Unit One Test

Unit One Test

Multiple Choice

Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

____ 1. Global communicators will probably be most successful if they

a.	learn to speak the language of the country with which they will be doing business.
b.	study as many books as possible to learn about the culture of the people with whom they will be doing business.
c.	learn to be sensitive and flexible in dealing with individuals from other cultures.
d.	take a class in world religions to prepare them for doing business abroad.

____ 2. U.S. companies are expanding into global markets because

a.	local markets are experiencing excellent sales.
b.	communication and transportation systems have improved.
c.	the local workplace is becoming more diverse.
d.	the population of the United States is decreasing.

____ 3. __________ is a flexible working arrangement that allows employees to work at home at least part of the time.

a.	Hotelling
b.	Hot-desking
c.	Telecommuting
d.	Teleconferencing

____ 4. Which of the following statements is the most accurate?

a.	Customers prefer to purchase products and services from companies whose workforce and ads include people like themselves.
b.	The number of older workers is decreasing.
c.	The workforce of tomorrow will continue to be predominantly male and Anglo-oriented.
d.	A diverse workgroup is less able to respond to changes in customer base in local and world markets.

____ 5. Troy just graduated from college and finally found a job. In the new world of work he can expect to

a.	work hard in a nine-to-five position with lifetime job security.
b.	receive predictable promotions if he shows initiative and works hard.
c.	follow a clearly defined career path with planned developmental experiences.
d.	require constant training to update his skills.

____ 6. The key ingredient needed by business to create wealth in the future is

a.	capital.
b.	raw materials.
c.	knowledge.
d.	physical labor.

____ 7. Probably the most promotable individual in an organization is one who

a.	is able to implement a new operating procedure.
b.	is able to describe the features of a new product to a potential customer.
c.	is proficient using the latest software program.
d.	has the ability to collect data showing the company's need for a new product.

____ 8. Select the best definition of communication.

a.	Communication is the transmission of information from one individual or group to another.
b.	Communication is the transmission of meaning from one individual or group to another.
c.	Communication is the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another.
d.	Communication is the transmission of ideas from one individual or group to another.

____ 9. Communication can be considered successful only when

a.	ideas are transmitted.
b.	meaning is transmitted.
c.	a message is put into words.
d.	the meaning of the message is bypassed.

____ 10. When promoters of Pepsi-Cola in China used their successful "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation" slogan, they didn't realize its translation would suggest bringing ancestors back from the dead. When a sender initiates a communication transaction, he or she has primary responsibility for

a.	selecting a proper communication channel.
b.	providing means to ensure reliable feedback.
c.	decoding the message properly to facilitate comprehension.
d.	choosing appropriate words or symbols as part of the encoding process.

____ 11. Avis Car Rentals carefully selected the words used in its slogan, "We try harder," while

a.	selecting the channel.
b.	encoding the message.
c.	decoding the message.
d.	evaluating the message.

____ 12. Computers, faxes, telephones, letters, memorandums, and reports are all examples of

a.	channels.
b.	messages.
c.	encoding tools.
d.	software.

____ 13. Sara is deciding whether to prepare a memo to announce a new procedure or to hold a staff meeting to discuss how the new procedure should be implemented. She is involved in which segment of the communication process?

a.	Message encoding.
b.	Message transmission.
c.	Idea formation.
d.	Message decoding.

____ 14. Bill responds to John's idea with the comment, "That's a great idea! Let's give it a try." Bill's response is an example of

a.	noise.
b.	feedback.
c.	frame of reference.
d.	bypassing.

____ 15. Problems with the clarity of a message can be discovered through

a.	noise.
b.	semantic obstacles.
c.	bypassing.
d.	feedback.

____ 16. Amber says that she will complete the report "soon." Amber plans to submit the report in three days; her boss expects to see the report the next morning. This misunderstanding results from

a.	bypassing.
b.	differing frames of reference.
c.	evaluative feedback.
d.	using the incorrect communication channel.

____ 17. Managers of a large American company were sent to Finland to supervise operations. Not realizing that employees in Finland prefer written communication to face-to-face interaction, the Americans could not understand why many of their personally delivered instructions were not implemented. A significant barrier to communication in this instance could be attributed to

a.	bypassing.
b.	lack of listening skills.
c.	failure to recognize different frames of reference.
d.	emotional interference caused when senders or receivers are distracted by internal feelings.

____ 18. Sailing through her software presentation to new employees, Jill noticed a stony gaze on the eyes of some listeners. She then slowed down, reviewed the main points, and paused to encourage questions. Jill was striving to overcome communication barriers by

a.	questioning her assumptions, biases, and prejudices.
b.	improving her language and listening skills.
c.	creating an environment for useful feedback.
d.	reducing physical distractions.

