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80) Which of the following is a danger of using a lean medium for nonroutine matters?
A) It results in information overloading.
B) It doesn’t provide enough of the information the sender needs and wants.
C) The delivery has more information than necessary.
D) It results in information oversimplification.
E) It is too personal.
81) Kelly, a small business owner, regularly seeks input from her external stakeholders about her
products. She is most likely speaking to all of the following EXCEPT
A) customers.
B) employees.
C) suppliers.
D) peers in the community.
E) shareholders.
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82) What should a meeting participant NOT do?
A) Prepare but stay flexible.
B) Ask “why” questions.
C) Be on time.
D) Participate intelligently.
E) Follow up.
83) Michelle just got back from spending two weeks in her company’s Germany office. Her flight
was delayed, so instead of going home and getting some rest, she went right into the office. At the
morning status meeting, Michelle thought that everyone was sharing their weekend plans, instead
of giving their division reports. Why did she feel that way?
A) sender barrier
B) encoding barrier
C) receiver barrier
D) decoding barrier
E) feedback barrier
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84) What is a disadvantage to open-plan offices?
A) People may feel “on” all day.
B) Introverted peoples are encouraged to collaborate.
C) They are cheaply constructed.
D) They are too bright and airy.
E) All conversations seem like impromptu meetings.
85) Who defines effective communication?
A) the writer
B) the sender
C) the receiver
D) the medium
E) the designer
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86) Every time Kiersten’s phone buzzed during a meeting, she would step out to either take the call
or respond to the text. It did not seem to matter, if she was the one presenting at the time or just
listening. She did not even seem to notice the eye rolls from the others or any of the other
nonverbal cues. How would you describe Kiersten’s behavior?
A) She was using active listening.
B) She was practicing mindlessness.
C) She was experiencing crowdsourcing.
D) She was employing cyberloafing.
E) She was utilizing phubbing
87) While networking, you are more likely to be remembered if you ask
A) “What was the highlight of your day?”
B) “Where do you work?”
C) “Do you live nearby?”
D) “Where did you go to college/school?”
E) “Where are you from/did you grow up?”
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88) Portia was preparing for a networking event and kept reminding herself that she needed to keep
eye contact with whomever she was speaking, even though that was not typical for her culture.
What skill was Portia working on?
A) Portia was attempting to build personal connections.
B) Portia was practicing being mindful.
C) Portia was working on how to follow up.
D) Portia was networking with a purpose.
E) Portia was creating a positive mind-set.
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89) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.
First, describe the elements of the communication process.
Next, imagine that you are the CEO of a cosmetics company. Your company is headquartered in
Dallas, where you have more than 3,000 employees. You are planning to give a talk to all the
employees, a “state of the company” address that reviews the company’s performance, victories,
and challenges over the past 12 months. Because you want every employee to be able to listen to
your address, you decide to do it as a webcast that employees can watch on their computers in real
time. Explain how your webcast includes each element of the communication process.
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90) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.
First, define the concept of media richness, explaining which forms of media are richer, which are
less rich, and why.
Next, suppose that you manage a local branch of the U.S. Post Office. You need to communicate
three key pieces of information: (a) an annual performance appraisal for each of the employees at
the branch, (2) an update regarding the sales of commemorative stamps to a regional manager, and
(3) information regarding postage rate increases to the general public. Which type of media would
you use for each of these three pieces of information?
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91) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.
First, identify and explain the five types of communication barriers.
Next, imagine that you manage the gate agents at a busy international airport. (The gate agents are
the people who staff the gates, taking people’s tickets, managing the boarding process, and helping
to resolve issues with seating.) Describe how the gate agents might encounter each type of barrier,
and what you might do to reduce these barriers.
92) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.
First, define formal communication in an organization.
Second, imagine that you manage a company that is going through layoffs. The company plans to
lay off 15 percent of the workforce. Provide an example of how you might use each of the three
types of formal communication to communicate with employees about the layoffs.
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93) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.
First, what is the grapevine, and when does the grapevine flourish and thrive?
Second, suppose that you manage a small laboratory that develops fragrances (men’s colognes,
women’s perfumes, unisex deodorants). The office grapevine is thriving; employees believe that
the company is about to be purchased by a much larger firm, and that the result will be a move to
another state, decreased benefits, and massive layoffs. While the company is under negotiations to
be purchased, there will be no move or change in benefits based on the purchase. Layoffs could
occur, but it’s hard to say at this point. Describe several ways that you might get the grapevine
under control.
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94) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.
First, define the concept of security in the digital age.
Second, imagine that you manage the customer-service department at the local utility (provider of
electricity and natural gas). Name at least three specific measures that your department could take
to prevent security breaches on the Internet.
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95) Explain why it is important to become a good listener.
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96) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.
First, list at least four tips for handling a high volume of e-mail in a business setting.
Next, suppose that you manage the back office of a car dealership. Explain how you would
implement these tips in your office setting.
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97) Discuss general strategies that managers can use to streamline meetings.
98) This question contains two parts; be sure to answer both.
First, define noise and describe how it can disrupt the communication process.
Second, imagine that you are studying for a final exam for a difficult course. Think about where
you typically study. What are the sources of noise in that environment? Describe each, and propose
a plan for reducing or eliminating noise so that you can concentrate on your studies.
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99) How can social media generate brand recognition with customers?
100) Describe how you can improve your networking skills.