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Management, 9e (Kinicki)
Chapter 15 Interpersonal and Organizational Communication:
Mastering the Exchange of Information
1) Sylvie had many spelling and grammar mistakes in her report, some of which made the content
difficult to understand. Sylvie's report is an example of poor encoding.
2) Noise is any disturbance that interferes with the transmission of a message, and it can occur in
any medium.
3) The sun was shining directly into Luca's eyes, so he looked away and missed the coach's
demonstration of a defensive technique. In this case, the sun acts as feedback in the
communication process.
4) Face-to-face communication is the richest form of communication because the receiver
observes multiple cues in the message.
5) If you must tell an employee that he is facing a sexual harassment investigation, you should use
a rich medium of communication.
6) An order taker who has a thick accent, and someone who speaks too fast at a fast-food
drive-through, are examples of communication barriers.
7) When a supervisor is afraid to voice an idea because she or he fears criticism, the result is a
receiver barrier.
8) Formal channels of communication are typically faster than the grapevine.
9) When using text messages for important workplace communications, use abbreviations and
emojis to streamline the communication.
10) Generally people retain about 75 percent of what they hear.
11) Which of the following statements is NOT true about communication in the workplace?
A) Communication is a form of social information processing, in which receivers interpret
messages by cognitively processing them.
B) Efficient communicators can transmit their message accurately in the least amount of time.
C) The pathway by which a message travels is called the medium.
D) The communication process involves sender, message, and receiver; encoding and decoding;
the medium; feedback; and dealing with "noise," or interference.
E) E-mails can cut through the misunderstandings that result from misinterpreted phone calls.
12) Communication is
A) speaking or writing so that another is able to comprehend the meaning.
B) interpretation of messages sent via any media.
C) the combined activities of speaking and listening.
D) a process involving only the sender, message, and receiver.
E) the transfer of information and understanding from one person to another.
13) You are a(n) ________ communicator when your intended message is sent accurately in the
least amount of time.
A) economical
B) collaborative
C) formal
D) efficient
E) effective
14) Which of the following is NOT an element of the communication model?
A) sender
B) decoder
C) feedback
D) noise
E) message
15) ________ is the process of translating a message into understandable symbols or language.
A) Mediation
B) Transformation
C) Encoding
D) Decoding
E) Enriching
16) When the band came out on stage and the lead singer shouted, "Hello, Philadelphia!" the
crowd roared with applause. The crowd's response is an example of
A) decoding.
B) medium selection.
C) noise.
D) feedback.
E) encoding.
17) Which of the following is NOT an example of noise in the communication process in a typical
classroom?
A) a student in the back of the classroom texting a friend
B) a student answering a professor's question
C) groundskeepers mowing the lawn outside the classroom window
D) uncomfortable classroom desks
E) an attractive person walking by the open classroom door
18) Thinking about the communication process, which of the following would be an accurate
description of one of the steps?
A) The message is transmitted through a medium.
B) The sender decodes the message.
C) The medium is eliminated.
D) Noise is eliminated from the message.
E) The receiver selects the medium.
19) A(n) ________ form of media allows receivers to observe multiple cues, such as body
language and tone of voice, and allows senders to get feedback. Face-to-face communication is an
example of this form of media.
A) encoded
B) dense
C) rich
D) informal
E) formal
20) Which of the following is the most appropriate medium for a manager advising employees of a
revision to the company's bonus structure?
A) The manager should e-mail all those affected.
B) A face-to-face meeting should be called between the manager and employees.
C) An announcement should be posted near the office coffee machine.
D) The manager should telephone each employee.
E) A personal note should be sent to each from the manager.
21) Of the following, which medium is the richest?
A) company newsletter
B) telephone
C) videoconference
D) memo
E) e-mail
22) Of the following, which medium is the LEAST rich?
A) e-mail
B) instant messaging on the Internet
C) flyer on a bulletin board
D) handwritten note
E) conference telephone call
23) A manager needs to inform employees that the quarterly project management training will start
on June 1, about three months from now. Generally, which of the following should the manager
use in this situation?
A) videoconference
B) e-mail
C) personal note
D) face-to-face meeting
E) telephone
24) Executives at Amalfi Construction want to let middle managers know that the company is
going to be acquired by its largest competitor. Assuming the following paths of communication are
possible, how should executives communicate this information?
A) Send a note to all managers.
B) Post a notice on all bulletin boards.
C) Hold a face-to-face meeting.
D) Send an e-mail to all managers.
E) Schedule a conference phone call.
