Student name:__________

TRUE/FALSE - Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false.
1) The sharing of information between two or more people in order to reach a common
understanding is known as negotiation.
⊚ true
⊚ false

2) The feedback phase of the communication process is initiated by the original sender (who
becomes a receiver).
⊚ true
⊚ false

3) As Sharon listened to her manager’s explanation of why there would be no bonuses, she
frowned and crossed her arms to show her displeasure. This sharing of information is known
as subliminal communication.
⊚ true
⊚ false

4) As the CEO spoke excitedly to the group, Hannah interpreted his words to mean that they
were having a very good year. Hannah’s actions demonstrated decoding.
⊚ true
⊚ false

5) Sometimes nonverbal communication sends messages that aren’t sent through verbal
channels.
⊚ true
⊚ false

6) Experts estimate that managers spend approximately 95% of their time engaged in some
form of communication.
⊚ true
⊚ false

7) The amount of information that a communication medium can carry is known as information
richness.
⊚ true
⊚ false
8) During the pandemic, video calls became common in both business and personal settings.
This form of communication carries the highest information richness.
⊚ true
⊚ false

9) The use of email has not significantly changed the way people work.
⊚ true
⊚ false

10) Impersonal written communication should not be used in a business setting.

⊚ true
⊚ false

11) Information that reflects current conditions in the organization or in the external world is
called synchronized information.
⊚ true
⊚ false

MULTIPLE CHOICE - Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or
answers the question.
12) Patima and Perez discussed the plan for the evening out and decided what restaurant to eat at.
This sharing of information in order to reach a common understanding is
A) transmitting.
B) encoding.
C) communication.
D) planning.

13) The goal of communication is to

A) enable self-expression.
B) get things done.
C) create a common language.
D) reach a common understanding.

14) Communication does not take place unless

A) both parties have a chance to send and respond.
B) feedback is given and responded to.
C) a common understanding is reached.
D) at least one party expresses a need.
15) Pauline called the airline 800 number to register a complaint. She followed the automatic
messages, pressing the required buttons, but it looped back to the beginning and she hung up
in frustration. Did communication occur?
A) Yes, because the act of hanging up sent a message that their system didn’t work.
B) No, because she didn’t press the right buttons.
C) No, because she didn’t actually convey her message and reach an understanding.
D) Yes, because actually speaking to someone is not required for communication to
occur.

16) In order to increase efficiency and improve quality, managers need

A) effective communication.
B) to provide flexible work hours.
C) to beat the competition.
D) a unique and special ability.

17) Neveen works as a supervisor in customer service for a large department store. She trains her
employees to answer the phone by the third ring, and if they can’t resolve a customer’s
problem, to call her for a solution. This most demonstrates how good communication
A) increases efficiency.
B) improves quality.
C) results in innovation.
D) increases responsiveness.

18) In the communication process, information is shared between two or more individuals or
groups in the ________ phase.
A) transmission
B) encoding
C) filtering
D) sending

19) In the communication process, a common understanding is assured in the ________ phase.
A) sending
B) filtering
C) encoding
D) feedback
20) In the transmission phase of communication, the person who wishes to share information
with someone else is known as the
A) receiver.
B) messenger.
C) decoder.
D) sender.

21) In the transmission phase of the communication process, the information that a sender wants
to share is known as the
A) feedback.
B) text.
C) message.
D) data.

22) In the transmission phase of the communication process, the sender translates the message
into symbols or language, a process known as
A) broadcasting.
B) encoding.
C) deciphering.
D) sending.

23) Anything that hampers any stage of the communication process is known as
A) a code.
B) feedback.
C) fuzz.
D) noise.

24) As Fiona sat in her lecture, she had trouble focusing on what her instructor was saying
because she was thinking about her weekend plans. Which element of the communication
process was demonstrated in this example?
A) sending
B) feedback
C) encoding
D) noise
25) In the communication process, a receiver is
A) the person or group for which the message is intended.
B) a mechanism programmed to serve as a recipient for data.
C) any medium through which messages can be transmitted.
D) one who encodes messages for transmission.

