Deck 14: Managing Communication

Question 1

Mike is a big fan of all kinds of sports. As he walked past the snack-room bulletin board,he was excited to notice the company was sponsoring a softball team. Non-athletic Kenneth walks by the same bulletin board at least three times every day and has yet to see the softball notice. Why did Mike see the notice but Kenneth did not?

A)selective perception  
B)paralanguage  
C)faulty closure  
D)selective retention

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What is the last step in the perception process?

A)interpretation  
B)retention  
C)attention  
D)organization

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Why do people exposed to the same information often disagree about what they saw or heard?

A)defensive biases  
B)feedback variables  
C)differences in communication media  
D)perceptual filters

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The retired founder of L. L. Bean spent much of his time sitting on a set of stairs where he could watch customers coming and going to his store. He typically dressed in old pants,well-worn flannel shirts,and a pair of muddy boots. Customers assumed he was a derelict. Those who recognized him thought of him as a real character. Why was he seen differently by different people?

A)attribution  
B)a defensive bias  
C)a reactive bias  
D)selective perception

Question 5

According to attribution theory,which of the following makes managers more likely to accredit workers' problems or failures to internal causes than to external causes?

A)closure  
B)the defensive bias  
C)the self-serving bias  
D)the fundamental attribution error

Question 6

What is the term for the process by which individuals attend to,organize,interpret,and retain information from their environments?

A)active hearing  
B)passive listening  
C)perception  
D)apprehension

Question 7

Which term is used to describe the process of remembering interpreted information,in the perception process?

A)apprehension  
B)organization  
C)interpretation  
D)retention

Question 8

Clyde is a hunter and a member of the National Firearms Association (NFA),and proudly displays its decal on his truck. When he glimpsed a window decal on Don's car,he thought,"Hey,Don is a member of NFA,too." Clyde correctly filled in the words on the decal by relating the shape and colour of the decal to the decal he was familiar with. What did Clyde use to fill in missing information?

A)a reactive bias  
B)closure  
C)selective reception  
D)paraperception

Question 9

What are the steps in the perception process,in order?

A)retention,interpretation,attention,organization  
B)attention,organization,interpretation,retention  
C)organization,attention,interpretation,retention  
D)retention,organization,attention,interpretation

Question 10

Bonnie can be very loud and boisterous especially during lunch breaks. Connie feels Bonnie acts this way because she craves attention likely due to a childhood in which she received very little attention. What are Connie's thoughts about Bonnie an example of?

A)perception filters  
B)selective perception  
C)closure  
D)attribution theory

Question 11

A manager tells the staff that an important meeting will be held in the afternoon. One employee interprets this to mean the manager is unhappy with the group's performance. Another employee interprets this to mean they may be receiving a bonus for their good work. What is this an example of?

A)the grapevine  
B)perception  
C)communication  
D)perceptual filters

Question 12

What is the term for the process of incorporating new information into your existing knowledge,in the perception process?

A)comprehension  
B)organization  
C)interpretation  
D)retention

Question 13

Marathon runner Mariah Li noticed the San Diego Zoo was prohibiting people in motorized wheelchairs from viewing the zoo's baby panda and saw nothing wrong with this policy. Tully Smythe,who is wheelchair-bound,saw the notice and felt he was being discriminated against because he could not use his wheelchair to access the panda site. What does this scenario provide examples of?

A)selective perception  
B)destructive feedback  
C)faulty closure  
D)selective retention

Question 14

What is the term for the process of noticing or becoming aware of particular stimuli,in the perception process?

A)retention  
B)organization  
C)interpretation  
D)attention

Question 15

What is the term for the tendency to fill in gaps of missing information by assuming that what we don't know is consistent with what we already know?

A)selective perception  
B)paralanguage  
C)closure  
D)defensive bias

Question 16

Robin has postponed getting her ears pierced for years even though she loves to wear earrings and is convinced that jewellery manufacturers will not continue to produce clip-on earrings. When Robin was told that her favourite store would no longer stock Coret brand clip-on earrings,she assumed that Coret was no longer producing clip-on earrings,even though that was not the case. What led to Robin's incorrect assumption?

