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Chapter 1—Test Bank
Career Success Begins With Communication Skills
DIFFICULTY (DIF) TYPE OTHER CODES
5 = Most difficult Ap: Application question ANS: Answer
3 = Average difficulty Con: Conceptual question REF: Page Reference
1 = Least difficult Def: Definition OBJ: Chapter Objective
NOT: Note (feedback/explanations)
AAC: AACSB Competencies
Multiple Choice
1. One of the fastest ways to ensure your career success is to
a. learn how to design Web pages.
b. post a persuasive résumé online.
c. develop excellent communication skills.
d. invite your boss out to lunch periodically.
2. On the job you are more likely to be taken seriously and promoted if you
a. look and sound professional.
b. frame your degree or certificate and hang it on your office or cubicle wall.
c. appear to be busy even when you’re not really doing anything.
d. do all of the above.
3. Because the U.S. economy is increasingly _____________ based, education is
extremely important.
a. politically
b. production
c. knowledge
d. labor
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4. Major trends in today’s dynamic world of work include increased emphasis on self-
directed work groups and virtual teams, heightened global competition, innovative
communication technologies, new work environments, and focus on
a. creating an entirely online presence.
b. promoting from within.
c. restructuring and downsizing.
d. information and knowledge as corporate assets.
5. Communication is defined as “the transmission of information and meaning from one
individual or group to another.” The crucial element of this definition is
_______________.
a. transmission.
b. information.
c. meaning.
d. all of the above are equally important.
6. The communication process begins when the sender
a. determines the appropriate communication channel.
b. has an idea.
c. encodes an idea into a message.
d. plans for feedback.
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7. Many of us are poor listeners because
a. the brain can process information at least three times as fast as people talk.
b. we tend to “tune out” speakers whose ideas run counter to our own.
c. we would rather talk than listen.
d. All answer choices are correct.
8. You can improve your listening skills if you follow tips for active listening, including
a. keeping an open mind, establishing a receptive mind-set, and listening between the
lines.
b. establishing a receptive mind-set, concentrating on appearance and delivery, and
sifting information through biases.
c. capitalizing on lag time, concentrating on your next comment, and taking as many
notes as possible.
d. All answer choices are correct.
9. Your boss is giving instructions for a new method of keeping expense accounts.
However, you find it difficult to concentrate because you think the change is
unnecessary. What type of barrier to effective listening are you experiencing?
a. Language problem barrier
b. Psychological barrier
c. Physical barrier
d. Nonverbal distraction barrier
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10. A listener who nods her head and maintains eye contact with a speaker is probably
a. listening actively to what the speaker is saying.
b. not understanding what the speaker is saying.
c. faking attention while she listens to music on her MP3 player.
d. formulating her response to a point with which she disagrees.
11. Brian is attending a seminar on workplace efficiency and must make a presentation on
this topic when he returns to work. Brian can increase his comprehension by keeping an
open mind, listening for main points, taking selective notes, and
a. closing his eyes.
b. speaking up immediately when he does not agree with the speaker.
c. filling in the lag time by reviewing in his mind other things he must do that day.
d. judging ideas, not appearances.
12. Amelia has made a conscious effort to become an active listener. Therefore, she shuts
down her computer, turns off her cell phone, and asks her assistant to hold all incoming
calls when she conducts interviews. What technique is she using to improve listening?
a. Keeping an open mind
b. Establishing a receptive mind-set
c. Capitalizing on lag time
d. Controlling her surroundings
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13. Which of the following is considered a form of nonverbal communication?
a. Facial expressions, such as a frown or raising the eyebrows
b. Eye contact, such as staring or avoiding looking someone in the eye
c. Time, such as showing up too late or too early
d. All of the above are forms of nonverbal communication
14. Nonverbal communication includes
a. all unwritten and unspoken messages, intended or not.
b. only body language and gestures that accompany a spoken message.
c. only eye contact and facial expressions that support the meaning of the words.
d. only cues that reveal agreement with or contradiction of the verbal message.
