Chapter 17—Managing 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 doing desk work.
3. The process by which information is exchanged and understood by two or more people is the
definition of communication.
4. Without feedback, communication is only a two-way process, sender to receiver and receiver to
sender.
5. The sender must encode the message and select a communication channel after developing the
message.
6. Communication can break down if sender and receiver do not encode or decode language in the same
way.
7. Face-to-face discussion is the richest channel, in terms of channel richness.
8. Team members, in decentralized networks, must communicate through one individual to solve
problems or make decisions.
9. A decentralized network is a team communication structure in which team members freely
communicate with one another and arrive at decisions together.
10. Channel richness is the number of cues and the level of potential noise in a channel that is selected for
communication.
11. Routine messages tend to be simple and straightforward, such as conveying data or statistics.
12. By selecting rich channels managers can communicate nonroutine messages effectively.
13. Impersonal written media, including flyers and bulletins, are the lowest in channel richness.
14. Routine messages typically are ambiguous, concern novel events and impose great potential for
misunderstanding.
15. Managers connect with others, to persuade and influence, primarily by using impersonal written media
such as fliers and bulletins.
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. Creating a climate of trust and openness is the most important thing managers can do to enhance
organization communication.
19. Forms of nonverbal communication include blushing, perspiring, glancing, crying, and laughing.
20. Formulating in your mind what you are going to say next is an important part of effective listening.
21. 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.
22. The receiver usually will give more weight to behavioral actions than to verbal messages when verbal
and nonverbal messages are contradictory.
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 topics covered in upward communication are indoctrination and implementation of goals and
strategies.
27. An example of upward communication is performance feedback.
28. Performance reports and suggestions for improvement are two types of upward communication.
29. Horizontal communication is the lateral or diagonal exchange of messages among peers or coworkers.
30. The major problem with downward communication is drop off, the distortion or loss of message
content.
31. Types of information generally communicated upwards include performance reports, suggestions for
improvement, and performance feedback.
32. Procedures and practices are downward communication topics that define the organization’s rules,
regulations, benefits, and structural arrangements.
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. Acquisition and cultivation of personal relationships that cross departmental, hierarchical, and even
organizational boundaries refers to personal networking.
37. Grapevine is a type of personal channel used in many organizations.
38. An informal, person-to-person communication network of employees that is not officially sanctioned
by the organization refers to the grapevine.
39. Social media does not include blogs and wikis.
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. 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.
3. _____ is necessary for communication to be considered two-way.
a.
Message
b.
Channel
c.
Feedback
d.
Noise
e.
Circuit
4. The receiver _____ the symbols to interpret the meaning of the message.
a.
encodes
b.
transmits
c.
decodes
d.
responds to
e.
must ignore
5. 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
6. _____ 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
7. 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
8. Jenna composes an email from home to her boss to inform him that she will be late getting to work
that day. The act of composing an email involves which stage of the communication process?
a.
Selecting a channel
b.
Sifting through noise
c.
Providing feedback
d.
Encoding the message
e.
Decoding the message
9. Selina is meeting with her subordinate Mike for his annual performance review. At the end of the
review, Mike tells Selina that he is confused about some things she said. By asking Selina to explain
certain things in more detail, Mike is engaging in which component of the communication process?
a.
Selecting a channel
b.
Sifting through noise
c.
Providing feedback
d.
Encoding the message
e.
Decoding the message
10. A manager might use _____ as a type of communication.
a.
meetings
b.
telephone conversations
c.
talking informally
d.
all of these
e.
meetings and telephone conversations
11. 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
12. Managers’ communication is _____–directed, in that it directs everyone’s attention toward the vision,
values, and desired goals of the team or organization and influences people to act in a way to achieve
the goals.
a.
image
b.
idea
c.
purpose
d.
communication
e.
need
13. According to MANAGER’S SHOPTALK in Chapter 17, 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.
14. When interviewing prospective employees, Samuel, a seasoned manager, often observes hand
gestures, facial expressions, and use of space to gauge individuals’ personalities. These are all
examples of:
a.
listening.
b.
nonverbal communication.
c.
empathizing.
d.
direct communication.
e.
nuance communication.
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. When a group of workers have routine tasks to perform, a _____ communication structure allows more
time for the task to be completed.
a.
linear
b.
centralized
c.
decentralized
d.
gossip
e.
team
17. Sharon is a part of a software engineering team. Her task is to develop a diagnostic program for the
medical profession. This is a very complex task. What type of communication structure would work
best for her group?
a.
Linear
b.
Centralized
c.
Decentralized
d.
Focused
e.
All of these
18. _____ refers to a team communication structure in which team members freely communicate with one
another and arrive at decisions.
a.
Decentralized network
b.
Centralized network
c.
Linear network
d.
Circular network
e.
Gossip structure
19. A centralized network is one in which:
a.
team members are free to interact with any of the team members.
b.
team members communicate through one individual to make decisions.
c.
team members communicate with an assigned partner.
d.
team members work independently and there is no need for communication.
e.
none of these.
20. For complex problems, a(n) _____ network is most effective for swift, accurate problem resolution.
a.
linear
b.
centralized
c.
decentralized
d.
all of these
e.
linear and centralized
21. Louise, a top-level manager at INF Inc., has the difficult task of informing 12 employees that they are
about to be laid off. Which communication channel should Louise use to break the news?
a.
Face-to-face
b.
E-mail
c.
Instant messaging
d.
Telephone
e.
Handwritten letter
22. To be effective communicators, managers should:
a.
focus primarily on enhancing downward communication in the organization.
b.
enhance lateral communication opportunities by encouraging teams.
c.
limit use of communication technology.
d.
strictly push for face-to-face communication.
e.
encourage the use of multiple channels of communication.
23. _____ 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
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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
27. _____ 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
28. Which of the following comprises the lowest channel richness?
a.
Electronic mail
b.
Bulletins
c.
Face-to-face talk
d.
Telephone
e.
Memos
29. _____ refer(s) to 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
30. When informing your staff of the date for the company picnic, a _____ would be most practical and
successful.
a.
memo
b.
telephone
c.
video conference
d.
face-to-face contact
e.
newspaper notice
31. Messages that convey data or statistics or simply put into words what managers already agree on and
understand are referred to as:
a.
non-routine messages.
b.
routine messages.
c.
instant messages.
d.
grapevine messages.
e.
qualitative messages.
32. 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
33. 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
34. An example of non-verbal communication is all of these except:
a.
posture.
b.
facial expression.
c.
voice.
d.
written memo.
e.
body language
35. 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
36. _____ 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
37. Most executives now believe that important information flows from the:
a.
top down.
b.
bottom up.
c.
diagonal level.
d.
horizontal level to diagonal level.
e.
internal to external.
38. 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