Exam 12: Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Studies of gender reveal that when men talk they tend to focus on topics that reinforce their status and connections.

Written communication makes it difficult to get timely feedback.

Application of Conflict Management Stacie had just returned from a seminar on conflict management. Although it seemed as if she spent a lot of time dealing with conflict, it certainly was not her favorite aspect of being a manager. She thought about some of the conflicts that she had encountered lately. There had been the conflict last week between two office staff members over the location of the department coffee pot. They could not agree on where it should be placed. Stacie had smiled, shaken her head, and walked away from that one. Then there had been the dispute among the middle managers over where to hold the company picnic. The argument had gotten rather heated, but it made no difference to Stacie, and she was not about to use some of her credits for something that unimportant to her. She let the others choose the site since it was important to them. Then there was the ongoing debate over the restructuring of the company. Top management had said there was a time period of two years in which to complete a restructuring, and they had wanted employee input from the bottom up so that it could be a win- win situation for everyone. Everyone involved in this debate realized the importance of a positive resolution. -Which strategy was being used in the restructuring issue?

Which of the following is probably not something that the employees did yesterday as they heard Jon's message?

________ is destructive and can reduce individual and organizational performance.

E- mail is fast and cheap and can be used to send the same message to many people at the same time.

Misunderstandings and inaccuracies are less likely to occur if the manager uses the feedback loop in the communication process.

Which of the following options is ideal for resolving conflict?

The best time to use written communication is when you have to communicate

James wants to be certain that his communication with his employees is effective, so he always checks the accuracy of what has been communicated. He asks his employees questions about what they think they heard. James is

Effective delegation requires that the manager explain what results are desired and what method will produce these results.

How do you give effective feedback?

An important contingency factor in delegation is/are________ . This requires employees with the skills, abilities, and motivation to accept authority and act on it.

List and explain at least four of the barriers to effective communication.

________ allows a group of people to confer simultaneously using e- mail group communications software.

Distributive bargaining tends to build animosities and deepen divisions between people who have to work together on an ongoing basis.

________ is/are an example of body language.

________ is the intentional distortion of information to make it appear favorable to the recipient.

More than 50% of a manager's time is spent dealing with resolving conflicts at work.

What are an organization's internal characteristics under the following conditions?