at the start, only information listed on the agenda should be
discussed at a meeting.
49. Begin and end meetings on time for maximum efficiency.
50. The minutes of a meeting should emphasize what was accomplished, not what participants said.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
51. Which of the following is not good advice for using your smartphone for work?
a.
Avoid talking in public for important calls.
b.
During meetings, set your phone to vibrate and move to a corner of the room.
c.
Avoid talking while driving.
d.
Use office phone principles.
e.
Schedule a time for important calls so you can talk privately.
52. Without nonverbal cues, ____ and ____ are more important when you use an office phone.
a.
font size, design
b.
gestures, voice
c.
grammar, sentence style
d.
etiquette, voice
e.
voice, tone
53. You can convey a positive, professional image on the phone by
a.
eating a quick snack to keep up your blood sugar.
b.
putting the caller on hold if you get another call.
c.
using your natural voice, but making sure you don’t sound bored.
d.
using your time efficiently by keeping your email on the screen.
e.
using frowns and eye rolling to let off steam when annoyed.
54. Which of the following correctly describes an aspect of body movement as nonverbal communication?
a.
You should avoid gestures because they distract from your message.
b.
Most cultures stress the importance of maintaining eye contact.
c.
You’ll appear nervous if you lean forward during a business conversation.
d.
Receivers tend to misinterpret subtle upper-body movements.
e.
Facial expressions generally have the same meaning across cultures.
55. Which of the following does not accurately describe body movement?
a.
Facial expressions are the most expressive part of the body.
b.
Gestures illustrate and reinforce your verbal message.
c.
Body stance indicates interest and involvement.
d.
Gestures are very similar in meaning across cultures.
e.
Your eyes are the most important nonverbal feature of your face.
56. Which statement does not accurately describe voice qualities?
a.
Nervous people usually talk slowly.
b.
People who speak too loudly appear pushy or insecure.
c.
In most languages, a rising intonation signals a question.
d.
Tone can reinforce or contradict message meaning.
e.
Tone can carry intended and unintended meaning.
57. Which of the following is not true of touch?
a.
The sense of touch is acquired before birth.
b.
The importance of touch varies widely by culture.
c.
You can’t touch too much in a business setting.
d.
People who never touch anyone in a business setting may be viewed as cold and
insensitive.
e.
Touching may be purely physical or simply a friendly gesture.
58. If your supervisors pat you on the back from time to time, they are entering your ____ zone.
a.
personal
b.
intimate
c.
public
d.
social
e.
ethnic
59. If you are part of a large audience, the speaker on stage is considered in the ____ zone.
a.
personal
b.
intimate
c.
public
d.
social
e.
ethnic
60. Listening is
a.
a passive process of perceiving a sound.
b.
a culturally sensitive process of interpretation.
c.
sound waves striking the eardrum.
d.
an active process of assigning meaning to sounds.
e.
an accommodation to the transmission and reception of messages.
61. Which of the following is not a true statement about hearing?
a.
You can hear and still not listen.
b.
Hearing is simply perceiving sound.
c.
Hearing is a passive process.
d.
Hearing tends to tune out “normal” sounds.
e.
Hearing involves much more than listening.
62. Which of the following is probably the least developed of the four communication skills?
a.
listening
b.
seeing
c.
writing
d.
reading
e.
speaking
63. When you give the speaker your undivided attention, you
a.
actually give the speaker’s comments your undivided attention.
b.
focus on how the talk is delivered.
c.
focus on how interesting the speaker is.
d.
check to see whether the speaker maintains eye contact with the audience.
e.
focus on how well groomed and relaxed the speaker is.
64. Which of the following is not a good way to improve your listening skills?
a.
Focus on the speaker’s content rather than on how the talk is delivered.
b.
Keep an open mind to accept new information and points of view.
c.
Interrupt the speaker when you have a question or an idea to share.
d.
Involve yourself by mentally summarizing what the speaker is saying or by taking notes.
e.
Maintain eye contact with the speaker to show interest.
65. When you listen with an open mind, you
a.
think you “lose” if you come to agree with the speaker’s position.
b.
seek to analyze why the speaker is taking a certain viewpoint.
c.
contrast the speaker’s facts with your experience.
d.
apply a subjective frame of reference.
e.
consider how the speaker looks, sounds, and acts.
66. Allowing a few moments of silence in a conversation
a.
conveys disrespect for the speaker.
b.
reduces conflict and promotes consensus.
c.
puts pressure on you to rebut the speaker’s ideas.
d.
shows that you have doubts about the speaker’s views.
e.
allows the speaker time to elaborate.
67. When you are involved in listening to a speaker, you
a.
think about how the information relates to your goals.
b.
prevent any uncomfortable silences.
c.
plan your response to the main points.
d.
identify the weakest arguments and supporting details.
e.
focus on the source of the content and evaluate its credibility.
68. Which of the following is not a key to better listening?
a.
giving the speaker your undivided attention
b.
keeping an open mind
c.
not interrupting
d.
involving yourself
e.
taking comprehensive notes
69. The main reason to make your telephone voice sound pleasant is that
a.
you can avoid straining your throat as you speak.
b.
the other person may be angry, depressed, or bored.
c.
you are applying good listening technique.
d.
the other person has no visual cues to supplement your voice.
e.
you will remind the other person that the boss may be calling.
70. Which of the following channels is the richest for communicating delicate or controversial messages?
a.
texting
b.
email
c.
face to face
d.
voice mail
e.
Skype
71. The meaning you attach to time depends on your
a.
culture, experience, and communication skills.
b.
location, context sensitivity, and power distance.
c.
status, culture, and specific situation.
d.
familiarity with nonverbal nuances.
e.
status as a sender, receiver, or team member.
72. Which of the following is not an example of good telephone technique?
a.
Answer all calls by the second or third ring.
b.
If a caller asks a question you can’t answer, end the call politely.
c.
Give the caller your full attention.
d.
Ask before you put someone on hold, allowing time for a response.
e.
Use the other person’s name to personalize the conversation.
73. When you have to leave a voice-mail message, you should
a.
give your name, phone number, and the reason for your call.
b.
vary the wording to maintain interest if you call back again.
c.
explain in detail the reasoning behind your thoughts.
d.
request the other person’s cell or home phone number.
e.
speak impersonally to preserve a professional demeanor.
74. ____ allow companies to engage employees online.
a.
Internets
b.
Voice messages
c.
Bulletin boards
d.
Intranets
e.
Podcast