25) Gina wanted to tell her employees about the seminar, but she put the flyer in a stack of papers
and forgot about it until after the deadline, so none of her employees were able to sign up for the
seminar. What type of barrier has occurred in this situation?
A) feedback barrier
B) encoding barrier
C) medium barrier
D) sender barrier
E) receiver barrier
26) Chenglei worked on a global team for an American company, and all her work had to be
completed in her second language, English. Sometimes her teammates misinterpreted her
meaning. Chenglei has unintentionally created a(n) ________ barrier to communication.
A) decoding
B) sender
C) feedback
D) encoding
E) receiver
27) Brett was talking to a coworker in a meeting, and he wasn't listening when his supervisor
announced work assignments. This situation is a(n) ________ barrier to communication.
A) medium
B) receiver
C) feedback
D) decoding
E) encoding
28) Gabrielle works part time in a coffee shop. Some of the equipment is so noisy it prevents her
from correctly hearing what the customer orders. The noisy equipment is an example of a(n)
________ barrier to communication.
A) physical
B) semantic
C) personal
D) encoding
E) feedback
29) Joi, working at a research facility in Washington, DC, needs to communicate with Jesús, who
is in Mexico City, about a project they are working on. Although Jesús has a perfect command of
English, they are still facing a(n) ________ barrier to communication.
A) semantic
B) physical
C) encoding
D) medium
E) personal
30) ________ is a state of reduced attention that is expressed in behavior that is rigid or
thoughtless. This state is natural because human beings simply cannot keep up with all the stimuli
they receive.
A) Mindfulness
B) Cognitive distortion
C) The mirror effect
D) Nonverbal communication
E) Mindlessness
31) ________ is terminology that is specific to a particular profession or group. For example,
statisticians talk about t-tests, chi-square tests, confidence intervals, and normal distributions.
A) The grapevine
B) Technology
C) Gossip
D) Jargon
E) Rhetoric
32) Which of the following is NOT a personal barrier to communication?
A) generational differences
B) a large ego
C) lack of credibility
D) mindlessness
E) obsolete technology
33) JJ was recently promoted to manager. Although he used to take advice from his peers, he
seems no longer willing to listen to any input from them or his boss, and he is determined to run the
project how he thinks best. Which personal barrier to communication is JJ exhibiting?
A) an oversized ego
B) variable skills in communicating effectively
C) a tendency to judge others' messages
D) an inability to listen with understanding
E) variation in interpreting information
34) Which of the following is NOT a way in which nonverbal communication is expressed?
A) grimacing
B) avoiding eye contact
C) looking away while talking to someone
D) texting during a meeting
E) touching someone's shoulder
35) Most people from Western cultures tend to ________ when conveying bad news or negative
feedback.
A) avoid eye contact
B) smile
C) nod their heads
D) lean forward
E) yawn
36) Which of the following should you NOT do when attempting to improve communication?
A) Occasionally nod in agreement.
B) Close your eyes.
C) Speak in a quiet, reassuring tone.
D) Smile and show animation.
E) Lean toward the speaker.
37) Which of the following should you do when attempting to improve communication?
A) Close your eyes.
B) Lick your lips or play with your hair.
C) Look away from the speaker.
D) Speak very slowly.
E) Maintain eye contact.
38) Compared to women, men tend to
A) use emoticons to express sarcasm and banter.
B) easily indicate their uncertainties.
C) use more "we" statements.
D) provide more information than needed.
E) make more apologies.
39) Knowing that men and women communicate differently, which of the following statements
would be more likely true for men?
A) They boast about achievements.
B) They mention "we" or "you" in a conversation with a coworker.
C) They use positive overlaps such as "I agree."
D) They decipher nonverbal cues accurately.
E) They provide more information than needed.
40) Which of the following statements is true?
A) Men are more skilled at deciphering nonverbal cues than women are.
B) Men are less willing than women to talk over others.
C) In terms of answering questions, men tend to provide more information than needed, while
women tend to be quick and to the point.
D) Men tend to withdraw and isolate themselves when problem solving, whereas women seek out
others for support.
E) Men are more likely than women to indicate that they are uncertain about an issue.
41) ________ is a person's characteristic speaking patterns, such as the use of pacing, pausing,
questions, and stories.
A) Horizontal communication
B) A communication device
C) A formal message
D) A linguistics style
E) Multi-communication
42) Channels of communication that follow the chain of command and are considered as official
are ________ communication channels.
A) prescribed
B) formal
C) vertical
D) horizontal
E) external
43) Which of the following indicates how official communications should be routed?
A) organization chart
B) grapevine
C) lateral networks
D) corporate culture
E) personnel files