26) The pathway through which an encoded message is transmitted to a receiver is known as the
A) data.
B) feedback.
C) medium.
D) network.

27) Latoya sent an email to her coworkers to confirm the time of the meeting. The email is the
________ through which Latoya communicated.
A) receiver
B) feedback
C) medium
D) network

28) The process by which the receiver interprets and tries to make sense of the message is known
as
A) encoding.
B) unscrambling
C) feedback.
D) decoding.

29) The sender and receiver reverse their roles, with the receiver now becoming a sender, in the
________ phase.
A) transmission
B) encoding
C) decoding
D) feedback

30) The difference between the transmission and the feedback phases of communication is that in
the
A) transmission phase, communication requires a medium.
B) feedback phase, the receiver becomes a sender.
C) transmission phase, communication requires encoding.
D) feedback phase, the sender transmits a message.
31) Verbal communication is the use of ________ to encode a message.
A) words in the spoken form only
B) symbolic language, such as facial expressions,
C) words, whether written or spoken,
D) symbolic language, such as style of dress,

32) At Perfect Software, managers and employees dress informally. One advantage of this is to
A) communicate the idea that all employees are on the same team.
B) highlight the differences between employees and managers.
C) decrease the need for nonverbal communication in the workplace.
D) increase the need for verbal communication in the workplace.

33) The difference between verbal and nonverbal communication is that nonverbal
communication does not use
A) messages.
B) a medium.
C) words.
D) feedback.

34) In choosing a communication medium for any message, managers need to consider three
factors: information richness,
A) time, and the need for confidentiality.
B) cost, and the need for confidentiality.
C) time, and the need for a paper trail.
D) cost, and the need for a paper trail.

35) Of the four basic types of communication media in an organizational environment,

impersonal written communication is the least rich. The other three are (in order of media
richness, from most rich to least rich)
A) face-to-face communication, personally addressed written communication, and
spoken communication electronically transmitted.
B) spoken communication electronically transmitted, face-to-face communication, and
personally addressed written communication.
C) face-to-face communication, spoken communication electronically transmitted, and
personally addressed written communication.
D) spoken communication electronically transmitted, personally addressed written
communication, and face-to-face communication.
36) A face-to-face communication technique that involves a manager talking informally with
employees is known as
A) total quality management.
B) management by objectives.
C) open-book management.
D) management by wandering around.

37) At Doreen’s company, managers and their employees all work from cubicles. The managers
check in regularly with subordinates at the subordinates’ cubicles, help solve problems, and
give advice as needed. This form of management is called
A) total quality management.
B) 360-degree management.
C) open-book management.
D) management by wandering around.

38) With technology changing rapidly and more employees working from remote locations, some
experts suggest that management by wandering around has evolved into management by
A) face-to-face communication.
B) daily check-in.
C) electronically transmitted spoken communication.
D) weekly check-in.

39) The growth in the popularity of email has enabled many managers and employees to become
A) independent.
B) telecommuters.
C) proficient.
D) encoders.

40) The best example of impersonal written communication is

A) a text message from a supervisor to a specific subordinate.
B) an emailed companywide announcement of procedural changes.
C) a meeting between a supervisor to several subordinates.
D) an email to company managers soliciting their input.
41) Lai is an executive at a company with locations across the country. She needs to educate
managers in these various offices about an update the company has made to its data storage
process. The topic is not particularly sensitive, but it is complicated and technical, with
numerous opportunities for misunderstanding or misinterpretation. Taking into account the
various factors a manager should consider when choosing a communication medium, what is
the best option for Lai?
A) to hold a series of face-to-face meetings with the manager in each city so she can
demonstrate the new process, then send a group email with step-by-step instructions
B) to conduct a videoconference with the whole group so she can demonstrate the new
process and answer questions, then send a follow-up group email
C) to send individual email messages containing step-by-step instructions, then make
individual telephone calls to each manager to ensure they understand the process
D) to make a telephone call to each team member so she can explain the process and
answer questions, then send an individual email message with answers to each of the
managers' questions

42) Despite its advantages, face-to-face communication has two important disadvantages, which
are the
A) unplanned nature of it and the lack of a paper or electronic trail.
B) amount of time it takes and the lack of a paper or electronic trail.
C) unplanned nature of it and the lack of information richness.
D) amount of time it takes and the lack of information richness.

