58) When a listener focuses on only part of a message rather than the whole thing, he or she is
engaging in ________.
A) selective perception
B) personal bias
C) prejudice
D) stereotyping
59) The 26-year-old head of a small company selects no employees over the age of 35 for a task
force on technology upgrades. This is an example of ________.
A) selective perception
B) racial profiling
C) negative politeness
D) stereotyping
60) A high-context culture has ________.
A) diverse history
B) porous boundaries
C) strong group identity
D) little group identity
61) In a low-context situation, messages are understood by ________.
A) just about any listener
B) only the outsiders
C) only the insiders
D) only native speakers
62) Women tend to use communication to ________ while men use it to ________.
A) define status; forge relationships
B) forge relationships; define status
C) assert independence; define status
D) seek connections; forge relationships
63) When an employee tells a co-worker about a new computer program that will improve
productivity, this is an example of ________ communication.
A) downward
B) upward
C) horizontal
D) diagonal
64) In a(n) ________, one person completely controls the flow of information to all people in the
system.
A) wheel network
B) chain network
C) all-channel network
D) external network
65) At lunch one day, a co-worker told Kyla that her communication style is traditionally female.
This did not surprise Kyla because as a child she was warned not to sound ________.
A) unsure of herself
B) too sure of herself
C) hesitant
D) sympathetic
66) George has always spoken in a fairly soft voice. Now that he has been named department
head, George feels he should ________.
A) speak louder to sound more authoritative
B) speak louder to sound less authoritative
C) continue to speak softly because his status automatically has authority
D) increase his pacing to sound more authoritative
67) Jae-Lynn is shift manager for a fast food restaurant. She usually speaks at a fairly rapid pace.
Which of the following is NOT a reason for Jae-Lynn to slow down her speaking pace?
A) to make sure she is understood
B) to make sure she does not exceed the pace at which employees can understand spoken
language
C) to give subordinates a chance to ask questions to ensure they understand
D) to emphasize the importance of what she is saying
68) Rosa has recently assumed a management position in her company. A colleague advises her
to be more aggressive and assertive in her speech. How is this style likely to be received by the
employees in Rosa’s group?
A) Males will approve; females will disapprove.
B) Females will approve; males will disapprove.
C) Both males and females will approve.
D) Both males and females will disapprove.
69) At a recent Open House, Janet heard several parents of her students say the school assigns
too much homework. The next day, Janet passed the information along to the school principal.
Which of the following describes the path of this communication?
A) external communication followed by upward communication
B) horizontal communication followed by upward communication
C) horizontal communication followed by external communication
D) upward communication followed by internal communication
70) Trayvon was asked by his boss Linda to gather sales data for the last quarter. Sales were
down. Profits were up. When she saw the report, Linda said, “This is terrible!” What practice
was Linda engaging in?
A) filtering
B) selective filtering
C) selective perception
D) filtering the perception
71) Olivia’s team selected her to inform the CEO, Bonnie, that they lost a big advertising
account. Bonnie was so upset that she threatened to fire Olivia. What practice was Bonnie
engaging in?
A) filtering
B) shooting the messenger
C) selecting the message
D) selective miscommunication
72) After three quarters of dismal sales figures, Hector decides to focus on the company’s
expanding market share at the next quarterly meeting. What practice is Hector engaging in?
A) filtering
B) shooting the messenger
C) selecting the message
D) selective miscommunication
73) Alan, the CEO of Boot and Bag, has decided to issue a company-wide directive for all
employees to focus on raising sales. What kind of communication is Alan engaging in?
A) upward communication
B) downward communication
C) horizontal communication
D) vertical communication
74) A venture capital firm has heard good things about a small social media startup. One of the
partners sets up a meeting with the company’s founders to learn more about their strategic plan.
What kind of communication is the partner engaging in?
A) internal communication
B) upward communication
C) downward communication
D) external communication
75) Eric has seen rumors on various social media sites that his small company is about to be sold
to a multinational corporation. What was Eric using to get his information?
A) the grapevine
B) a hub-and-spoke network
C) a feedback loop
D) avatars
76) Sanjay told his manager Keith about some affordable office space that is coming on the
market. Keith then shared this information with the company’s CEO. What kind of
communication are both Sanjay and Keith engaging in?
A) upward communication
B) downward communication
C) horizontal communication
D) external communication
77) After three successful rounds of internal testing, the CEO of A7 Energy issued a statement to
the press that the company had discovered a method to power homes using only ambient air.
What kind of communication was the CEO engaging in?
A) horizontal communication
B) formal communication
C) informal communication
D) casual communication
78) Carmen’s gift basket company has been struggling in the slow economy, so she decides to
assess staff morale. What is the most effective way for her to accomplish this task?