15. Most people think that the best predictor of a speaker’s true feelings is his or her
a. facial expressions.
b. posture.
c. gestures.
d. eyes.
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16. Suzanne wants to make a good impression during a job interview. What should she do?
a. Avoid eye contact with her interviewer in order to show respect.
b. Slump down in her chair to show that she’s relaxed.
c. Wear professional business attire.
d. She should do all of the above.
17. Melissa noticed that Stephen slammed his desk drawer right after he said that he was
happy to work late. Melissa should
a. tell Stephen that he should behave more professionally.
b. respond to the verbal message only and thank him for working late.
c. politely seek additional information by saying, I’m not sure that you really want to
stay late. Do you have somewhere you need to be?
d. fire Stephen for insubordination.
18. Every country has a unique culture or common heritage that
a. teaches its members how to behave and conditions their reactions.
b. results from a common gene pool.
c. is created by a structured educational system.
d. comes from an orderly system of government and laws.
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19. Communicators in _____________ cultures (such as those in North America,
Scandinavia, and Germany) depend little on the context of a situation to convey their
meaning. They tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented.
a. high-context
b. Asian
c. ancient
d. low-context
20. North Americans value straightforwardness and are suspicious of evasiveness. These
traits identify the cultural dimension of
a. individualism.
b. formality.
c. communication style.
d. time orientation.
21. An American businessperson who thinks that all Swiss are hard-working, efficient, and
neat is illustrating an example of
a. ethnocentrism.
b. tolerance.
c. stereotyping.
d. a cultural norm.
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22. Robert frequently comments that he likes working independently because that’s the
American way—and the American way is the best way! Robert’s belief in the superiority
of his own culture is an example of
a. stereotyping.
b. individualism.
c. ethnocentrism.
d. communication style.
23. Working with people from other cultures will requires tolerance. One of the best ways
to become more tolerant is by
a. practicing empathy.
b. increasing your individualism.
c. encouraging ethnocentrism.
d. knowing your communication style.
24. While conducting business with a customer from Italy, Zoe was careful to speak slowly
and clearly, using short sentences and short, familiar words. But she noticed that the
customer had a glazed expression and did not understand her. Zoe should
a. repeat what she has said in a louder voice.
b. graciously accept the blame for not making her meaning clear.
c. end the conversation until an interpreter can be found.
d. require the Italian businessperson to restate the message in simple words.
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25. When speaking with someone for whom English is a second language, you should talk
slowly, enunciate clearly, check frequently for comprehension, observe eye messages,
listen without interrupting, and
a. follow up in writing.
b. avoid smiling, which might make you appear to lack seriousness.
c. use vocabulary words that will impress the listener.
d. assume that the listener understands if he or she nods and smiles in agreement.
26. When writing for a multicultural audience, you are more likely to be understood if you
use short sentences and short paragraphs and if you include
a. slang, such as This product really rocks!
b. idioms, such as You can improve your bottom line by using this product.
c. acronyms, such as ASAP.
d. action-specific verbs, such as e-mail me if you have any questions rather than
contact me if you have any questions.
27. Max is preparing a contract between his company and one in Mexico. What should he
do when citing numbers in the contract?
a. Use figures for all dates for clarity.
b. Use American currency figures.
c. Use figures instead of spelling them out.
d. Do all of the above.
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28. Which of the following is a benefit of a diverse work environment?
a. Better ability to create the products that consumers desire
b. Fewer discrimination lawsuits, fewer union clashes, and less government regulatory
action
c. Improvement of employee relationships and increased productivity
d. All of the above are benefits of a diverse work environment.
29. Megahertz Technology Solutions, Inc. recently suffered a discrimination lawsuit.
Advice to improve its workforce diversity is likely to include understanding the value of
differences, providing diversity training for employees, building on similarities, and
a. hiring a more homogenous work group.
b. making fewer assumptions.
c. requiring all employees to use jargon that conveys stereotypes.
d. making sure all employees conform to a standard company culture.