A)selective perception  
B)upward communication  
C)closure  
D)defensive bias

Question 17

What is the term for the process of attaching meaning to new knowledge,in the perception process?

A)attention  
B)organization  
C)interpretation  
D)definition

Question 18

What is the term for the tendency to notice and accept objects and information consistent with our values,beliefs,and expectations while ignoring or screening out or not accepting inconsistent information?

A)selective perception  
B)paralanguage  
C)closure  
D)attribution

Question 19

Which of the following can cause perceptual filters to occur?

A)stimulus-based differences  
B)physiology-based differences  
C)situation-contextual differences  
D)personality-based differences

Question 20

Which of the following steps is part of the basic perception process?

A)conceptualization  
B)organization  
C)analysis  
D)communication

Question 21

Which of the following states that we all have a basic need to understand and explain the causes of other people's behaviour?

A)attribution theory  
B)behavioural reflection theory  
C)theory of causality  
D)principle of consideration

Question 22

In the model of the communication process,what occurs when a message is put into a written,verbal,or symbolic form that can be recognized and understood by the receiver?

A)encoding  
B)decoding  
C)transmission  
D)feedback

Question 23

The crew renovating the downtown area accidentally dug up the sidewalk belonging to the First Methodist Church because they understood that all sidewalks were to be replaced. The crew was supposed to replace only city-owned sidewalks. In terms of the communication process,what did the crew members engage in?

A)selective perception  
B)incorrect decoding  
C)improper encoding  
D)negative feedback

Question 24

Lopez was injured at work when a warehouse shelving unit fell on him. According to attribution theory,what would his coworkers be guilty of if they assumed the accident was due to the shelves being improperly anchored to the wall?

A)fundamental attribution error  
B)reactive perception error  
C)error of culpability  
D)defensive bias

Question 25

Which of the following terms is used to describe the experience of someone likely to take any negative criticism of his or her department personally?

A)empowerment bias  
B)error of culpability  
C)self-serving bias  
D)reactive error of perception

Question 26

What are the three formal communication channels in organizations?

A)downward,horizontal,and upward  
B)hierarchical,functional,and organizational  
C)horizontal,upward,and hierarchical  
D)functional,organizational,and downward

Question 27

Hot Topic is a fast-growing clothing chain targeted to the alternative teen demographic. Hot Topic's CEO is Betsy McLaughlin,who relies on her employees to locate new trends. McLaughlin consults almost daily with her employees for suggestions on what the stores should carry. After attending an Insane Clown Posse concert,an employee suggested the stores should carry Faygo soda (the kind the band sprays on audience members during a concert). Which type of communication was the employee's suggestion an example of?

A)upward  
B)dyadic  
C)horizontal  
D)downward

Question 28

When things go wrong in the workplace,workers are more likely to attribute their problems to external causes. What are managers more likely to attribute those same workers' problems to?

A)to intrinsic reinforcers  
B)to internal causes  
C)to defensive bias  
D)to self-serving bias

Question 29

When Scotiabank,one of Canada's largest financial service providers,wanted to develop a customer-focused sales and service culture,it avoided information overload by limiting the number of communication vehicles used. Top management developed the main messages,which were consistently communicated to all levels of employees throughout the organization. Which type of communication channel is this an example of?

A)downward  
B)upward  
C)horizontal  
D)formal

Question 30

What is the term for the system of official channels that carry organizationally approved messages and information?

A)downward communication channel  
B)upward communication channel  
C)horizontal communication channel  
D)formal communication channel

Question 31

What term can be used to describe anything that interferes with the transmission of the intended message?

A)downward communication  
B)noise  
C)upward communication  
D)obstruction

Question 32

What is the term for the tendency to overestimate our value by attributing successes to ourselves (internal causes)and attributing failures to others or the environment (external causes)?

A)closure  
B)defensive bias  
C)self-serving bias  
D)the fundamental attribution error

Question 33

What was Ellis Jacob,chief executive of Cineplex,engaged in when he explained to shareholders and the media why Cineplex was merging with Famous Players?

