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Organizational Behavior, 18e (Robbins)
Chapter 11 Communication
1) Which of the following statements is true with regard to communication?
A) Communication cannot be used to motivate and control employees in an organization.
B) Communication involves the transfer and understanding of meaning.
C) Communication involves the mere imparting of meaning to another person or group.
D) Perfect communication is not dependent on a channel and its richness.
E) Perfect communication results in dissimilar mental models.
2) Norah Baines is one of the most devoted teachers at Oakwood Academy. She has been
working with the institution for seven years and is expecting a promotion soon. However,
Norah's candidacy for this promotion is passed over in favor of another less experienced male
employee due to, in Norah's view, her plans to start a family soon. Consequently, Norah
expresses her concerns and even complains to other teachers and expresses her frustration and
disappointment. Norah's communication falls into the ________ aspect of communication.
A) management
B) feedback
C) facilitation
D) emotional sharing
E) informal
3) The emotional sharing function of communication involves ________.
A) managers motivating employees by setting specific goals
B) management communicating company policies to employees
C) managers training employees in decision-making strategies
D) members of the organization following their job descriptions
E) members of the organization showing their satisfaction and frustrations
4) Synergy Inc. has recently assigned some of its best employees to form a cross-functional team
and complete a project from a new client. Many of the employees on this team are apprehensive
about the structure and dynamics of how they will function as a group and accomplish this goal.
To energize the employees, their immediate manager is holding a meeting with them next week
where he will provide them some additional training in strategies and methods that may work
well for the team. The manager's initiative to hold this meeting fulfills the ________ function of
communication.
A) filtering
B) information
C) emotional expression
D) control
E) informal
5) Before communication can take place, a ________ is required.
A) filter
B) channel
C) receiver
D) purpose
E) decoder
6) In a communication process, the ________ initiates a message by encoding a thought.
A) receiver
B) decoder
C) transmitter
D) sender
E) receptor
7) The ________ is the actual physical product of the sender's encoding.
A) channel
B) filter
C) message
D) noise
E) medium
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8) With reference to the communication process, the ________ is the medium through which the
message travels.
A) feedback
B) noise
C) encoder
D) channel
E) decoder
9) With reference to the communication process, the ________ is the one to whom the message
is directed, who must first translate the symbols into understandable form.
A) creator
B) receiver
C) encoder
D) sender
E) transmitter
10) Stacey was at work when Ann, her sister, called to confirm their dinner plan the following
weekend at their Aunt Hilda's farmhouse. Stacey said she would call Joe, her husband, and get
back to her. However, when Stacey called her back, Ann could not hear most of what she said
because Jennifer, Ann's daughter, was crying loudly in the background. Who is the first sender in
this scenario?
A) Joe
B) Stacey
C) Jennifer
D) Ann
E) Hilda
11) Stacey was at work when Ann, her sister, called to confirm their dinner plan the following
weekend at their Aunt Hilda's farmhouse. Stacey said she would call Joe, her husband, and get
back to her. However, when Stacey called her back, Ann could not hear most of what she said
because Jennifer, Ann's daughter, was crying loudly in the background. Who represents the noise
in the communication process depicted in this scenario?
A) Hilda
B) Joe
C) Jennifer
D) Ann
E) Stacey
12) Formal information channels are characterized by ________.
A) the transmission of spontaneous messages
B) the emergence in response to individual choices
C) the absence of noise in the communication cycle
D) the personal and social nature of usage
E) being compliant with the organizational authority chain
13) Which of the following statements is true regarding an informal communication channel?
A) It traditionally follows the authority chain within the organization.
B) It generally transmits messages related to the professional activities of members.
C) It is established by the organization.
D) It is generally used for communicating personal or social messages.
E) Information regarding change in the policies of the organization is transmitted through it.
14) When the receiver of a communication translates the message, it is known as ________.
A) encoding
B) conveying
C) transmitting
D) filtering
E) decoding
15) In a communication process, ________ is the check on how successful we have been in
transferring our messages as originally intended.
A) filtering
B) signal
C) feedback
D) encoding
E) noise
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16) Which of the following is the final step in the communication process?
A) silence
B) feedback loop
C) all-channel transmission
D) decoding
E) encoding
17) The sender, the message, and the receiver are all parts of the communication process.
18) In the communication process, decoding precedes encoding.
19) It's important to remember that persuasion can benefit or harm an organization.
20) Brian Grazer found good communication makes organizations successful. Communication is
powerful: no group or organization can exist without sharing meaning among its members.
21) What are the seven key parts of the communication process?
22) Communication that flows from one level of a group or organization to a lower level is
called ________.
A) intrapersonal communication
B) downward communication
C) upward communication
D) lateral communication
E) horizontal communication
23) Which of the following is an example of downward communication?
A) Harry is reporting the work he has done for the day to his supervisor.
B) Ben, an assembly line worker, is communicating some safety concerns he has to his manager.
C) Silas has just sent a request for leave to his supervisor and is hoping that it will be accepted.
D) John and Jack, the production and the marketing managers, have met to discuss the budget
constraints they are facing.
E) Ray is holding his monthly meeting with his team in which he informs them of their monthly
targets.
24) Which of the following is a disadvantage of downward communication?
A) communication apprehension
B) inferiority complex
C) inability to convey feedback
D) one-way nature
E) fear of authority chain
25) Communication that flows to a higher level in the group or organization is called ________.
A) intrapersonal communication
B) downward communication
C) upward communication
D) lateral communication
E) horizontal communication
26) Which of the following is an example of upward communication?
A) Jennifer has just received an outstanding performance rating as a part of the yearly appraisals.
