Deck 1: Becoming a Successful Business Communicator

Question 1

The communication skills you already possess ________ in the workplace.

A) will likely hamper your attempts to communicate
B) are inapplicable to communication
C) are most likely sufficient to meet every challenge of communication
D) will be valuable to you for communicating
E) must all be unlearned if you want to successfully communicate

Answer 1

D
Explanation: D) The communication skills you have already developed will be valuable to you in the workplace, where communication is considered to be the most important of all abilities you can possess. However, your current skills may not be sufficient to meet many challenges of communicating in the workplace.

Question 2

Which of the following terms best represents the set of circumstances in which you are communicating?

A) frontage
B) power distance
C) context
D) semblance
E) facade

Answer 2

C
Explanation: C) The term "context" refers to the set of circumstances in which you are communicating.

Question 3

In its annual survey of corporate recruiters, the Graduate Management Admissions Council routinely finds that ________ tops employers' list of complaints about potential MBA job recruits.

A) lack of communication ability
B) inability to solve problems
C) poor cognitive skills
D) unfamiliarity with new channels of sales
E) over reliance on technology and social media

Answer 3

A
Explanation: A) Even MBAs are not sufficiently prepared for the communication challenges they face, as this item tops the list of complaints about potential MBA job recruits.

Question 4

Which of the following statements best expresses the goal of communication?

A) The goal of communication is that the receiver should be able to receive the message.
B) The goal of communication is that the sender should be able to transmit the message.
C) The goal of communication is to develop shared meaning by communicating in a dynamic loop.
D) The goal of communication is to select the appropriate channel for sending an encoded message.
E) The goal of communication is to maximize the potential for feedback.

Question 5

In terms of his career, Ryan's communication skills ________.

A) will neither help him find a job nor help him keep it
B) won't make any difference in his salary potential
C) will be perceived as important by his employers, but they cannot be translated into savings for his company
D) will make him a valuable employee
E) may have a positive impact on his professional life, but will have a negative impact on his personal life

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of communicating?

A) taking notes in a meeting
B) emailing your manager to inform him about scheduling issues
C) maintaining a personal diary
D) writing a personal travel journal
E) reciting a list of dates to memorize them for an upcoming exam

Question 7

Which of the following terms refers to the individual person or people for whom a message is intended?

A) boundary spanner
B) audience
C) whistleblower
D) idea champion
E) change agent

Question 8

The New Graduates' Workforce Readiness study found that many employers were dissatisfied with the communication skills of their college-graduate employees. Which of the following is one of the deficiencies specifically cited in this study?

A) following the company policies
B) leadership
C) work ethic
D) business planning
E) marketing skills

Question 9

In which of the following situations can good business communication skills have a positive impact on your life?

A) negotiating a better deal on a car
B) driving through busy streets
C) keeping your personal valuables safe
D) calculating your monthly expenses
E) managing your family's grocery

Question 10

Ryan, a recent college graduate, possesses exemplary written and oral communication skills. He has always received top marks in the papers he wrote as part of his course work, and was also a successful member of the school debate team.
As he begins his job search Ryan can expect that ________.

A) his effectiveness as a communicator will give him a competitive advantage
B) he will not stand out from the pack, as most college graduates possess similar communication skills
C) employers will not be unduly impressed by these skills, as most people in the workplace have mastered them
D) this ability might hinder his chances as a job candidate
E) his speaking skills will be a plus for him, but his writing skills will be taken for granted in the workplace

Question 11

________ is an example of communication.

A) Writing the plotline of a book that you intend to write
B) Setting a reminder text on your cellphone
C) Updating your status on a social networking site
D) Listening to classic tunes on an MP3 player
E) Reading the newspaper

Question 12

As a sender, immediately after ________ your message, you will most likely ________.

A) encoding; decode your message
B) encoding; choose your medium
C) decoding; choose your medium
D) decoding; prepare feedback
E) encoding; close the dynamic loop

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of encoding a message?

A) deciding how to phrase a request to your boss for clarification on your new assignment
B) deciding to read the annual financial report of your company
C) deciding to purchase a new smart phone so that you can check and send email while you are on the go
D) deciding to toss out an advertisement that was mailed to you
E) deciding to read an email sent by a friend

Question 14

Why is it that many students do no acquire sufficient communication skills as they pass through school?

A) Business communication skills can be learnt only through experience and they cannot be taught.
B) Most schools don't offer any business communication courses.
C) Since many perceive it to be such a difficult course they are discouraged from taking it.
D) Business communication is complex even for dedicated students.
E) It is an innate skill that cannot be taught.