A)encoding  
B)feedback preparation  
C)feedforward  
D)selective filtering

Question 34

Which type of communication was Dieter Zetsche,chief executive of DaimlerChrysler,engaged in when he explained to unionized employees why the company had to reduce its health-care coverage for employees?

A)upward  
B)dyadic  
C)horizontal  
D)downward

Question 35

Renovation of a street and sidewalk was supposed to be finished in October. Wet weather prolonged the rebuilding until the middle of December. Local retailers blamed the city for low holiday sales. Why would you agree with this analysis of why sales were poor?

A)You're experiencing the halo effect. 
B)You don't believe in attribution theory. 
C)You're having a defensive bias. 
D)You're having a reactive bias.

Question 36

According to attribution theory,to which of the following causes does the defensive bias make workers more likely to attribute their performance problems?

A)situational causes  
B)personal causes  
C)an internal locus of control  
D)the absence of unity of command

Question 37

The crew renovating the downtown area accidentally dug up the sidewalk belonging to the First Methodist Church because they understood that all sidewalks were to be replaced. The crew was supposed to replace only city-owned sidewalks. In terms of the communication process,what did the crew do improperly?

A)decode the message  
B)encode the message  
C)provide feedback about the message  
D)understand the jargon of the message

Question 38

In the model of the communication process,what makes senders aware of possible miscommunications and enables them to continue communicating until the receiver understands the intended message?

A)encoding  
B)noise  
C)transmission  
D)feedback

Question 39

According to attribution theory,what are the two general reasons,or attributions,we use to explain people's behaviour?

A)formalized and non-formalized attributions  
B)self-serving and defensive attributions  
C)objective and subjective attributions  
D)internal and external attributions

Question 40

Karl was injured at work when a shelving unit fell on him. According to attribution theory,what would his employer be committing if he thought Karl was completely responsible for the accident because Karl was trying to reach an item on a high shelf by climbing on the shelving unit rather than using a ladder?

A)a fundamental attribution error  
B)a reactive perception error  
C)an error of culpability  
D)a proactive perceptual error

Question 41

Managers generally like to use oral communication. Which of the following are they less receptive to using?

A)written communication  
B)upward communication  
C)horizontal communication  
D)formal communication

Question 42

What term describes facial expressions and changes in one's tone when speaking?

A)communication channels  
B)perceptual errors  
C)verbal communication  
D)nonverbal communication

Question 43

The news provided by the military to soldiers serving in Vietnam was sometimes censored. Ambitious GIs put to use the abundance of available military communications equipment and became Vietnam's underground radio pirates for uncensored news and music. Advice,information,and support not communicated by upper echelon military personnel were passed on to soldiers in the field through their field radios. Which type of communication channel would this be an example of?

A)downward  
B)upward  
C)formal  
D)informal

Question 44

Jamie tells his coworkers he overheard his supervisor telling another supervisor that salaries were going to be frozen. What is this an example of?

A)downward communication  
B)upward communication  
C)informal communication  
D)horizontal communication

Question 45

During a job interview,the interviewee is trying to deceive the interviewer if their hand is often used to cover their mouth and the person talks through their fingers as if hiding or trying to keep words from escaping. Less obvious but also a sign of deception is a single finger to the mouth or (with men)the mustache stroke. Interviewers can use their knowledge of these types of gestures to determine when interviewees are telling the truth. What type of knowledge is this?

A)proxemics  
B)body language  
C)paralanguage  
D)semiotics

Question 46

Which statement makes an accurate comparison between hearing and listening?

A)Hearing and listening are synonyms. 
B)Hearing is the act of perceiving sounds,while listening is the act of making a conscious effort to hear. 
C)Hearing and listening both require paralanguage during communication transmission. 
D)Listening is passive,and hearing is active.

Question 47

For some time,researchers have known that deceptive answers have a slower onset than honest ones. When faced with a threatening question,one may either hesitate or pause before a deceptive response. When contrasted with quick responses to other questions,this behaviour might suggest deception. Researchers have found that vocal pitch rises measurably in deceptive responses. Which of the following are these behaviours examples of that would help an interviewer evaluate a job applicant in an interview?