____ 19. Which of the following is an example of external organizational communication?

a.	An employee performance appraisal
b.	A collection letter sent to a customer
c.	A report recommending a change in company procedure
d.	A memo giving instructions for requesting a change in health benefits

____ 20. The three basic functions of organizational communication are to

a.	inform, entertain, and explain.
b.	inform, persuade, and promote goodwill.
c.	inform, persuade, and explain.
d.	inform, instruct, and entertain.

____ 21. Which of the following is usually the most effective way to exchange information?

a.	Writing a letter
b.	Conducting a personal meeting
c.	Telephoning
d.	E-mailing

____ 22. Because of a new emphasis on interactive communication, companies are increasingly using

a.	reports.
b.	memos and letters.
c.	oral presentations.
d.	e-mail, voice mail, and videoconferencing.

____ 23. Debbie returns from a three-day vacation and finds 300 e-mail messages waiting for her. This situation is an example of

a.	effective management.
b.	e-mail tag.
c.	organizational skill.
d.	information overload.

____ 24. Newsletters, announcements, meetings, and company intranets are generally examples of _________ communication.

a.	upward
b.	downward
c.	horizontal
d.	diagonal

____ 25. Organizations should

a.	rely solely on formal communication channels.
b.	try to eliminate the grapevine.
c.	use both informal and formal communication channels to encourage an open communication environment.
d.	rely on the grapevine to keep employees informed.

____ 26. Many companies today strive to be ethical because

a.	such firms endure less litigation and less government regulation.
b.	state and federal governments require it.
c.	investors demand ethics ahead of profits.
d.	their employees are increasingly diverse.

____ 27. Covering up incidents, abusing sick days, lying to a supervisor, and taking credit for a colleague's ideas are examples of

a.	breaking the law.
b.	actions necessary to get ahead today.
c.	unethical actions.
d.	workplace distrust.

____ 28. John takes a break from his regular tasks to play games on his office computer. He tells himself the company owes him the time since he is such a hard worker. John is falling into the

a.	ends-justify-the-means trap.
b.	self-deception trap.
c.	rationalization trap.
d.	false necessity trap.

____ 29. Which of the following is a fact?

a.	Our company's brand is selling better than the competitor's because of our lower price.
b.	People are buying our product because of our excellent advertising.
c.	Our sales have increased 15 percent since we lowered the price of our product.
d.	People like the new features of the product and have been buying more of it.

____ 30. Which of the following is an opinion?

a.	Sales have increased by 15 percent since we started spending more money on advertising.
b.	Twenty-eight percent of the survey's respondents approved of the new investment plan.
c.	Apples are red; lemons are yellow.
d.	Customers enjoy shopping at our store because of our friendly service.

____ 31. Some states have passed __________ English laws that require businesses to write policies, warranties, and contracts in language comprehensible to average readers.

a.	Plain
b.	Embellished
c.	Bureaucratic
d.	Oxymoron

____ 32. Which of the following statements about teams is least accurate?

a.	Because of their size, teams may have difficulty acting rapidly when solving a problem.
b.	Team members are likely to experience an increase in personal satisfaction and job morale when teams are successful.
c.	Decisions made by teams are usually better received than those made by individuals.
d.	Decisions made by teams are generally more accurate and effective than decisions made by individuals.

____ 33. Sam is a member of the accounting department, and he and his colleagues have been assigned individual tasks by their manager. Sam and his colleagues are considered to be a

a.	team.
b.	group.
c.	virtual team.
d.	self-directed team.

____ 34. Select the most accurate statement.

a.	Efficient teams should try to work through the first stages of team development as quickly as possible.
b.	During the norming stage, formal leadership is usually unnecessary since most team members willingly take on leadership functions.
c.	Effective team leaders should define the roles and responsibilities of their group members.
d.	The team leader is expected to dictate the group's direction when conflict arises.

____ 35. Someone who defines problems, sets rules, and contributes ideas during a meeting is performing a(n)

a.	group relationship role.
b.	dysfunctional role.
c.	affective role.
d.	group task role.

____ 36. When a team member works to help the group meet its goals, that team member is performing a

a.	dysfunctional role.
b.	relationship role.
c.	task role.
d.	None of the above.

____ 37. During a team meeting, Ben constantly interrupts with inappropriate jokes and comments. Ben is performing which of the following roles?

a.	task
b.	dysfunctional
c.	relationship
d.	affective

____ 38. Which of the following situations may cause a team to fall victim to groupthink?

a.	Joe is a weak team leader.
b.	Amy's team is composed of individuals from several different countries.
c.	Wendy's team has set specific procedures for evaluating information before making a decision.
d.	Team leader Ray is pushing his group to make a quick decision.

____ 39. Which of the following is not a method of decision making used by teams?

a.	minority
b.	consensus
c.	authority rule with discussion
d.	summation

____ 40. Prior to tackling a writing project, a team should

a.	decide whether the team will be governed by consensus, by majority rule, or by some other method.
b.	establish the specific purpose for the document or presentation.
c.	consider what appeals might help the document accomplish its purpose.
d.	decide on the final format of the document or presentation.

