Deck 16: Communicating in Organizations

Question 1

____________ communication refers to the interactions within structured groups of people that help them accomplish their goals.

A) Small group
B) Organizational
C) Interpersonal
D) Dyadic

Answer 1

Organizational

Question 2

Communication that occurs within groups such as colleges, companies, sports teams, religious institutions, or neighborhood watch groups would be considered

A) dyadic.
B) intrapersonal.
C) small group.
D) organizational.

Answer 2

organizational.

Question 3

Kyle works for a large biotechnology firm. He knows that he is expected to work more than 60 hours per week, to take minimal lunch breaks, and to work most nights and weekends. In the lunchroom, there is very little interaction between employees, and Kyle does not fraternize with his co-workers outside of the workplace. Although Kyle normally is an easy-going and friendly person, he would most likely feel pressure to conform to the organizational _________________ of the firm.

A) culture
B) values
C) system
D) power structure

Answer 3

culture

Question 4

Which of the following is generally NOT a way to understand an organization's culture?

A) tories
B) Rules
C) Regulations
D) Structure

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a question you can use to understand an organization's structure?

A) How does the organization interact with its environment?
B) How hierarchical is the organization?
C) How friendly are the participants in the organization?
D) How centralized is the power in the organization?

Question 6

Josh works for a large, multi-national corporation. He has some new ideas for the product his department markets. To share his idea, he must first share it with his assistant manager, who then meets with the department head. The department head in turn will have to meet with the division chair, who can take it to the marketing committee for a decision. Josh's company, like many organizations, is a

A) hierarchy.
B) closed system.
C) bureaucracy.
D) diffused power structure.

Question 7

Grand Bank has a company president and board of directors that hold the majority of power and decision-making ability, so it has a(n) ____________ power structure.

A) open
B) closed
C) centralized
D) hierarchical

Question 8

Liselle works for her city's Chamber of Commerce. As part of her job, she works with other city agencies, local businesses, media outlets and benefactors. She is expected to communicate and share information with these individuals and groups because the Chamber of Commerce's organizational system is

A) closed.
B) centralized.
C) diffused.
D) open.

Question 9

___________ are ceremonial acts and practices that convey characteristics of an organization's culture.

A) Rituals
B) Rites
C) Norms
D) Values

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a type of organizational rite?

A) Conflict
B) Passage
C) Interaction
D) Blaming

Question 11

Lisa's synagogue was not able to raise enough revenue during the fiscal year and has had to cut many staff positions and activities for the congregation. Several families have left the close-knit community as well due to financial issues. In order to revitalize its members, the synagogue plans a weekend retreat to help congregants brainstorm for ways to boost membership. This retreat would be best described as a ___________ rite.

A) renewal
B) conflict resolution
C) blaming
D) enhancement

Question 12

When you participate in a commencement ceremony at your college, you are participating in a(n)

A) rite of integration
B) renewal rite
C) rite of passage
D) enhancement rite

Question 13

_________ are repeated behaviors that provide a familiar routine to an organization's experiences.

A) Rites
B) Passages
C) Rules
D) Rituals

Question 14

Grayson works in the technology department at a large non-profit agency. Every Friday night, he participates in a company softball league, and after every game, he and his co-workers go out for drinks. Grayson and his co-workers are participating in what type of ritual?

A) Task
B) Social
C) Personal
D) Collegial

Question 15

If you engage in a series of ritualized activities that enhances your ability to do your job, you are using what type of rituals?

A) Social
B) Personal
C) Integration
D) Task

Question 16

Seriah has been a member of the honor society at her college for one year. She's always participated in the club's service projects, but at a local road clean-up, she notices the other students seem close to one another. She feels left out, especially when they keep referencing the Saturday night study group that she always tries to avoid attending. When she realizes this study group is what is drawing the other members closer to one another, what type of ritual does Seriah most likely need to evaluate if she wants to feel included?

A) Social
B) Interpersonal
C) Integration
D) Personal

Question 17

In November 2009, Tareq and Michaele Salahi were able to sneak into an official state dinner at the White House, even though they were not invited. The government agency charged with the event's security was the Secret Service, and it was later determined that an official had let the couple though an initial checkpoint despite the lack of an invitation and a proper screening. In this case, it seems the official did not follow that agency's explicit communication _________ for the situation.