Question 15

Which of the following terms refers to the process of putting your message into words, images, or action?

A) transmitting
B) encoding
C) receiving
D) interpreting
E) decoding

Question 16

Which of the following workplace activities is most likely to be the one in which your communication skills will be utilized?

A) calculating whether sales are up this quarter using the latest figures
B) formulating strategies to manage your new team
C) persuading your colleagues that your idea will likely lead to increased sales
D) analyzing the pattern of errors found in your new product
E) designing algorithms for the to-be-developed software

Question 17

Which of the following is a form of social media?

A) performance report
B) company newsletter
C) Twitter
D) industry journals
E) email

Question 18

Which of the following terms best describes web-based applications designed to promote interactions among people?

A) cookie
B) social media
C) filter
D) firewall
E) router

Question 19

Good business communication skills ________.

A) can have a positive impact on your life outside of work
B) will help you advance in your career but will hinder your personal relationships
C) will improve personal relationships, although they offer no financial benefits in your personal or professional life
D) are inapplicable to your personal life
E) are not worth the investment of time and energy necessary to acquire them

Question 20

Which of the following is an example of unsuccessful communication?

A) ordering an item online and deciding, after it arrives, that you don't like it
B) asking a friend for advice and then trying to apply it to your problem
C) receiving instructions on how to put something together and then assembling the item
D) making an urgent request on a colleague's voice mail and getting no reply for a week
E) writing a letter to a manufacturer complaining about a recent purchase and receiving a discount on a future purchase

Question 21

Padma, an avid home cook, has no culinary training or experience in professional kitchens. After dining at her house one evening, her friend Tom is so impressed by her cooking that he gives Padma the opportunity to work in the restaurant he manages.
Padma is asked if she knows how to make a red wine reduction. Padma looks down at her feet, quietly mumbles "sure," and starts wringing her hands. When the job of making the red wine reduction is assigned to someone else Padma is confused, as she had answered affirmatively that she knew how to do it. Which of the following is the best explanation of what happened here?

A) A psychological barrier has obstructed communication; by mumbling her reply Padma is signaling that she is offended by the request.
B) A semantic barrier has occurred; since Padma answered "sure" instead of "yes" her answer was confusing.
C) A language barrier has obstructed communication; Padma should have said "yes" in several different languages to ensure that she was understood.
D) A physiological barrier has obstructed communication; by wringing her hands Padma has given the impression that they hurt and that she cannot perform the task.
E) A mixed message has obstructed communication; Padma's verbal and nonverbal responses communicate different things.

Question 22

Which of the following is an example of feedback?

A) asking your colleague for help on a project
B) sending out the schedule for the month to your team
C) sending a text message to your friend accepting the invitation to lunch
D) forwarding an informative email that you just received to a group of friends
E) sending an email request for leave

Question 23

If a new employee doesn't know what is expected of her when asked to review the P&L, a ________ is interfering with effective communication.

A) psychological barrier
B) semantic barrier
C) language barrier
D) physiological barrier
E) mixed message

Question 24

A hearing loss is an example of a ________ barrier.

A) psychologic
B) semantic
C) language
D) physiological
E) mixed message

Question 25

Padma, an avid home cook, has no culinary training or experience in professional kitchens. After dining at her house one evening, her friend Tom is so impressed by her cooking that he gives Padma the opportunity to work in the restaurant he manages.
Padma is assisting with the preparation work for that evening's dinner service. The chef asks her if the "mise en place" for the meat station is ready. Padma answers no; she was asked to assemble and prepare ingredients, not to do mise en place. The chef storms off, angrily shouting for someone else to get it done. Padma mentions this to a coworker, who informs her that the French term "mise en place" translates to "set in place," and signifies the set up of ingredients needed for a particular dish or area of the kitchen. Now Padma has to tell the angry chef that the job he just started someone else on is duplicating the preparation work she has already done. This is an example of a ________.

A) psychological barrier
B) technological barrier
C) language barrier
D) physiological barrier
E) mixed message

Question 26

The process of ________ a message involves interpreting its words and actions and attaching meaning to them.

A) encoding
B) decoding
C) encrypting
D) channeling
E) blocking

Question 27

This miscommunication might have been avoided if ________.

A) you had been more specific about the type of help you wanted from your classmate
B) your classmate had angrily deleted your email instead of replying to you
C) you had used the same wording, but sent your request as a letter instead of an email
D) you had been more vague in your message about what you wanted
E) your classmate went directly to your professor with his suspicions

Question 28

________ influences the purpose of communication, the best medium to use to communicate the message, and how receivers interpret the message.