A)proxemics  
B)body language  
C)nonverbal communication  
D)semiotics

Question 48

Which of the following terms refers to movements of the face in nonverbal communication?

A)body language  
B)proxemics  
C)paralanguage  
D)pseudo-language

Question 49

Which of the following best defines coaching?

A)a method commonly used to improve how managers communicate with their subordinates  
B)a kind of one-on-one communication primarily used by managers in exit interviews  
C)communication used to improve an employee's on-the-job performance or behaviour  
D)a multilevel communication method that is used in place of negative reinforcement

Question 50

How should managers control informal communication?

A)start the grapevine to make employees talk about topics managers want them to talk about  
B)ignore the grapevine and let employees enjoy this type of communication  
C)prohibit the grapevine and ensure employees understand this  
D)embrace the grapevine and keep employees informed

Question 51

W.L. Gore is the company that created Gore-Tex,among many other innovative products. Gore employees (known as "associates")don't have titles or bosses in the traditional sense. Instead,associates make commitments to work on projects that they believe are most worthy of their time. What type of communication is the company encouraging as a result of doing away with traditional titles?

A)upward  
B)dyadic  
C)horizontal  
D)downward

Question 52

Clarissa is unable to do her job efficiently because her supervisor comes into her office every 15 minutes or so to ask irrelevant questions or to make unimportant comments. What is Clarissa experiencing a problem with?

A)undefinable noise  
B)communication media  
C)accepting feedback  
D)encoding and decoding

Question 53

When Scotiabank,one of Canada's largest financial service providers,wanted to develop a customer-focused sales and service culture,it avoided information overload by limiting the number of communication vehicles used. Which type of communication did the executive team use to develop the plan?

A)upward  
B)dyadic  
C)horizontal  
D)downward

Question 54

What is the term for communication with someone about non-job-related issues that may be affecting or interfering with the person's performance?

A)coaching  
B)leading  
C)counselling  
D)directing

Question 55

When Lilah saw her guest wrinkling her nose,she realized that she should have changed the litter in her cat's box. Which communication method is nose wrinkling an example of?

A)proxemics  
B)body language  
C)paralanguage  
D)semiotics

Question 56

Jennifer has spent a week with Raul,a new employee,to show Raul how to perform his duties and the kind of behaviour expected by management from all employees. What has Jennifer been engaged in with Raul?

A)coaching  
B)leading  
C)counselling  
D)directing

Question 57

Which term refers to a voice's pitch,rate,tone,volume,and speaking pattern (i.e.,use of silences,pauses,or hesitations)?

A)nonverbal communication  
B)proxemics  
C)paralanguage  
D)pseudo-language

Question 58

In which of the following cases would written communication be preferable to oral communication?

A)when immediate feedback is needed  
B)when messages are complex and ambiguous  
C)when messages are emotion laden  
D)when messages are very simple

Question 59

Rose knew by the shrillness of her teacher's voice that she was really in trouble and would probably be placed in after-school detention. What did Rose's teacher use to communicate her dismay with Rose?

A)proxemics  
B)body language  
C)nonverbal communication  
D)semiotics

Question 60

What is the term for a kind of one-on-one communication used by managers to improve an employee's on-the-job performance or behaviour?

A)downward guidance  
B)coaching  
C)counselling  
D)leading

Question 61

What is the term for the withholding of information about company problems or issues by employees?

A)organizational silence  
B)organizational filtering  
C)negative grapevining  
D)lower-level filtering

Question 62

Today,an assembly line worker at a GM plant in St. Catharines,Ontario starts at about $21 an hour,working up to the top rate of $34 an hour over time. However,they no longer have access to a defined-benefit pension plan,and have a less-secure pension called a defined-contribution plan. How should plant managers engage with employees who feel stressed by these imposed changes?

A)empathetic listening  
B)positive feedback  
C)reactive communication  
D)dyadic communication

Question 63

Which of the following should managers first recognize when communicating feedback one-on-one to employees?

A)Feedback can be constructive or destructive. 
B)Feedback can be bureaucratic or participative. 
C)Feedback can be regulated or unregulated. 
D)Feedback can be formalized or unformalized.