A) rituals
B) standards
C) rules
D) rites

Question 18

Just because employees claim to understand an __________ organizational rule does not mean they respond positively to it, as evidenced by employees' negative perception of managements that closely monitor e-mail in the workplace.

A) explicit
B) implicit
C) implied
D) elicit

Question 19

An employee that signs a nondisclosure agreement with a company in a highly competitive field is agreeing to abide by an organizational

A) standard.
B) rite.
C) ritual.
D) rule.

Question 20

An ________ organizational rule is understood and followed even though it isn't formally articulated.

A) explicit
B) implicit
C) implied
D) unspoken

Question 21

_________ roles involve functions prescribed by the organization itself.

A) Informal
B) Functional
C) Formal
D) Personnel

Question 22

An organizational chart specifies the _________ connection between roles in a company.

A) formal
B) explicit
C) informal
D) implicit

Question 23

Which of the following is a type of an informal role in an organization?

A) Company comedian
B) Quality controller
C) Director of marketing
D) Assistant manager

Question 24

Tyrese believes that his job is much easier if he gets along with his co-workers. To that end, he organizes frequent game nights at his house for his colleagues, and he is sure to eat lunch with different co-workers every day. Over time, Tyrese's colleagues will most likely come to depend on his _______ role as a social event organizer.

A) implicit
B) explicit
C) formal
D) informal

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT a type of story used to affirm organizational identity?

A) Collegial
B) Integral
C) Personal
D) Corporate

Question 26

Most fans of Apple know the ________ story of how co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak assembled the first Apple computer in Jobs's garage.

A) collegial
B) anecdotal
C) corporate
D) personal

Question 27

________________ stories reflect both how people see themselves and how they want others to see them.

A) Collegial
B) Personal
C) Humorous
D) Self-concept

Question 28

To highlight your creativity, you tell your co-workers about the time you won first prize in a poetry contest; you are telling a ________________ story.

A) corporate
B) collegial
C) workplace
D) personal

Question 29

__________ stories aren't gossip; they help identify organizational members' positive and negative attributes to others in the organization.

A) Corporate
B) Personal
C) Collegial
D) Informative

Question 30

Chris is transferred to another location for the party supply store that employs him. He is unsure of his new manager and doesn't know how she feels about her sales staff. What type of stories would most likely help Chris get ideas about how to interact with his new manager?

A) Collegial
B) Corporate
C) Gossip
D) Personal

Question 31

Because many organizations are complex systems that simultaneously engage in multiple tasks and pursue multiple goals, one approach to organizational ___________ won't necessarily fit every organization or situation.

A) rituals
B) rites
C) communication
D) information

Question 32

According to the _________________ approach, organizational communication is seen as a pipeline through which information flows from one source to another.

A) transactional
B) information-transfer
C) strategic control
D) structure

Question 33

The information-transfer approach to organizational communication most closely resembles which model of communication?

A) Transaction
B) Reaction
C) Interaction
D) Action

Question 34

At a college located on the coast of North Carolina, the president e-mails his 528 employees with instructions about hurricane warnings and watches. He feels he is very specific as to when his employees should come to campus and when they should stay home. To his surprise, he notices that during the first hurricane watch, many employees do not report to work; he thought he had clearly explained they should come to work in that event. Because he sent the information out to his employees with the understanding that he was not open to feedback or questions, this _________ approach to organizational communication was not effective.

A) strategic
B) transactional
C) information-transfer
D) interactional

Question 35

If you nod, smile, and offer other positive nonverbal feedback while your club president is outlining plans for an upcoming fundraiser, you are engaging in what approach to organizational communication?

A) Transactional
B) Information-transfer
C) Strategic control
D) Interactional

Question 36

When using the ____________ approach to communication, communicators can adjust their messages based on the feedback they receive.

A) interactional
B) transactional
C) action
D) strategic control

Question 37

Hasim's public relations firm has been asked to create a public relations campaign for a local nonprofit. Since Hasim is not sure what type of approach would work to appropriately represent the client, he wants to test the reaction of his co-workers to his campaign and get immediate feedback. Which type of organizational communication would be most effective for the success of Hasim's project?