B) Sherry is holding a project initiation meeting with her team to familiarize them with the
guidelines and requirements.
C) The assembly line workers have conducted a signature campaign asking for the revision of
the old pay scales.
D) The management has recently given a copy of the new safety policies that the employees
must abide by in their daily work.
E) The heads of the different departments of Carver Inc. have met to discuss their plans for the
coming year.
27) Communication that takes place among members of work groups at the same level is known
as ________ communication.
A) diagonal
B) grapevine
C) upward
D) lateral
E) downward
28) Reuben Williams, the marketing manager for F&B Industries, is frustrated. He feels that the
production division repeatedly lets his division down. Although the latest marketing strategy
announced that a new product would be available in the market by July, the production division
was unable to complete the production of the first batch till August. The production manager
claims that manpower is short and the targets placed on the production division are unreasonably
high. To resolve this deadlock, they will be meeting soon. This meeting is an example of
________ communication.
A) lateral
B) grapevine
C) diagonal
D) upward
E) downward
29) Which of the following is a unique advantage of lateral communication?
A) Lateral communication helps in the transmission of ideas and information.
B) Lateral communication occurring with management's knowledge and support can be
beneficial even if it does not follow the formal vertical structure.
C) Lateral communication facilitates emotional expression, enhances motivation, and helps the
organization control its employees effectively.
D) Lateral communication facilitates coordination at the intradepartmental level.
E) Lateral communication works quickly as it does not follow the stages of the communication
process.
30) Managers can identify influencers (highly networked people trusted by their coworkers) by
noting which individuals are small talkers (those who regularly communicate about insignificant,
unrelated issues).
31) Communication that flows from one level of a group or organization to a lower level is
called downward communication.
32) Lateral communication is often created to short-circuit the vertical hierarchy within an
organization.
33) The all-channel network permits group members to communicate actively with each other.
34) Gehring Services is a company organized around a strong management which values
experience, knowledge, and structure. The company has a detailed framework of rules,
procedures, and guidelines in place to help employees respond to problems in an orderly manner.
Mails, memos, and notifications are used to communicate between managers, employees, and the
management. Despite such provisions to help in structuring and executing work, the company
incurs losses for delays and quality issues. One of their key clients had asked for two similar
projects to be delivered by the teams headed by Briony and Benedict. While Benedict's team
completed the project successfully on time, Briony's team had to implement numerous last-
minute changes to meet client specifications, and she ended up delivering the project over a week
late. Which of the following, if true, would explain this delay in Briony's submission?
A) Briony's team was comprised of members who generated a lot of positive synergy while
working together.
B) Briony and Benedict had teams comprising equal members and were allocated company
resources in equitable manner.
C) The company stipulated that all communication be in the upward or downward mode only to
ensure clarity and control.
D) Briony had a good track record with clients who trusted her to do a good job.
E) The management allowed Briony's team an extension to complete the project.
35) Explain and provide a workplace example for each of the following communication
situations: oral communication in downward flowing direction; written communication in
upward flowing direction; and nonverbal communication in lateral flowing direction.
36) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of oral communication.
37) The ________ network is a type of formal small-group network that rigidly follows the
formal and hierarchical levels of command.
A) matrix
B) chain
C) wheel
D) all channel
E) cross-functional
38) Peter is working on a project. He feels that the parameters need to be changed to meet client
specifications. First, he must talk to his immediate supervisor, who will then discuss the issue
with her department director before any changes can be implemented. Peter is most likely a part
of a ________ small-group network.
A) star
B) mesh
C) chain
D) all-channel
E) ring
39) The ________ network is a type of formal small-group network that relies on a central figure
to act as the conduit for all the group's communication.
A) matrix
B) chain
C) wheel
D) all channel
E) cross-functional
40) Carol Zelner, the manager of a small event management company, is known for her
efficiency. She provides the team with clearly defined tasks, guidelines, and directives. Further,
she is always available to provide feedback or resolve troubles. Recently, with Carol on leave for
about three weeks, the team had a lot of problems. The team members lacked the requisite
information on client details, locations, and budgets and had to repeatedly cross-check with each
other or the clients. Which of the following, if true, would best explain the problems faced by
Carol's team currently?
A) Members of Carol's team have a high degree of satisfaction with their role in the team's
communication.
B) Carol selects employees for her company by evaluating their personality traits to ensure that
they fit well into the team-based environment of the company.
C) Carol encourages all group members to actively communicate with each other.
D) Carol's team primarily consists of individuals from low-context cultures.
E) The communication in Carol's team follows the approach represented by a wheel network.
41) The ________ network is a type of formal small-group network that permits the entire group
to actively communicate with each other.
A) matrix
B) virtual
C) wheel
D) chain
E) all-channel
42) The all-channel network is practiced most commonly in ________.
A) traditional teams
B) self-managed teams
C) cross-functional teams
D) problem-solving groups
E) work groups
43) Ideally, a chain network should be used when ________.
A) high speed of information transfer is desired
B) accuracy of information is most important
C) the network is expected to facilitate emergence of a leader
D) high member satisfaction is desired
E) the teams using the chain network are self-managed teams
44) The criteria of member satisfaction is best met by the ________ type of formal small-group
network.
A) hierarchical
B) wheel
C) chain
D) traditional
E) all-channel
45) Which of the following represents the informal communication network in an organization?
A) feedback loop
B) grapevine
C) chain network
D) all-channel network
E) wheel network
46) The informal communication network in an organization is ________.
A) determined by organization
B) based on clear and factual information
C) rooted in issues of minimal importance to employees
D) characterized by ambiguity
E) controlled by the management
47) Managers should minimize the negative consequences of rumors by limiting rumors' range
and impact.
