Chapter 1 Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication 1) Communication is the process of A) transferring information and meaning. B) listening actively. C) writing messages. D) none of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) Communication is a two-way process that begins with the sender and ends when the receiver acquires information and meaning. 2) Improving your communication skills will enhance your career because A) having great ideas won't help you much, unless you can communicate them effectively. B) the higher you rise in an organization, the more important your communication skills will be. C) you'll need to connect with decision makers outside of your area of expertise. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Ambition and great ideas aren't enough. You'll need to communicate with people if you want to succeed in business. Employers expect employees to speak and write in a professional manner that is clear, direct. and free of slang, jargon, and other inappropriate terms. 3) All of the following except ________ will make your business messages more effective. A) providing practical information B) clarifying expectations and responsibilities C) presenting information concisely and efficiently D) discussing personal issues and complaining about problems Answer: D Explanation: D) To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, focus on making them practical, factual, concise, clear, and persuasive. 4) Which one of the following is not one of the traits possessed by professionals? A) Meeting minimum qualifications B) Demonstrating a sense of etiquette C) Maintaining a positive outlook D) Being dependable and accountable Answer: A Explanation: A) Professionalism means doing more than putting in the hours and collecting a pay check; true professionals go beyond minimum expectations and commit to making meaningful contributions. 5) The quality of performing at a high level and conducting oneself with pride and purpose is known as A) expediency. B) professionalism. C) entrepreneurialism. D) impression management. Answer: B Explanation: B) Professionalism is the quality of performing at a high level and conducting oneself with purpose and pride. 6) According to the concept of emotional intelligence, if you'll be speaking to people, you don't know and you can't find out more about them A) don't worry because you can adjust to their needs on the fly. B) always put your own needs before their needs. C) rely on chance and circumstance to help you relate to their needs. D) use common sense and imagination to relate to their needs. Answer: D Explanation: D) When meeting people you don't know and you can't learn more about them, try to project yourself into their position by using common sense and imagination. This ability to relate to the needs of others is a key part of emotional intelligence. 7) Stakeholders affected by the quality of business communication include A) customers. B) employees. C) suppliers. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Stakeholders include anyone who is impacted by a company in a direct or indirect way. Customers, suppliers, and employees are all stakeholders, as are shareholders, community members, and the wider world. 8) Which of the following is not a characteristic of effective business messages? A) They provide practical information. B) They present the writer's opinions as facts. C) They state precise audience responsibilities. D) They highlight and summarize essential information. Answer: B Explanation: B) When stated, opinions should always be identified as opinions, and they should be supported by facts and other forms of evidence. 9) Business communication is often more demanding than social communication because communication on the job is affected by A) the pervasiveness of technology. B) the growing reliance on teamwork in business. C) the globalization of business. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Facility with technology, working collaboratively, and dealing with people from different cultures with different expectations are all factors that make business communication more challenging than social communication. 10) A flatter organizational structure A) tends to increase the chance of communication breakdowns. B) helps make communication flow more efficiently. C) is obsolete now that social networking is so widespread. D) is helpful for small companies only. Answer: B Explanation: B) Tall, hierarchical organizations tend to restrict the free flow of information. Flat organizations avoid information bottlenecks and the isolation of information that can occur when one level holds on to information without passing it on to other levels. 11) In which of the following organizational structures do employees report to two managers at the same time? A) Virtual organization B) Matrix structure C) Network structure D) None of the above Answer: B Explanation: B) In a matrix structure, a single employee can have a department boss as well as a project manager to report to. The employee's overall boss would typically be the department boss, but in a matrix structure the person would also report directly to the head of his or her project team. In this case, the employee would have allegiance to both superiors. 12) The term corporate culture refers to A) the number of organizational levels within a corporation. B) the extent to which corporations dominate a particular culture. C) the mixture of values, traditions, and habits that give a company its atmosphere and personality. D) a company's sponsorship of events such as concerts and plays. Answer: C Explanation: C) Each corporation has a different culture that reflects its own particular history and style. Corporate culture is often hard to define, but veteran employees are almost always well aware of the do's and don'ts of their corporate culture. For example, in one company joking around with the boss may be encouraged, while in a different company that kind of behavior could get a person fired. 