A) Strategic control
B) Information-transfer
C) Transactional
D) Strategic ambiguity

Question 38

The _____________ approach to organizational communication recognizes that people in an organization can use communication to control their environments.

A) structuration
B) strategic control
C) strategic
D) information-transfer

Question 39

As a supervisor, your primary goal is not that your employees understand one another but that they act in an organized and mutually satisfied way. This means you employ a ___________ approach to organizational communication.

A) strategic ambiguity
B) strategic structuration
C) strategic control
D) strategic manipulation

Question 40

General Electric's corporate slogan is Imagination at Work, rather than the more specific Power Generation at Work. This company is engaging in strategic _______________ to allow both employees and consumers to interpret the slogan in ways that best suit them.

A) structure
B) control
C) ambiguity
D) creativity

Question 41

According to the theory of _____________, all human behavior, including communication behavior, is influenced by a tension between creativity and constraint.

A) information transfer
B) transaction
C) strategic control
D) structuration

Question 42

If your professor tells you the format, length, and topics to be included in a report, these represent the ________________ of the assignment.

A) limitations
B) constraints
C) rules
D) rituals

Question 43

Mel wants to create a profile on the social networking site LinkedIn so he can make connections in his profession. He notices there are many professionals in his area, so using creativity in his photos, audiovisual elements, and profile will be necessary if Mel wishes to stand out. However, he must also provide the information people in his profession expect to see so he appears to be competent and successful. Mel's attempt to balance these two needs is best represented by which theory?

A) Structuration
B) Expectation
C) Transactional
D) Information-transfer

Question 44

Which approach to organizational communication would work best if you needed to convey a message to a large audience quickly?

A) Transactional
B) Information-transfer
C) Structuration
D) Strategic control

Question 45

Which of the following is NOT a type of formal communication found in an organization?

A) Lateral
B) Downward
C) Uniform
D) Upward

Question 46

Messages to immediate supervisors, higher-level personnel, and to your college president are considered _____________ communication.

A) downward
B) straight-forward
C) bureaucratic
D) upward

Question 47

Carolina is the vice president of the environmental club at her high school. She is in charge of e-mailing members about upcoming events, answering questions from new members about enrollment, and explaining club guidelines to club members. As a part of her position, Carolina employs a lot of _______________ communication.

A) downward
B) enthusiastic
C) lateral
D) grapevine

Question 48

___________________ communication involves the messages we share with peers or anyone who occupies the same position as we do in the organizational hierarchy.

A) Collegial
B) Lateral
C) Formal
D) Tangential

Question 49

Effective _______________ communication with our peers contributes to a positive work environment and makes our experiences in an organization more satisfying because it focuses on treating people as equals.

A) collegial
B) tangential
C) lateral
D) formal

Question 50

Many people say that informal communication travels along an organizational _________, meaning messages are often conveyed in upward, downward, and lateral directions simultaneously.

A) grapevine
B) gossip
C) transaction
D) pattern

Question 51

Due to the faltering economy, Jackson's company is forced to lay off nearly one-third of its employees. In the days leading up to the announcement of who will be laid off, Jackson spends most of his time at work discussing the situation, trying to find reassurance his job is safe. What statement about organizational grapevines applies to Jackson's situation?

A) Communication along the grapevine can be remarkably accurate.
B) Grapevines use multiple communication channels.
C) Grapevines are erratic and unpredictable.
D) People rely heavily on the grapevine during a crisis.

Question 52

Which of the following statements is true about organizational grapevines?

A) Grapevines are erratic and unpredictable.
B) Communication along the grapevine can be remarkably accurate.
C) Grapevines use only one or two communication channels.
D) People tend to ignore a grapevine for more direct communication in times of crisis.

Question 53

__________ communication can significantly enhance an organization's reputation, productivity, community support, and economic success.

A) Grapevine
B) Formal
C) External
D) Internal

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a potential external audience for organizational communication?

