CHAPTER 1 UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION IN TODAY’S WORKPLACE

True/False _____Communication is a simple process of sending and receiving messages. ANSWER: False. Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic channels. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 4; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication _____Stronger business relationships and stronger decision making are two of the benefits received from effective communication. ANSWER: True. A list of benefits is on pages 4-5. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGES: 4-5; OBJECTIVE: 1: TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication _____By stressing the benefits of responding to your messages, you can increase the chances that your audiences will react as you’d like them to. ANSWER: True. This is an effective strategy for positively influencing the audience of each message. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication

_____Plagiarism is claiming someone else’s work as your own. ANSWER: True. Plagiarism is claiming someone else’s work as your own. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Ethical Reasoning _____Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. ANSWER: True. This is the definition given in the text. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Ethical Reasoning _____Ethical communication may state opinions as facts. ANSWER: False. Ethical communication does not state opinions as facts, does not hide negative information behind an optimistic attitude, and does not portray graphic data unfairly. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 2; TYPE: application; AACSB: Communication, Ethical Reasoning

The process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers is called ______. ANSWER: Communication Difficulty: moderate; PAGE: 4; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication ______ is the last step in the communication process. ANSWER: Feedback or the receiver sending feedback DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication ______ refers to the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. ANSWER: Ethics DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Ethical Reasoning

______ ______ is the mixture of traditions, expectations, and unwritten social rules that help convey meaning between members of the same culture. ANSWER: Cultural Context DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 11; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Multicultural and Diversity China and Japan are both considered ______-context cultures. ANSWER: High DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 12; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Multicultural and Diversity In a/an ______-context culture, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 11; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Multicultural and Diversity

List the eight steps in the communication process. ANSWER: 1) The sender has an idea. 2) The sender encodes the idea—puts it into a message that the receiver will understand. 3) The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium. 4) The sender transmits the message through a channel. 5) The audience receives the message. 6) The audience decodes the message. 7) The audience responds to the message. 7) The audience provides feedback. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication Briefly explain the difference between ethical communication and unethical communication. ANSWER: Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive. It avoids plagiarism, misquoting, misrepresenting numbers, and distorting visuals. By contrast, unethical communication can include falsehoods and misleading information (or exclude important information). DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Ethical Reasoning

CHAPTER 2 MASTERING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

True/False _____ Effective teams have a clear sense of purpose. ANSWER: True. As well as having a clear sense of purpose, effective teams communicate openly and honestly, reach decisions by consensus, think creatively, remain focused, and resolve conflict effectively. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 28; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication _____ Teams can contribute to higher performance levels by improving employees’ productivity and creativity. ANSWER: True. Successful teams improve productivity, creativity, and employee involvement. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 29; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication _____ While working in teams is productive for the individual, the group effort is less creative than an individual effort. ANSWER: False. Working in teams can unleash vast amounts of creativity and energy in workers who share a sense of purpose and mutual accountability. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 29; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication _____ Groupthink leads team members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions. ANSWER: True. Groupthink can result in decisions that are worse than the ones team members might have made individually.

_____ Prejudgment, interpreting, and selective listening are barriers to being a good listener. ANSWER: False. Prejudgment, selective perception, and selective listening are barriers. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGES: 37-38; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication _____ Generally speaking, nonverbal signals are more powerful than words. ANSWER: True. Nonverbal cues (gestures, etc.) can cancel the meaning of verbal language that accompanies them. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 38; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication _____ Your tone and facial expressions shape the way others perceive you and your messages. ANSWER: True. These nonverbal signals communicate important messages to your receivers. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 39; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication

Fill-in the Blank A unit of two or more people who work together to achieve a goal is a/an ______. ANSWER: Team DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 28; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication ______ occurs when peer pressure causes team members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions. ANSWER: Groupthink DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 29; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication Individuals with private motives that affect a group’s interaction are said to have _____ ______. ANSWER: Hidden Agendas DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 29; OBJECTIVE 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication “______” is the Hawaiian word for “quick,” and refers to a website technology that allows team members to revise the content of a website as they get new ideas. ANSWER: Wiki DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 30; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Technology Your behavior, personal appearance, smile, and handshake are all important aspects of business ______, which is now widely regarded as an important business skill. ANSWER: Etiquette DIFFICULTY: difficulty; PAGE: 30; OBJECTIVE: 2; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication

Short Answer/Essay Discuss at least two ways that teams help an organization succeed. ANSWER: Any two of the following should be listed. 1) Increasing information and knowledge. 2) Increasing the diversity of views. 3) Increasing the acceptance of a solution. 4) Increasing performance levels. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 29; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication Outline the four elements necessary to plan a productive meeting. ANSWER: 1) Identify your purpose—informative or decision-making. 2) Select participants—involve only those whose presence is essential. 3) Choose an appropriate time and location. 4) Set and follow an agenda. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGES: 32–33; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication List and briefly describe three important forms of meeting technologies in use today. ANSWER: Popular meeting technologies include instant messaging and teleconferencing (in which three or more people are connected by phone simultaneously); videoconferencing (which lets participants see and hear each other); web-based meeting systems (which combine the best of instant messaging, shared workspaces, and videoconferencing with other tools such as virtual whiteboards). DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGES: 35–36; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication, Technology List and explain at least three phases of the listening process. ANSWER: The listening process includes the following steps: 1) Receiving—hearing and taking note of the message. 2) Decoding—assigning meaning to sounds; determining what the speaker really means. 3) Remembering—retaining what you hear. 4) Evaluating—applying critical thinking skills to weigh the speaker’s remarks. 5) Responding—reacting to the speaker’s message. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 37; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept; AACSB: Communication