Understanding Business Communication

Business Communication Essentials Understanding Business Communication in Today's Workplace 1) Which of the following is true about the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work? A) Communication is important for most jobs, except technical jobs such as engineering or finance. B) The higher you rise in your organization, the more time you spend using the technical skills of your profession, and the less time you spend communicating. C) Good communicators are generally more difficult to find than good accountants, good engineers, or good attorneys. D) Good communication has not been linked to financial advantages for companies. E) Communication is important for most jobs, unless you are an entrepreneur. Answer: C Explanation: C) The world is full of good marketing strategists, good accountants, good engineers, and good attorneys—but it is not full of good communicators. Acquiring good communication skills will provide you with an opportunity to stand out from your competition in the job market. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 2) Which of the following is true about the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work? A) Communication is important for most jobs, except technical jobs such as engineering or finance. B) The higher you rise in your organization, the less time you spend using the technical skills of your profession, and the more time you spend communicating. C) Good communicators are generally much easier to find than good accountants, good engineers, or good attorneys. D) Good communication has not been linked to financial advantages for companies. E) Communication is important for most jobs, unless you are an entrepreneur. Answer: B Explanation: B) As you take on leadership and management roles, communication becomes even more important. The higher you rise in an organization, the less time you will spend using the technical skills of your particular profession and the more time you will spend communicating. Top executives spend most of their time communicating, and businesspeople who can't communicate well don't stand much chance of reaching the top. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 3) Which of the following is true about the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work? A) Communication is important for most jobs, except technical jobs such as engineering or finance. B) The higher you rise in your organization, the more time you spend using the technical skills of your profession, and the less time you spend communicating. C) Good communicators are generally much easier to find than good accountants, good engineers, or good attorneys. D) Companies that communicate well significantly outperform those that communicate poorly. E) Communication is important for most jobs, unless you are an entrepreneur. Answer: D Explanation: D) Good communication has clear financial advantages. Companies that communicate well significantly outperform those that communicate poorly. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 4) Effective communication strengthens the connections between a company and all of its ________. A) factions B) cliques C) stakeholders D) captive audience E) captive market Answer: C Explanation: C) A company's stakeholders are those groups that are affected in some way by the company's actions: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbors, the community, the nation, and the world as a whole. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 5) Effective business messages ________. A) convey abstract ideas B) provide practical information C) are usually voluminous D) do not attempt to influence the reader E) are usually informal Answer: B Explanation: B) To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, provide practical information. Give recipients useful information, whether it's to help them perform a desired action or understand a new company policy. Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing persuasive business messages 6) To be effective, business messages should ________. A) use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation B) never contain opinions C) present expansive and repetitive information D) not make arguments or recommendations E) give facts rather than vague impressions Answer: E Explanation: E) To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, give facts rather than vague impressions. Use concrete language, specific detail, and information that is clear, convincing, accurate, and ethical. Even when an opinion is called for, present compelling evidence to support your conclusion. Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing persuasive business messages 7) To be effective, business messages should ________. A) use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation B) adopt an informal tone C) present information in a concise, efficient manner D) not make arguments or recommendations E) never contain opinions Answer: C Explanation: C) To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, present information in a concise, efficient manner. Concise messages show respect for people's time, and they increase the chances of a positive response. 8) To be effective, business messages should ________. A) use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation B) adopt an informal tone C) never contain opinions D) not make arguments or recommendations E) show your readers how they will benefit by responding to your message Answer: E Explanation: E) To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, you should offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations. Show your readers precisely how they will benefit by responding the way you want them to respond to your message. Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing persuasive business messages 9) To be effective, business messages should ________. A) generate a specific response from a specific audience B) adopt an informal tone C) use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation D) not make arguments or recommendations E) never contain opinions Answer: A Explanation: A) To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, you should clarify expectations and responsibilities. Craft messages to generate a specific response from a specific audience. When appropriate, clearly state what you expect from audience members or what you can do for them. Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing persuasive business messages 10) Which of the following is true about communicating in today's business environment? A) Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling and other aspects of high-quality business writing are no longer relevant in today's technology-driven business environment. B) One should always communicate ethically, even when the choices are not crystal clear. C) Constructing compelling narratives—telling stories—is obsolete in today's fast-paced business environment. D) Adapting your messages and communication styles to specific audiences is unethical and, often, illegal. E) It is now an accepted fact that business communication skills are largely innate and cannot be learnt. Answer: B Explanation: B) Communicating ethically, even when the choices are not crystal clear, is an important communication task that one must be proficient at in today's business environment. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 11) Which of the following is true about communicating in today's business environment? A) It is important to recognize that it is not possible to communicate ethically when the choices are not crystal clear. B) Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling and other aspects of high-quality business writing are no longer relevant in today's technology-driven business environment. C) Constructing compelling narratives—telling stories—is obsolete in today's fast-paced business environment. D) Adapting your messages and communication styles to specific audiences is crucial to business communication today. E) It is now an accepted fact that business communication skills are largely innate and cannot be learnt. Answer: D Explanation: D) Given the importance of communication in business, employers expect you to be competent at a wide range of communication tasks, adapting your messages and communication styles to specific audiences and situations. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 12) Which of the following is the first step in the basic eight-step communication model? A) The sender transmits the message through a channel. B) The sender produces the message in a medium. C) The sender has an idea. D) The sender writes the message. E) The sender organizes the message. Answer: C Explanation: C) The communication process starts with a sender having an idea and then encoding the idea into a message that can be transferred to a receiver. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 13) Which of the following is the last step in the basic eight-step communication model? A) The sender transmits the message through a channel. B) The audience receives the message. C) The receiver decodes the message. D) The receiver responds to the message E) The receiver provides feedback. Answer: E Explanation: E) If a mechanism is available for them to do so, receivers can "close the loop" in the communication process by giving the sender feedback that helps the sender evaluate the effectiveness of the communication effort. Feedback can be verbal, nonverbal, or both. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 14) In the basic communication model, when someone puts an idea into a message, he or she is ________. A) encoding it B) decoding it C) broadcasting it D) indexing it E) cataloguing it Answer: A Explanation: A) When someone puts an idea into a message, he or she is encoding it, or expressing it in words or images. This forms the second step in the basic eight-step communication model. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 15) After a message is received, the receiver needs to extract the idea from the message, a step known as ________. A) encoding B) decoding C) abstracting D) indexing E) cataloguing Answer: B Explanation: B) After a message is received, the receiver needs to extract the idea from the message, a step known as decoding. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 16) Which of the following examples correctly illustrates the difference between what constitutes a communication medium and a communication channel? A) A telephone is a medium, while a voice message is a channel. B) A cell phone is a medium, while a text message is a channel. C) A shipping company is a medium, while a printed report is a channel. D) A podcast is a medium, while an intranet is a channel. E) The Internet is a medium, while a Twitter tweet is a channel. Answer: D Explanation: D) The medium is the form a message takes (such as a podcast) and the channel is the system used to deliver the message (such as an intranet). ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 17) The traditional nature of much business communication was primarily defined by a publishing or broadcasting mindset. Which of the following scenarios best reflects this mindset? A) A company airs advertisements during the Super Bowl to raise its visibility. B) A company publishes a blog to keep customers informed of the company's activities. C) A company CEO uses Twitter to interact directly with individual employees. D) A company opens a Facebook account to connect with a younger audience. E) A company holds a townhall-style meeting to respond to employee concerns. Answer: A Explanation: A) The traditional nature of much business communication was primarily defined by a publishing or broadcasting mindset. Externally, a company issued carefully scripted messages to a mass audience that often had few options for responding to those messages or initiating messages of their own, such as in this scenario. Internally, communication tended to follow the same "we talk, you listen" model, with upper managers issuing directives to lower-level supervisors and employees. ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 18) The ________ is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate; audience members are not passive recipients of messages but active participants in a conversation. A) publishing mindset B) basic eight-step communication model C) social communication model D) broadcasting mindset E) Business Communication 1.0 Answer: C Explanation: C) In contrast to the publishing mindset, the new social communication model is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. Audience members are no longer passive recipients of messages but active participants in a conversation. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 19) Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 1.0? A) reactive B) information hoarding C) permission D) information sharing E) high message frequency Answer: B Explanation: B) The traditional nature of much business communication was primarily defined by a publishing or broadcasting mindset—a "we talk, you listen" model of communication, where information was hoarded, not shared. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 20) The most important element of audience-centered communication is ________. A) etiquette B) dialog C) permission D) discussion E) high message frequency Answer: A Explanation: A) An important element of audience-centered communication is etiquette, the expected norms of behavior in a particular situation. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 21) Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0? A) resistive B) information hoarding C) planned D) unidirectional E) high message frequency Answer: E Explanation: E) One of the tendencies of Business Communication 2.0 is it is conversational in nature. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 22) Business Communication 2.0 tends to be ________. A) resistive B) isolated C) dynamic D) structured E) unidirectional Answer: C Explanation: C) Business Communication 2.0 tends to be dynamic. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 23) Business Communication 1.0 tends to be ________. A) reactive B) conversational C) amorphous D) isolated E) multidirectional Answer: D Explanation: D) Business Communication 1.0 tends to be isolated. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 24) Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0? A) unidirectional B) egalitarian C) resistive D) structured E) information hoarding Answer: B Explanation: B) The social communication model is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 25) Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0? A) lecture B) one to many C) influence D) control E) static Answer: C Explanation: C) The social communication model is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. Companies aim to influence, not control, the audience in this model. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 26) Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0? A) permission B) hierarchical C) one to many D) control E) few channels Answer: A Explanation: A) Permission is one of the tendencies of Business Communication 2.0. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 27) Business Communication 2.0 tends to be ________. A) structured B) hierarchical C) unidirectional D) reactive E) intrusive Answer: D Explanation: D) Business Communication 2.0 tends to be reactive. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 28) Business Communication 2.0 tends to be ________. A) amorphous B) hierarchical C) unidirectional D) structured E) intrusive Answer: A Explanation: A) Business Communication 2.0 tends to be amorphous. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 29) Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model? A) It is hierarchical. B) The number of channels is limited in this model. C) The frequency of messages on this model is relatively low. D) It blurs the line between personal and professional lives. E) It is unidirectional. Answer: D Explanation: D) Potential problems of the social communication model include information overload, fragmented attention, information security risks, distractions that hurt productivity, and the blurring of the line between personal and professional lives, which can make it difficult for people to disconnect from work. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 30) Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model? A) It is hierarchical. B) It is static. C) It can lead to information overload. D) The frequency of messages is relatively low. E) It is unidirectional. Answer: C Explanation: C) Potential problems of the social communication model include information overload, fragmented attention, information security risks, distractions that hurt productivity, and the blurring of the line between personal and professional lives, which can make it difficult for people to disconnect from work. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 31) Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model? A) It is hierarchical. B) It is static. C) It is unidirectional. D) The frequency of messages is relatively low. E) It presents information security risks. Answer: E Explanation: E) Potential problems of the social communication model include information overload, fragmented attention, information security risks, distractions that hurt productivity, and the blurring of the line between personal and professional lives, which can make it difficult for people to disconnect from work. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 32) Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model? A) It can cause distractions and hit productivity. B) It is static. C) It is hierarchical. D) The frequency of messages is relatively low. E) It is unidirectional. Answer: A Explanation: A) Potential problems of the social communication model include information overload, fragmented attention, information security risks, distractions that hurt productivity, and the blurring of the line between personal and professional lives, which can make it difficult for people to disconnect from work. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 33) A ________ is a form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas. A) patent B) trademark C) service mark D) copyright E) ghost mark Answer: D Explanation: D) A copyright is a form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas. Stealing someone elses words or work and claiming it as your own is unethical, and it can be illegal if it violates a copyright. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 34) Which of the following constitutes ethical information? A) a restaurant using photos of dishes that it does not serve on its website B) a vendor including only essential information in promotional material mailed out to customers C) a company paying customers to recommend its products to their friends D) a manufacturer of cell phones asking its sales team to post favorable product reviews on social media E) a hospitality chain deleting all negative comments from the company's blog Answer: B Explanation: B) Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, does not violate the rights of others, and is not deceptive in any way. In contrast, unethical communication includes omitting essential information, distorting statistics or visuals, and selectively misquoting. ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 35) In order to generate interest about the company's publications, the Media Manager of Gordon Books started a personal blog where she posed as an avid reader and amateur literary critic and reviewed the company's books favorably. She also invited readers to buy the books, discuss them online, and send in their reviews. Which of the following is the best criticism of the manager's action? A) She engaged in plagiarism. B) She selectively misquoted information. C) She failed to protect information entrusted to her. D) She failed to ensure transparency. E) She failed to respect the privacy of others. Answer: D Explanation: D) In the context of business communication, transparency refers to a sense of openness, of giving all participants in a conversation access to the information they need to process the messages they are receiving. By concealing her links to the publisher, the manager has been deceptive. ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 36) In order to boost sales for its tablets, Zip Communications paid several students to carry the gadgets to college and talk to their friends and classmates about the great features of the product. What is the best criticism of Zip's decision? A) It selectively misquoted information. B) It failed to protect customer information. C) It engaged in stealth marketing. D) It violated a copyright. E) It failed to respect others' privacy. Answer: C Explanation: C) Stealth marketing involves attempting to promote products and services to customers who don't know they're being marketed to, as is the case in this scenario. ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 37) ________ marketing involves attempting to promote products and services to customers who don't know they are being marketed to. A) Stealth B) Ambush C) Affiliate D) Viral E) Loyalty Answer: A Explanation: A) Stealth marketing involves attempting to promote products and services to customers who don't know they're being marketed to. Stealth marketing is considered unethical by some observers because it prevents consumers from making fully informed decisions. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 38) Which of the following is true about making ethical communication choices? A) An ethical dilemma involves making a clearly unethical, and often illegal, choice. B) An ethical lapse involves choosing among alternatives that are not clearly right or wrong. C) When making communications decisions, you must always consider if a decision that seems ethical now may seem unethical in the future. D) Deliberately omitting essential information is an ethical way of influencing the audience. E) In business scenarios, you cannot afford the luxury of considering the impact of your messages on the audience. Answer: C Explanation: C) When trying to make ethical choices, you must consider whether the assumptions you've made are likely to change over time. That is, will a decision that seems ethical now seem unethical in the future? ; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 39) Which of the following is true about making ethical communication choices? A) An ethical dilemma involves making a clearly unethical, and often illegal, choice. B) An ethical lapse involves choosing among alternatives that are not clearly right or wrong. C) In business scenarios, you cannot afford the luxury of considering the impact of your messages on the audience. D) Deliberately omitting essential information is an ethical way