13) An example of downward communication is A) a junior staff person giving information to a staff supervisor. B) a sales manager giving instructions to a salesperson. C) an email message about sick leave from one staff secretary to another. D) a company briefing held on the organization's top floor. Answer: B Explanation: B) Downward refers to communication that comes from a superior to a person in a lower level or position. 14) An example of horizontal communication is A) a junior staff person giving information to a staff supervisor. B) a company briefing held on the organization's ground floor. C) an email message about sick leave sent from one department secretary to a secretary in a different department. D) all of the above. Answer: C Explanation: C) This is an example of horizontal communication because it is being transmitted between two people who are employed on the same level of the company hierarchy. 15) Every organization has ________, which encompasses all communication that occurs outside the lines of command in the company's organization structure. A) a lateral communication network B) a peer-to-peer communication network C) an informal communication network D) an adjacent communication network Answer: C Explanation: C) Informal communication takes place naturally when employees interact, both on the job and in social settings. Some of it takes place when the formal network doesn't provide information that employees want. The informal communication network is located wherever workers congregate, which could be hallways, drinking fountains, or lunchrooms. Informal communication also takes place on telephones and through email and social networks. 16) In most organizations, the rumour mill tends to be particularly active when A) employees are satisfied with their jobs. B) formal communication channels are working efficiently. C) employees are wasting company time. D) the formal communication network is not providing the information employees want. Answer: D Explanation: D) Rumours tend to fly when more official lines of communication break down or are inadequate for some reason. So when employees want to know more, they tend to speculate among themselves. This feeds fuel into the rumour mill, which tends to operate at high levels during conditions of transition or crisis. 17) ________ communication flows between departments to help employees share information, coordinate tasks, and solve complex problems. A) Upward B) Downward C) Horizontal D) Diagonal Answer: C Explanation: C) Horizontal communication occurs between employees who are roughly on the same level. Vertical communication, on the other hand, occurs between employees in different hierarchical levels. 18) An audience-cantered approach to communication involves A) saying whatever it takes to win over the members of your audience. B) embedding a layer of technology between you and your audience members. C) respecting, understanding, and meeting the needs of your audience members. D) focusing on how the members of the audience can help you obtain your goals. Answer: C Explanation: C) Use an audience-cantered approach to help you understand and respect the members of your audience, and then make every effort to get your message across in a way that's meaningful to them. 19) Generally speaking, limitations of the formal communication network A) discourage employees from taking advantage of social media. B) have not affected the popularity of social media in the business environment. C) have helped to spur the growth of social media in the business environment. D) do none of the above. Answer: C Explanation: C) The more formal, conventional communication networks tend to be inadequate, the more people turn to other forms of communication, with social media currently being popular because of its ease of use and privacy. 20) In ________, communication breakdowns and delays can occur as messages are passed up and down through multiple layers of management. A) inverted organizational structures B) tall organizational structures C) reflexive organizational structures D) open organizational structures Answer: B Explanation: B) Tall structures have many layers of management between the lowest and highest positions. Hence, they can suffer communication breakdowns and delays as messages are passed up and down through multiple layers. 21) To make your communication more effective, A) clearly address your audience's wants and needs—not yours. B) include as much information as possible, even if you're not sure it's necessary. C) prepare the message as if the audience is not interested. D) do all of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) Audiences tend to tune out when they receive "me" messages. To make sure a message is heard and understood, focus it on the other person, not yourself. 22) In the first step of the communication process, the sender A) decides what to say. B) chooses a communication channel. C) has an idea. D) chooses a communication medium. Answer: C Explanation: C) Communication begins with an idea that a person wants to convey to someone else. The idea exists purely as a thought and is not necessarily encoded in any form, written or spoken. 23) Within the context of social media, ________ refers to a sense of openness, of giving all participants access to the information they need to understand the messages they are receiving. A) transformation B) transcendence C) transparency D) translucency Answer: C Explanation: C) The issue of transparency in social media refers to a sense of openness, of giving all participants in a conversation access to the information they need to accurately process the messages they are receiving. 24) To actually receive a message, a person needs to do all of the following except A) comprehend the message. B) sense the presence of the message. C) select it from other competing messages. D) perceive it as an actual message. Answer: A Explanation: A) For an audience member to receive a message, three events need to occur: The receiver has to sense the presence of a message, select it from all the other messages clamoring for attention, and perceive it as an actual message (as opposed to random, pointless noise). 