A) Media
B) Lawmakers
C) Former employees
D) Consumers

Question 55

Rebecca works for a rapidly growing nonprofit organization. The organization is in desperate need of volunteers. Part of Rebecca's job requires the use of external communication to find these volunteers, which she does largely through campus and community recruitment fairs. What type of external audience is Rebecca targeting?

A) Potential personnel
B) Consumers
C) General public
D) Media

Question 56

If an organization advertises its services using television and radio commercials, which external audience is it most likely targeting?

A) General public
B) Media
C) Stockholders
D) Consumers

Question 57

The term ____________________ describes the increasing connectedness of societies and their economies as a result of developments in transportation and communication.

A) culturization
B) globalization
C) connectedness
D) diversity

Question 58

If you buy a toy that was manufactured and assembled in another country and then shipped here, you are affecting and being affected by

A) organizations.
B) the economy.
C) globalization.
D) culture.

Question 59

A _________________ culture sees time as a fluid, unbroken, and relatively unstructured whole.

A) monochronic
B) polychronic
C) multichronic
D) chronic

Question 60

Martin runs a small dry cleaning business. He expects his employees to be on time, and he gets annoyed when employees take an extended lunch break. He values efficiency above all else, and he makes sure his staff meetings take no longer than necessary. Martin is most likely from a _________________ culture.

A) low context
B) high context
C) monochronic
D) polychronic

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT a challenge that new technology presents to organizations?

A) Avoiding channel-lean contexts
B) Choosing a communication channel
C) Understanding cross-cultural communication
D) Ensuring security

Question 62

Reyshelle's company has satellite offices all over the state. The office managers rely primarily on e-mail, instant messaging, and texting to stay in contact throughout the day. Reyshelle notices many miscommunications occurring because of problems interpreting one another's meanings. Reyshelle's company most likely needs to move to ___________ forms of communication to lessen the number of misunderstandings.

A) channel-lean
B) channel-less
C) channel-full
D) channel-rich

Question 63

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act helps organizations contend with which challenge posed by technology?

A) Choosing a communication channel
B) Dealing with globalization
C) Ensuring security
D) Embracing diversity

Question 64

Ramona works at a construction firm where she is the only woman. The men she works with think it is funny to make sexually suggestive jokes in front of her, make derogatory comments about her gender, and put sexually suggestive pictures in her locker. Ramona is experiencing which type of sexual harassment?

A) Hostile work environment
B) Gender-based
C) Quid pro quo
D) Ramona is not experiencing sexual harassment.

Question 65

The pressure of balancing the demands of work with those of non-work activities results in ___________ conflict for many people.

A) balancing
B) work/life
C) unmanageable
D) work/personal

Question 66

Frank has a demanding job at a law firm, and his wife just gave birth to twin boys. Frank's job requires him to work at least 60 hours a week, but he feels his wife needs him at home. He is concerned he is not doing enough for his family, and his wife is frustrated Frank does not help more with the children. Frank is experiencing

A) life interference with work.
B) work interference with life.
C) professional conflict.
D) personal conflict.

Question 67

Which of the following is a form of stress caused by work/life conflict?

A) Culture-based stress
B) Relational-based stress
C) Action-based stress
D) Strain-based stress

Question 68

Avery has been a cheerleader most of her life. She was captain of the squad in both high school and college. Now, during her senior year of college, she notices she is frustrated easily with her fellow cheerleaders, she misses practice for minor reasons, and she isn't as motivated during workout sessions or practices. Avery is most likely suffering from

A) a lack of motivation.
B) miscommunication.
C) burnout.
D) apathy.

Question 69

Exercising caution when using e-mail, using face-to-face communication when possible, and not letting technology become distracting are all ways to

A) avoid or reduce burnout.
B) appreciate diversity.
C) keep yourself happy at the work.
D) use communication technology effectively.

Question 70

Allison is the CEO of a rapidly growing, online blogging web site and the mother of three children. While the children are playing, Allison checks e-mail on her phone, and she takes her laptop with her everywhere on the weekends. Allison begins to feel burned out, as if she never has time off. What should Allison do to reduce burnout?

A) Solidify her boundaries.
B) Clarify her values.
C) Ask for support.
D) Stay away from toxic emotions.