Chapter 14—Communication
TRUE/FALSE
1. Managers facilitate strategic conversations by using open communication, actively listening to others,
applying the practice of dialogue, and using feedback for learning and change.
2. Managers spend 80 percent of every working day reading or writing.
3. Communication permeates every management function.
4. Communication is the process by which information is transmitted from the speaker to the listener.
5. The process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people is the
definition of communication.
6. The sender must encode the message and select a communication channel after developing the
message.
7. The process of encoding, the selection of a channel, the presence of noise, and the development of
feedback are four of the factors involved in the communication process.
8. Without feedback, communication is only a two-way process, sender to receiver and receiver to
sender.
9. Communication can break down if sender and receiver do not encode or decode language in the same
way.
10. Channel richness is the number of cues and the level of potential noise in a channel that is selected for
communication.
11. Face-to-face discussion is the richest channel, in terms of channel richness.
12. Impersonal written media, including fliers and bulletins, are the lowest in channel richness.
13. By selecting rich channels managers can communicate nonroutine messages effectively.
14. Instant messaging is electronic communication that allows users to see who is connected to a network
and share information instantly.
15. Routine messages typically are ambiguous, concern novel events and impose great potential for
misunderstanding.
16. The choice of a communication channel can convey a symbolic meaning to the receiver.
17. An individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with interpersonal communications is called
communication apprehension.
18. For most women, talk is primarily a means to preserve independence and negotiate and maintain status
in a hierarchy.
19. Men tend to use more submissive gestures when communicating with women such as tilting their
heads while talking, lowering their eyes, or putting their hands in their laps.
20. Forms of nonverbal communication include blushing, perspiring, glancing, crying, and laughing.
21. Formulating in your mind what you are going to say next is an important part of effective listening.
22. Blogs, running Web logs that allow people to post opinions, ideas, and information, provide a
low-cost, always-fresh real-time link between organizations and customers, employees, the media, and
investors.
23. A good listener is passive and laid back.
24. A poor listener listens to central themes.
25. A formal communication channel is a communication channel that flows within the chain of
command.
26. The most familiar and obvious flow of informal communication is downward communication.
27. The topics covered in upward communication are indoctrination and implementation of goals and
strategies.
28. The major problem with downward communication is drop off, the distortion or loss of message
content.
29. An example of upward communication is performance feedback.
30. Performance reports and suggestions for improvement are two types of upward communication.
31. Types of information generally communicated upwards include performance reports, suggestions for
improvement and performance feedback.
32. Horizontal communication is the lateral or diagonal exchange of messages among peers or coworkers.
33. Interdepartmental coordination refers to messages that take place among members of the same
department and concern task accomplishment.
34. Horizontal communication is particularly important in teaching organizations, where teams of workers
are continuously solving problems and searching for new ways of doing things.
35. Messages that are designed to share information among teams and departments that can help the
organization change, grow, or improve are called change initiatives and improvements.
36. Team members, in decentralized networks, must communicate through one individual to solve
problems or make decisions.
37. A decentralized network is a team communication structure in which team members freely
communicate with one another and arrive at decisions together.
38. Personal communication channels exist within the formally authorized channels and adhere to the
organization’s hierarchy of authority.
39. Grapevine is a type of personal channel used in many organizations.
40. Acquisition and cultivation of personal relationships that cross departmental, hierarchical, and even
organizational boundaries refers to personal networking.
41. An informal, person-to-person communication network of employees that is not officially sanctioned
by the organization refers to the grapevine.
42. To improve writing skills, managers must respect the reader.
43. When facing a crisis, prompt and thoughtful communications counter confusion and replace it with
confidence in the organization’s leaders.
44. To prevent panic during a time of crisis, managers should hide the truth from employees and
stakeholders.
45. Creating a climate of trust and openness is the most important thing managers can do to enhance
organization communication.
46. Methods for managing communication include personal networks, nonverbal communication, and
multiple channels.
47. In a low-context culture such as the United States, disagreeing with a superior is considered
disrespectful and even disloyal.