A) issue a questionnaire
B) implement a Facebook page
C) do some “management by walking around”
D) enforce an all-channel communication network
79) The 80,000-gallon water tank at the canning plant is slowly crumbling with age, and putting
the village below at risk of a flood. If experts determine the tank will burst in several days, what
would be the best path for the plant’s CEO to take in such a crisis?
A) remain calm, clear and coherent while communicating to residents
B) sound the plant alarms and tell residents to move immediately
C) demand that the tank manufacturer hold a press conference
D) send out a press release emphasizing the plant’s economic benefits to the village
80) Which of the following is NOT a category of Grice’s four maxims for effective
communication?
A) quantity
B) manner
C) equity
D) relevance
81) To maintain resonant relationships in the workplace, we sometimes need to break
communication rules. If a CEO speaks ambiguously about plans for the next fiscal year, which of
Grice’s four maxims is he or she breaking?
A) the quantity rule
B) the quality rule
C) the relevance rule
D) the manner rule
82) Which situation would be likely to cause a person to worry most about losing face?
A) asking a peer for help — because it is humiliating to need assistance from someone who is
equal to you in status
B) asking a subordinate for help — because it is humiliating to need assistance from someone
below you in status
C) asking a superior for help — because it is expected, rather than humiliating, to need assistance
from someone above you in status
D) asking any co-worker for help — because you are expected to solve all problems on your own
83) Why are face-to-face meetings between people usually much more meaningful than
telephone or written exchanges?
A) Face-to-face meetings allow people to speak more precisely. If something is misunderstood it
can be corrected or repeated.
B) Face-to-face meetings allow people to ignore the emotional content of each other’s message
and focus on facts. This makes for a more meaningful exchange.
C) Face-to-face meetings allow participants to observe nonverbal communication. This helps
people assess each other’s emotional state as well as the message’s factual content.
D) Face-to-face meetings allow people to speak more openly. People tend to fear that written or
telephone exchanges are being recorded, so they aren’t as truthful or candid.
84) Based on Paul Ekman’s ideas about nonverbal expression, people from different cultures
talking together at a conference would have difficulty recognizing ________.
A) sadness
B) distrust
C) surprise
D) anger
85) The Japanese have a saying that “everybody has two faces.” Which of the following reflects
the meaning of this philosophy?
A) the need to manage one’s image and identity in various situations
B) the need to engage in selective perception
C) the need to maximize nonverbal expression in communication
D) the need to approach different cultural groups with distrust
86) John Fry, president of Drexel University, believes that it’s important for leaders of
organizations to understand the individual and collective interior quadrants of Wilbur’s model.
Which of the following fits these criteria?
A) group cultures
B) upward channels
C) social media networks
D) horizontal channels
87) Which is a richer communication channel: instant-messaging or ordinary e-mail?
A) E-mail is richer because it gives the user time to think about the message before responding.
B) Instant-messaging is richer because it travels faster than e-mail.
C) Instant-messaging is richer because it allows a quick back-and-forth flow to clarify
misunderstandings.
D) E-mail is richer because it allows a quick back-and-forth flow to clarify misunderstandings.
88) Some experts believe that heavy use of social media leads to a(n) ________.
A) decline in access to real-time information
B) increase in upward communication
C) decline in empathy
D) stronger sense of personal connection
89) Which of the following would detract from a manager’s effort at a company meeting to
inspire his employees through storytelling?
A) using phrases from his childhood dialect
B) setting the story in the 1970s
C) showing related PowerPoint charts
D) playing a musical clip from the time period
90) Annette Rink, VP of Marketing at Eaton Industries, talks about the importance of
understanding boundaries when building resonant relationships at work. What concepts from this
chapter do you think relate to the practice of navigating and managing boundaries?
91) What does psychologist Michael Corballis mean when he says humans use language to
“shape each other’s minds”?
92) Many deaf people cannot speak or hear verbal language. In addition to using sign language,
in what other ways can deaf people convey meaning?
93) Your boss has asked you to design a new customer service system for a gift basket company.
Should you choose a traditional telephone system or an e-mail system? Explain your choice.
94) Do you think some forms of rich communication are more effective than others? Explain.
95) A magazine article claims that Berlo’s model of communication is a major improvement over
the Shannon-Weaver model and the Schramm model. Do you agree? Explain.
96) Using jargon can be helpful within a particular profession, but jargon can limit
communication for members of an organization who are not familiar with it. How would you
solve this problem in your company?
97) You are the CEO of an established corporation that has just bought a fast-growing startup
company that develops mobile apps. Almost all of its employees are under the age of 30. As you
integrate the company into your existing organization, what type of communication network
would you encourage for the startup division: wheel, chain or all-channel?
98) You work in a highly competitive industry. Your manager in the HR department has asked
you to assess organizational morale. Which type of research do you think will be more useful:
qualitative or quantitative? Explain.