Managing Human Behavior in Public and Nonprofit Organizations | 4th edition
Robert B. Denhardt • Janet V. Denhardt • Maria P. Aristigueta
Sage 2015
Test Bank | Chapter 9
Communicating Effectively With Others
Multiple Choice
1. In the classic formulation of communication, communication is successful when the ________
understands what the ________ intended.
A) Sender; receiver
B) Receiver; sender
C) Listener; speaker
D) Speaker; listener
2. Which of the following is NOT a condition under which people are likely to use strategic
ambiguity?
A) People are faced with multiple goals
B) Relationships are tenuous
C) Front-line positions are threatened
D) Conditions are likely to change
3. According to your textbook, out of the time people spend on communication, about ________
of that time is spent on sending messages and about ________ is spent on receiving messages.
A) 40%; 60%
B) 50%; 50%
C) 60%; 40%
D) 70%; 30%
4. ________ refers to the difference between the meaning that was intended by the sender and
the meaning that was decoded by the receiver.
A) Misunderstanding
B) Distortion
C) Misrepresentation
D) None of the above
5. ________ behavior occurs when a person feels or anticipates some sort of threat.
A) Stereotyping
B) Offensive
C) Threatening
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D) Defensive
6. Which of the following terms refers to the way in which individuals involved in more complex
communications may alter their messages as they transmit them to others?
A) Actual noise
B) Social noise
C) Social pressure
D) Actual pressure
7. Which of the following is a NOT a characteristic of supportive communication?
A) Validating, not demeaning
B) Descriptive, not evaluative
C) General, not specific
D) Conjunctive, not disjunctive
8. Which of the following is a characteristic of supportive communication?
A) Problem oriented, not person oriented
B) Owned, not disowned
C) Two-way, not one-way
D) All of the above
9. ________ statements clearly relate to what was said previously and move the conversation
forward.
A) Disjunctive
B) Injunctive
C) Adjunctive
D) Conjunctive
10. Brenda often tries to make herself look good by making others look bad. This type of
communication is known as:
A) One-upmanship
B) Falsehoods
C) Put-downs
D) Defensive
11. Which of the following is a potential pitfall of self-disclosure?
A) Efforts might be seen as inappropriate
B) Efforts might be seen as manipulative
C) People might react defensively
D) All of the above
12. The key to effective persuasion is the ________ of the source.
A) Position
B) Credibility
C) Authority
D) Sincerity
13. Which of the following specialized forms of communication involves identifying and
addressing problems by determining and implementing courses of action through one-to-one
communication with affected employees?
A) Personal counseling
B) Conducting effective meetings
C) Writing memos
D) Disciplining employees
14. According to your textbook, people in the United States think at a rate of about ________
words per minute and speak at a rate of about ________ words per minute.
A) 500; 150
B) 150; 500
C) 450; 200
D) 200; 450
15. People from North America and Europe tend to ________ eye contact when speaking with
others, whereas people from Asia ________ eye contact.
A) Encourage; discourage
B) Maintain; avoid
C) Encourage; discourage
D) Avoid; maintain
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16. Variation in our tone of voice or in its pitch, expression, or rate of speed is known as:
A) Paralinguistics
B) Occulesics
C) Linguistics
D) Kinesics
17. Body language is also known as:
A) Paralinguistics
B) Occulesics
C) Linguistics
D) Kinesics
18. A helping relationship where one hires a management consultant is known as:
A) Informal
B) Semi-formal
C) Formal
D) None of the above
19. Which of the following is NOT one of the “six C’s” developed for effective managerial
writing?
A) Courtesy
B) Clearness
C) Confidence
D) Correctness
20. Sandeep acknowledges cultural differences but trivializes them, believing that human
similarities far outweigh any differences. Which of the following types of thinking does he have?
A) Ethnocentric
B) Geocentric
C) Ethnorelative
D) Polycentric
21. Which of the following are organizational cultural factors that can lead to the
underrepresentation of woman and minorities in the workplace?
A) Playing sports
B) Exclusion from the “good old boys” network
C) Going to lunch with the “right” crowd
D) All of the above
True/False
22. People view the world through different lenses shaped by our accumulated perceptions,
attitudes, beliefs, and interpretations.
23. Supportive communication involves listening carefully and receiving feedback from the other
person.
24. Jargon involves manipulating the information that is being sent so that it will be received
more favorably by the receiver.
25. Messages transmitted orally might be misinterpreted as words pass by quickly and soon are
forgotten as people move on to other things.
26. Women are more cooperative and team oriented than men in the workplace.
27. According to Carl Rogers, the main obstacle to effective communication is people’s
tendency to evaluate.
28. Conjunctive statements are not connected and often create a roadblock interfering with
effective communication.
29. Demeaning messages create barriers between people, but the barriers do not remain in place
for a long period of time.
30. The greater the discrepancy in clout between the influencer and the target, the greater the
likelihood that hard tactics will be used.
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31. The formal character of written communication is considered appropriate for all types of
messages.
Essay
32. Discuss some of the key issues to keep in mind when exploring the communication process.
What are some potential pitfalls?
33. Provide three examples of communication failures, listing what the manager might say, what
they really meant, and what their employee heard. What are the potential consequences for each
of your examples of miscommunication?
34. Discuss the components of supportive communication. Provide examples to support your
discussion.
35. Detail the best practices for oral communication. When should it be used? When should it be
avoided? Discuss, providing relevant examples where appropriate.
36. Compare and contrast the different forms of specialized communication. How should each be
used? Discuss, providing relevant examples where appropriate.
37. What is the work-life balance? Does it affect the ability of woman to have a strong presence
in an organization? Why or why not?