48. Research has found that communication channels differ in their capacity to convey information.
49. Routine messages tend to be simple and straightforward, such as conveying data or statistics.
50. Research finds that the most effective way to persuade and influence others is by issuing directives.
51. To inspire employees to achieve goals in today’s difficult economic environment, some male
managers are shifting to a more female-oriented communication style.
52. Verbal communication refers to the pitch, tone, and timbre of one’s voice, whereas vocal
communication refers to the actual spoken words.
53. Asking questions and paraphrasing what is said are examples of poor listening skills.
54. Procedures and practices are downward communication topics that define the organization’s rules,
regulations, benefits, and structural arrangements.
55. The airing of grievances and complaints typically flows from top managers downward.
56. Team communication is a form of downward communication.
57. When building a personal communication network, it is important to build it before you need it.
58. When using written communication in the workplace, it is necessary to use technical jargon and
terminology to make it seem like you know what you are talking about.
59. The use of email continues to grow, with 21 percent growth in new users over one year from 2008 to
2009.
60. Managers should develop and use formal communication channels in all directions.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. ____ refers to dialogue across boundaries and hierarchical levels about the team or organization’s
vision, critical strategic themes, and values that help achieve important goals.
a.
Tactical discussion
b.
Strategic conversation
c.
Intentional chat
d.
Calculated exchange
e.
Deliberate talk
2. What percentage of a manager’s time is spent in direct communication?
a.
20 percent
b.
100 percent
c.
50 percent
d.
80 percent
e.
40 percent
3. What kinds of skills are fundamental necessities in every part of a manager’s job?
a.
Organizational
b.
Communication
c.
MBWA
d.
Analysis
e.
Punishment
4. Communication is defined by the text as the process by which information is
a.
shared.
b.
exchanged and understood by two or more people, usually with the intent to motivate or
influence behavior.
c.
received.
d.
transmitted to others.
e.
stored.
5. What are the key elements of communication?
a.
Encoding, message, and feedback
b.
Encoding, noise, and symbols
c.
Message, circuit, and decoding
d.
Feedback, message, and perception
e.
Feedback, circuit, and perception
6. ____ is necessary for communication to be considered two-way.
a.
Message
b.
Channel
c.
Feedback
d.
Noise
e.
Circuit
7. The receiver ____ the symbols to interpret the meaning of the message.
a.
encodes
b.
transmits
c.
decodes
d.
responds to
e.
must ignore
8. Which of the following, in the communication process, has the responsibility to decode the symbols
and interpret the meaning of the message?
a.
Sender
b.
Receiver
c.
Channel
d.
Filter
e.
Middleman
9. ____ and ____ are potential sources for communication errors, because knowledge, attitudes, and
background act as filters.
a.
Encoding, channel
b.
Encoding, noise
c.
Decoding, channel
d.
Decoding, encoding
e.
Decoding, noise
10. According to SPOTLIGHT ON SKILLS in Chapter 13, some ways to improve communication with a
non-native English speaker include all of the following EXCEPT:
a.
keep your message simple
b.
select your words with care
c.
cover your mouth with your hand
d.
speak slowly and carefully
e.
fight the urge to shout
11. ____ refers to the amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode.
a.
Channel richness
b.
Electronic mail
c.
Encoding
d.
Upward communication
e.
Feedback
12. Channel richness refers to the
a.
number of messages a channel can carry at one time.
b.
speed in which messages can be carried.
c.
amount of information that can be transmitted during a communication episode.
d.
number of channels available at any one time.
e.
profitability potential of a proposed channel.
13. The capacity of an information channel is influenced by all of these EXCEPT
a.
the ability to establish a personal focus.
b.
the ability to handle multiple cues simultaneously.
c.
the ability to facilitate rapid, two-way feedback.
d.
the ability to minimize costs.
e.
both the ability to establish a personal focus and the ability to facilitate rapid, two-way
feedback.
14. Which of these is the richest medium for communication?
a.
Telephone conversations
b.
Face-to-face contact
c.
Electronic media
d.
Written media
e.
Voice mail
15. ____ are examples of channels which managers might choose to use when communicating with
employees.
a.
Newsletter, telephone, and feedback
b.
Telephone, electronic mail, and memo
c.
Television, encoding, and letter
d.
