Deck 1: Business Communication in the Digital Age

Question 1

Which of the following statements about social media is most accurate? 

A)Social media are still relatively new and untried communication channels for some businesses.
B)Most businesses today have discarded old media and instead use social media exclusively for communicating and marketing.
C)Social media networks first attracted industries built on tradition and formality.
D)Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter offer no advantages for businesses.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following statements is least accurate? 

A)You should plan for lifelong learning and constant training.
B)Employees should expect employers to provide them with a clearly defined career path.
C)Most workers today will not find nine-to-five jobs or receive predictable pay increases.
D)Workers must be willing to continually learn new skills.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The most successful job candidate in today's competitive job market 

A)should have at least a 2.0 grade point average.
B)realizes that writing skills are not important except at the highest levels of management.
C)can design a really "killer" website.
D)is able to communicate effectively about work that is increasingly complex and intellectually demanding.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What has led to the increase in the number of companies that operate globally? 

A)The rise of new communication technologies and advanced forms of transportation 
B)The removal of trade barriers 
C)Saturated local markets 
D)All of these (the rise of new communication technologies and advanced forms of transportation, the removal of trade barriers, and saturated local markets)

Question 5

What type of technology makes it possible to locate and identify a computing device as soon as users connect to the network? 

A)Cloud computing technology 
B)Blogs, podcasts, and wikis 
C)Telephony 
D)Presence technology

Question 6

Kendra is responsible for updating her company's Facebook page with information about products, promotions, and special events. Kendra is using a communication medium called 

A)presence technology.
B)blogging.
C)social media.
D)Web conferencing.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about team-based management is least accurate? 

A)Many companies use cross-functional teams to empower employees and boost their involvement in decision making.
B)When individuals on teams don't share the same background or training, working relationships can become strained.
C)Some organizations form ad-hoc teams that solve particular problems and then disband once they have accomplished their objectives.
D)Companies that use team-based management prefer to train employees in teamwork skills rather than hire new workers who already possess these skills.

Question 8

Knowledge and information workers must be able to think critically, make sound decisions, and 

A)make a minimum number of tweets per day.
B)communicate information to others.
C)install software programs.
D)lift heavy objects.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about global competition is least accurate? 

A)Only medium and large companies compete globally.
B)Many traditional U.S. companies generate more profit abroad than locally.
C)If necessary, multinational companies should adjust their products to different palates.
D)Successful communication in global markets requires developing new skills and attitudes.

Question 10

The 21-century economy is based mainly on 

A)information and knowledge.
B)physical labor.
C)a supply of raw materials.
D)capital.

Question 11

The most significant trends in today's dynamic workplace include global competition, team-based projects, flattened management hierarchies, new communication technologies, and 

A)union participation and regulation.
B)more homogeneous workforces.
C)expectations of around-the-clock availability.
D)stricter dress codes.

Question 12

Communication skills are 

A)not important in technical fields.
B)critical to effective job placement, performance, career advancement, and organizational success.
C)required only for high-level positions.
D)not important in a down economy.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about writing skills is most accurate? 

A)Writing skills in today's workplace are an advantage, but they are not a necessity.
B)Only the very top level of salaried employees need good writing skills.
C)Having good writing skills can improve your chances for promotion and can result in higher earnings.
D)Today's communication technologies have made writing obsolete.

Question 14

For years businesses have been flattening their management hierarchies. This flattening means that 

A)information must flow through more layers of management.
B)it takes longer to make decisions.
C)various areas within an organization have little contact with one another.
D)employees at all levels must be skilled communicators.

Question 15

Thinking creatively and critically means 

A)agreeing with your supervisor at all times.
B)going with your gut instinct.
C)being able to make decisions quickly.
D)having opinions that are backed by reason and evidence.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about workplace diversity is the most accurate? 

A)Teams with diverse membership are more likely to create the products that consumers demand.
B)The number of older workers is decreasing.
C)More men pursue higher education than women.
D)A diverse staff is less able to respond to changes in the customer base in local and world markets.

Question 17

Gerard's company will no longer store its data using in-house hardware and software; instead, data will be stored online at a remote location. This type of technology is called 

A)telephony.
B)an open office.
C)cloud computing.
D)Web conferencing.

Question 18

"Around-the clock availability" 

A)means that you will be paid for working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
B)means that you may be expected to work long hours without extra compensation and be available practically anytime and anywhere, should a crisis strike at work.
C)is illegal under U.S. law.
D)refers only to websites, not people.

Question 19

What is the most accurate statement about being an effective communicator in the digital age? 