25) The ________ is the form a message takes and the ________ is the system used to deliver the message. A) channel, medium B) medium, channel C) schema, pipeline D) package, tunnel Answer: B Explanation: B) Think of the medium as the form a message takes (such as a Twitter update) and the channel as the system used to deliver the message (such as the Internet). 26) The final step in the communication process is A) receiving the message. B) sending the message. C) giving feedback to the sender. D) interpreting the message. Answer: C Explanation: C) Feedback is information that conveys the receiver's response to the message. Feedback informs the sender of whether or not the message has been received and how well it has been interpreted. 27) Which of the following is not one of the five ways to get the audience to notice your messages? A) Acknowledge the importance of the situation. B) Practice empathy. C) Use words, images, and designs that are familiar. D) Consider audience expectations. Answer: A Explanation: A) Audiences respond well to messages that are empathetic, contain familiar references, and closely match what they are looking for. Stating how important the issue is may be helpful in special situations, but it is not a practice that should be employed in any general capacity. 28) A manager hears the part of a message that supports his agenda, but doesn't seem to notice evidence that contradicts his point of view. The manager is engaging in A) discrimination. B) misreading. C) selective perception. D) stereotyping. Answer: C Explanation: C) Selective perception occurs when a person hears what he or she "wants to hear." Listeners tend to tune out or fail to notice parts of communication that do not directly support their points of view. When they see or hear only their own point of view, they are engaging in selective perception. 29) In order for audience members to respond appropriately to a business message, they must A) remember the message. B) be able to respond to the message. C) be motivated to respond to the message. D) do all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Once a message is delivered, the audience starts the communication process by understanding the message and recalling what it tried to say. If the audience is able to meet the request made by the sender, he or she may choose to respond. However, in many cases, the audience has heard the message and is able to respond, but it has no reason or motivation to respond. For example, a request for sales data may be ignored if the receiver has no sales data to supply. 30) "Business Communication 2.0" refers to A) high-level correspondence as opposed to routine documents. B) a new approach to business communication, emphasizing interaction and conversation rather than one-way publication. C) specialized software that enables professionals to create impressive documents easily and efficiently. D) none of the above. Answer: B Explanation: B) The key to Business Communication 2.0 is two-way communication. A company doesn't just issue information to its audience. Instead, it issues information in some kind of open format, such as a blog, then waits for response from customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. The company may then respond to this feedback. The actual message has now been authored by everyone who participated in the conversation. 31) Whereas traditional Business Communication tends to emphasize ________, Business Communication 2.0 focuses more on ________. A) discussion, lecture B) collaboration, isolation C) control, influence D) permission, intrusion Answer: C Explanation: C) Business Communication 2.0 recognizes that few audience members like to be dictated to with iron-clad pronouncements. Business Communication 2.0 instead tries to influence the audience by allowing the audience to interact in the content of the message itself. When compared to traditional Business Communication, control is lost in Business Communication 2.0, but credibility and persuasiveness are usually gained. 32) Most companies that embrace Business Communication 2.0 A) completely abandon the traditional approach to communication. B) will eventually return to a 1.0 approach, since the technology turns out to be too complicated for most employees. C) adopt a hybrid approach to communication, in which some messages follow the traditional model and others follow the 2.0 approach. D) do none of the above. Answer: C Explanation: C) Purely informational, no-nonsense communications still often work best with a Business Communication 1.0 approach. Companies use the Business Communication 2.0 when stakes are higher and they are trying to lay claim to new territory or persuade the audience to look at a situation in a new way. 33) One major difference between traditional communication and the 2.0 approach to business communication is that in the 2.0 approach audiences are encouraged to be A) active participants in the communication. B) compliant listeners. C) passive recipients of the information the sender shares. D) all of the above. Answer: A Explanation: A) Business Communication 2.0 stresses interaction between company levels. For example, Business Communication 2.0 may solicit feedback for a product while it is still being designed, something that would never occur in a Business Communication 1.0 environment. 34) Which of the following is an example of Business Communication 2.0 in action? A) A manager sends out weekly newsletters to employees. B) An electronics store invites customers to submit YouTube videos showing how to install home theatre systems. C) An advertising firm creates a television commercial for a local automobile dealer. D) All of the above are examples of Business Communication 2.0. Answer: B Explanation: B) Inviting customers to submit how-to videos accomplishes several things. It helps new users by providing useful information. It also encourages existing customers to feel that they play an important role in the development of the product. This sense of ownership tends to turn them into loyal customers. 