A) Collaboration
B) Context
C) Conciseness
D) Clarity
E) Channel

Question 29

You want to inform your colleague about a change to the project schedule. You decide to call him to inform him about this change. By deciding to use the telephone to complete this communication, you have ________.

A) encoded the message
B) closed the dynamic communication loop
C) filtered the noise in the communication process
D) selected the communication medium
E) decoded the feedback

Question 30

Padma, an avid home cook, has no culinary training or experience in professional kitchens. After dining at her house one evening, her friend Tom is so impressed by her cooking that he gives Padma the opportunity to work in the restaurant he manages.
On Padma's first night, she is asked to help plate the appetizers for the 4-top that just arrived. Padma freezes: she doesn't understand that she is being asked to arrange the appetizers on the proper serving dishes, along with the necessary garnishes and condiments, for the table of four diners that just arrived at the restaurant. This is an example of a ________.

A) psychological barrier
B) technological barrier
C) language barrier
D) physiological barrier
E) mixed message

Question 31

When a message is decoded, the meaning that is attached to it is filtered by ________.

A) the transmission medium
B) the sender's experience
C) the receiver's knowledge
D) the sender's emotional state
E) the dynamic loop

Question 32

You email a fellow student requesting help on a class project, and he sends a terse reply stating that he does not believe in cheating.
Your classmate ________.

A) doesn't understand how to use email appropriately
B) may have had a bad experience in the past that caused him to misinterpret your request
C) should have used another communication medium to signal a negative response
D) could not identify the potential barriers in the communication
E) should have ignored your email request

Question 33

Feedback ________.

A) must be verbal
B) can't include gestures
C) may include a request for clarification
D) must be transmitted in the same medium as the original message
E) hinders the communication process

Question 34

________ arise from language that is ambiguous or difficult to understand.

A) Psychological barriers
B) Semantic barriers
C) Language barriers
D) Physiological barriers
E) Mixed messages

Question 35

Shaking your head in disapproval after your coworker makes a discriminatory statement is an example of ________.

A) feedback
B) an encoded message
C) a context
D) a channel
E) a barrier

Question 36

A receiver decodes a message by ________.

A) putting it into words, images, or actions
B) selecting a channel through which to transmit it
C) interpreting its words or actions and attaching meaning to them
D) determining the appropriate verbal or nonverbal response that should be sent
E) closing the dynamic loop

Question 37

________ arise from conflicts between verbal and nonverbal communication.

A) Mixed messages
B) Semantic barriers
C) Psychological barriers
D) Language barriers
E) Physiological barriers

Question 38

You joined a team just as it was finishing up a big and much anticipated project at your company, and feel a little insecure as its newest member and the one who contributed the least to this project. At the next staff meeting your boss thanks you for all your hard work in making the project a success. Instead of this making you feel good you feel uncomfortable, interpreting the comment as a sarcastic remark about how little you actually participated in this project. This is an example of a ________.

A) psychological barrier
B) semantic barrier
C) language barrier
D) physiological barrier
E) mixed message

Question 39

Which of the following terms refers to an obstacle that gets in the way of effective communication?

A) encoder
B) decoder
C) context
D) barrier
E) channel

Question 40

Communication typically occurs ________.

A) in a vacuum
B) between exactly two people
C) between people with identical concerns
D) among multiple people with different contexts
E) among multiple people who encode and decode messages in exactly the same way

Question 41

Melinda is talking to her supervisor, suggesting that they implement a new process for their department. While Melinda is speaking, her boss is fidgeting in his seat and glances at his watch several times. When Melinda asks what he thinks, he stands up and walks out of the door saying, "Sure, sure. It sounds fine. Let's talk later." As an active listener Melinda ________.

A) will interpret this as an unequivocal acceptance of her suggestion
B) will understand that they will have to work out the details but her suggestion is definitely approved
C) will perceive that her boss was in a hurry and that they will likely need to revisit this discussion
D) will understand that he was anxious to leave the room because he disliked her idea so much
E) will understand by his nonverbal cues that he has rejected her idea

Question 42

Which of the following behaviors best expresses professionalism?

A) slouching in your chair during an interview
B) wearing frayed pants to a company luncheon
C) texting a thank-you message to an interviewer, using acronyms and emoticons
D) typing up an email to your boss on the fly, paying no attention to tone or grammar
E) leaving early enough for a meeting so that, despite a traffic jam, you still arrive a few minutes early

Question 43

Active listening ________.