A)Digital workplace writing can be much more casual than traditional business writing.
B)Don't worry about your daily texts, Facebook postings, and tweets because they're not "real" writing.
C)Because most business is conducted face-to-face, you don't have to be a grammar expert.
D)Realize that because of social media and other online technology, your writing will be on display more than ever before; and it must be professional and correct.

Question 20

Which of the following statements about communicating in today's digital world is least accurate? 

A)The digital world is highly connected.
B)A growing number of workers must be available practically around the clock.
C)Communication generally flows one way, from businesses to consumers.
D)Information is often stored in remote locations.

Question 21

Which of the following statements about communication in today's business organizations is most accurate? 

A)Many companies used intranets to communicate with customers, outside vendors, and governmental agencies.
B)Smartphones and tablet computers are prevalent in the workplace but do not have the capabilities to replace laptops and personal computers.
C)Wireless access is increasingly blanketing entire office buildings, airports, hotels, restaurants, school and college campuses, cities, and other public spaces.
D)The most common workplace use of tablet computers is blogging.

Question 22

Of the following, the least rich communication media are 

A)face-to-face meetings and conversations.
B)e-mail messages.
C)flyers or posters.
D)telephone calls.

Question 23

The most prevalent communication channel in the workplace today is 

A)texting.
B)e-mail.
C)face-to-face meetings.
D)Facebook.

Question 24

Daniel must handle a complex organizational issue. Which of the following media would be best for this purpose? 

A)Videoconference 
B)E-mail message 
C)Telephone conversation 
D)Face-to-face meeting

Question 25

What is the least accurate statement about social presence? 

A)Media with high social presence convey warmth and are personal.
B)Social presence is greater in asynchronous communication than in synchronous communication.
C)Social presence can mean how much awareness of the sender is conveyed along with the message.
D)Social presence is greatest face-to-face, and less so in mediated and written communication.

Question 26

Which of the following is not an advantage of oral communication? 

A)Provides immediate feedback 
B)Promotes easy recall 
C)Can be adjusted to the audience 
D)Supplies nonverbal cues

Question 27

Which of the following is an advantage of written communication? 

A)Creates a permanent record 
B)Provides immediate feedback 
C)Is more personal than oral communication 
D)Is effective for delivering nonverbal cues

Question 28

Media richness theory attempts to classify media in organizations according to 

A)how much the media cost to use.
B)how technologically advanced the media are.
C)how widely the media are used in the workplace.
D)how much clarifying information they are able to convey from a sender to a recipient.

Question 29

A free exchange of information helps organizations 

A)respond rapidly to changing markets.
B)build employee morale.
C)serve the public.
D)do all of these (respond rapidly to changing markets, build employee morale, serve the public).

Question 30

Which of the following statements comparing oral and written communication is least accurate? 

A)Written communication is preferred when a permanent record is needed.
B)Written messages are generally more organized and well-considered than oral messages.
C)One advantage of oral communication such as a face-to-face meeting is that it allows for immediate feedback.
D)Oral communication is preferred when presenting formal or complex ideas.

Question 31

Which of the following is an example of an internal organizational communication? 

A)A tweet sent to a customer about a private sale that will take place tomorrow 
B)A Facebook page advertising a company's products 
C)A meeting of all department managers 
D)An annual report sent to company stockholders

Question 32

Which of the following is considered a rich medium? 

A)E-mail message 
B)Face-to-face conversation 
C)Flyer or poster 
D)Blog

Question 33

The three basic functions of business communication are to 

A)inform, entertain, and impress.
B)inform, persuade, and promote goodwill.
C)inform, persuade, and explain.
D)inform, instruct, and entertain.

Question 34

Mina wants to use the communication medium with the highest social presence. Which of the following should she choose? 

A)E-mail 
B)Blog posting 
C)Discussion forum posting 
D)Live chat

Question 35

Which of the following statements about today's work environments is least accurate? 

A)The "anytime, anywhere" office requires only a mobile phone and a wireless connection.
B)Many home office workers now take part in "coworking" and share communal office space with others.
C)You won't find open workspaces or flexible workstations in traditional offices.
D)Working from home or on the road makes communication skills even more important.

Question 36

What is the most common business communication function? 

A)To persuade 
B)To inform 
C)To promote goodwill 
D)To dazzle

Question 37

Lucy works in an office that has nonterritorial workspaces. This is new to her, and she would like to display good open office etiquette. What should she do? 

A)Speak in a soft voice and wear headphones to cut down on noise.
B)Try to get to the office first each morning so that she always gets the best desk.
C)Engage in a lot of chitchat to get to know her coworkers better.
D)Eavesdrop as often as possible to learn about the company culture.