____ 41. One of the best ways to gather information for a team report is by

a.	evaluating.
b.	brainstorming.
c.	norming.
d.	classifying.

____ 42. Select the most accurate statement.

a.	For an oral presentation, several people should examine the entire presentation for consistency of design, format, and vocabulary.
b.	For a written report, at least two people should be given responsibility for finding and correcting grammatical and mechanical errors.
c.	For an oral presentation, schedule at least five rehearsals.
d.	Don't worry about smooth transitions between parts of an oral presentation.

____ 43. Select the most accurate statement.

a.	Most people look forward to meetings.
b.	Meetings should be viewed as opportunities to demonstrate leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
c.	Because of advances in technology, the number of face-to-face business meetings is declining rapidly.
d.	Meetings are an excellent way to communicate information that does not require immediate feedback.

____ 44. The real expense of a meeting is the

a.	time spent arranging it.
b.	cost of the paperwork that is generated.
c.	cost of the refreshments that are served.
d.	lost productivity of all the people attending.

____ 45. Chris is calling a meeting to decide whether to change advertising agencies. Chris should invite __________ participants.

a.	10 or fewer
b.	5 or fewer
c.	30 or fewer
d.	15 or fewer

____ 46. To conduct an effective and efficient meeting, Jeff should

a.	wait until all participants arrive before beginning the meeting.
b.	make all final decisions after the group discusses each issue.
c.	assign one attendee to take minutes and one to act as a recorder.
d.	do as much talking as possible to be sure all issues are covered thoroughly.

____ 47. Business executives spend the greatest share of their communication time

a.	reading.
b.	listening.
c.	speaking.
d.	writing.

____ 48. Experts say that we listen at an efficiency rate of

a.	25 percent.
b.	75 percent.
c.	50 percent.
d.	10 percent.

____ 49. You work in a noisy office where conversations, printing, and air-conditioning noises mingle. Yet you manage to hear the beep of the fax machine two desks away, indicating that a fax message is about to be transmitted. In what stage of the listening process are you?

a.	Action
b.	Evaluation
c.	Interpretation
d.	Perception

____ 50. Pseudolistening is a

a.	mental barrier to effective listening.
b.	technique for interpreting a speaker's message.
c.	method used to help a listener open up to a speaker's ideas.
d.	physical barrier to effective listening.

____ 51. A listener analyzes the merits of a message and draws conclusions at the

a.	evaluation stage of the listening process.
b.	perception stage of the listening process.
c.	interpretation stage of the listening process.
d.	action stage of the listening process.

____ 52. After Mr. Benson's presentation, John asks for additional details about the soon-to-be-implemented advertising campaign. John is involved in which stage of the listening process?

a.	retention
b.	action
c.	involvement
d.	evaluation

____ 53. Alyssa is attending an important meeting in her boss's place. Which of the following steps should she use to help her remember important points from the meeting?

a.	Alyssa should review the information that she has heard.
b.	Alyssa should try to relate that information to something else.
c.	Alyssa should first decide what she wants to remember.
d.	All of the above.

____ 54. Good listeners need to

a.	be open minded.
b.	have a positive attitude.
c.	be involved.
d.	All of the above.

____ 55. To increase retention of a message, a listener should

a.	keep a positive attitude toward the message and the speaker.
b.	paraphrase the key ideas in the message.
c.	be tolerant of the speaker's ideas.
d.	be patient with the speaker.

____ 56. To improve her listening involvement, Sandy should

a.	think about other tasks that she needs to complete only when the speaker is pausing between thoughts.
b.	lean forward and maintain eye contact with the speaker.
c.	take advantage of the lag time before the speaker's next idea by discussing key points with other team members.
d.	ask the speaker a question and then immediately offer an answer based on her own experience.

____ 57. Patricia arrives for her job interview dressed in a professional-looking navy blue suit. Her appearance functions as what type of nonverbal message?

a.	To complement and illustrate
b.	To contradict
c.	To control and regulate
d.	To reinforce and accentuate

____ 58. Andrew encloses his index finger and thumb in a circle to convey an "OK" sign in response to Pete's idea during a meeting. Andrew's action functions to

a.	control and regulate the communication.
b.	contradict Pete's idea.
c.	replace and substitute for saying "I like your idea."
d.	None of the above.

____ 59. Select the statement that most accurately describes nonverbal communication.

a.	The words used in a message carry more meaning than nonverbal cues.
b.	Nonverbal messages can be interpreted with a great deal of accuracy.
c.	Messages are especially difficult to decipher when the verbal and nonverbal codes contradict each other.
d.	Nonverbal communication is always unintentional.

