Deck 11: Communication in Organizations

Question 1

Which of these defines communication?

A)A technical process that involves the transmission of data
B)A social process that involves information exchange
C)One person talking to another
D)Organizational memos
E)Gathering meaning to gain a strategic advantage

Answer 1

B

Question 2

All of the following are forms of nonverbal communication EXCEPT:

A)a pat on the shoulder.
B)giving a speech.
C)frowning.
D)plush carpeting.
E)the layout of office furniture.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

____ is the process by which the receiver of the message interprets its meaning.

A)Communication
B)Language
C)Feedback
D)Encoding
E)Decoding

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The ____ decides whether to decode the message, understand it, and respond.

A)noise
B)receiver
C)decoding
D)transmission
E)source

Question 5

Which of these is NOT true about the social process of communication?

A)It requires face-to-face interaction
B)It allows information exchange
C)It is not an instantaneous event
D)It involves two or more people
E)It takes place over time

Question 6

The ____ is the individual, group, or organization interested in communicating a message to another party.

A)noise
B)receiver
C)decoding
D)transmission
E)source

Question 7

Communication in organizations includes all the following purposes EXCEPT:

A)expressing feelings and emotions.
B)assisting decision making.
C)information sharing.
D)coordinating.
E)allocating rewards.

Question 8

The primary purpose of organizational communication, according to your text, is to

A)define problems.
B)make decisions.
C)share information.
D)achieve coordinated action.
E)meet industry requirements.

Question 9

All of the following are examples of oral communication in organizations EXCEPT:

A)a telephone call.
B)reading a manual out loud to coworkers.
C)discussing a task.
D)sending a memo to colleagues.
E)a conversion on cell phones.

Question 10

What are the three primary methods of communicating in organizations?

A)Message, feedback, response
B)Written, oral, nonverbal
C)Internal, external, liaison
D)Individual, organizational, medium-initiated
E)Primary, secondary, external

Question 11

____ is any disturbance in the communication process that interferes with or distorts communication.

A)Feedback
B)Decoding
C)Noise
D)Transmission
E)None of the above

Question 12

International communication is closely related to issues of coordination. One key coordination factor is

A)time differences across the two countries.
B)informal lines of communication.
C)organizational standards.
D)the source credibility.
E)the intentions of the receiver.

Question 13

_____ communication takes place informally, during task activities, and throughout meetings.

A)Internet
B)Oral
C)Environmental
D)Secondary
E)Primary

Question 14

What is the most expressive component of the face?

A)The eyes
B)The eyebrows
C)The nose
D)The ears
E)The forehead

Question 15

Physical movements and body language are forms of

A)communication medium.
B)physical communication.
C)personal communication.
D)nonverbal communication.
E)visual communication.

Question 16

All of the following are examples of "body language" EXCEPT:

A)smiling.
B)frowning.
C)shouting.
D)making eye contact.
E)sitting back with arms folded.

Question 17

What is the most common form of written communication in organizations?

A)E-mail
B)Speeches
C)Letters
D)Reports
E)Forms

Question 18

The feedback phase of the communication process is initiated when

A)the receiver decodes the message.
B)the source encodes the message.
C)the receiver understands the message.
D)the initial source translates the message.
E)the receiver responds to the message.

Question 19

International communication problems include all of the following sources EXCEPT:

A)colors.
B)body language.
C)new forms of communication technology.
D)exchange rates.
E)language.

Question 20

Eli needs to inform his team members that there is a Friday meeting this week. The most appropriate form of communication would be a

A)memo.
B)letter.
C)manual.
D)form.
E)report.

Question 21

The real increases in organizational productivity due to information technology come from

A)the increased speed of message transfer.
B)the increased volume of messages.
C)the heightened awareness of cultural diversity.
D)the ability to communicate in new and different ways.
E)the reduction in paperwork.

Question 22

Which of the following is NOT a receiver-based barrier to communication?