43) Among the advantages of spoken communication transmitted over phone lines are the ability
to
A) convey large amounts of information and ensure mutual understanding.
B) ensure the richest possible level of interaction, and ensure mutual understanding.
C) convey large amounts of information and leave a permanent record of the
communication.
D) ensure the highest possible level of interaction and leave a permanent record of the
communication.

44) A benefit of impersonal written communication is the ability to

A) ensure a high degree of information richness.
B) convey complex information on sensitive topics.
C) obtain feedback almost instantaneously.
D) reach a large number of receivers.
45) A significant consequence of information overload is that
A) senders have a sense that they are providing widespread education.
B) receivers fail to distinguish between the important and the trivial.
C) senders are able to communicate directly with a large audience.
D) receivers end up with a wide array of knowledge.

46) As part of his marketing position, Joji maintains a corporate website where he posts
information about the company and its products, with commentary and opinions, to which
readers can respond with their own commentary and opinions. This is most likely
A) the official company website.
B) horizontal communication.
C) vertical communication.
D) a blog.

47) A(n) ________ is an informal, internal organizational communication network along which
unofficial information flows.
A) grapevine
B) intranet
C) rumor
D) contacts network

48) Jane is a salesperson who reports to her district manager, Ophelia. Ophelia reports to her
regional manager, Oscar, who reports to the national sales manager. This represents
A) informal communication pathways.
B) horizontal communication.
C) vertical communication.
D) an inverted hierarchy.

49) The marketing department at Jones Manufacturing consists of 12 marketing managers. These
managers share ideas and product news. This is ________ communication.
A) formal
B) horizontal
C) vertical
D) external
50) Conrad rushed off an email to his subordinates telling them what to do when he was out of
office, but the email was difficult to understand because it was unclear and incomplete. As a
result, nothing happened before Conrad returned to the office. What element of the
communication was the origin of the poor communication?
A) the sender
B) the receiver
C) feedback
D) noise

51) When a customer sent a message via the website to complain about not receiving a purchase,
the customer service rep sent back a response that read, “I apologize for the issue you have
encountered. We have had supply chain problems since implementing a JIT system, and it
was exacerbated by logistical decisions and a breakdown of our EDI link.” What is most
likely to interfere with the customer’s understanding of this communication?
A) information overload
B) an inappropriate medium
C) the use of jargon
D) the lack of a nonverbal element

52) ________ occurs when a sender withholds part of a message because they mistakenly think
the receiver does not need the information or will not want to receive it.
A) Filtering
B) Sifting
C) Data misinterpretation
D) Information distortion

53) Managers in a retail store heard that the store was being sold to a large retail chain. No one
knew where the information came from, but it caused a lot of distress among the managers.
This is called
A) a grapevine.
B) a rumor.
C) filtering.
D) information distortion.
54) Changes in meaning that occur as information passes through a series of senders and
receivers are referred to as
A) data corruption.
B) information overload.
C) data misinterpretation.
D) information distortion.

ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper.
55) Briefly explain the communication process, including the phases, roles, and various factors
involved. Demonstrate the process by describing a communicative interaction between two
people in a business environment. Show how communication can be enabled or hindered.

56) The text describes four organizational goals that result from good communication. What are
they, and how do they help an organization gain a competitive edge?

57) Briefly explain the role of nonverbal communication in the communication process.

58) Discuss the disadvantages of ineffective communication in an organization, and give

examples of how ineffective communication can be harmful or even dangerous.
59) Describe the three factors that managers need to consider when choosing a communication
medium for a message.

60) Discuss the four basic types of communication media in order of information richness, from
most rich to least rich, along with the relative advantages and disadvantages of each. Give
examples of how and when each might be used most effectively.