of influencing the audience. E) Decisions should achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm. Answer: E Explanation: E) When trying to make ethical choices, you must consider whether the message will achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm. ; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 40) Which of the following decision making scenarios presents an ethical dilemma? A) A disgruntled employee of one of your competitors has offered to reveal details of his company's new strategy if you were to hire him. This competitor has in the past poached key executives from your company and engaged in industrial espionage in other ways. B) You are manager of a large facility in a country where paying bribes to public officials is a way of life. Your company has a zero-tolerance policy toward bribing, but the officials are threatening to close down the factory, rendering several thousand workers jobless, if you don't comply. C) It has been brought to your notice that the company competing with you for a major contract is trying to bribe and influence decision-makers in a bid to get the contract. Some of your executives feel that your company should also do the same because getting this contract will make a big difference to the company's future. D) The last inspection at your plant revealed structural problems with some of the buildings that, if not fixed immediately, could compromise worker safety. However, your company is low on funds and taking on repair work will push the company into the red. E) During a conversation with a friend, you come across information that will significantly impact the stock prices of a company's share in the near future. As Funds Manager at a bank, leveraging this information will allow you to improve the retirement savings of several senior citizens. Answer: B Explanation: B) An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren't clear-cut. Perhaps two conflicting alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives lie somewhere in the gray area between clearly right and clearly wrong. This scenario presents two choices where one is wrong (paying a bribe) but the consequences of rejecting that choice could lead to harming a great number of innocent people (workers losing their livelihood). ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 41) An activist group accuses a leading cell phone and netbook manufacturer of deceiving customers through its stealth marketing campaign. The group argues that stealth marketing is unethical. They claim that the company hired several actors and rewarded them for promoting products. The campaign involved visiting stores on weekends and during the peak season, using their products on commuter trains, bars, and coffee shops. Which of the following, if true, strengthens the argument? A) Last year, thirty-five percent of Fortune 500 adopted Word of Mouth Marketing campaigns. B) The company did not give their targets the opportunity to raise instinctive defenses against persuasive marketing messages. C) Around seventy-five percent of cell phone consumers state that they heard of the product from friends. D) The Advertising Standards Authority claims that leading companies are using stealth marketing to manipulate customer base. E) The company offered 350,000 people a source of income through its stealth marketing campaign. Answer: B Explanation: B) If the company did not give their targets the opportunity to raise instinctive defenses against its marketing messages then stealth marketing is unethical because the customers do not know of the marketing campaign that they are part of. ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 42) In low-context cultures, ________. A) people rely more on the circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning B) the primary role of communication is to build relationships C) people rely more on the explicit content of the message to convey meaning D) people rely more on cues to convey meaning E) the rules of everyday life are rarely stated explicitly Answer: C Explanation: C) In a low-context culture, people rely more on the explicit content of the message and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. In other words, more of the conveyed meaning is encoded into the actual message itself. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 43) In low-context cultures, ________. A) the primary role of communication is to exchange information B) people rely less on the explicit content of the message C) people rely more on the circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning D) people rely more on situational cues to convey meaning E) the rules of everyday life are rarely stated explicitly Answer: A Explanation: A) In a low-context culture, rules and expectations are usually spelled out through explicit statements such as "Please wait until I'm finished." Exchanging information is the primary task of communication in low-context cultures. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 44) In high-context cultures, ________. A) rules and expectations are spelt out through explicit statements B) the primary role of communication is to exchange information C) people rely less on cues to convey meaning D) the conveyed meaning is encoded into the message itself E) people rely more on circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning Answer: E Explanation: E) In a high-context culture, people rely less on the explicit content of the message and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 45) In high-context cultures, ________. A) people rely less on circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning B) the primary role of communication is to build relationships C) people rely less on the explicit content of messages to convey meaning D) the conveyed meaning is encoded into the message itself E) people rely less on cues to convey meaning Answer: B Explanation: B) In a high-context culture, people rely less on the explicit content of the message and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. Also, in a high-context culture, the primary role of communication is often building relationships, not exchanging information. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 46) Which among the following is the most high-context culture? A) American B) English C) German D) Chinese E) Irish Answer: D Explanation: D) Examples of high-context cultures include Japan, China, and many Middle Eastern and Southern European countries. The United States and many Northern European countries are considered low-context cultures. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 47) Which among the following is the most low-context culture? A) Chinese B) Indian C) German D) Japanese E) Arab Answer: C Explanation: C) Examples of high-context cultures include Japan, China, and many Middle Eastern and Southern European countries. The United States and many Northern European countries are considered low-context cultures. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 48) Which of the following is true about communication challenges presented by cultural context? A) A person from a low-context culture is more likely to view a high-context person's work culture as being insensitive to group harmony. B) A person from a high-context culture is more likely to consider personal pledges more important than contracts. C) In a low-context culture, people are more likely to consider gestures and tone of voice when receiving a message. D) In a high-context culture, the rules of everyday life are stated explicitly. E) A person from a high-context culture is more likely to adhere strictly to the law. Answer: B Explanation: B) Because low-context cultures value the written word, they consider written agreements binding. But high-context cultures put less emphasis on the written word and consider personal pledges more important than contracts. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 49) One aspect that is common across cultures is that ________. A) the percentage of management roles held by men and women are roughly equal B) age earns respect and increasing power and freedom C) nonverbal signs like gestures or facial expressions are interpreted the same way D) men and women tend to have slightly different communication styles E) age is often associated with declining powers and a loss of respect and authority Answer: D Explanation: D) Whatever the culture, evidence suggests that men and women tend to have slightly different communication styles. Broadly speaking, men tend to emphasize content in their communication efforts, whereas women place a higher premium on relationship maintenance. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 50) ________ is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one's own group. A) Cultural context B) Stereotyping C) Ethnocentrism D) Ethical lapse E) Ethical dilemma Answer: C Explanation: C) Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one's own group. When making such comparisons, people too often decide that their own group is superior. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 51) Assigning a wide range of generalized—and often inaccurate—attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular group, without considering the individual's unique characteristics is referred to as ________. A) ethical lapse B) cultural competency C) profiling D) cognitive dissonance E) stereotyping Answer: E Explanation: E) Stereotyping involves assigning a wide range of generalized—and often inaccurate—attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular group, without considering the individual's unique characteristics. This is a barrier to intercultural communication. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 52) Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication? A) Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person. B) Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture. C) Recognize your own cultural biases. D) Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do. E) Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind. Answer: C Explanation: C) In any cross-cultural situation you can communicate better if you first recognize your own cultural biases. Don't automatically assume that others think, believe, or behave as you do. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 53) Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication? A) Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person. B) Be flexible and be prepared to change your habits and attitudes. C) Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture. D) Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do. E) Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind. Answer: B Explanation: B) You can communicate better in any cross-cultural situation if you are flexible and are prepared to change your habits and attitudes. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 54) Which of the following is a guideline for improving intercultural communication? A) Consider aspects like personal appearance when trying to judge a person. B) Do not tolerate ambiguity of any kind. C) Avoid using sources like travel guidebooks to learn about a culture. D) Always assume that others will think, believe, and behave as you do. E) Avoid ethnocentricity and stereotyping Answer: E Explanation: E) Effective intercultural communication starts with efforts to avoid ethnocentrism and stereotyping. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 55) When writing for multilingual audiences, you should ________. A) use slang and jargon B) spell numbers out instead of using figures C) use transitions generously D) use abbreviations extensively E) use long paragraphs and sentences Answer: C Explanation: C) When communicating with multilingual audiences, you should use transitions generously to help readers follow your train of thought. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 56) When writing for multilingual audiences, you should ________. A) use slang and jargon B) spell numbers out instead of using figures C) use transitions sparingly D) use abbreviations carefully E) use long paragraphs and sentences Answer: D Explanation: D) Avoid slang and be careful with technical jargon and abbreviations when writing for a multilingual audience. Slang and other nonstandard usages can be difficult or impossible for your audience to translate. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 57) When writing for multilingual audiences, you should ________. A) use slang and jargon B) use figures instead of spelling out numbers C) use transitions sparingly D) use abbreviations generously E) use long paragraphs and sentences Answer: B Explanation: B) When writing for a multilingual audience, cite numbers carefully. Use figures (such as 27) instead of spelling them out (twenty-seven). ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 58) When writing for multilingual audiences, you should ________. A) use slang and jargon B) spell numbers out instead of using figures C) use transitions sparingly D) use abbreviations generously E) rely on specific terms and concrete examples to explain your points Answer: E Explanation: E) When writing for a multilingual audience, you should be clear. Rely on specific terms and concrete examples to explain your points. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 59) Jeremy is a manager at the telecommunication customer care branch of a leading router manufacturing company based in the U.S. He argues that hiring native speakers of English will ensure higher customer satisfaction and better customer care service. Which of the following, if true, weakens his argument? A) Workers are more productive when managers communicate in their native language. B) English fluency and accent modification are an integral part of training for customer care executives. C) Global firms promote talented executives who can work in a multicultural diverse environment. D) In the U.S., minorities are the fastest growing consumer group holding $3 trillion buying power. E) Non-native speakers of English bring diversity to the workplace. Answer: B Explanation: B) If English fluency and accent modification training is given to all employees then the argument is weakened because it ensures all customer care executives, irrespective of native and non-native speakers, are qualified to handle the job. Classification: Critical Thinking ; Reflective Thinking Skills Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 60) Which of the following is an effective tip for speaking with multilingual audiences? A) Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding. B) Adapt your conversation style to the other person's. C) Make multiple points at a time. D) Don't repeat your points. E) Look for nods and smiles to ensure your audience is understanding your message. Answer: B Explanation: B) When speaking with a multilingual audience, adapt your conversation style to the other person's. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 61) Which of the following is an effective tip for speaking with multilingual audiences? A) Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding. B) Look for nods and smiles to know if your audience is understanding your message. C) Make multiple points at a time. D) Don't repeat your points. E) Learn important phrases in your audiences language. Answer: E Explanation: E) When speaking with a multilingual audience, learn important phrases in your audiences language. Learning common greetings and a few simple phrases simplifies initial contact and shows respect. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 62) Which of the following is a tip for speaking with multilingual audiences? A) Ask questions like "Is this too difficult for you?" to ensure understanding. B) Don't repeat your points. C) Make multiple points at a time. D) Do not assume the audience's smiles and nods to be a sign that they understood your point. E) Avoid checking frequently for comprehension. Answer: D Explanation: D) When speaking with a multilingual audience, look for feedback, but interpret it carefully. Nods and smiles don't necessarily mean understanding. ; Multicultural and Diversity Understanding Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 63) ________—which involves inviting input from groups of people inside or outside the organization—gives companies access to a much wider range of ideas, solutions to problems, and insights into market trends. A) Ethnocentrism B) Crowdsourcing C) Applicant Tracking systems D) Speech synthesis E) Scaffolding Answer: B Explanation: B) Crowdsourcing, inviting input from groups of people inside or outside the organization, can give companies access to a much wider range of ideas, solutions to problems, and insights into market trends. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 64) Advanced systems for videoconferencing can feature telepresence, a technology that allows you to ________. A) view video images that are life-sized and extremely realistic B) convert email and IM into voice messages C) automatically forward incoming calls D) contribute to and edit the same document from remote locations E) hold meetings in virtual worlds like Second Life Answer: A Explanation: A) Videoconferencing provides many of the benefits of in-person meetings at a fraction of the cost. Advanced systems feature telepresence, in which the video images are life-sized and extremely realistic. Learning Outcome: Describe steps for developing oral and online presentations 65) In order to use communication technology effectively, you should NOT ________. A) use the powerful filtering and tagging capabilities of your system B) let technology overwhelm the communication process C) connect with people face-to-face frequently D) limit your presence on online social networks E) try to control the number and types of messages you receive Answer: B Explanation: B) It is important to keep communication technology in perspective and not let it overwhelm the communication process. Remember that technology is an aid to communication, not a replacement for it. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 66) In order to communicate effectively using technology, you should ________. A) subscribe to as many blog feeds and Twitter follows as you can B) become an expert in most technologies C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) become familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools you use E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible Answer: D Explanation: D) To use technology effectively to communicate, you don't have to become an expert, but you do need to be familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools your employer expects you to use. ; Use of IT Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 67) In order to communicate effectively using technology, you should ________. A) become an expert in most technologies B) try to isolate high-priority messages that need your attention C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible Answer: B Explanation: B) In order to avoid information overload, try to use your system's powerful filtering and tagging capabilities to automatically sort incoming messages based on criteria you set and isolate high-priority messages that need your attention. ; Use of IT Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 68) In order to communicate effectively using technology, you should ________. A) guard against information overload B) always activate visual alerts for incoming messages C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible Answer: A Explanation: A) The overuse or misuse of communication technology can lead to information overload, in which people receive more information than they can effectively process. Information overload makes it difficult to discriminate between useful and useless information, inhibits the ability to think deeply about complex situations, lowers productivity, and amplifies employee stress both on the job and at home. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 69) When using communication technology, it is important to ________. A) use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible B) reconnect with people on the phone or in person frequently C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) pay equal attention to all the information—immediately useful or not—that you receive E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible Answer: B Explanation: B) Speaking with people over the phone or in person can take more time and effort, and can sometimes force you to confront unpleasant situations directly, but it is often essential for solving tough problems and maintaining productive relationships. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 70) In order to use communication technology effectively, you should NOT ________. A) use the powerful filtering and tagging capabilities of your system B) limit your presence on online social networks C) connect with people face-to-face frequently D) routinely activate visual alerts for incoming messages E) try to control the number and types of messages you receive Answer: D Explanation: D) In order to reduce information overload, take steps to control the number and types of messages you receive. Don't activate visual alerts for incoming messages unless you absolutely need to know the instant a message arrives; each alert breaks your concentration and requires time for you to refocus. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 71) Communication becomes less important as you take on leadership and management roles. Answer: FALSE Explanation: As you take on leadership and management roles, communication becomes even more important. The higher you rise in an organization, the less time you will spend using the technical skills of your particular profession and the more time you will spend communicating. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 72) Companies that communicate well significantly outperform those that communicate poorly. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Good communication has clear financial advantages to companies. Companies that communicate well significantly outperform those that communicate poorly. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 73) The ability to follow accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality writing and speaking is a skill employers expect of you today. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Given the importance of communication in business, employers expect you to be competent at following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality writing and speaking is a skill employers expect of you today. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 74) An audience-centered approach to communication means that professionals focus on giving vague impressions to meet the needs of the audience. Answer: FALSE Explanation: An audience-centered approach to their communication focuses on understanding and meeting the needs of their readers and listeners. It involves providing the information your audience needs, your ability to listen, your style of writing and speaking, and your ability to maintain positive working relationships. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 75) According to the basic eight-step model of communication, the communication process starts with the sender producing a message in a transmittable medium. Answer: FALSE Explanation: According to the basic eight-step model of communication, the communication process starts with a sender having an idea and then encoding the idea into a message that can be transferred to a receiver. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 76) The medium of a message refers to the form a message takes and the channel is the system used to deliver the message. Answer: TRUE Explanation: The distinction between medium and channel can be understood by thinking of the medium as the form a message takes (such as a Twitter tweet) and the channel as the system used to deliver the message (such as the Internet). Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 77) Decoding refers to the process of expressing an idea into a message using words and images. Answer: FALSE Explanation: The step where the receiver needs to extract the idea from the message that was received is known as decoding. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 78) The social communication model is primarily defined by a broadcasting or publishing mindset. Answer: FALSE Explanation: The traditional nature of much business communication was primarily defined by a publishing or broadcasting mindset, where a company issued carefully scripted messages to a mass audience that often had few options for responding to those messages or initiating messages of their own. In contrast to the publishing mindset, the new social communication model is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 79) Business Communication 2.0 is bidirectional and tends to have high message frequency. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Business Communication 2.0 is a convenient label for the new, social approach to business communication that is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 80) The social communication model includes information overload, information security risks, and the need to monitor and respond to numerous conversational threads. Answer: TRUE Explanation: The social communication model offers many advantages, but it has a number of disadvantages as well. Potential problems include information overload, fragmented attention, information security risks, distractions that hurt productivity, the need to monitor and respond to numerous conversational threads, and blurring of the line between personal and professional lives, which can make it difficult for people to disconnect from work. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 81) Selective misquoting and stealth marketing are considered ethical. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Distorting or hiding the true intent of someone elses words is unethical. Stealth marketing is unethical because they don't give their targets the opportunity to raise instinctive defenses against the persuasive powers of marketing messages ; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 82) An ethical lapse involves choosing among alternatives that aren't clear-cut. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Unlike a dilemma, ethical lapse is a clearly and frequently illegal choice. ; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 83) An ethical dilemma can involve choosing between two conflicting alternatives that are both ethical and valid. Answer: TRUE Explanation: An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren't clear-cut. Perhaps two conflicting alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives lie somewhere in the gray area between clearly right and clearly wrong. ; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 84) Ensuring ethical business communication requires three elements: ethical individuals, ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support ethical decision making. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Ensuring ethical business communication requires three elements: ethical individuals, ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support ethical decision making. ; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 85) In high-context cultures the rules of everyday life are stated explicitly. Answer: FALSE Explanation: In high-context cultures, the rules of everyday life are rarely stated explicitly. Instead, as individuals grow up, they learn how to recognize situational cues (such as gestures and tone of voice) and how to respond as expected. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 86) Legal systems and ethical standards are universal. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Making ethical choices across cultures is complicated because legal systems and ethical standards differ from culture to culture. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 87) Cultural competency is an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's communication style to ensure that efforts to send and receive messages across cultural boundaries are successful. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Cultural competency is an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's communication style to ensure that efforts to send and receive messages across cultural boundaries are successful. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 88) Information overload develops the ability to think deeply about complex situations, reduces employee stress, and increases productivity. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Information overload makes it difficult to discriminate between useful and useless information, inhibits the ability to think deeply about complex situations, lowers productivity, and amplifies employee stress both on the job and at home—even to the point of causing health and relationship problems. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 89) Effective use of communication technologies require expertise in the use of tools, information overload to make better decisions, and self-serving messages to ensure communication. Answer: FALSE Explanation: To communicate effectively, you need to keep technology in perspective, use technological tools productively, guard against information overload, and disengage from the computer frequently to communicate in person. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 90) Companies use communication technologies such as social networking, microblogging, and user-generated content sites to foster a sense of community among customer, enthusiasts, and other groups. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Communications technologies such as social networking, microblogging, and user-generated content sites enable companies to foster a sense of community among customers, enthusiasts, and other groups. Learning Outcome: Explain how to create brief messages for different electronic media 91) List at least five benefits that effective communication delivers to businesses. Answer: Effective communication helps businesses in numerous ways. It provides: - Closer ties with important communities in the marketplace - Opportunities to influence conversations, perceptions, and trends - Ability to "humanize" otherwise impersonal business organizations - Faster problem solving - Stronger decision making - Increased productivity - Steadier work flow - More compelling promotional messages - Enhanced professional images and stronger brands Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 92) What makes business communication effective? Answer: To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, focus on making them practical, factual, concise, clear, and persuasive: - Provide practical information. Give recipients useful information, whether it's to help them perform a desired action or understand a new company policy. - Give facts rather than vague impressions. Use concrete language, specific detail, and information that is clear, convincing, accurate, and ethical. Even when an opinion is called for, present compelling evidence to support your conclusion. - Present information in a concise, efficient manner. Concise messages show respect for people's time, and they increase the chances of a positive response. - Clarify expectations and responsibilities. Craft messages to generate a specific response from a specific audience. When appropriate, clearly state what you expect from audience members or what you can do for them. - Offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations. Show your readers precisely how they will benefit from responding to your message the way you want them to. Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 93) How can businesses adopt an audience-centric approach to their communications? Answer: When business professionals take an audience-centered approach to their communication, they focus on understanding and meeting the needs of their audiences. Providing the information your audiences need is obviously an important part of this approach, but it also involves such elements as your ability to listen, your style of writing and speaking, and your ability to maintain positive working relationships. Another important element of audience-centered communication is etiquette, the expected norms of behavior in a particular situation. Respect, courtesy, and common sense will help you avoid etiquette mistakes. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 94) Why is decoding a message such a complex process? Answer: Extracting meaning is a highly personal process that is influenced by culture, experience, learning and thinking styles, hopes, fears, and even temporary moods. Moreover, audiences tend to extract the meaning they expect to get from a message, even if it's the opposite of what the sender intended. In fact, rather than extracting the sender's meaning, it's more accurate to say that receivers re-create their own meanings from the message. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 95) Is the social communication model a more audience-centric approach to business communication than the basic communication model? Why or why not? Answer: Yes. The ability to listen and the ability to maintain positive relationships are important elements of the audience-centric approach. The social communication model, with its emphasis on interaction, conversation, and participation, facilitates this better than the "we talk, you listen" approach of the basic communication model. In the social communication model, the audience members are no longer passive recipients of messages but active participants in a conversation. Social media have given customers and other stakeholders a voice they did not have in the past. People can add to a conversation or take pieces from it, depending on their needs and interests, and this reflects an audience-centric approach. Classification: Synthesis ; Reflective Thinking Skills , 3 Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 96) What are the disadvantages of the social communication model? Answer: Potential problems of the social media model include information overload, fragmented attention, information security risks, distractions that hurt productivity, and the blurring of the line between personal and professional lives, which can make it difficult for people to disconnect from work. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications 97) Explain the concepts of transparency in business communications and stealth marketing, giving examples for both. Answer: In the context of business communication, transparency, refers to a sense of openness, of giving all participants in a conversation access to the information they need to process the messages they are receiving. A major issue in business communication transparency is stealth marketing, which involves attempting to promote products and services to customers who don't know they're being marketed to. ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 98) Distinguish between ethical dilemmas and ethical lapses, giving appropriate examples for both. Answer: An ethical dilemma involves choosing among alternatives that aren't clear-cut. Perhaps two conflicting alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives lie somewhere in the gray area between clearly right and clearly wrong. Unlike a dilemma, an ethical lapse is a clearly unethical (and frequently illegal) choice. ; Analytic Skills; Ethical Understanding and Reasoning Abilities Learning Outcome: Describe best practices in team and interpersonal communication 99) What are the advantages and challenges of a diverse workforce? Answer: A diverse workforce offers a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas, helps companies understand and identify with diverse markets, and enables companies to benefit from a wider range of employee talents. More diverse teams can tend to be more innovative over the long term than teams composed of people from the same culture. For all their benefits, diverse workforces and markets do present some communication challenges, and understanding the effect of culture on communication is essential. The subconscious effect of culture can create friction because it leads people to assume that everybody thinks and feels the way they do. Learning Outcome: Describe the opportunities and challenges of communicating in a diverse world 100) Explain the concept of information overload. How can you guard against information overload when using communication technology? Answer: The overuse or misuse of communication technology can lead to information overload, in which people receive more information than they can effectively process. Information overload makes it difficult to discriminate between useful and useless information, inhibits the ability to think deeply about complex situations, lowers productivity, and amplifies employee stress both on the job and at home—even to the point of causing health and relationship problems. To guard against information overload, as a sender, make sure every message you intend to send is meaningful and important to your receivers. As a recipient, take steps to control the number and types of messages you receive. Don't activate visual alerts for incoming messages unless you absolutely need to know the instant a message arrives; each alert breaks your concentration and requires time for you to refocus. Many systems have powerful filtering and tagging capabilities that can automatically sort incoming messages based on criteria you set. Use this feature to isolate high-priority messages that deserve your attention. Also, be wary of subscribing to too many blog feeds, Twitter follows, and other sources of recurring messages. Take care when expanding your social networks online so that you don't get buried with inessential posts and updates. Identify the information you really need and focus on those sources. Learning Outcome: Discuss the challenges and importance of business communications