A)The receiver records the message for further review.
B)The receiver may discount an entire message on the basis of perception of the speaker's credibility.
C)The receiver may be experiencing overload.
D)The receiver's translation of the symbol differs from the initial source translation.
E)The receiver bases his attention level on his values.

Question 23

Telecommuting has increased due to

A)the high price of gasoline.
B)the shortage of office real estate.
C)the desire of employers to avoid paying benefits.
D)governmental legislation.
E)the increased availability of information technology.

Question 24

The use of jargon

A)is sometimes intentional to obscure meaning or to show outsiders that the source belongs to the group that uses the language.
B)makes communication within a close collegial group less efficient.
C)slows down communication when noise is also present.
D)speeds up communication between two groups of people with semantic differences.
E)makes communication with people outside the group more efficient.

Question 25

Upward communication usually provides feedback to

A)subordinates.
B)peers.
C)top managers.
D)customers.
E)entry-level and transfer employees.

Question 26

Fidelity can be diminished at which point in the communication process?

A)The source
B)Feedback
C)The receiver
D)The transmission
E)Fidelity can be diminished at any point in the communication process.

Question 27

Which of these is NOT true about feedback?

A)Feedback can be simple or complex
B)Feedback can be written or oral, but not nonverbal
C)Feedback verifies whether the message was received
D)Feedback is initiated by the receiver
E)Feedback verifies whether the message was understood

Question 28

Which network is often found in informal groups that have no formal leadership or structure?

A)Wheel
B)Star
C)All-channel
D)Chain
E)Circle

Question 29

Joseph is trying to understand the concern of an angry customer, but several employees keep interrupting the conversion. These interruptions are an example of

A)static.
B)feedback.
C)miscommunication.
D)noise.
E)channel deficiency.

Question 30

Group effectiveness, as a result of the communication network, can be influenced by each of the following EXCEPT:

A)efforts to manage the flow of information.
B)the degree of verbal versus nonverbal communication.
C)the arrangement of offices and workspaces.
D)the attempt to involve members who typically contribute little during discussions.
E)efforts to manage the development of communication networks.

Question 31

Filtering may be more likely to occur in which of the following forms of communication?

A)E-mail
B)Face-to-face conversations
C)Formal letters
D)All-channel networks
E)Downward communication

Question 32

Which type of network has each person communicating with the person above and below, except for the individuals on each end, who communicate with only one person?

A)Star
B)Circle
C)Chain
D)Wheel
E)All-channel

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT a factor that influences the spontaneous development of small-group communication networks?

A)Task
B)Work environment
C)Group size
D)HR Policies
E)Member expertise

Question 34

The rumor grapevine can be characterized as which of the following?

A)Source
B)Receiver
C)Transmission
D)Feedback
E)Noise

Question 35

Communication that is ____ generally provides directions.

A)quick
B)horizontal
C)slow
D)upward
E)downward

Question 36

Which of these is the feedback portion of communication that enables a receiver to indicate receipt and understanding of a message?

A)Tele-simplex
B)Response key
C)Grapevine
D)Transmission
E)Verification

Question 37

The degree of correspondence between the intended message from the source and the message as translated by the receiver is called

A)static.
B)distortion.
C)filtering.
D)communication breakdown.
E)communication fidelity.

Question 38

A gatekeeper has a strategic position in the network that allows him or her to

A)generate more information.
B)control the flow of information.
C)select the medium senders and receivers will use.
D)eliminate channel noise.
E)reduce the number of liaisons and cosmopolites.

Question 39

A(n) ____ is a person who works alone and communicates little with others.

A)isolate
B)cosmopolite
C)gatekeeper
D)liaison
E)bridge

Question 40

For effective communication to take place when a manager attempts to give directions to an employee regarding an assignment, both parties must

A)decode the manager's message.
B)eliminate nonverbal cues.
C)instantaneously exchange information.
D)communicate face-to-face.
E)attach the same meaning to the symbols used in the message.

Question 41

Nonverbal communication only includes elements related to personal characteristics.

Question 42

International communication is closely related to issues of coordination because executives must often deal with time differences of many hours.