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of external organizational communication? 

A)An employee performance appraisal 
B)A brochure sent to a prospective customer 
C)A report recommending a change in company procedure 
D)An e-mail message to employees about an upcoming training seminar

Question 39

What statement about communicating in today's work environment is least accurate? 

A)Today's organizations use e-mail, instant messaging (IM), texting, and interacting with social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to speed up the flow of communication.
B)Web chats are rapidly becoming the preferred communication channel for online customer service.
C)Hard-copy memos and letters still outnumber other forms of communication.
D)Smartphone owners outnumber users of basic mobile phones in the US.

Question 40

Social presence is defined as 

A)how extroverted a person is.
B)how well a company uses social media for communication.
C)the degree of "salience" (being there) between a sender and receiver using a communication medium.
D)a person's ability to get along with others.

Question 41

Which of the following statements about formal and informal communication channels is most accurate? 

A)All relevant organizational information should flow through formal communication channels.
B)A free exchange of information within organizations should be avoided because it can lead to chaos.
C)Managers should do everything possible to avoid grapevine communication within an organization.
D)Companies should monitor social media sites to see what customers and others are saying about the company.

Question 42

Which of the following is an example of upward communication in an organization? 

A)Three administrative assistants meet to discuss possible software upgrades.
B)A department manager sends a text message to his employees about a new overtime policy.
C)A warehouse worker suggests to his boss a way to improve employee morale.
D)The CEO sends an e-mail message to all employees inviting them to a company picnic.

Question 43

Chandra spent part of her workday booking flights and accommodations for her vacation next month. She tells herself that this is okay because all of her colleagues use the Internet for personal business at work, and they do it far more than she does. Into what ethical trap did she fall? 

A)Rationalization trap 
B)Ends-justify-the-means trap 
C)False necessity trap 
D)Doctrine-of-relative filth trap

Question 44

Which of the following is an example of horizontal communication in an organization? 

A)Six marketing reps meet to discuss ideas for targeting new customers.
B)An accounting clerk submits a progress report about a current project to her supervisor.
C)An employee suggests to her supervisor a way to improve customer service.
D)A supervisor sends an e-mail message to all division employees detailing the newest procedure for submitting expense claims.

Question 45

Which of the following is an example of an informal organizational communication channel? 

A)A supervisor gives a performance appraisal to her subordinate.
B)An employee suggests to his supervisor a way to increase productivity in his department.
C)Research and development team members hold a virtual meeting to discuss ideas for future products.
D)An employee starts a blog to share her personal work experiences, opinions, and observations.

Question 46

Bert is CEO of an organization with many layers in the chain of command. He is looking for ways to reduce these layers so that he can communicate more directly with the first-line employees. What organizational communication barrier is he trying to overcome? 

A)Lack of trust between management and employees 
B)Long lines of communication 
C)Closed communication climate 
D)Ego involvement

Question 47

Ethical business communicators strive to tell the truth, label opinions so that they are not confused with facts, are objective, communicate clearly, use inclusive language, and 

A)ensure that communication flows upward, downward, and horizontally.
B)give credit when using the ideas of others.
C)encourage feedback.
D)choose appropriate channels of communication.

Question 48

Alyssa has been asked by her boss to sign off on financial statements that she believes are false. Although she feels uncomfortable doing this, she's afraid that she'll be fired if she doesn't comply. Into what ethical trap has Alyssa fallen? 

A)Rationalization trap 
B)Ends-justify-the-means trap 
C)False necessity trap 
D)Doctrine-of-relative filth trap

Question 49

Covering up incidents, abusing sick days, lying to a supervisor, taking credit for a colleague's ideas, and inflating grades on a résumé are examples of 

A)breaking the law.
B)actions necessary to get ahead today.
C)unethical actions.
D)workplace distrust.

Question 50

Sandra owns a medium-sized financial services firm. She would like to make the best use of the grapevine for communication. What advice would you give her? 

A)Use the grapevine for delivering only good news.
B)Stay away from the grapevine and let employees use it privately.
C)Increase the amount of information delivered through formal channels.
D)Eliminate the grapevine entirely and allow formal communication only.

Question 51

Mickey Monus knew that his company Phar-Mor was destined for greatness; he, therefore, felt it was okay to manipulate the accounting records to show a profit instead of a loss to get the company through the rough times. Into what ethical trap did he fall? 