61) Discuss the disadvantages associated with the spread of electronic communication, including
email abuse and information overload, and ways that managers can prevent such hazards.
Give examples.

62) Describe how vertical and horizontal networks work, and give examples.

63) The text summarizes seven communication skills that help managers send clear and
understandable messages. Choose three of these and explain why they are important.
Answer Key
Test name: chapter 13

1) FALSE
2) FALSE
3) FALSE
4) TRUE
5) TRUE
6) FALSE
Some experts estimate that managers spend approximately 80% of their time engaged in some
form of communication.

7) TRUE
8) FALSE
9) FALSE
10)FALSE
11)FALSE
12)C
Communication is the sharing of information between two or more people or groups to reach a
common understanding.

13) D
Communication is the sharing of information between two or more people or groups to reach a
common understanding.

14) C
Communication does not take place unless a common understanding is reached.

15) C
Communication does not take place unless a common understanding is reached.

16) A
Managers can increase efficiency by updating the production process to take advantage of new
and more efficient technologies and by training workers to operate the new technologies and
expand their skills. Good communication is necessary for managers to learn about new
technologies, implement them in their organizations, and train workers in how to use them.
Similarly, improving quality hinges on effective communication. Managers need to communicate
to all members of an organization the meaning and importance of high quality and the routes to
attaining it. Subordinates need to communicate quality problems and suggestions for increasing
quality to their superiors, and members of self-managed work teams need to share their ideas for
improving quality with each other.

17) D
Good communication can help to increase responsiveness to customers. When the organizational
members who are closest to customers, such as salespeople in department stores and admission
clerks in a health care facility, are empowered to communicate customers’ needs and desires to
managers, managers are better able to respond to these needs.

18) A
In the transmission phase, information is shared between two or more individuals or groups.

19) D
In the feedback phase of the communication process, a common understanding is assured.

20) D
The sender is the person or group wishing to share information with some other person or group.

21) C
The message is the information that a sender wants to share.

22) B
The sender translates the message into symbols or language, a process called encoding.

23) D
Noise is a general term that refers to anything that hampers any stage of the communication
process.

24) D
Noise is a general term that refers to anything that hampers any stage of the communication
process.

25) A
A receiver is the person or group for which a message is intended.

26) C
A medium is the pathway through which an encoded message is transmitted to a receiver.

27) C
A medium is the pathway through which an encoded message is transmitted to a receiver.

28) D
In the process of decoding, the receiver interprets and tries to make sense of the message.

29) D
The feedback phase is initiated by the receiver (who becomes a sender). The receiver decides
what message to send to the original sender (who becomes a receiver), encodes it, and transmits
it through a chosen medium.

30) B
The feedback phase is initiated by the receiver (who becomes a sender). The receiver decides
what message to send to the original sender (who becomes a receiver), encodes it, and transmits
it through a chosen medium.

31) C
The encoding of messages into words, written or spoken, is verbal communication. We also
encode messages without using written or spoken language via nonverbal communication.

32) A
The trend toward increasing empowerment of the workforce has led some managers to dress
informally to communicate that all employees of an organization are team members, working
together to create value for customers.

33) C
The encoding of messages into words, written or spoken, is verbal communication. We also
encode messages without using written or spoken language. Nonverbal communication shares
information by means of facial expressions (smiling, raising an eyebrow, frowning, dropping
one’s jaw), body language (posture, gestures, nods, shrugs), and even style of dress (casual,
formal, conservative, trendy).

34) C
In choosing a communication medium for any message, managers need to consider three factors.
The first and most important is the level of information richness that is needed. The second
factor is the time needed for communication, because managers’ and other organizational
members’ time is valuable. The third factor that affects the choice of a communication medium
is the need for a paper or electronic trail.

35) C
Face-to-face communication is the medium that is highest in information richness, followed by
spoken communication that is electronically transmitted. Lower than electronically transmitted
verbal communication in information richness is personally addressed written communication.

36) D
Management by wandering around is a face-to-face communication technique in which a
managers walk around work areas and talk informally with employees about issues and concerns
that both employees and managers may have.