Question 64

McDonald's Canada recently announced all-day breakfast at many of its locations. They cited "thousands of tweets" as part of their motivation for making the change. What type of feedback did McDonald's receive from guests?

A)empathetic feedback  
B)participative feedback  
C)motivational feedback  
D)constructive feedback

Question 65

In empathetic listening,what it is important to do to demonstrate that you understand the speaker's emotions?

A)clarify responses  
B)reflect feelings  
C)paraphrase  
D)summarize

Question 66

What should you do to be a better listener?

A)evaluate the message as you hear it  
B)listen for what is not said  
C)listen only for content  
D)make no eye contact with the speaker

Question 67

What is the term for feedback that is disapproving without any intention of being helpful and that almost always causes a negative or defensive reaction in the recipient?

A)unsolicited feedback  
B)bureaucratic feedback  
C)destructive feedback  
D)administrative feedback

Question 68

Which technique assumes half the responsibility for successful communication by actively giving the speaker nonjudgmental feedback that shows you have accurately heard what was said?

A)hearing  
B)dyadic communication  
C)active listening  
D)empathetic listening

Question 69

Which of the following characteristics of feedback is more likely to be destructive than constructive?

A)immediate  
B)judgmental  
C)influenced by situational contexts  
D)problem-oriented

Question 70

When does organizational silence occur?

A)when an organization is about to engage in a leveraged buyout  
B)when an organization refuses to answer customer complaints  
C)when employees are advised to not discuss company issues with the news media  
D)when employees believe that telling managers about problems will not make a difference

Question 71

Which of the following is a technique of understanding the speaker's perspective and personal frame of reference and giving feedback that conveys that understanding to the speaker?

A)reflective hearing  
B)symbiotic listening  
C)active listening  
D)empathetic listening

Question 72

Which of the following communication channels plays an important role in both one-on-one and organization-wide communication?

A)email  
B)televised speeches/ meetings  
C)videotaped speeches/ meetings  
D)corporate talk shows

Question 73

Which of the following can be described as the in-house equivalent of Internet newsgroups?

A)intranet chat rooms  
B)Internet grapevines  
C)corporate talk shows  
D)online collaboration tools

Question 74

What can be said about managers with better listening skills??

A)They promoted over managers with poor listening skills. 
B)They are not rated any differently than mangers with poor listening skills by their employees. 
C)They are no more likely to be promoted than managers with poor listening skills. 
D)They are rated as better managers by their employees.

Question 75

What is the term for feedback that is intended to be helpful,corrective,and/or encouraging,and is aimed at correcting performance deficiencies and motivating employees?

A)empathetic feedback  
B)participative feedback  
C)solicited feedback  
D)constructive feedback

Question 76

Which of the following is one organization-wide communication technique regularly used for staying in touch with people throughout the organization (i.e.,hearing what others feel and think)?

A)company hotlines  
B)televised/videotaped speeches/ meetings  
C)social networks  
D)formal daily meetings

Question 77

Former Sears Canada president Carrie Kirkman said her team had never been customer- and product-centric. What did Kirkman engage in?

A)reactive criticism  
B)invalid feedback  
C)demotivational feedback  
D)destructive feedback

Question 78

Rubylyn is a very enthusiastic person who has been hired to work as the personal assistant for an event planner. At first,Rubylyn was a distraction to her supervisor because she was always interrupting him and asking him if he wanted anything. After a discussion with the event planner,Rubylyn better understood what her job entailed and became a valued employee. Which of the following did her supervisor likely provide?

A)valid feedback  
B)constructive feedback  
C)proactive criticism  
D)conduit reconstruction

Question 79

Which of the following best describes empathetic listening?

A)ask for clarification  
B)summarize what the speaker has said  
C)reflect people's feelings  
D)engage in problem identification

Question 80

An IndustryWeek survey of 845 line managers from diverse organizations found that only 29 percent of first-level supervisors thought that their organization encouraged employees to express opinions openly. Which of the following do the overwhelming majority of these supervisors most likely engage in?

A)organizational silence  
B)organizational filtering  
C)negative grapevining  
D)lower-level filtering