Answers to Chapter Review Questions
1. What are soft skills, and why are they increasingly important in the knowledge-based
economy of the digital era? (Obj. 1)
Soft skills involve not only oral and written communication competencies but also active
listening, appropriate nonverbal behavior, and proper business etiquette. In addition,
employers want efficient and productive team members who are comfortable with diverse
2. Name at least five reasons that explain why organizations are forming teams. (Obj. 1)
Organizations are forming groups and teams for (1) better decisions, (2) faster response, (3)
3. What are virtual teams, and how can they reduce misunderstandings among
participants? (Obj. 1)
Virtual teams are groups that work interdependently with a shared purpose across space,
4. What are the four phases of team development as identified by psychologist B. A.
Tuckman? (Obj. 1)
Storming: Members define their roles and responsibilities, decide how to reach their goals,
Norming: Tension subsides, roles are clarified, and information begins to flow among
Performing: Some groups never reach this stage. Those that do, have established routines,
5. What is the best approach to address conflict in meetings? (Obj. 2)
If two people clash, the best approach is to encourage each to make a complete case while
6. How is videoconferencing different from Web conferencing? (Obj. 2)
Videoconferencing combines video, audio, and communications networking technologies for
real-time interaction. It is usually done in special telepresence videoconferencing rooms,
7. List five behaviors you consider most important in participating actively in workplace
meetings. (Obj. 2)
Students should select from among the following: (a) Arrive early, (b) come prepared, (c)
have a positive attitude, (d) contribute respectfully, (e) wait for others to finish, (f) keep your
8. What techniques can make virtual meetings as effective as face-to-face meetings?
(Obj. 2)
Effective virtual meeting techniques include (a) making sure all participants can use the
technology; (b) establishing a uniform time, perhaps using Coordinated Universal Time
9. Is listening automatic? How much time do we spend listening in the workplace? (Obj. 3)
Unlike hearing, listening is not an automatic response to noise. Although estimates vary, most
10. According to experts, we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand 75 percent of
everything we hear. Why are we such poor listeners? (Obj. 3)
Poor listening habits may result from lack of training, as well as the large number of
11. What are ten techniques for improving workplace listening? Be prepared to describe
each. (Obj. 3)
(1) Control external and internal distractions, (2) become actively involved, (3) separate
12. Which forms of nonverbal communication or nonverbal cues send silent messages
about us? (Obj. 4)
13. List ten techniques for improving nonverbal communication skills in the workplace.
Be prepared to discuss each. (Obj. 4)
(a) Establish and maintain eye contact, (b) use posture to show interest, (c) reduce or
eliminate physical barriers, (d) improve decoding skills, (e) probe for more information, (f)
14. How is projecting a professional image related to career success? (Obj. 5)
Employers are far more likely to hire a courteous and professional job candidate than one
15. What five specific behaviors do you think would be most important in giving you an
etiquette edge in your business career? (Obj. 5)
Students will choose five from among the following: (a) Use polite words, (b) express
sincere appreciation and praise, (c) be selective in sharing personal information, (d) don’t
Answers to Critical Thinking Questions
1. Author and teamwork critic Susan Cain claims that research “strongly suggests that
people are more creative when they enjoy privacy and freedom from interruption.” In
her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, in articles,
and public appearances, Cain cautions against the current emphasis on teamwork in the
workplace. Cain cites studies by the psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Gregory
Feist, according to whom “the most spectacularly creative people in many fields are
often introverted. . . . They are not joiners by nature.” How would you, as a critical
thinker, respond to these statements? (Obj. 1)
A critical thinker might question a general statement claiming that “research strongly
suggests” something. Even if the names of researchers are included, how many studies were
involved? What are the credentials and affiliations of the primary investigators? Teams are
2. Evaluate the following humorous analogy between the murder of a famous Roman
emperor and the deadening effect of meetings: “This month is the 2,053rd anniversary of
the death of Julius Caesar, who pronounced himself dictator for life before running the
idea past the Roman Senate. On his way to a meeting, he was met by a group of senators
who, wishing to express their unhappiness with his vocational aspirations, stabbed him
to death. Moral of the story: Beware of meetings.” Is the comparison fitting? What
might the author of the article have wanted to convey? (Obj. 2)
The author of this article critical of meetings uses humor to mock meetings, which are almost
universally disliked. He opens his article with this rather incongruous comparison between a
momentous historical event, the assassination of mighty Julius Caesar in ancient Rome, and
3. Why do executives and managers spend more time listening than do workers?
(Obj. 3)
Before they can make decisions, executives must listen to feedback from supervisors,
specialists, and others. They also listen to their bosses—boards of directors and owners—and
4. What arguments could you give for or against the idea that body language is a science
with principles that can be interpreted accurately by specialists? (Obj. 4)
Although few would argue that body language does send silent messages, no scientific
principles have evolved explaining exactly what those messages mean. Most researchers
agree that nonverbal cues contain much information, but specifically what those cues mean is
unknown. Authors Hickson and Stacks said, “The nonverbal message by itself may be
5. Ethical Issue: After much discussion and even conflict, your workplace team has finally
agreed on Plan B, but you are firmly convinced that Plan A is a much better option.