37) D
Management by wandering around is a face-to-face communication technique in which
managers walk around work areas and talk informally with employees about issues and concerns
that both employees and managers may have.

38) D
With technology changing and more employees working out of their homes or in remote
locations, some experts suggest that management by wandering around has evolved into
management by weekly check-in.

39) B
The growing popularity of email has also enabled many workers and managers to become
telecommuters, people who are employed by organizations and work out of offices in their own
homes.

40) B
An emailed announcement is most impersonal because it is companywide, rather than addressed
to a specific person or group of people, and does not solicit input.

41) B
Because face-to-face communication is highest in information richness, you might think that it
should always be the medium of choice for managers. This is not the case, however, because of
the amount of time it takes and the lack of a paper or electronic trail resulting from it. For
messages that are important, personal, or likely to be misunderstood, it is often well worth
managers’ time to use face-to-face communication and, if need be, supplement it with some form
of written communication documenting the message. In Lai’s case, a group videoconference
allows for a high degree of information richness, without requiring her to fly around the country
for individual meetings, and a follow-up email ensures that the technical details of the procedure
are not overlooked.

42) B
Because face-to-face communication is highest in information richness, you might think that it
should always be the medium of choice for managers. This is not the case, however, because of
the amount of time it takes and the lack of a paper or electronic trail resulting from it.

43) A
Telephone conversations have the capacity to convey extensive amounts of information.
Managers also can ensure that mutual understanding is reached because they can get quick
feedback over the phone and answer questions.

44) D
Impersonal written communication is lowest in information richness and is well suited for
messages that need to reach a large number of receivers. Because such messages are not
addressed to particular receivers, feedback is unlikely, so managers must make sure that
messages sent by this medium are written clearly in language that all receivers will understand.

45) B
The problem with information overload is the potential for important information to be ignored
or overlooked while tangential information receives attention.

46) D
This describes a blog, although it may also describe a social media site.

47) A
The grapevine is an informal organizational communication network along which unofficial
information flows quickly, if not always accurately.

48) C
Communication up and down the corporate hierarchy is often called vertical communication.

49) B
Communication among employees at the same level in the corporate hierarchy is called
horizontal communication.

50) A
Some of the barriers to effective communication in organizations have their origins in senders.
Communication suffers when messages are unclear, incomplete, or difficult to understand; when
they are sent over an inappropriate medium; or when no provision is made for feedback from the
receiver.

51) C
Jargon, specialized language that members of an occupation, a group, or an organization develop
to facilitate communication among themselves, should never be used when communicating with
people outside the occupation, group, or organization.

52) ADAD
Filtering occurs when a sender withholds part of a message because they mistakenly think the
receiver does not need the information or will not want to receive it.

53) B
Rumors are unofficial pieces of information of interest to organizational members but with no
identifiable source.

54) D
Information distortion, changes in meaning that occur as information passes through a series of
senders and receivers, reduces the quality of information.

55) Essay
Student answers and examples will vary but should include reference to the transmission and
feedback phases, the roles of sender and receiver, the encoding and decoding of messages, the
use of a medium, and the challenge posed by noise. An example might depict a manager (the
sender) using face-to-face communication (the channel) to tell an employee (the receiver) about
a new assignment (the message). During communication of the message, the manager’s
phone rings (noise). Once the employee decodes the message, he or she becomes the sender and
provides feedback verbally or nonverbally.

56) Essay
  Managers can increase efficiency by updating the production process to take advantage of
new and more efficient technologies and by training workers to operate the new
technologies and expand their skills. Good communication is necessary for managers to
learn about new technologies, implement them in their organizations, and train workers
how to use them.
 Similarly, improving quality hinges on effective communication. Managers need to
communicate to all members of an organization the meaning and importance of high
quality and the ways to attain it. Employees need to communicate quality problems and
suggestions for increasing quality to their superiors, and members of self-managed work
teams need to share their ideas for improving quality with each other.
 Good communication can also help to increase responsiveness to customers. When the
organizational members who are closest to customers, such as salespeople in department
stores and admission clerks in a health care facility, are empowered to communicate
customers’ needs and desires to managers, managers are better able to respond to these
needs. Managers, in turn, must communicate with other organizational members to
determine how best to respond to changing customer preferences.
 Innovation, which often takes place in cross-functional teams, also requires effective
communication. Members of a cross-functional team developing a new video game, for
example, must effectively communicate with one another to develop a game that
customers will want to play; that will be engaging, interesting, and fun; and that can
potentially lead to sequels or derivative products.