Question 43

Which of these shows reporting relationships from the line worker up to the CEO of the firm?

A)Organizational chart
B)Horizontal links
C)Wheel network
D)All-channel network
E)Circle group network

Question 44

A(n) _______ links the organization to the external environment.

A)isolate
B)cosmopolite
C)gatekeeper
D)liaison
E)bridge

Question 45

Sarah is interested in communicating a message to all store managers in her district. Sarah can be referred to as a

A)noise.
B)receiver.
C)decoder.
D)transmission.
E)source.

Question 46

Rohan generally serves as a bridge between groups in his division at ABC Manufacturing, tying groups together and facilitating the communication flow needed to integrate group activities. Rohan can be described as which of these?

A)Isolate
B)Cosmopolite
C)Gatekeeper
D)Liaison
E)Bridge

Question 47

The eyes the most expressive component of the facial display.

Question 48

In which of these each member communicates with the people on both sides but with no one else?

A)Star
B)Circle
C)Chain
D)Wheel
E)All-channel

Question 49

The most prevalent form of organizational communication is written communication.

Question 50

Which of these is a specialized or technical language of a trade, field, or profession?

A)Semantics
B)Jargon
C)Verification
D)Grapevine
E)Communication fidelity

Question 51

Which of these is the study of language forms?

A)Semantics
B)Jargon
C)Verification
D)Grapevine
E)Communication fidelity

Question 52

To share information with members of the organization is one of the key purposes of organizational communication.

Question 53

Fortunately for retailers, brand names translate across cultures without difficulty.

Question 54

In which of these all members communicate with all other members?

A)Star
B)Circle
C)Chain
D)Wheel
E)All-channel

Question 55

Each person in a chain network communicates with the people on both sides but not with anyone else.

Question 56

Research finds that manuals are the most common form of written communication in organizations.

Question 57

______ is an informal system of communication that coexists with the formal system.

A)Semantics
B)Jargon
C)Verification
D)Grapevine
E)Communication fidelity

Question 58

When communicating, expressing feelings and emotions can facilitate coordinated action.

Question 59

Yunus is popularly known as the gatekeeper in his organization probably because he

A)generates more information.
B)controls the flow of information.
C)selects the noise senders and receivers will use.
D)eliminates channel noise.
E)reduces the number of liaisons and cosmopolites.

Question 60

In which of these information flows between the person at the end of each spoke and the person in the middle?

A)Star
B)Circle
C)Chain
D)Wheel
E)All-channel

Question 61

Transmission is the process by which the message is translated from an idea or thought into transmittable symbols.

Question 62

A(n) ______ is a formal means of communicating with an individual, generally someone outside the organization.

Question 63

The communication network in a small group is an important factor in determining the effectiveness of the group.

Question 64

The second purpose of organizational communication is ______ sharing.

Question 65

_______ is the social process in which two or more parties exchange information and share meaning.

Question 66

Organizational communication networks can be structurally different from the reporting relationships of employees.

Question 67

The principle type of noise is called channel noise, which is associated with the medium.

Question 68

A follow-up phone call from a client about the purchase of a product is a good example of feedback.

Question 69

The isolated dyad tends to work alone and to interact and communicate little with others.

Question 70

The isolate links the organization to the external environment and may also be an opinion leader in the group.

Question 71

It is important that a sender choose the medium that corresponds to the type of message he or she is sending.

Question 72

An informal system of communication that coexists with the formal system is called the grapevine.

Question 73

Communication fidelity is the degree to which individuals utilize informal and nonverbal types of communication.

Question 74

Communication is essential to the ______ process.

Question 75

Decoding is the process through which the symbols that represent the message are sent to the receiver.

Question 76

Verification is the feedback portion of communication.

Question 77

Jargon is a specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or social group.

Question 78

The study of meaning in language forms is called "semantics."

Question 79

The liaison has a strategic position in the network that allows him or her to control information moving in either direction through a channel.

Question 80

The liaison serves as a bridge between groups, tying groups together and facilitating the communication flow needed to integrate group activities.