Deck 8: Interpersonal Communication in Organizations

Question 1

In business dealings, Japanese people prefer to "get down to business" rather than waste time on "small talk." This shows how Japan is a low-context culture.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The richness of a media message is highest when

A) the speed of personalized feedback is slow and there are a variety of cues and language used.
B) the speed of personalized feedback is fast and there are few cues and language used.
C) the speed of personalized feedback is fast and there are a variety of cues and language used.
D) the speed of personalized feedback is slow and there are few cues and language used.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Stereotyping and projection are personality traits that serve as a barrier to communication.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Which of the following is used by the sender as the means for sending messages?

A) transmitters
B) receptors
C) cues
D) decoders

Question 5

As noted in "Change Competency: Michael Ward's Reflections on CSX's One Plan Redesign," the One Plan Redesign was aimed at improving employee-management relations.

Question 6

In the process of interpersonal communication, both the sender and receiver have set roles that never change throughout the communication exchange.

Question 7

In the "Communication Competency: Ann-Marie Campbell, Executive Vice President of U.S. Stores, Home Depot," it is noted that Ann-Marie Campbell is a "hands-off" administrator that keeps her distance from Home Depot's 2,726 stores; instead, she empowers employees to manage each store as they see fit.

Question 8

As noted in "Learning from Experience: Julia Stewart, Former Chairman and CEO of DineEquity," what form of communication works best for Julia Stewart?

A) e-mail
B) hand written notes
C) voice mail
D) personal visits

Question 9

An organization that wants to influence interpersonal communication through the company's physical environment might incorporate principles of feng shui.

Question 10

The higher the employee's status, the easier that employee finds it to invade the territory of lower status employees.

Question 11

As noted in "Learning from Experience: Julia Stewart, Former Chairman and CEO of DineEquity," Julia Stewart typically never hires anyone without going out to eat with them.

Question 12

As it pertains to nonverbal communication, relative orientation is the physical distance between individuals.

Question 13

The "Across Cultures Competency: Introducing U.S. Products to International Markets," points out that communicating about a product in a foreign market is a challenging endeavor.

Question 14

Bethany just presented her new product idea to the team. Angela approached her afterward and told her "I liked your presentation, but your delivery needs some work." This is an example of feedback that is constructive and fosters open communication.

Question 15

Communication that brings out the (hidden) assumptions, inferences, and interpretations of the parties that form the basis of open messages is referred to as assertive communication.

Question 16

The use of rainbow colors as an identifier of the LGBTQ community is a use of chronemics.

Question 17

In "Change Competency: Poor Nonverbal Signals Prior to Layoffs," three months prior to her job being eliminated, Marcia Finberg's CEO went from being friendly with her to avoiding her and being curt.

Question 18

_______ can be described as a limited number of people who (1) are usually in proximity to each other, (2) use many sensory channels, and (3) are able to provide immediate feedback.

A) Meta-communication
B) Interpersonal communication
C) Intercultural communication
D) Nonverbal communication

Question 19

The Internet-when used for sending e-mails, and a cell phone-when used for sending text messages are examples of

A) decoders.
B) channels.
C) cues.
D) feedback.

Question 20

The more accurately a message moves through a communication network, the more clearly the receiver will understand it.

Question 21

A sender knows whether the message was received as intended through the use of the receiver's

A) feedback.
B) transmitters.
C) receptors.
D) semantics.

Question 22

Which of the following is a characteristic of communication openness?

A) guarded trust
B) concealed goals
C) hidden messages
D) shared agendas

Question 23

The process of communicating by using facial expression, gestures, postures, emotional tones of voice, grooming, clothing, colors, and use of type or space is called

A) meta-communication.
B) intercultural communication.
C) assertive communication.
D) nonverbal communication.

Question 24

Wesley was attending lecture on effective communication. After the speaker had spoken for about an hour, Wesley started to get bored. She began doodling on her paper and twirling her hair. Which personal nonverbal cue is Wesley exhibiting?

A) existence of adapters
B) individual gestures
C) displaying expressions
D) relative orientation

Question 25

According to "Change Competency: Poor Nonverbal Signals Prior to Layoffs," what was John Boyd's response to the nonverbal cues given to him by his CEO and other executives?

A) Boyd filed a lawsuit against the firm.
B) Boyd expressed his concerns to the CEO.
C) Boyd left the company.
D) Boyd set new company goals for himself.

Question 26

According to "Communication Competency: Ann-Marie Campbell, Executive Vice President of U.S. Stores, Home Depot," which way does Ann-Marie Campbell prefer to connect with her workers?

A) by visiting the stores and walking the floor
B) by holding weekly video conferences
C) through e-mail newsletters
D) through phone calls and voice mails

Question 27

The concept of feng shui relates to which element of nonverbal communication?

A) facial expressions
B) physical environment
C) emotional tones of voice
D) color

Question 28

Phil and Nico hired a lawyer to draft a contract for the two of them to enter into a partnership agreement. When they received the contract, Phil and Nico had difficulty understanding it because their lawyer used so much legal language, and they couldn't decipher all the legal terms that were used. Phil and Nico are having an issue with which element of communication?

A) deciphering message cues
B) encoding the message
C) providing message feedback
D) decoding the message

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT an element of dialogue?

A) selecting appropriate channels
B) asking questions and listening to learn
C) uncovering and examining assumptions
D) seeking shared meaning

Question 30

Which of the following is an individual perceptual error?

A) agreeableness
B) introversion
C) stereotyping
D) conscientiousness

Question 31

A person's verbal and nonverbal communication patterns that have become habits are known as

A) meta-communication.
B) self-disclosure.
C) impression management.
D) language routines.

Question 32

What communication element is at play when the word "table" in America means to remove from discussion but in Britain it means to bring to discussion?

A) chromatics
B) semantics
C) distortion
D) chronemics

Question 33

Constructive and ethical feedback

A) is general in nature, rather than specific.
B) doesn't include more than the receiver can handle at any particular time.
C) covers all behavior whether the receiver can correct it or not.
D) does not need to be based on a foundation of trust.

Question 34

You are a(n) ______ listener when you pay attention; withhold judgment; and clarify, summarize, and share when listening.

A) constructive
B) aggressive
C) active
D) reserved

Question 35

In the meeting, Roberto confidently expressed his opinion that the new sales territory restructuring plan was not fair to all employees. Clayton, however, shared why he thought the plan was very fair. Even though Roberto disagreed with Clayton's ideas, he nonetheless, listened attentively to what he had to say. Roberto is engaged in

A) closed communication.
B) assertive communication.
C) intercultural communication.
D) ethnocentrism.

Question 36

Which of the following is an accurate representation of how nonverbal cues reveal status differences?

A) The higher an employee's status, the easier that employee finds it to invade the territory of lower status employees.
B) Offices of senior members of a staff are often in the center of the room, surrounded by everyone else.
C) Top executives tend to position themselves to be most accessible to lower level employees.
D) People of high status in an office are typically less "protected."

Question 37

Which of the following is an example of underlining?

A) Beth rolled her eyes when listening to her coworker's idea.
B) Jeevan put his hand on Carl's shoulder when he told him "Everything will be alright."
C) Pam pointed up the street when giving Bill directions to the restaurant.
D) When Todd asked Kevin if he was nervous, Kevin said "No, I'm not nervous" even though he was perspiring and fidgeting.

Question 38

Which nonverbal cue relates to the physical distance between individuals?

A) contact
B) proximity
C) relative orientation
D) space

Question 39

Callie walked out of her manager's office with a huge smile on her face. Her coworkers assumed the meeting between Callie and her boss went well. This exemplifies

A) contradicting a nonverbal cue.
B) repeating a verbal cue.
C) underlining a verbal cue.
D) substituting nonverbal for verbal cues.

Question 40

Melody's tendency to evaluate others based on her favorable or unfavorable impression of them is a barrier to good interpersonal communication. What perceptual error is Melody exhibiting?

A) stereotyping
B) projection
C) expectancy effect
D) the halo effect

Question 41

In "Across Cultures Competency: Introducing U.S. Products to International Markets," it was noted that Coca-Cola sells products in over 200 countries and has a 94 percent brand recognition rate. How does Coca-Cola achieve such high brand recognition?

A) by localizing campaigns and integrating its brand with themes that make consumers feel good
B) by using the exact same brand messaging that it uses in the United States in order to have message consistency
C) by choosing a name for its product that phonetically sounds like "Coca-Cola" for each foreign market
D) by only using pictures in its advertising and avoiding the use of written words

Question 42

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the use of body language?

A) There is a universal meaning for almost every gesture that applies to all cultures.
B) Applying your culture's nonverbal meanings to other cultures is a good idea.
C) The boundaries of personal space are pretty much the same in all cultures.
D) When it comes to touching, Anglos usually avoid touching each other very much.

Question 43

The degree to which individuals are savvy observers of others and are attuned to diverse social situations is referred to as

A) apparent sincerity.
B) social astuteness.
C) interpersonal influence.
D) networking ability.

Question 44

The conditions that surround and influence the life of an individual, group, or organization are its cultural

A) meaning.
B) manners.
C) language.
D) context.

Question 45

A study of managerial failure in organizations showed which item to be the number one cause of managerial failure?

A) lack of personal integrity and trustworthiness
B) ineffective communication skills/practices
C) inability to lead and motivate others
D) poor planning practices/reactionary behavior

Question 46

The most common message delivered through the grapevine involves

A) job duties.
B) social gatherings.
C) rumors.
D) company policies.

Question 47

Which of the following is a supportive nonverbal cue?

A) nodding to affirm what was said
B) looking down when delivering bad news
C) frowning at an inappropriate message
D) keeping a closed posture

Question 48

An interpersonal communication network

A) is an ongoing flow of verbal, written, and nonverbal messages between others.
B) focuses on the individual and whether a specific message is received as intended.
C) is a static process, involving one message at a time.
D) focuses only on verbal communication and disregards nonverbal communication.

Question 49

Polychronic cultures are deeply rooted in

A) tasks.
B) tradition.
C) punctuality.
D) schedules.

Question 50

In intercultural communication, which of the following is MOST likely to lead to ineffective communication?

A) when both parties avoid ethnocentrism
B) when both parties look for similarities in language or beliefs
C) when nonverbal cues are used
D) when the cultural differences between parties is great

Question 51

Which of the following would be considered a high-context culture?

A) the United States
B) Germany
C) Japan
D) Switzerland

Question 52

A low-context culture is characterized by

A) the establishment of social trust before engaging in work-related discussions.
B) the importance of clear, precise, and speedy interactions.
C) the high value placed on personal relationships and goodwill.
D) the importance of the surrounding circumstances during an interaction.

Question 53

Which one of the following may be the greatest barrier to communication because it involves judging others from our own cultural point of view.

A) chromatics
B) cultural context
C) chronemics
D) ethnocentrism

Question 54

In the United States, giving someone red roses on Valentine's Day signifies love. This exemplifies the use of

A) semantics.
B) chronemics.
C) chromatics.
D) context.

Question 55

Darius is good at understanding his coworkers and he can use that knowledge to get people to act in ways that enhance his long-term personal goals. What can be said of Darius?

A) He knows how to manage the grapevine.
B) He has acquired political skill.
C) He understands the office rumor mill.
D) He practices intercultural communication.

Question 56

Chronemics is communication through the use of

A) time.
B) images.
C) color.
D) gestures.

Question 57

The concept of taarof in Iran refers to

A) the conditions that surround the message being communicated.
B) the belief that Iranian culture is superior to other cultures.
C) a set of social manners that seem polite or deceitful depending on one's point of view.
D) the ability to effectively understand other long-term personal and/or organizational goals.

Question 58

Addie considers herself a seasoned "multitasker" since she is very good at doing several things at the same time. What type of time schedule does Addie follow?

A) formal
B) polychromic
C) linear
D) monochromic

Question 59

Communication among coworkers in the same department is an example of a(n) _______communication network.

A) vertical
B) external
C) lateral
D) flexible

Question 60

Because their actions are not interpreted as manipulative or coercive, individuals high in ______ inspire trust and confidence in and from those around them.

A) apparent sincerity
B) social astuteness
C) interpersonal influence
D) networking ability

Question 61

Discuss the elements of constructive and ethical feedback that foster open communication.

Question 62

Describe the PERCEIVE framework for considering types of personal nonverbal cues.

Question 63

Compare high-context cultures with low-context cultures. Give examples of countries that ascribe to each.

Question 64

According to the "Change Competency: Michael Ward's Reflections on CSX's One Plan Redesign," which of the following was NOT one of the core values outlined by the CEO?

A) People make a difference.
B) Safety is a way of life.
C) Be fact-based.
D) Speed is everything.

Question 65

Compare the various ways in which verbal and nonverbal cues can be related.

Question 66

What are the four ways that messages move through grapevines in organizations?

Question 67

What are the individual perceptual errors that serve as barriers to effective communication?

Question 68

The intended pattern and flows of employee-related communication both vertically and laterally is referred to as

A) an informal employee network.
B) the employee grapevine.
C) a formal employee network.
D) the gossip chain.

Question 69

What is dialogue? List the four elements of a dialogue.

Question 70

Which of the following is good advice for leaders regarding communication networks?

A) Managers should match the level of networking to the specific goals and tasks at hand.
B) Managers should find the network that works best for them and use it in all situations.
C) Formal networks should be avoided because they lead to employee dissatisfaction.
D) The use of informal networks in organizations always leads to low productivity.

Question 71

The most slow moving chain in a grapevine is the

A) gossip chain.
B) single-strand chain.
C) probability chain.
D) cluster chain.

Question 72

Explain the difference between chromatics and chronemics.

Question 73

Analyze an interpersonal communication; what are the elements involved.

Question 74

Describe political skill and its four dimensions.

Question 75

Ann heard from a friend that her manager Derek got arrested for driving under the influence. Ann told her coworker Karen and Karen in turn, told Bill. This is an example of a rumor being passed through a

A) gossip chain.
B) single-strand chain.
C) probability chain.
D) cluster chain.