30. Workers who communicate successfully with diverse audiences must make few
assumptions, learn about their own and other cultures, and
a. seek common ground.
b. help others conform.
c. avoid noticing differences.
d. All answer choices are correct.
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True-False
1. In making hiring decisions, employers often rank communication skills among the most
requested competencies.
2. Because of today’s communication technology, writing skills are less important than in
the past.
3. We are born with the ability to read, listen, speak, and write.
4. Theresa will be working with Alex on a virtual team to develop a new marketing plan.
Because they won’t meet face to face, their work will be less dependent on good
communication skills.
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5. The central objective of communication is the transmission of meaning.
6. Anything that disrupts the transmission of a message in the communication process is
called noise.
7. Words have the same basic meanings for everyone; therefore, messages communicated
verbally are always understood.
8. After explaining a new procedure to her employees, Amy asks, “Is there anything that
wasn’t clear?” She is asking this question to encourage feedback.
9. Most people listen with 50 percent or higher efficiency.
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10. Psychological barriers to listening include hearing disabilities, poor acoustics, and noisy
surroundings.
11. If you want to become a better listener, your first step is to stop talking.
12. Brooke is listening to a difficult presentation on nanotechnology development. As a
good listener, she should take complete notes of everything said.
13. When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict, listeners tend to believe the verbal
message.
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14. Both your personal appearance and the physical appearance of your business documents
transmit immediate and important nonverbal messages.
15. Zach’s company does business globally. By associating with people from diverse
cultures, Zach can widen his knowledge of intercultural messages and can increase his
tolerance of differences.
16. Greg will be the student speaker for graduation. To ensure that his nonverbal cues
support his verbal message, he should ask friends and family to monitor his conscious
and unconscious body movements and gestures.
17. Joseph will be traveling to South America to increase sales for his company. Because
the meanings of nonverbal gestures are similar in all cultures, Joseph can indicate that
everything is OK with his South American customers by using his thumb and forefinger
to form a circle.
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18. Laura values individualism and personal responsibility in herself and coworkers. These
values are typical of North American culture.
19. Bijan and his family place great emphasis on tradition, ceremony, and social rules. Bijan
is most likely a member of a low-context culture.
20. North Americans consider time a precious commodity and correlate it with productivity,
efficiency, and money.
21. Cross-cultural communication can be improved by practicing tolerance and
ethnocentrism.
22. For international trade it is a good idea to learn and use the metric system.
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23. Developing a diverse staff that can work together cooperatively is one of the biggest
challenges facing business organizations today.
24. Because Ryan has never met a person from Germany, he is worried about traveling
there to do business for his company. Ryan could reduce his worry by attending a
meeting of the local German club and interacting with its members from Germany.
25. Businesses that want to capitalize on cultural diversity need to train workers to think
and act alike in order to reduce conflicts.
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Fill-in-the-Blank
1. ______________ skills refer to reading, listening, nonverbal, speaking, and writing
skills.
2. ___________________ is defined as “the transmission of information and meaning
from one individual or group to another.”
3. In the communication process, _______________ means converting an idea into words
or gestures that will convey meaning.
4. When you decide the spoken or written means by which you will send a message, you
have selected the _______________ of communication.
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5. When the receiver translates the message from its symbol form into meaning, it is
known as _____________.
6. The verbal and nonverbal responses of the receiver create ___________, a vital part of
the entire communication process that helps the sender know that the message was
received and understood.
7. __________ cues include eye contact, facial expression, body movements, space, time,
territory, and appearance.
8. According to a model developed by cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall,
_______________ refers to the stimuli, environment, or ambience surrounding an event
and is arranged on a continuum from low to high.
9. The belief in the superiority of one’s own culture is known as ____________. This
natural attitude is found in all cultures.
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10. ______________ means learning about beliefs and practices different from our own and
appreciating them. One of the best ways to develop this trait is to practice empathy.