Chapter 9
TRUE-FALSE
T F 1. If a team is using good transactional processes, the way members use language is
unimportant.
T F 2. Assertiveness contributes to developing a positive communication climate.
T F 3. A team that works in a negative organizational climate probably has an excellent
internal climate anyway.
T F 4. In a positive communication climate, people do not disagree with one another.
T F 5. Simply describing situations or feelings, without judgment, creates defensiveness.
T F 6. In a team that uses a dialogical ethic, members consider how their language will
affect their teammates.
T F 7. Words can determine how a person perceives another person, a concept, or a
situation.
T F 8. “Dialectical tension” refers to the dialogue that people learn to develop within their
teams.
T F 9. The “meaning” of a word or phrase is what a person believes it is.
T F 10. People may stereotype or exclude others because of the way they use language.
T F 11. Nonverbal communication is easy to interpret.
T F 12. The way teammates contribute nonverbally demonstrates the relationships among
them.
T F 13. People may stereotype or exclude others because of their nonverbal behavior.
T F 14. Teleconferences should not be used because they limit nonverbal communication
among conferees.
T F 15. Another way to make your teammates comfortable is to watch for cues that they feel
crowded.
T F 16. When an individual’s nonverbal cues contradict verbal ones, others believe the
nonverbal cues.
T F 17. Nonverbal behavior is pretty much the same among various cultures.
T F 18. Most people consciously control the way they communicate nonverbally.
T F 19. The environment of a room can control the way teammates feel and communicate.
T F 20. The high-context culture is collectivistic, with close family and community
groupings.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following statements is not true of a positive, dialogical climate?
A. The choice of language advances the goals of the group.
B. The language breaks down barriers.
2. Language that reduces defensiveness:
A. Uses “I” statements
B. Accepts responsibility for one’s feelings
3. A teammate gives a report. Someone says, “Okay, that’s great. Now, what about my idea?
That’s a:
A. Confirming response
B. Disconfirming response
4. If you want to have empathy with your teammates, it’s important to remember that:
A. Empathy should be complete and unchanging
B. Empathy occurs intuitively and immediately
5. Meaning is negotiated among team members by:
D. All of the above
E. None of the above
6. Rapport Talk is most associated with:
A. Men
B. Religious people
7. Samuel, who is from another culture, uses intense eye contact and sits very close to male
teammates. Which of the following would be a possible reason for his behavior?
A. In his culture males can be close but females are off limits.
B. He’s homosexual.
8. In interpreting another’s nonverbal cues, you should:
A. Rely on the first behavior you see for the truth
B. Rely on your gut response to the other’s behavior
9. You’re planning a teleconference for several people. It’s important to consider:
A. The expense of setting up the teleconference
B. How comfortable and competent participants are with the electronic medium
10. You can use your leadership to improve the effect of nonverbal communication in your team
by:
A. Ignoring inconsistent or confused cues
B. Accepting the patterns that emerge whether they are positive or not
ESSAYS
1. Explain why and how nonverbal communication is even more complex and important in a
group or team than between two individuals. Consider the nature of nonverbal communication,
its forms, and the ways in which it functions in a group.
2. Discuss how issues of culture, gender, and status affect the way a person communicates
nonverbally and how others might interpret or misinterpret that communication. Use examples
to develop your answer.
3. Compare and contrast a positive with a negative team climate. What are the characteristics of
each? What effect does the climate have on members and teamwork in each case? What effect
does it have on transactional and task processes?