Exam 12: Communication and Interpersonal Skills

When the information exceeds our processing capacity, the result is

________ is a vital component of worker empowerment.

"Coming into work late two out of three mornings this week is unacceptable," is an example of which of the following methods by which feedback can be improved?

________ is a conflict management strategy that involves reducing differences or distance between parties in the conflict and facilitating cooperation.

The unofficial way that communication takes place in an organization that is neither authorized nor supported by an organization is

Describe the differences between functional and dysfunctional conflict. How do these two types of conflict impact performance?

All except which of the following affect the encoding of a message?

What is active listening? What are the four essential requirements for active listening?

The process of deliberately manipulating information to make it more favorable to the receiver is called selective perception.

When conflict is trivial, avoidance is an appropriate conflict- resolution method.

In the United States, most managers prefer informal over formal communication.

Which of the following is not true?

The view that conflict is negative and must be avoided, and that it indicates a malfunctioning within the organization is the________ of conflict.

The average manager spends approximately 70% of his or her time dealing with conflict.

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. -________ is a conflict management strategy Stacie used that involved reducing differences between management and employees over the restructuring issue and mutual understanding and facilitating cooperation.

Contingency Factors in Delegation Elaine knew that in order to be an effective manager she needed to delegate, yet it was extremely difficult for her. She was new to the organization and was unsure exactly what the delegation process was and how it was to be used. There were seven layers in the organizational hierarchy, and she had 15 managers reporting to her. She knew delegation had to occur. Looking in the company handbook, she noticed that for all decisions over $140,000, she needed her supervisor's approval. For everything over $250,000, vice- presidential approval was needed. Many of the tasks her managers were working on were very technical. Elaine was not sure if she had the expertise to make some decisions. However, she had a very competent group of people working for her. Their skill level, education, experience, and motivation were superior. The final question in her mind was to determine what was acceptable in the organization. Management seemed to trust the employees and place confidence in their decision- making. It was a point Elaine still needed to check out. -The expertise to which Elaine is referring would fall under which contingency factor?

Which bargaining strategy involves at least one settlement where there is no loss to either party?

How do you delegate effectively?

Communication involves the transfer of information from one person to another.

Tone of voice, posture, and nonverbal facial expressions are examples of