A) is the same as hearing
B) is an innate skill that involves "reading between the lines"
C) is a learned skill that requires focusing on the speaker
D) never involves feedback on the information
E) decreases the chances of correctly understanding the information

Question 44

Caroline knows that while her oral presentation skills are stellar, her writing style could use a bit of work. Which of the following would be the best medium for Caroline to communicate effectively?

A) a podcast
B) a wiki
C) a blog
D) a text chat
E) an email

Question 45

Good business communicators understand that ________.

A) their message must influence anyone who might come across it
B) their message must be able to reach their targeted audience
C) being a good writer is the only way to reach your audience
D) being a good listener is not necessary to understand audience concerns
E) being a good reader is vital, as it is the only way to gain insights into audience concerns

Question 46

________ is the quality of being unambiguous and easy to understand.

A) Appropriateness
B) Representativeness
C) Substitutability
D) Clarity
E) Conciseness

Question 47

You are organizing a charity event to raise funds for the renovation of the community tennis court. This event is going to include a two-day sports tournament among the high school students in your locality. This will involve communicating with students, their parents, school administrators, coaches, local businesses, and the general public.
You are drafting a letter to high school tennis coaches looking for potential players for the tournament. In this letter, citing which benefit would likely have the LEAST impact on convincing the coaches to help you recruit players?

A) This event will generate great publicity and goodwill for sponsors.
B) The tournament will put a spotlight on your high school's tennis players.
C) The event will generate interest in tennis and attract young players to the game.
D) The event could attract more funding for high school tennis programs.
E) The event will raise a lot of money to renovate the community tennis courts.

Question 48

The term "communication ________" refers to a plan for what and how to communicate to ensure that the message achieves its purpose.

A) strategy
B) memorandum
C) code
D) blueprint
E) schema

Question 49

Which of the following does an active listener do?

A) works to interpret meaning to understand what a person is saying
B) listens to the speaker without comprehending the information
C) filters out emotional cues
D) perceives speech but not the body language
E) thinks only about what is being said but not about why it is being said

Question 50

________ listening is a learned skill that requires you to focus on the speaker, make sense of the information that he or she presents, and, when possible, provide feedback about the information to ensure you understand it correctly.

A) Adaptive
B) Active
C) Associative
D) Integrative
E) Constructive

Question 51

Which of the following characteristics of effective business communicators involves considering whether a message is appropriate to the situation?

A) strategic
B) professional
C) technological
D) adaptive
E) collaborative

Question 52

In which of the following is an oral communication method required?

A) writing news articles
B) updating Facebook status
C) participating in teleconferences
D) updating wikis
E) Tweeting

Question 53

________ means that a message uses no more words than are necessary to accomplish its purpose.

A) Clarity
B) Appropriateness
C) Substitutability
D) Conciseness
E) Representativeness

Question 54

You are organizing a charity event to raise funds for the renovation of the community tennis court. This event is going to include a two-day sports tournament among the high school students in your locality. This will involve communicating with students, their parents, school administrators, coaches, local businesses, and the general public.
One of your first tasks is to attract sponsors who will provide funding for the event in exchange for promotional considerations. When you draft the letter trying to secure this funding, your audience will be ________.

A) students
B) students' parents
C) school administrators
D) coaches
E) local businesses

Question 55

Which of the following statements about professionalism is true?

A) Professionalism refers to the qualities that make you adaptable in the workplace.
B) Professionalism is limited to projecting a professional image.
C) Professionalism involves living up to the standards of your profession.
D) Professionalism cannot be expressed by your actions and attire.
E) Professionalism does not involve proofreading your messages.

Question 56

Which of the following behaviors most likely indicates that the listener disagrees with the idea she is hearing?

A) twirling her hair around her finger
B) staring off into space
C) jotting down notes on a pad
D) rolling her eyes
E) drumming her fingers on the table

Question 57

________ is the process of influencing your audience to agree with your point of view, recommendation, or request.

A) Coercion
B) Persuasion
C) Active listening
D) Encoding
E) Channeling

Question 58

Just as you're about to shut down your computer for the day, you remember that you need to send an update to your boss. You dash off a quick email and press send without spell checking or proofing it. Doing so ________.