A)Rationalization trap 
B)Ends-justify-the-means trap 
C)False necessity trap 
D)Doctrine-of-relative filth trap

Question 52

Melinda was recently hired as manager of a small retail establishment. She immediately noticed that employees seem afraid to speak with her. She wants her employees to feel comfortable coming to her about anything. What organizational communication barrier is she trying to overcome? 

A)Lack of trust between management and employees 
B)Top-heavy organizational structure 
C)Turf wars 
D)Lack of communication skills

Question 53

Naoko has just moved to the United States and is taking a class to improve her English skills. What organizational communication barrier is she trying to overcome? 

A)Lack of communication skills 
B)Long lines of communication 
C)Differing frames of reference 
D)Ego involvement

Question 54

Which of the following is an example of downward communication in an organization? 

A)A business professor submits a conference report to her dean.
B)Four accountants meet to discuss the quarterly financial reports.
C)Members of a task force submit a progress report to the CEO.
D)The CFO sends information about a new accounting regulation to employees in the accounting department.

Question 55

Peter has started a new job and has noticed that there is a lot of gossip in his new workplace. He wants to come across professionally. What is the best advice you can give him? 

A)Listen to all the gossip he can to learn more about his new workplace.
B)Avoid getting involved, even if he hears inaccurate gossip being spread about a coworker.
C)Attack any rumors about himself aggressively.
D)Don't use the informal grapevine for any kind of workplace communication.

Question 56

To improve communication and to compete more effectively, many of today's companies have 

A)eliminated the grapevine.
B)restructured and reengineered themselves into smaller operating units and work teams.
C)discouraged free-flowing communication.
D)increased the number of levels in the communication chain.

Question 57

Steven included on his résumé the job title "Vice President of Reprographics." A reference check uncovered that he was actually a copy machine operator at Kinko's. Into what ethical trap did he fall? 

A)Self-deception trap 
B)Rationalization trap 
C)False necessity trap 
D)Doctrine-of-relative filth trap

Question 58

When faced with an ethical dilemma, what is the first question you should ask? 

A)What would my family, friends, and coworkers think? 
B)Would I take this action if I were on the opposite side? 
C)Is the action I am considering legal? 
D)Would a trusted advisor agree with this action?

Question 59

Which of the following statements about laws is least accurate? 

A)People in accounting and finance should be aware of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
B)Anything published on the Internet is in the public domain and can be used freely.
C)Assume that anything produced privately after 1989 is copyrighted.
D)The concept of fair use gives individuals limited rights to use copyrighted materials without requiring permission.

Question 60

Because your department has not reached its sales quota, your boss has asked you to change figures to show that sales were higher than they actually were. Which of the following questions is not important as you decide what to do? 

A)Is the action you are considering legal? 
B)Are there better alternatives? 
C)Would family, friends, or coworkers approve? 
D)What is the best channel of communication to use in responding to your boss?

Question 61

In making hiring decisions, employers often rank communication skills among the most-requested competencies.

Question 62

According to media richness theory, face-to-face conversations are the richest because they provide more helpful cues and allow for immediate feedback.

Question 63

You are born with the abilities to read, listen, speak, and write effectively.

Question 64

One advantage of oral communication over written communication is that oral communication can be more easily adjusted to the audience.

Question 65

One disadvantage of written communication is that it the paper trail it leaves can be dangerous.

Question 66

Maxwell is sending an e-mail message to the Securities and Exchange Commission to ask about a specific Sarbanes-Oxley regulation. This is an example of internal communication.

Question 67

Information flows through formal communication channels in three directions: downward, upward, and spiral.

Question 68

Only workers at the highest levels of management are expected to think creatively and critically.

Question 69

Knowledge and information workers are paid for their ability to engage in physical labor and lift heavy objects.

Question 70

Organizations with free-flowing, open communication tend to be more successful.

Question 71

The three primary business communication functions are to inform, to persuade, and to entertain.

Question 72

Flattened management hierarchies allow companies to react more quickly to market changes.

Question 73

E-mail is rapidly becoming the preferred communication channel for online customer service.

Question 74

The 21st-century economy depends mainly on information and knowledge.

Question 75

Communication today generally flows one way-from companies to the public.

Question 76

Today's new communication technologies have made writing skills less important than in the past.

Question 77

Diverse workforces are more likely to create the products that consumers demand.

Question 78

Communication in today's workplace is shifting from one-sided, slow forms of communication to interactive, instant, less paper-based communication.

Question 79

Social presence is greater in asynchronous communication (e-mail, forum post) than in synchronous communication (live chat, IM).

Question 80

External communication includes sharing ideas and messages with superiors, coworkers, and subordinates.