Communications

I love you <3

Communication skills are:

ranked by recruiters at the top of qualities they most desire in job seekers

A common trait of a business communicator from a low-context culture?

Placing emphasis on written information

Examples of nonverbal communication include facial expressions, eye contact, and ___

Posture

Most communication is:

nonverbal

Your boss is giving instructions for a new method of keeping expense accounts; however, you find it difficult to concentrate because you think the change is unnecessary. What type of barrier to effective listening are you experiencing?

Psychological barrier

An accurate statement below is an accurate description of today’s workplace:

Today’s employees can expect to interact with people from many cultures

The term flattened management hierarchies refers to:

less individual decision making and communication

Major trends in today’s dynamic world of work include increased emphasis on self-directed work groups and virtual teams, heightened global competition, and a focus on ___

business ethics

A team that is assembled for a specific project, then disbanded afterward, is known as this:

ad hoc team

The physical appearance of your business documents (such as resume and cover letter) transmit important ___ messages. For example, your resume is wrinkled or shows a coffee stain

nonverbal

Which statement regarding communication skills in the workplace is correct?

Superior communication skills will make you marketable in the workplace of the future regardless of economic climate

Nonverbal communication includes:

all unwritten and unspoken messages

The ability to access data on remote servers with a computer or mobile device is called:

cloud computing

Workers who communicate successfully with diverse audiences must do several things: avoid making assumptions, learn about their own culture as well as others, and ___

seek common ground

Learning about beliefs and practices that are different from our own and appreciating them means displaying:

tolerance

Which of the following statements is an accurate description of communication in the workplace today?

Businesses today generate a wide range of messages using a variety of media

An example of an idiom , which can cause confusion for audiences from other cultures:

We don’t want to put all our eggs into one basket

Communicators from North America, Scandinavia, and Germany tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented. They also depend little on the context of a situation to convey their meaning. These communicators represent what kind of culture?

Low-context

Many of us are poor listeners because:

the brain can process information much faster than people talk

One of the best ways to increase tolerance when communicating with those from other cultures is to practice empathy, which refers to:

trying to see the world through others’ eyes

To show that you are actively listening during a job interview, you should:

nod strategically and maintain eye contact

Which of the following statements is an accurate statment about listening?

Most people are not very good listeners

Amelia has made a conscious effort to become an active listener. Therefore, she shuts down her computer, puts away her cell phone, and asks her assistant to hold all incoming calls when she conducts interviews. What technique is she using to improve listening?

Controlling her surroundings

The lag time between the speed with which listeners process per minute (450) and the speed at which speakers talk (about 125 to 175 words per minute) is called the:

speech-thought differential

This type of culture is most likely to say “no” directly a conservation:

Low-context culture

It is best to ___ jargon in most circumstance; jargon should be used only when you're confident the recipient will understand it.

avoid

You’ve applied for a job with Acme Corp and want to follow up with Human Resources. You’re sending an email to the HR director, Jane Smith. Which greeting is most appropriate?

Dear Ms. Smith,

Which of the following statements about the communication process is correct?

Feedback helps the sender know that the message was received and understood

Lindsey <3 is writing a property description for a new real estate brochure. To make her brochure more effective. Lindsey should anticipate her audience. This means she:

considers what the readers are like and how they will react to the message

The communication process begins when the sender:

has an idea

Michael usually holds team meetings on Tuesday mornings, but he needs to reschedule next week’s meeting to Wednesday morning. Our text says that for conveying simple information like a date change, Michael should do this:

send an e-mail

Which of the following sentences is written in active voice?

We will provide your password after you have completed the form

Which of the following examples provides the richest communication experiences?

Face-to-face conversation

The process of translating a message from its symbol form into meaning is called:

decoding

Communication noise is:

anything that interrupts the transmission of a message

Travis must determine the appropriate channel for an important business message. In this context channel refers to the:

the medium through which the meaning is sent

Converting ideas into words or gestures to convey meaning is called:

encoding

Communication is successful only when:

the receiver understands an idea as the sender intended it

When preparing a business message, you should make your writing audience-oriented. Audience-orietend means:

thinking about the message from the receiver’s perspective

Experts say that writers should spend the most time in this stage of the writing process:

revising

Before Melissa organizes and composes her message, she should ask two questions: 1) Why am I sending this message? and 2) ____

What do I hope to achieve with this message?

Media richness refers to:

the extent to which a channel represents all of the information available

Which of the following sentences focuses on audience benefits?

Register now to lock in your preferred travel dates

One of the best ways to develop audience benefits is to use the “you” view, which:

emphasizes second-person pronouns instead of first-person pronouns

Which of the following is the best example of bias-free language? Note: consider the entire message of the choices presented

The servers at Cafe Divine are always professional

Using the indirect strategy to prepare the reader in a bad-news message:

helps you keep the reader’s attention until you can explain the reasons for the bad news

When you show that the decision for negative news was made fairly, impartially, and rationally, receivers are:

far more likely to accept the negative news:

Which of the following is an appropriate suggestion for apologizing in a negative-news message?

Be sincere and explain what you will do to prevent recurrence

When you must refuse typical requests, you should first think about how the receiver will react to your refusal and decide:

whether to use the direct or indirect strategy

Which statement demonstrates the use of positive wording?

Although your warranty will not be extended, we are happy to replace your item with a similar product at no charge

Layoffs can be difficult and surprising to people. As a decision maker:

you should treat all people with respect and empathy even when their employment with the company is ending soon

The ability to understand and enter into the feelings of another is called:

empathy

The primary difference between ethical and unethical communications is that unethical communicators:

intend to deceive

The bad feelings associated with disappointing news can be reduced if the receiver feels that the news was revealed sensitively, believes that the matter was treated seriously and fairly, and _____

knows the reasons for the rejection clearly

Delivering a bad-news message personally in the workplace can be done tactfully, professionally, and safely as long as you gather all information, think about timing, prepare and rehearse, and ____

consider taking a partner if you fear a “shoot the messenger” reaction

The indirect strategy works best when the bad news is personally upsetting when the news will prompt a hostile reaction, and when ___

the message arrives unexpectedly

All bad-news messages should be presented using the:

direct strategy

As a Human Resources representative, Laura must inform Matt that his vacation request for August is not approved. Which of the following should she do?

Plan the message strategically

Business communicators have many goals in conveying negative news. These goals include explaining clearly and completely, conveying empathy and sensitively, and _____

projecting a professional image

In deciding to share negative information about another employee to your supervisor, what question should you consider first?

Was the act criminal or hostile behavior or just a one-time mistake?

To project a professional image when sending a negative message, you should:

control your emotions

You must decline an employee’s request to telecommute three days per week. Which of the following statements highlights the positive aspect of the rationale?

I’m unable to grant your request to telecommute but am happy to reimburse you for mileage and expenses

Human Resource Specialist Julie Woodard must inform employees of a major reduction in health care benefits. When delivering this announcement, she should inform the employees promptly and ____

Be honest

Which of these messages effectively conveys empathy in a bad-news message?

You have every right to be disappointed. I am truly sorry that our product failed to perform as expected

Readers are more likely to accept negative news when:

they feel that the decision was fair, impartial, and rational

Kenesha must respond to a negative comment written by a customer on Instagram. What advice should she follow?

Kenesha should follow all these tips:

• Investigate the situation thoroughly before responding

• Admit that her company erred if the complaint is legitimate and try to remedy the problem

• Suggest a refund or a discount on future services