35) As a contemporary approach to business communication, the ________ is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. A) reflexive communication model B) computer-assisted communication model C) social communication model D) give-and-take communication model Answer: C Explanation: C) The social communication model of business communication is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who which to participate. 36) All of the following except ________ can facilitate the communication process through the effective use of communication technology. A) using technological tools productively B) staying connected around the clock C) guarding against information overload D) disengaging from computing devices to communicate in person Answer: B Explanation: B) To communicate effectively, learn to keep technology in perspective, guard against information overload and information addiction, use technological tools productively, and disengage from the computer frequently to communicate in person. 37) A barrier to communication can be caused by A) the structure and culture of an organization. B) the common habit of multitasking. C) human or technological intervention between senders and receivers. D) all of the above. Answer: D Explanation: D) Within any communication environment, messages can be disrupted by a variety of communication barriers caused by noise and distractions, competing messages, filters, and channel breakdowns. 38) The "information technology paradox" refers to A) widespread confusion over how to utilize email and IM. B) the idea that technology has cut down interpersonal communication in business. C) the idea that information tools (such as email) can waste as much time as they save. D) none of the above. Answer: C Explanation: C) A good example of the paradox involves the overuse of email. Rather than function as an aid to efficiency, too many email correspondences can force workers into spending a significant part of their day simply keeping up with electronic correspondence. 39) Which of the following is the best solution to technology-related problems such as inappropriate use of the web and social media in the workplace? A) Forbidding employees to use the web while they are in the office B) Requiring employees to turn off their smartphones when they arrive for work C) Developing clear policies that are evenly enforced D) Rewarding employees who call your attention to those who are using these technologies inappropriately Answer: C Explanation: C) Clear rules and policies avoid misunderstandings and hard feelings. When setting guidelines, remember to be reasonable. Sending emails to schedule a daughter's softball game is acceptable. Shopping online for a new garden hose, on the other hand, should be considered unacceptable. 40) The accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society are known as A) laws. B) social guidelines. C) ethics. D) none of the above. Answer: C Explanation: C) Ethical behavior goes beyond the question of legal or illegal. It may be legal to appropriate the idea of a colleague as your own, but it is not ethical. 41) Which of the following is not a characteristic of ethical communication? A) It includes all relevant information. B) It is designed to hide some negative information. C) It is true in every sense. D) It is not deceptive in any way. Answer: B Explanation: B) Concealing information that could be critical to making a judgment is unethical. It is essentially a form of lying because by not revealing important information the speaker is preventing the truth from being expressed and understood. 42) All of the following are examples of unethical communication except A) using jargon. B) selective misquoting. C) distorting visuals. D) plagiarism. Answer: A Explanation: A) Jargon may be annoying and may constitute a barrier to effective communication. However, there is nothing morally objectionable to using jargon, so it is not an unethical practice. 43) Which of the following is the best example of an ethical dilemma? A) Deciding whether or not to promote the employee who has the better performance record or the employee who seems to be the better leader B) Deciding whether or not to tell an employee that he needs to improve his performance C) Deciding whether or not to use the copy machine for personal papers D) Deciding whether or not to declare the costs of your vacation travel as a deductible business expense Answer: A Explanation: A) An ethical dilemma involves two alternatives that may both be right and morally acceptable. The situation is a dilemma because there is no single clear-cut "right" and "wrong" solution to the situation. 44) Which of the following is an example of an ethical lapse? A) Putting unsigned suggestions in the company suggestion box B) Sharing confidential information with a new employer about your previous (competing) employer's major clients C) Telling your supervisor that another employee is stealing office supplies D) Providing incorrect data in a report, even though you did not know it was incorrect at the time Answer: B Explanation: B) An ethical lapse is nothing more complicated than doing something that you know is wrong. It is referred to as a "lapse" because it is assumed that making an unethical choice is an isolated event and not part of a pattern of behavior. 45) To help establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior, many companies provide employees a written A) ethics audit. B) ethical dilemma. C) ethical lapse. D) code of ethics. Answer: D Explanation: D) A code of ethics should not be referred to in every decision an employee makes. Rather, a code of ethics serves as general boundaries for employees. They should be familiar enough with the code to know when they have strayed outside of its confines. 46) The nature of business communication hasn't changed much in the past decade. Answer: False Explanation: Technology, diversity, globalization, and an emphasis on small groups and teamwork are just some of the larger factors that have changed the nature of business communication in the past few years. 47) Among other factors, the globalization of business has decreased the demand for skilled communicators. Answer: False Explanation: Communication with people from cultures that are different from your own can be difficult. Understanding the subtleties of communication can make an enormous difference when dealing with cross-cultural problems. 