____ 60. Which of the following statements is the most accurate?

a.	Most people can control their facial expressions so they can control the nonverbal messages they send.
b.	Gestures generally add verbal meaning to nonverbal messages rather than conveying the entire meaning by themselves.
c.	Most communicators consider the eyes to be the most accurate predictor of a speaker's true feelings and attitudes.
d.	A speaker's nonverbal cues rarely contradict the verbal message.

____ 61. Which of the following sends the least positive nonverbal message?

a.	A job candidate prepares an original cover letter for each potential employer using stationery to match the résumé.
b.	A job candidate arrives for the interview dressed in a conservative navy blue business suit.
c.	A job candidate sends his résumé and cover letter using a bulk mailing permit for postage.
d.	A job candidate uses a laser printer for copies of the résumé and cover letter.

____ 62. Your boss tells you how easy it is to operate a new printer, but you notice that he's having trouble demonstrating it. As a communicator who senses contradiction between verbal and nonverbal messages, you should

a.	disregard the spoken words because nonverbal messages are more nearly accurate than verbal ones.
b.	strive to improve eye contact so that an accurate message can be transmitted.
c.	seek additional clues with questions such as I'm not sure I understand . . . .
d.	learn about other cultures to widen your knowledge of nonverbal messages.

____ 63. Which of the following is an effective way to improve your nonverbal communication skills?

a.	If a nonverbal message contradicts a verbal one, ask questions to gain additional clues.
b.	Watch facial expressions and body language to understand both the verbal and nonverbal messages being delivered.
c.	Beware of interpreting nonverbal messages when you don't understand a situation or culture.
d.	All of the above.

____ 64. Receiving a business card from a visitor, a businessperson stuffs it in his pocket with hardly a glance. The visitor might be particularly offended if he is from which country?

a.	the United States
b.	Japan
c.	Canada
d.	Germany

____ 65. Which of the following statements is inaccurate?

a.	Asian businesspeople have learned to use silence for reflection and contemplation.
b.	Asians are concerned with harmony and saving face.
c.	Mexicans often socialize before getting down to business.
d.	Americans, Mexicans, and Asians all equate time with money.

____ 66. Which of the following may cause us to judge others by our own values?

a.	Tolerance
b.	Ethnorelativism
c.	Ethnocentrism
d.	Stereotyping

____ 67. Which of the following statements is inaccurate?

a.	Rely solely on stereotypes to understand other cultures.
b.	Develop tolerance of other cultures.
c.	Develop an understanding of your own culture.
d.	Avoid ethnocentrism.

____ 68. Improving one's tolerance of other cultures requires

a.	practicing yoga.
b.	practicing empathy.
c.	saving face.
d.	relying on stereotypes.

____ 69. Cultures that are concerned with preserving social harmony and that go to great lengths to avoid giving offense by saying no

a.	are usually concerned with saving face.
b.	tend to be straightforward.
c.	value independence and freedom from control.
d.	usually place less emphasis on tradition, ceremony, and social rules.

____ 70. In conversation with a Chinese businessperson who speaks English fairly well, Jeffrey discovers that much of what he has just said was not understood by the Chinese. In continuing the conversation, Jeffrey should

a.	speak more slowly and loudly.
b.	discontinue the conversation until an interpreter can be found.
c.	repeat the conversation but use more facial expressions and gestures to communicate more clearly.
d.	accept blame for the misunderstanding and use simpler language.

____ 71. When writing letters to businesspeople in other cultures,

a.	spell out all numbers.
b.	use short sentences and short paragraphs.
c.	add humor to your messages.
d.	use two-word verbs such as bring back rather than return.

____ 72. Which of the following would be the best choice for a letter going to someone from another culture?

a.	I'd like to place an order but can't do it now.
b.	Please send the order to me ASAP.
c.	A ballpark figure of around $500 should give you an idea of costs.
d.	Thank you for telling me about your products.

____ 73. The workforce of the future will

a.	be predominantly Anglo-oriented and male.
b.	include mostly minorities.
c.	be increasingly made up of women, minorities, and individuals over 45 years of age.
d.	All of the above.

____ 74. Which of the following statements most accurately describes diversity in the workplace?

a.	When companies begin developing teams, employees automatically work well together showing less divisiveness, discontent, and clashes.
b.	Companies that look upon diversity as an opportunity are more likely to achieve conformity in employee behavior.
c.	Homogeneous teams work better together and contribute the most creative solutions to problems.
d.	Developing a diverse staff that can work together cooperatively is one of the biggest challenges facing business organizations today.

____ 75. To improve communication among diverse workplace audiences,

a.	rely on stereotypes to learn about individuals from different cultures.
b.	concentrate on shared experiences, mutual goals, and similar values.
c.	encourage individuals to conform to the company's culture.
d.	assume that all individuals share the same holidays and lifestyles.