National newspapers and television
e.
All of these
16. Which communication channel would be most successful to inform managers of impending
company-wide layoff?
a.
Telephone conversations
b.
Face-to-face contact
c.
Electronic media
d.
Written media
e.
None of these
17. When an electronic mail system is installed as part of the communication system, what element of the
communication process is changed?
a.
Channel
b.
Message
c.
Sender
d.
Filter
e.
Receiver
18. ____ does not focus on a single receiver, uses limited information cues, and does not permit feedback.
a.
Bulletins
b.
Telephone conversations
c.
Video conference
d.
Face to face contact
e.
A personal memo
19. Which of the following comprises the lowest channel richness?
a.
Electronic mail
b.
Bulletins
c.
Face-to-face talk
d.
Telephone
e.
Memos
20. ____ is(are) typically ambiguous, concern novel events, and impose great potential for
misunderstanding.
a.
Nonroutine messages
b.
Channel richness
c.
Routine messages
d.
Feedback
e.
Nonverbal communications
21. The term ____ is defined as “an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or
anticipated communication.”
a.
leadership trepidation
b.
public consternation
c.
anticipation nervousness
d.
communication medium
e.
communication apprehension
22. Compared to men, women tend to
a.
use verbal language to exhibit knowledge and skill.
b.
stare and point more.
c.
enjoy demonstrating their knowledge.
d.
use their unique conversational style to show involvement.
e.
value their position at center stage.
23. An example of non-verbal communication is all of these EXCEPT
a.
posture.
b.
facial expression.
c.
voice.
d.
written memo.
e.
body language.
24. Non-verbal communication has the biggest impact when using ____.
a.
video conference
b.
telephone
c.
formal letter
d.
face-to-face communication
e.
newspaper article
25. ____ is defined as communication transmitted through actions and behaviors rather than through
words.
a.
Verbal communication
b.
Oral communication
c.
Written communication
d.
Nonverbal communication
e.
Electronic mail
26. The skills of ____ require receiving messages to accurately grasp facts and feelings to interpret the
meaning of the message.
a.
communication
b.
listening
c.
managing
d.
reception
e.
telling
27. Listening is ____ of effective communication.
a.
10 percent
b.
25 percent
c.
40 percent
d.
50 percent
e.
75 percent
28. Highly successful salespeople spend ____ of a sales call letting the customer talk.
a.
15-20 percent
b.
40-50 percent
c.
60-70 percent
d.
all
e.
none
29. Keys to effective listening include all of the following EXCEPT
a.
find areas of interest.
b.
listen for ideas.
c.
be responsive.
d.
have preconceptions.
e.
all of these are keys to effective listening.
30. Which of the following is(are) part of keys to effective listening?
a.
Listen for facts
b.
Listen for ideas
c.
Be passive, laid back
d.
Have preconceptions
e.
All of these
31. Characteristics of a good listener are someone who
a.
asks questions, listens for facts, and avoids distractions.
b.
asks questions, summarizes, and listens to central themes.
c.
shows interest, judges content, and has preconceptions.
d.
listens between lines, starts to argue, and works hard.
e.
shows interest, works hard, and starts to argue.
32. Good listeners exhibit all of the following characteristics EXCEPT
a.
asking questions.
b.
having preconceptions.
c.
tolerates bad habits.
d.
judges content, not delivery errors.
e.
all of these.
33. Which of the following is described by the text as a communication channel that flows within the
chain of command or task responsibility defined by the organization?
a.
Formal communication
b.
Horizontal communication
c.
Downward communication
d.
Upward communication
e.
Diagonal communication
34. Which of the following is the most familiar and obvious flow of formal communication?
a.
Downward communication
b.
Gossips
c.
Horizontal communication
d.
Upward communication
e.
Vertical communication
35. Downward communication is usually used to communicate information about all of the following
EXCEPT
a.
indoctrination.
b.
procedures.
c.
performance feedback.
d.
suggestions for improvement.
e.
implementation of goals.
36. Information distortion or loss of message content is a major problem with
a.
upward communication.
b.
formal communication.
c.
downward communication.
d.
informal communication.
e.
horizontal communication.