48) Workforce diversity includes differences not only in race but also in gender, education, and other areas. Answer: True Explanation: Diversity can be significant even when it involves something as difficult to quantify as life experience. Two different people can have very different takes on a situation if they have different life experiences. These differences are just compounded when differences in race, gender, ethnicity, and so on are thrown into the mix. 49) Knowledge workers specialize in acquiring, processing, and communicating information. Answer: True Explanation: An example of a knowledge worker is a market research specialist who collects data (information), processes the information into a useful form, and communicates conclusions drawn from the data to others. 50) Flatter organizational structures generally create more open internal communication. Answer: True Explanation: The greatest amount of distortion occurs when one level of an organization interprets information and passes it on to another level with different priorities and perhaps even a different goal. Flatter organizations keep information flowing among individuals who share the same goals and speak the "same language," so distortion is bound to be reduced in this kind of a structure. 51) In a virtual organization, a software company may partner with a manufacturing firm to make the DVDs that contain the software that it offers. Answer: True Explanation: In a virtual organization, the company uses the services of another off-site service or company, and uses those services to create its product. 52) Open corporate cultures benefit from free-flowing information and employee input. Answer: True Explanation: Many successful companies encourage employee contributions by fostering an open climate that promotes Candor and honesty, helping employees feel free enough to admit their mistakes, disagree with the boss, and share negative or unwelcome information. 53) Upward communication generally helps executives solve problems and make intelligent decisions. Answer: True Explanation: An example of upward communication would be bank employees informing management that customers are highly resentful of fees that are added on to bank services. Knowing how customers feel is valuable information that managers can use to create better policies for both the bank and customers. 54) The rumor mill tends to be most active when employees receive too much information about their company. Answer: False Explanation: The rumor mill tends to be most active when something important is happening and employees are "in the dark" about what it is. When employees lack information, they tend to speculate and create gossip that may or may not be accurate. 55) Because external communication is carefully orchestrated, almost none of it occurs informally. Answer: False Explanation: External communication typically involves a company communicating with an outside entity that it knows little about. Therefore, to avoid misinterpretation, external communication is almost always more formal than internal communication in which parties know one another. 56) Emotional intelligence involves the ability to relate to the needs of others. Answer: True Explanation: The key to emotional intelligence is to pay attention to the emotional signals that others give and respond to them in a constructive way. For example, a manager with a strong emotional intelligence aptitude would never bring up work deficiencies to a worker who appears to be distraught over a personal matter. Instead, the manager would wait until a time when the worker was feeling less vulnerable. 57) As long as employees get the job done, most companies are not concerned with employees meeting expectations of business etiquette. Answer: False Explanation: Business etiquette should not be thought of as a rigid system, but rather a set of helpful guidelines that are respected at all times. 58) The basic communication process consists of two steps: sending and receiving messages. Answer: False Explanation: The basic communication model represents an eight-step communication process. This process includes not only sending and receiving messages but also creating, encoding, producing, transmitting, and decoding messages, as well as providing feedback. The communication process does include sending and receiving messages. However, the entire process features eight steps rather than just two, with steps four and five being "send message" and "receive message." 59) Successful organizations usually avoid the need for feedback. Answer: False Explanation: Feedback is critical to almost every form of communication. For example, feedback tells the sender of a message who seeks to solve a problem how the message was interpreted and what was done in response to the message. Feedback gives the sender the key information he or she needs to take the next step in solving the problem. 60) Multitasking generally enhances the quality of employees' communication. Answer: False Explanation: Multitasking is almost never good for communication. Typically, it creates a distraction that muddles the message and irritates the receiver of the message. 61) Messages can be blocked or distorted by filters, any human or technological interventions between the sender and the receiver. Answer: True Explanation: Filtering can be both intentional (such as automatically filing incoming messages based on sender or content) or unintentional (such as an overly aggressive spam filter that blocks legitimate emails). 62) The only thing a person needs to receive a message is technical compatibility with the person who's sending the message. Answer: False Explanation: Before someone can receive a message, he or she must sense it, select it, and then perceive it as a message. 