A) is fine since this is not a formal report
B) is the right approach, since email does not require proofreading
C) is a bad idea, since you need to proofread and use correct grammar in all of your messages
D) is correct because an email needs to be as short as possible
E) is unethical and may get you fired

Question 59

You are organizing a charity event to raise funds for the renovation of the community tennis court. This event is going to include a two-day sports tournament among the high school students in your locality. This will involve communicating with students, their parents, school administrators, coaches, local businesses, and the general public.
You are drafting a letter to send to the parents of interested high school players, to obtain permission for their children to participate in the tournament. In the context of this letter, which of the following statements would be an example of the persuasive technique of responding to an anticipated objection?

A) This tournament will be a great opportunity for your child to meet students from neighboring schools.
B) Your child will know the satisfaction of making a difference in our community.
C) When renovated, the community tennis courts will provide a wonderful recreation area for families in the area.
D) The tournament will be scheduled in conjunction with all the participating high schools, so that it does not interfere with classes or school events.
E) Local businesses will put together gift bags for the students as a token for their participation.

Question 60

Your audience will understand ________ language faster than ________ language.

A) clear; concise
B) complicated; wordy
C) clear and concise; wordy and complicated
D) complicated; concise
E) complicated and concise; wordy and clear

Question 61

Miles is writing an email to his project team which is working on a big presentation. Knowing that some of his audience are not native English speakers, which of the following is the best way for him to complete the statement below? So let's do our best to ________ for the presentation.

A) have all our ducks in a row
B) dot our i's and cross our t's
C) be well-organized and prepared
D) make sure we're on the same page
E) be on the ball

Question 62

Effective business communicators have a competitive edge in the job market.

Question 63

Gesturing to some friends across the room to wait for you is not an example of communication, since no written or spoken language is involved.

Question 64

Deciding that you should have a face-to-face conversation with your boss to receive clarification on an assignment is an example of the sender selecting a communication medium.

Question 65

Even many MBAs are not sufficiently prepared for the communication challenges they face.

Question 66

Communication involves planning, creating, delivering, and interpreting messages.

Question 67

Which of the following statements about technology is true?

A) Technology increases the distance between communicators.
B) Technology allows an immediate exchange of information across miles and time zones.
C) Technology does not change very rapidly.
D) Technology is not prey to pitfalls so it eliminates the risk of failed communication.
E) Technology does not allow people to share documents instantaneously.

Question 68

________ refers to the learned and shared patterns in a society.

A) Context
B) Ethics
C) Collaboration
D) Professionalism
E) Culture

Question 69

Most students acquire sufficient communication skills as they go through school.

Question 70

A good communicator ________.

A) must know all technologies
B) knows that all technology choices can be used interchangeably
C) understands that social media are inappropriate for business communication
D) thinks about the implications of technology options and uses his or her choices wisely
E) avoids trendy new technology choices in favor of tried and true methods like phone calls, memos, and face-to-face meetings

Question 71

Business communication is a complex process.

Question 72

Communication skills can improve your salary.

Question 73

In the context of doing business with people from other cultures, effective communicators ________.

A) memorize a list of cultural difference between countries
B) are ready to adapt to different cultural needs
C) ignore cultural differences and treat everyone equally
D) treat others as they would like to be treated
E) follow exclusively the communication conventions of their own culture

Question 74

Since communication skills, like speaking and writing, are so important, most of people in the workplace master them.

Question 75

________ refers to the principles you use to guide decision making, leading you to do the right thing.

A) Adaptability
B) Ethics
C) Feedback
D) Context
E) Social media

Question 76

You are collaborating on a report with a coworker, and want to send him the latest version of your document urgently. Which of the following statements is true regarding collaborating in this case?

A) Typing out the report and mailing it to your colleague by post would be the fastest way of delivering the report.
B) Uploading the document to the company intranet will deliver it to your coworker's mailbox.
C) You should use a public blog to discuss the changes you have made to the document.
D) Using a team wiki will allow both of you to constantly update the document within a shared space.
E) The most efficient method would be to call your coworker on the telephone and describe the changes you have made.

Question 77

Cultural sensitivity ________.

A) applies only to international communication
B) deals exclusively with people who are non-native English speakers
C) does not refer to cultural differences among people of different ages
D) may apply to cultural differences between people of different genders
E) is impossible to achieve given the diversity in the world today

Question 78

Which of the following considerations is relevant to the adaptable characteristic of effective business communicators?

A) What do I want to accomplish with my message?
B) With whom should I communicate to accomplish my goal?
C) Is my message able to work with other cultures?
D) Is my message clear and concise?
E) Is my message ethical?

Question 79

In business, communication is typically goal-oriented.

Question 80

________ is defined as the process of working together to achieve a common goal.

A) Professionalism
B) Collaboration
C) Persuasion
D) Active listening
E) Communication