57) Essay
Student examples will vary but should demonstrate an understanding of nonverbal
communication.
Nonverbal communication shares information by means of facial expressions, body language,
and even style of dress. It can be used to back up or reinforce verbal communication. The
congruence between verbal and nonverbal communication helps to ensure that a common
understanding is reached. Sometimes when members of an organization decide not to express a
message verbally, they inadvertently do so nonverbally. In certain cases, nonverbal
communication is used to send messages that cannot be sent through verbal channels.

58) Essay
Student answers and examples will vary but should demonstrate an understanding of the
potential hazards associated with ineffective communication.
Since managers must communicate with others to perform their various roles and tasks,
managers spend most of their time communicating, whether in meetings, in telephone
conversations, through email, or in face-to-face interactions. Effective communication is so
important that managers cannot just be concerned that they themselves are effective
communicators; they also have to help their subordinates be effective communicators. When
managers and other members of an organization are ineffective communicators, organizational
performance suffers, and any competitive advantage the organization might have is likely to be
lost. Moreover, poor communication sometimes can be downright dangerous and even lead to
tragic and unnecessary loss of human life. For example, if the head of housekeeping at a hotel
fails to communicate that certain cleaning agents release toxic fumes when mixed, the cleaning
staff may face serious health consequences from their lack of clear knowledge.

59) Essay
There is no one best communication medium for managers to rely on. In choosing a
communication medium for any message, managers need to consider three factors:
1. The first and most important factor is the level of information richness that is needed.
Information richness is the amount of information a communication medium can carry
and the extent to which the medium enables the sender and receiver to reach a common
understanding.
2. The second factor that managers need to take into account in selecting a communication
medium is the time needed for communication, because managers' and other
organizational members' time is valuable.
3. The third factor that affects the choice of a communication medium is the need for a
paper or electronic trail or some kind of written documentation that a message was sent
and received.

60) Essay
Student answers should include reference to face-to-face communication, spoken communication
transmitted electronically, personally addressed written communication, and impersonal written
communication—in that order. Discussion of advantages and disadvantages should hinge on the
three factors managers use in choosing a medium: richness, time, and the need for a paper trail.
Examples will vary but should demonstrate an understanding of the various media, their relative
advantages and disadvantages, and the most effective means of employing each.

61) Essay
Student examples and managerial solutions will vary but should demonstrate an understanding of
email abuse and information overload.
The use of email has been accompanied by growing abuse of email. To avoid email abuse,
managers need to develop a clear policy specifying what company email can and should be used
for and what is out of bounds. The electronic inboxes of many managers and workers are
backlogged, and they rarely have time to read all the electronic work-related information
available to them. The problem with such information overload is the potential for important
information to be ignored or overlooked while tangential information receives attention.
Moreover, information overload can result in thousands of hours and millions of dollars in lost
productivity. While communication through social networks can be work related, some managers
are concerned that employees are wasting time at work communicating with their personal group
of acquaintances through these sites.

62) Essay
Communication up and down the corporate hierarchy is often called vertical communication.
Communication among employees at the same level in the corporate hierarchy, or sideways, is
called horizontal communication. Examples will vary.

63) Essay
The seven communication skills are
 Send messages that are clear and complete.
 Encode messages in symbols that the receiver understands.
 Select a medium that is appropriate for the message.
 Use a medium that the receiver monitors.
 Avoid filtering and information distortion.
 Ensure that a feedback mechanism is built into messages.
 Provide accurate information to ensure that misleading rumors are not spread.
Examples will vary.