Q&A Hero

Q: Our own culture impacts our behaviors significantly, yet it is hard for us to describe those cultural expectations, because we follow them unconsciously.

Q: We are born with knowledge of our culture's expectations; we do not need to learn them through experience.

Q: Choyo is working on a sales brochure to promote a new product. Which of the following will Choyo do during the first phase of the writing process? a. Anticipate how customers will react to the message. b. Proofread the brochure carefully for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. c. Conduct all necessary research to make sure that the brochure will meet her customers' needs. d. Decide how to organize the brochure to make it most persuasive to her customers.

Q: Hannah posts her rsum on the websites of several companies. Unfortunately, it is poorly formatted and contains several spelling and grammar errors. What kind of communication barrier may this cause for readers? a. Bypassing b. Differing frames of reference c. Emotional distraction d. Physical distraction

Q: Culture is defined as a set of shared interpretations that each person of a particular race is born with.

Q: Recent demographics suggest that by the year 2050 only about 50 percent of the total population of the U.S. will be non-Hispanic whites.

Q: Omar is writing an e-mail message about a new delivery service. In anticipating and profiling the audience, he should ________. a. call or e-mail all members of his audience to learn more about them b. realize that he can't write a good message unless he knows exactly who the readers will be c. try to get a general idea of who his audience is d. ask a competing company about its audience

Q: If you send a message to your supervisor and she forwards it to the vice president, the vice president would be considered ________. a. your primary audience b. your secondary audience c. your formal audience d. your informal audience

Q: Some of the most powerful rules of an organization's culture are unspoken, yet they are clearly understood by the members.

Q: Every message you write should begin with the notion that your audience is thinking _______. a. Why am I receiving this? b. Am I the primary or secondary audience? c. What's in it for me? d. What am I supposed to do?

Q: Most of us can fit comfortably in any organizational culture, as long as we are earning a good salary.

Q: Which sentence best illustrates the "you" view? a. Our walking tours include free admission to all museums. b. We are happy to send you our current calendar of walking tours. c. We look forward to having you join us on one of our exciting walking tours. d. To help you plan, you will receive your complete walking tour itinerary one month before your trip.

Q: An organization's culture can be described as its members' shared perception of "the way things are" in the organization.

Q: An organization's culture can be described as the personality of the organization.

Q: Which of the following takes place during the first phase of the 3-x-3 writing process? a. Editing to make sure the message is clear, conversational, concise, and readable. b. Writing the rough draft. c. Gathering any needed information through formal or informal research techniques. d. Analyzing the audience and your purpose for writing.

Q: Employees whose values match the values of their supervisors and of the organization tend to be more satisfied, more committed to their jobs, and more successful on the job.

Q: Which of the following statements about the 3-x-3 writing process is most accurate? a. Experienced writers usually spend the most time on the third phase of the writing process. b. The steps of the writing process must always be followed in order. c. The 3-x-3 writing process is useful only for longer, more complex documents. d. The writer decides whether a document achieves its purpose in the first phase of the writing process.

Q: It isn't important to learn about an organization's culture before you accept a job because organization's cultures change quickly.

Q: So that your needs can better be met in the future, please complete the online survey about your recent flight with Southwest Airlines is an example of ________. a. identifying the message's purpose b. spotlighting audience benefits c. emphasizing sender benefits d. analyzing the task

Q: One way to start investigating a company's culture is to visit the company to observe how you are treated.

Q: As part of the encoding process, the sender of a message must ________. a. select the receiver's preferred communication channel b. ask the receiver if he or she understands the message c. keep all messages in English for universal understanding d. select appropriate words or symbols given the receiver's experiences and culture

Q: In organizations with a diverse workforce, it is usually constructive to A. ignore cultural differences and just hope everyone will get along OK. B. express pity for minorities and disabled persons. C. divide the workforce into teams, with each team comprised only of persons from a single culture. D. discuss cultural differences openly, as long as you avoid inflammatory remarks.

Q: While conducting an orientation session for new employees, Clayton noticed looks of confusion on the faces of some listeners. He then paused and asked his audience, "What questions do you have so far?" Clayton was striving to overcome communication barriers by ________. a. questioning his assumptions, biases, and prejudices b. improving his language and listening skills c. creating an environment for useful feedback d. reducing physical distractions

Q: Which of the following is NOT recommended as a way to improve your own communication with members of other cultures? A. Gain more knowledge about other cultures. B. Recognize that persons of differing backgrounds can offer useful insights. C. Lower your expectations for good performance when you are working with minorities. D. Talk about differences openly but respectfully.