63) The 2.0 approach to business communication emphasizes interaction and conversation among senders and audiences. Answer: True Explanation: Business Communication 2.0 values two-way and multi-way interaction between senders and their audience. The sender seeks feedback for the message sent, then modifies the message and sends it back out. 64) Most organizations that embrace the 2.0 approach to business communication will still follow a more traditional approach for some communications (such as strategic plans and policy documents). Answer: True Explanation: Business Communication 2.0 works better for projects and enterprises that need to be flexible and fluid. For example, a company does not want to use the 2.0 strategy of consulting customers or vendors when it comes to formulating a strategic plan that is intended to be highly structured and highly non-fluid. 65) The more two people or two groups of people share experiences (personal, professional, and cultural) the more likely it is that receivers will extract the intended meanings senders encode into their messages. Answer: True Explanation: In general, the more experiences you share with another person, the more likely you are to share perception and thus share meaning. 66) Ethics can be defined as not doing anything illegal. Answer: False Explanation: Ethics refers to the morality of an act, not its legality. An illegal act, such as protesting bigotry, can be ethical. Conversely, a legal act, such as forcing workers to accept a benefits cut, can be unethical. 67) Plagiarism is only a problem in the classroom. In the business environment, it's just another term for information sharing. Answer: False Explanation: Plagiarism is not only unethical, it is also illegal. When there are no legal holds on a text, plagiarism is still unethical and wrong. If a text is truly worth stealing, rather than plagiarize the user should simply give credit to the original author. 68) A message that is intended to mislead or manipulate the audience is unethical, even if its content is true. Answer: True Explanation: Misleading or manipulating an audience is unethical because it can lead to serious problems. For example, a pharmaceutical company that fails to release data from an unofficial source that can affect proper evaluation of its product is being unethical, even if it is not legally bound to disclose the results. 69) When people must choose between alternatives that aren't completely wrong or completely right, they are facing an ethical lapse. Answer: False Explanation: When people must choose between alternatives that aren't completely wrong or completely right, they are facing an ethical dilemma not an ethical lapse. 70) Although intellectual property laws were once a serious concern, the ease of sharing information through social media has decreased the need to be concerned with them. Answer: False Explanation: The ease with which copying of copyrighted material can be accomplished makes intellectual property laws more important than ever. Most published materials allow the user to take a small excerpt of a few lines without payment. Bloggers and other individuals who take extensive sections of texts or images need to get permission to use the item, a process that can be both lengthy and costly. 71) Communication is the process of transferring ________ and ________ between senders and receivers. Answer: information, meaning Explanation: The sender compiles the information and transmits it to the receiver, who interprets the information. 72) Groups affected in some way by a company's actions are referred to as ________. Answer: stakeholders Explanation: Stakeholders for a company include management, employees, boards of directors, customers, suppliers, members of the local and wider community, and many others. Ultimately, a stakeholder is anyone who has an interest in the company or its product. 73) Workforce ________ refers to all the differences among the people you come into contact with on the job, including age, gender, sexual orientation, education, and so forth. Answer: diversity Explanation: Diversity refers to any permanent major characteristic that distinguishes people. For example, handicapped and non-handicapped are two different diversity categories. Opera-lover or non-opera-lover, on the other hand, are not diversity categories, because opera-loving is a choice, not a permanent characteristic of a person. 74) A ________ is the mixture of values, traditions, and habits that give a company its atmosphere or personality. Answer: corporate culture Explanation: Corporate culture often focuses most on values that the company wants to promote. One corporate culture, for example, might encourage outdoor activities for its employees and provide them with equipment, information, and expertise on such things as hiking and biking. A different company might have no interest in promoting outdoor activities, but might take a great interest in supporting public charities. 75) Understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a meaningful way is necessary to adopt an _______ approach. Answer: audience-centered Explanation: The key to an audience-centered approach is for the sender of the message to focus on the needs of the audience, not his or her own needs. This "you" rather than "me" attitude breeds trust between the sender and the audience and makes the audience more receptive to any message that the sender wants to communicate. 76) ________ refers to the ability to relate to the needs of others, and is widely considered to be a vital characteristic of successful managers and leaders. Answer: Emotional intelligence Explanation: Emotional intelligence is a measure of how well a person can empathize and identify with others. Emotional intelligence involves both sending and receiving information. For example, a person with emotional intelligence can pick up on when her audience is not giving her their full attention. So rather than carry on without having a fully engaged audience, the speaker backs off and waits to communicate her message at a more receptive moment. 77) When a sender puts an idea into a message, the sender is ________ the idea. Answer: encoding Explanation: Encoding can involve any kind of written, spoken, or physical code. Encoding can involve such things as: putting a message into words, conveying the message as a facial expression, writing the message, or translating the message into a computer language. 