Your team is presenting Plan B to the whole department and company executives are
present. A vice president asks you for your opinion. Should you (a) keep your mouth
shut, (b) try to persuade the team to adopt Plan A, (c) explain why you believe Plan A is
a better plan, (d) tell the VP and all present that Plan B is not your idea, or (e) discuss
one or two points you can agree on in Plan B? (Objs. 1, 2, 5)
Here is the answer provided in the Ferguson book Professional Ethics and Etiquette, 2nd
edition [(2004). New York: Ferguson Publishing, pp. 50-51]: Option (e) is the answer most
ZOOMING IN
Turner Broadcasting System
Critical Thinking
What are some of the main benefits teamwork brings to an organization?
Teams help organizations make better decisions when group members contribute their
How can a team improve an organization’s efficiency?
Teams can improve an organization’s efficiency and productivity because they are often more
What are some individual team member traits that reduce a team’s effectiveness?
ZOOMING IN
Your Turn: Turner Broadcasting System
Students should begin the presentation with a title slide followed by the precise wording on
collaboration from the TBS website, available at
http://www.turner.com/company#/company/values and as shown here:
Collaboration
Office walls and organization charts are good for some things, but collaboration isn’t one of
them. Sharing information and ideas always makes us faster, smarter and stronger. Our focus is
on finding ways to work with, not against, one another to seek solutions.
The next slide should transition from TBS’s value statement to general reasons for using teams in
business. Slide content will include some or all of the following points from the textbook:
Students should limit bulleted points to six per slide, use upper- and lowercase letters, and write
concise phrases per the guidelines in Chapter 14.
Discussion Material for CAREER COACH:
Perils of Casual Apparel in the Workplace
Students are asked to debate the proposition that business casual dress be the professional dress
standard throughout the United States. To stage a debate, you might wish to follow some of the
suggestions made by Dr. James Calvert Scott, “Business Casual Dress,” Part 2, Delta Pi Epsilon
Instructional Strategies, December 1999:
Divide your class into small groups of four to six students, each of which is assigned a number.
Each group is given a set amount of time to prepare arguments both for and against the debate
proposition. Just before the debate begins, each group selects two representatives to serve as its
potential debaters. Two numbers are drawn, with the first corresponding group assigned to
support the debate proposition and the second corresponding group assigned to oppose the
Ethics Check Solutions
Members Riding Teams’ Coattails, Page 46
Teamwork is a staple in college classes today and usually works well for students and their
instructors. However, occasionally a rogue member will take advantage of a group and
barely collaborate. How do you deal with a student who does sloppy work, misses team
meetings, and fails to respond to calls or e-mails?
Nonparticipating team members tend to be the most common complaint among students about
teamwork. Instructors should establish clear ground rules for dealing with “flaky” group
members, but leave the handling of such situations to the team members themselves, so that they
may learn how to deal with difficult participants. A gradual approach should be encouraged
Ethics Check, Page 49
Unresponsive Team Member
Assume you are a member of a campus committee to organize a celebrity auction to raise
funds for a local homeless shelter. Your friend Marika is committee chair, but she is
carrying a heavy course load and is also working part time. As a result, she has taken no
action. You call her, but she is evasive when you try to pin her down about committee plans.
What should you do?
Students should enjoy this discussion because it is a common problem when students work as
Ethics Check, Page 64
Impressing Your Instructor
Projecting a professional image begins in your business communication classroom and in
other courses where your instructors evaluate your work and your participation. Imagine
how a professor perceives students who skip classes, arrive late, forget homework, yawn
with their tonsils showing, chew gum or eat, and doodle during class. What message does
such nonverbal behavior send?
Even if told repeatedly, students often don’t make the connection between behavioral guidelines
they read about in their textbooks and their own practice in the classroom. They also tend to
Photo Essay Solution
Photo Essay, Page 54
Enterprise-level videoconferencing systems are transporting professionals to a futuristic world of
virtual face-to-face meetings. Telepresence rooms like the one pictured here feature high
definition, multiple-screen systems with such low delay that participants can carry on
The advantages of videoconferencing compared to face-to-face meetings include the following: