Deck 1: Communication Foundations

Question 1

The purpose of feedback is to:

A) assist in the development of effective working relationships.
B) increase the accuracy of the message in the communication climate.
C) improve the communication skills of the receiver.
D) achieve agreement between all parties.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Communication barriers are likely to lead to:

A) harmonious relationships.
B) misunderstanding.
C) encoded communication.
D) clear understanding of the messages.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Every communicator brings to their communication with others:

A) knowledge, skills and attitudes.
B) verbal and graphic techniques.
C) their current experience of communication.
D) a unique combination of cultural conditioning, skills, attitudes and experiences.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Communication is effective only when:

A) individuals are open to receiving messages from others.
B) it makes connections with others.
C) individuals are good listeners.
D) it achieves the intended outcome.

Question 5

The outcome of effective two-way communication outside an organisation is:

A) short-term relationships built on profit margins.
B) long-term relationships built on collegiality.
C) long-term relationships built on trust and goodwill.
D) short-term relationships built on mutual benefit and risks.

Question 6

Senders and receivers are able to communicate more effectively in terms of different cultural diversities by:

A) understanding different rules for the use of humour, irony and courtesy.
B) perceiving the intended message.
C) understanding their own cultural filter and accepting other cultural filters.
D) identifying dimensions in the context.

Question 7

Within an organisation, messages are sent and received:

A) primarily through emails.
B) primarily through formal communication channels.
C) primarily through formal channels.
D) through a combination of all the above channels.

Question 8

Employers expect their employees to communicate in:

A) an informative, persuasive manner that promotes goodwill.
B) a strong and aggressive manner that differentiates them from competitors.
C) a controlling and reactive manner.
D) a creative, spontaneous and indirect manner.

Question 9

What are the different types of communication?

A) Intrapersonal, interpersonal, public and mass
B) Individual, group, intranational and international
C) Employee, employer, media and online
D) Verbal, nonverbal and graphic

Question 10

Empathy refers to:

A) being supportive, non-judgemental and assertive.
B) the ability to understand how the other person feels.
C) supporting the other's point of view and giving feedback.
D) recognising and responding to the rational aspect in messages.

Question 11

Which of the following statements regarding feedback is correct?

A) Feedback is always intentional.
B) Feedback reduces continuity in communication.
C) Feedback prevents senders from measuring the effectiveness of their communication.
D) Feedback increases the amount of time needed to send the message.

Question 12

Communication barriers are often caused by:

A) the sender or the receiver.
B) the appropriate choice of words.
C) a suitable channel.
D) receiver attention.

Question 13

Communication channels are:

A) journals, books and magazines.
B) means or techniques used to signal or convey a message.
C) visual, verbal and nonverbal.
D) radio and television programs.

Question 14

In view of the gap between intent and effect, communication should not be taken for granted because:

A) the message sent is often quite different from the message received.
B) barriers arise when the sender assumes that the receiver will automatically understand the message.
C) we can learn more from listening than talking.
D) we can recognise different kinds of unspoken messages.

Question 15

'The message received is not necessarily the same as the message sent' refers to the general impact on communication of:

A) less than adequate feedback.
B) communication barriers.
C) poor choice of communication channels.
D) ignoring the importance of context.

Question 16

In any communication, feedback is:

A) essential.
B) able to be withheld or hidden.
C) useful but not critical.
D) unavoidable.

Question 17

Meaning is primarily given to messages by:

A) the originator of the message.
B) the receiver of the message.
C) both originator and receiver in equal proportions.
D) feedback between originator and receiver.

Question 18

When communicating, the encoding of the message is initially done by:

A) the sender of the message.
B) the medium used to capture the message.
C) the receiver of the message.
D) an interplay between sender, receiver and the medium selected.

Question 19

Communication is generally defined as:

A) any behaviour which is received by another.
B) knowledge, feelings and thoughts that are encoded.
C) verbal and nonverbal behaviours perceived by another.
D) human experiences transmitted via a channel.

Question 20

Interpretation of the same message may vary between individuals depending on their perceptions because they are influenced by:

A) discrimination against women.
B) the personalities of the sender and receiver.
C) experience, attitudes, beliefs and a range of required skills or expectations.
D) the communication skills of the sender.

Question 21

The purpose of an audience-centred approach is to provide ideas and give feedback to enhance understanding.

Question 22

A communication model is a representation of the main elements in the message flow process which has been:

A) simplified.
B) specified.
C) theorised.
D) communicated.

Question 23

Experience cannot be transmitted as experience-it must first be translated into something else.

Question 24

Discuss the term 'technologically mediated business communication'. Give examples of how technology assists or hinders the communication process and provide examples to support your main ideas.

Question 25

Effective business communication bridges the different perspectives of individuals:

A) within an organisation.
B) nationally and globally.
C) outside an organisation.
D) all of the above.

Question 26

'The communication process can be controlled'. Critically discuss this statement and present a defensible conclusion.

Question 27

Based on DeVito's (1989) model of context, the temporal dimension

A) contains the tangible or concrete items in the environment.
B) means the roles, norms and mores of the society.
C) consists of different languages, relationships and authority to achieve the different communication purposes.
D) describes the time in history as well as the position of the communication in the sequence of events.

Question 28

The primary difference between the transmission and helical models of communication is:

A) channel of communication.
B) direction of communication.
C) source of communication.
D) effect of communication.

Question 29

Communication is best defined as human experiences transmitted by the spoken word via a channel.

Question 30

Discuss the impact of the communication channel on effective communication.

Question 31

Discuss the differences between, and challenges for, both public and mass communication. Give examples to illustrate your arguments.

Question 32

Most of the time, the message received is the same as the message sent.

Question 33

An appropriate channel suits the communication purpose, the needs of the sender, the message and receiver.

Question 34

In Berlo's model, the channel of communication is related to:

A) five elements: the source, encoder, message, decoder and receiver.
B) the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.
C) the five language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing and vocabulary.
D) none of the above.

Question 35

Discuss the following statement and provide supporting reasons or evidence for your main ideas: 'Something other than the intended message is received because noise or interference interrupts the intended message'.

Question 36

Business communication is different from academic or literary writing and speaking.

Question 37

What is a feature of Berlo's process model of communication?

A) It is a comprehensive code of verbal communication.
B) The system supports verbal communication.
C) It does not consider barriers to communication.
D) The sender is paramount.

Question 38

The difficulty for professionals is to communicate in a way that achieves a balance between

A) control, motivation, relationship and efficiency.
B) male and female employees.
C) clients and company.
D) consumers and investors.

Question 39

Time factors such as the present, transitory or temporary nature of the context within which the communication occurs make up the temporal dimension.

Question 40

The receiver hears, reads or looks in order to encode the message.

Question 41

One of the biggest emerging challenges for local, national and global business is the need to look after the interests of business owners.

Question 42

Words generally convey the same meanings to individuals from other cultures.

Question 43

From the range of communication theories addressed in Chapter 1, locate the one that has most appeal for you. How do the insights offered in this theory explain effective communication?

Question 44

Workplace diversity in an organisational setting is best defined as:

A) heterogeneity in the employee, customer and management stakeholder groups.
B) a global approach to management.
C) communicating across cultures.
D) working to avoid misunderstandings.

Question 45

Changes in technology and legislation:

A) require an organisation to adapt to influences beyond its control.
B) are constant factors in any organisation's planning.
C) can be anticipated.
D) can be managed.

Question 46

Dance's helical spiral depicts communication as:

A) a static process that evolves in an individual from birth.
B) an inherited process which is innate in an individual from birth.
C) a dynamic process that evolves in an individual from birth.
D) a dynamic process that emerges in an individual at the current point in time.

Question 47

Although senders of a message should always be aware of the gap between intent and effect of communication, if the communication fails it is usually the receiver's faulty interpretation that is to blame.

Question 48

Discuss the influence that diversity and inclusion has on an organisation's reputation. Draw on concepts discussed in Chapter 1 and provide examples to support your views.

Question 49

Effective communication works only within rules, norms and values, and takes place within current practices and formal and informal communication channels.

Question 50

The purpose of communication models and diagrams is to explain and classify every feature in the communication process.

Question 51

Foulger's ecological model of communication:

A) focuses on relationships.
B) suggests channels are fundamental to communication success.
C) relies on feedback.
D) is language oriented.

Question 52

Communication is a two-way process and takes place in many situations, for many reasons and with the possibility of many interpretations.

Question 53

A more efficient organisation is one with a flat management hierarchy.

Question 54

Effective use of communication technologies reduces the need for face-to-face meetings in an organisational context.

Question 55

Employees need to avoid prejudice and discrimination at work because:

A) it is illegal.
B) organisations are increasingly global in their operations.
C) it is difficult to build positive relationships and collaborate if this exists.
D) all of the above.

Question 56

'Good communicators are born, not made'. Discuss this view with reference to the writers and theorists cited in Chapter 1, providing examples to support your arguments.

Question 57

Leaders and managers with the capacity to communicate effectively are able to work effectively with people.

Question 58

Social network services are primarily web-based and offer various ways for users to interact: discussion groups, messaging, chat rooms, email, videos, blogging and file sharing.

Question 59

Typically, an organisation is a collection of people who all have similar backgrounds, life and career experiences.

Question 60

The key to understanding meaning in communication is:

A) diversity of communication.
B) situational context.
C) relationship and authority.
D) the purpose of communication.

Question 61

A justification based on the belief that no other choice exists is known as 'the false necessity trap'.

Question 62

Ethics can be defined as:

A) criminal legislation.
B) organisational ownership.
C) cultures of staff.
D) community-based standards of right and wrong.

Question 63

Lehman and Dufrene (2011) believe that identifying ethical issues in workplace situations can be difficult. What are three common obstacles, or traps, to ethical decision making and how do they impact a decision maker in the workplace?

Question 64

Ethical constraints affect the way we think about what is wrong and the way business is conducted.

Question 65

Appropriate ethical behaviour is important in business because:

A) organisations conducting business in an ethical way enhance their prospects of survival and growth.
B) there is a community expectation that businesses will act in a courteous way.
C) surveys show that business ethics and good, ethical communications are less valued.
D) all of the above.

Question 66

The standards of ethical practice should vary dependent on whether an organisation is private, government or non-profit.

Question 67

Illegal and unethical behaviour are identical and have the same ramifications for an organisation.

Question 68

According to Lehman and Dufrene (2011), the purpose of ethics is to

A) deal with customers quickly.
B) get away with unlawful or improper behaviour.
C) be guided by principles of right and wrong in making decisions.
D) be good at the technical side of the job.