78) In the communication process, ________ describes the step in which the audience extracts the idea from a message. Answer: decoding Explanation: Decoding is the act of interpreting the message, of changing it from a set of symbols to a form that is understood by the human brain. 79) Selective ________ is the process of distorting or ignoring information that does not fit one's view of reality. Answer: perception Explanation: People sometimes hear only what they want to hear; this is a form of selective perception. When a supervisor tells a worker that he is very creative but too sloppy, the worker is engaging in selective perception if he hears the "creative" part of the message, but not the "sloppy" part. 80) Social ________ tools such as blogs, wikis, and social networks have paved the way for companies to embrace the "2.0" approach to business communication. Answer: media Explanation: Blogs, wikis, and social networks are all forms of communication that are interactive and communal rather than one-way. Since interactive, communal communication is a hallmark of 2.0, these are the things that have been identified as blazing the trail to this new style of interaction. 81) Above all, the ________ communication model for business communication is more interactive and conversational than a traditional publishing or broadcasting approach. Answer: social Explanation: The social communication model focuses on two-way, rather than one-way communication. In this model, a back-and-forth conversation between individuals produces a collaborative product that suits the needs of both parties. 82) According to the "information technology ________," information tools such as email and the Internet can waste as much time as they save. Answer: paradox Explanation: The situation is a paradox because theoretically, computer applications save time rather than waste time. But things such as email can lure users in to tending to a variety of time-consuming, trivial, non-critical issues. For many people, it is a good idea to work steadily during the day and do emails all at once rather than constantly getting distracted by them. 83) ________ are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Answer: Ethics Explanation: Ethics are a society's moral rules, its sense of right and wrong, good and bad, acceptable or not acceptable. 84) An ethical ________ involves choosing between conflicting alternatives that are not clear-cut. Answer: dilemma Explanation: An ethical dilemma arises when the choice is between two alternatives that both have merit and are morally equivalent. 85) An ethical ________ involves making a clearly unethical choice. Answer: lapse Explanation: An ethical lapse is a lapse, or temporary failure to exercise good judgment, when a normally ethical person carries out an unethical action. 86) How does the primary function of upward-flowing communication differ from that of downward-flowing communication? Answer: Communication that flows upward mainly helps executives solve problems and make intelligent decisions. On the other hand, communication that flows downward is geared primarily toward helping employees do their jobs. 87) What is professionalism? Why is communication important to professionalism? Answer: Professionalism is the quality of performing at a high level with purpose and pride. Professionals do more than put in the hours and collect a pay check; instead, they go beyond minimum expectations and commit to making meaningful contributions. Without strong communication skills, you won't be able to perform to your potential and others won't recognize you as the professional you aspire to be. 88) When does the rumour mill tend to be most active within an organization? Include an example of a situation that might cause the rumour mill to become more active. Answer: The informal communication network or "grapevine" tends to be most active when employees believe the formal network is not providing the information they want. For example, if employees are worried about possible layoffs but managers do not address the topic, the grapevine would probably become more active. 89) To adopt an audience-cantered approach to communication, what do you need to learn about your audience? List at least three specific attributes. Answer: An audience-cantered approach requires learning as much as possible about the receiver's biases, education, age, status, style, and personal and professional concerns. 90) What does it mean for an audience to "decode" a message? Answer: The audience decodes a message by extracting the ideas from it. Decoding is the sixth step in the communication process. 91) Briefly explain the nature and importance of the final phase in the communication process. Answer: The final phase in the communication process occurs when the receiver provides feedback for the sender. Feedback enables the sender to evaluate the effectiveness of the message. 92) List three social media tools that have inspired and enabled a more conversational approach to business communication. Answer: These social media tools include blogs, social networks and wikis. 93) Briefly describe at least one hypothetical or actual example of an organization utilizing the 2.0 approach to business communication. Answer: (Answers may vary.) One example would be an online software vendor encouraging customers to review software titles they have purchased and then post those reviews on the vendor's website for other customers to access. An example of an organization utilizing the 2.0 approach to business communication is a tech company implementing an enterprise social networking platform like Slack or Microsoft Teams. These platforms encourage a more interactive and collaborative communication style compared to traditional top-down communication methods. Hypothetical Example: Company Name: TechSolutions Inc. Scenario: TechSolutions Inc. has adopted Microsoft Teams to enhance its internal communication and collaboration. 