Management Chapter 12 Homework Give Example Where An employee Withholding Information Damages The Performance Organization question Location Silence an s

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Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavio,r 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

Sample Answers to In–Text Questions

Note: Answers to Case Questions are available in the Case Notes. Answers to Toolkit Activities

are personal to the student therefore there are no sample answers.

Chapter 12: Organizational Communication

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Provide an example of noise in the communication process based on your experience.

How could this noise have been reduced?

Question Location: The Communication Process

Ans: An example of noise are individuals’ preconceived ideas or prejudices that are brought into

the conversation. They were unwilling to listen to what I have to say because their minds are

2. What is an example of jargon or slang used in an organization that could be

misinterpreted by a new employee? Provide an alternative way of stating this concept so

that it is more easily understood.

Question Location: Language

Ans: For example, a new employee may be told by her boss to “scale” her ideas for a new

product implementation. The boss could have told her that he meant to allocate and optimize

3. Why do you think that people in organizations have a difficult time listening? What can

organizations do to increase the degree to which their leaders listen to their followers?

Question Location: Active Listening

Ans: People in organizations have a difficult time listening for many reasons. They may assume

that they already know what is going to be said. They may have their own agendas and may not

Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavio,r 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

4. Which communication network is the most effective in terms of an organization’s ability

to innovate? Why?

Question Location: Communication Networks

Ans: The all-channel communication network would be most effective for innovation. This

5. Why do you think followers distort information when they communicate with those

higher in the organization? What can be done to address this concern?

Question Location: Communication Flows in Organizations

Ans: Followers may not have effective listening skills. They may assume they know what is

being said or they may disagree with what is said. The organization’s culture or an individual’s

6. Do you agree that organizations have the right to monitor employee e-mails and other

forms of electronic communication? Why or why not?

Question Location: The Grapevine

Ans: Yes, I agree that organizations have a right to monitor employee electronic communication.

These communications are being done on the organization’s equipment and time and are not the

7. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being able to access work email from a

mobile device?

Question Location: Text Messages

Ans: Advantages include increased efficiency for employees and the organization. They are able

to respond quickly to issues, even if they are not at work. It can increase productivity and reduce

turnaround time for communication between parties. Disadvantages are that it may lead to

Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavio,r 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

8. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using social media to promote an

organization’s public image?

Question Location: Social Networking

Ans: Advantages include that it is easy to get your message in front of a lot of people in a

relatively inexpensive way. Usually, you can control the message and it hits people more

frequently. It can give off the impression that your organization is technologically savvy and up

9. What are the potential costs of organizational silence? Give an example where an

employee withholding information damages the performance of an organization.

Question Location: Silence

Ans: Organizational silence can be costly in that you are not getting input from every employee.

Companies may not be aware of problems or issues if employees remain silent. There may be

Research in Action

Communication Networks and Ethics

1. Explain how the grapevine had both negative and positive effects in this case.

Question Location: Research in Action

Ans: The negative effects of the grapevine were that formal chains of command were ignored

and groupthink ensued. The situation may have been resolved sooner with less damage if

communication had flowed through proper channels. It is likely that misinformation and

they may not have been aware of otherwise.

2. Discuss this case in terms of the characteristics of groupthink from Chapter 10 (group

rationalization, direct pressure, suppression, and illusion of unanimity). What role do you

think communication plays in the emergence of groupthink?

Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavio,r 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

Question Location: Research in Action

Ans: This is a good example of groupthink as executives deferred to others in e-mail and peers of

equal rank deferred to their peers to preserve their status by protecting themselves from being

seen as overstepping one’s place. The company was successful and there was likely suppression

3. Provide some guidelines that organizations can implement to address the process of

negative communication through the grapevine in an organization.

Question Location: Research in Action

Ans: It is important that leaders monitor the grapevine–perhaps by asking a trusted subordinate

What’s #Trending in OB?

Organizational Communication During a Crisis

1. With respect to the guidelines for crisis management (speed, facts, and trust), which one

do you think is the most important and why? Rank them in order in terms of their

effectiveness during an organizational crisis.

Ans: Facts are the most important, followed by speed and trust. Facts are the most important

because facts set the table for timely responses that instill trust. Facts are preventative and they

2. Explain why social media has increased the need for crisis communication. Provide an

example of a rumor that spread on social media about an organization that later turned out

to be false, and assess the organization’s response.

Ans: Elon Musk tweeted that he would take his company Tesla private by buying back all the

shares for a price of $420. This sent the stock flying, with news outlets and regulators frantically

Student Resource

Scandura, Essentials of Organizational Behavio,r 3e

SAGE Publishing, 2022

hasty tweet cost a lot of money for Tesla, and further exemplified the need for strong preparation

for crisis communication.

3. Evaluate the responses of two different government leaders during the COVID-19 crisis.

How well did they respond in terms of speed, facts, and trust?

Ans: The President of the United States responded by quickly shutting down all travel to and

from the country of China. This was based on the facts that the virus originated in China. He also