1. Collaboration on Projects: • Teams and Channels: Employees create specific channels for different projects, departments, and topics. This allows for organized, topic-specific discussions. • File Sharing and Co-Editing: Team members share documents and work on them collaboratively in real-time, reducing the need for long email chains and multiple versions of the same document. • Integration with Other Tools: Integration with tools like OneDrive, SharePoint, and other third-party apps makes it easy to access and manage resources within the platform. 2. Engagement and Feedback: • Instant Messaging: Employees use instant messaging for quick questions and updates, fostering a more dynamic and immediate form of communication. • Feedback and Polls: The company conducts quick polls and surveys within Teams to gather employee feedback on various initiatives and decisions. • Recognition and Appreciation: Channels dedicated to recognizing and appreciating employees' contributions help build a positive and engaging work culture. 3. Meetings and Webinars: • Video Conferencing: Teams is used for virtual meetings and webinars, ensuring everyone stays connected, regardless of their location. • Meeting Recordings and Transcriptions: Important meetings are recorded and transcriptions are provided, ensuring that even those who couldn’t attend can catch up. 4. Employee Training and Development: • Learning Modules: Training and development modules are integrated into Teams, making it easy for employees to access learning materials and track their progress. • Discussion Forums: Dedicated channels for discussion and questions about the training modules encourage knowledge sharing and peer learning. By using Microsoft Teams, TechSolutions Inc. fosters a more connected and collaborative work environment, aligning with the principles of the 2.0 approach to business communication. 94) How can the overuse or misuse of communication technology become a barrier to effective communication? Answer: The overuse or misuse of communication technology can lead to information overload, in which people receive more information than they can effectively process. 95) Briefly explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse. Answer: You face an ethical dilemma when you must choose between two or more conflicting alternatives that are not completely right or completely wrong. An ethical lapse, on the other hand, occurs when you make a choice that is clearly unethical and or illegal. An ethical dilemma can lead to an ethical lapse but doesn't necessarily do so. 96) Describe five characteristics of effective business messages. Answer: Effective business messages provide practical information that immediately helps receivers in concrete ways. They also give facts rather than vague impressions, and provide compelling evidence to support all conclusions. They present information in a concise, efficient manner. Effective business messages also state precise expectations and responsibilities and offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations. 97) Explain the increasing dependence on knowledge workers in business, and provide at least two examples that illustrate the value of information in today's economy. Answer: As global competition for talent, customers, and resources continues to grow, the importance of information continues to escalate, as well. Knowledge workers are employees at all levels of an organization who specialize in acquiring, processing, and communicating information, and they play a vital role in helping businesses compete in this information-centered environment. Several examples illustrate the value of information in today's economy: 1) competitive insights: the more a company knows about its competitors and their plans, the better able it will be to adjust its own business plans; 2) customer needs: information about customer needs is analysed and summarized in order to develop goods and services that better satisfy customer demands; 3) regulations and guidelines: today's businesses must understand and follow a wide range of government regulations and guidelines covering such areas as employment, taxes, and accounting. 98) Outline the eight steps of the communication process. Answer: The first step in the communication process occurs when the sender has an idea and decides to share it. Second, the sender encodes the idea as a message that the receiver will understand. Third, the sender produces the message in a transmittable medium. Fourth, the sender transmits the message through a channel (such as a face-to-face conversation or an email). Fifth, the audience receives the message. Sixth, the audience decodes the message by extracting the idea from it. Seventh, the audience responds to the message. Eighth, the audience provides feedback that helps the sender evaluate the effectiveness of the communication effort. 99) Describe four common types of communication barriers. Answer: Four common types of communication barriers are noise and distractions, competing messages, filters, and channel breakdowns. Noise and distractions can be both physical and emotional and are especially common due to the widespread habit of multitasking. Competing messages make it difficult to gain and keep your audience's attention and can result in information overload, which makes it difficult to distinguish between useful and useless information and increases workplace stress. Messages can be blocked or distorted by filters, which are any human or technology intervention between the sender and the receiver. Filtering can be intentional or unintentional. Finally, channel breakdowns occur when the channel you select fails to deliver your message at all. 100) Briefly define Business Communication 2.0, and explain how it differs from a more traditional approach to business communication. Answer: Business Communication 2.0 is a convenient label for a new social communication model that is transforming the ways organizations communicate. Unlike the traditional approach which is characterized by a "we talk, you listen" model, this new approach is conversational and interactive, encouraging audiences to become active participants in the dialogue. Test Bank for Business Communication Today Courtland L. Bovee, John V. Thill 9780132971294, 9780134562186, 9780135900239, 9780132539555
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