Q: The process of communication is successful only when ________. a. the richest form of communication is used b. the message is written for continued reference c. the sender receives positive feedback d. the receiver understands an idea as the sender intended it

Q: In order to learn about other cultures, which of the following is not necessary? A. open-mindedness B. willingness to learn new ways to approach an issue C. observing how others conduct themselves D. completely abandoning your own preferences

Q: Victoria is writing an e-mail message to her colleagues to encourage them to take part in a charitable fund-raiser. Her primary purpose is to ________. a. inform b. promote goodwill c. persuade d. intimidate

Q: Which of the following attitudes would be most helpful if you encounter a practice in another country that you think is unethical? A. "I won't interact with these people as long as they're acting like that." B. "My culture's values are the purest in the world. This country is immoral." C. "Perhaps I should be open to this practice, because I know that even back home not everyone agrees what the right approach is." D. "Even though this is a morally significant problem, I will just do as they do while I'm in this country."

Q: Select the most accurate statement about team writing. a. Team writing is especially important for short documents such as memos, letters, and informational briefs. b. Because collaboration usually takes longer, team writing is not useful for documents with short deadlines. c. Members of effective teams are usually eager to implement their recommendations because they are more invested. d. Team-written documents and presentations are not standard in most organizations because collaboration has many disadvantages.

Q: Which activities would members of masculine societies typically choose as the most effective way to improve team competency? A. creating a friendly atmosphere B. making the working conditions more pleasant C. team cooperation D. using the most up-to-date methods

Q: Emily has scheduled a face-to-face meeting with each of her employees to provide performance feedback. What factor is she most likely considering in choosing this channel? a. The confidentiality and sensitivity of the message b. Cost c. The degree of formality required d. Available technology

Q: In Scandinavian countries, whose culture is classified as "feminine," work teams tend to emphasize A. individual competence. B. cooperative problem solving. C. personal performance. D. individual job advancement.

Q: Joe follows up with one of his direct reports by phone after sending an email with instructions for completing a project. During the call, he asks if the receiver has any questions about the e-mail. Joe is attempting to ensure successful communication with ________ . a. feedback b. encoding c. bypassing d. decoding

Q: The Greek culture (a culture that avoids uncertainty) tends to A. value tradition. B. have few formal rules. C. encourage new ideas. D. enjoy the challenge of risk taking.

Q: Francis is starting his first full-time job after graduating from college, and he knows that his written messages will help him develop his professional brand. Which of the following should he do? a. Use emojis liberally to seem friendly. b. Strive for an informal, conversational tone in most business messages. c. Use texting-style abbreviations such as BTW and slang in his professional messages to be concise. d. Use high-level diction in most business messages.

Q: In some cultures, employees have a great deal of respect for persons in positions of authority. This cultural dimension is called A. high-context versus low-context. B. power distance. C. uncertainty avoidance. D. short-term versus long-term orientation.

Q: The best business writing is purposeful, economical, and ________. a. technical b. audience oriented c. revenue driven d. feelings oriented

Q: In Mexico, (a culture with high-power distance), a person who frequently questions the feasibility of a manager's proposals would probably A. be thought of as a troublemaker. B. be encouraged to ask more questions. C. be promoted quickly. D. be rewarded for his or her creativity.

Q: Members of a collectivist culture such as China will typically A. try hard to achieve personal success. B. believe that the welfare of an organization they belong to is as important as their own welfare. C. place their own interests ahead of community interests. D. strive to become an organizational "star."

Q: Differences in frames of reference are especially significant when ________. a. working on improving ones listening skills b. communicating with people from different cultures c. overcoming physical barriers to communication d. dealing with conflicting emotions

Q: Which of the following ways of saying "no" illustrates a high-context culture? A. That would be difficult. B. I refuse to do that. C. I'm sorry; we just can't do that. D. No way, man. Can't you see I'm busy?

Q: One advantage of using jargon in workplace messages is that it _______. a. often makes documents longer b. is easily understood by all readers c. builds credibility with external readers d. enables insiders to communicate complex ideas briefly

Q: Which of the following statements is true about evaluative feedback? a. It is nonjudgmental. b. It tends to be the most helpful type of feedback. c. It is always provided nonverbally. d. It doesn't tell the sender whether the receiver actually understood the message.

Q: Which of the following indicates a low-context culture? A. Legal contracts are lengthy. B. Communicators often rely on subtle, nonverbal cues to convey meaning. C. Social contexts reveal much information about relationships. D. It is considered impolite to say "yes" or "no" directly.

Q: Kendra is part of a team that will be preparing a presentation to the board of directors about a new product idea. What will her team likely do the first time they meet? a. Brainstorm for ideas b. Begin their research c. Start preparing PowerPoint slides d. Start composing a first draft of the presentation

Q: Cultures that rely heavily on subtle nonverbal cues to convey meaning have a ________________ orientation. A. low-context B. high-context C. parallel-context D. sign language

Q: Phrases such as probably, usually, often, soon, and right away can contribute to the communication barrier known as ________. a. noise b. bypassing c. lack of language skill d. frame of reference

Q: Imagine that you are a female executive who has been sent to a Muslim country as part of a decision-making team. Although you hold the highest rank on the team, the locals will not talk to you until they have spoken to all the men on the committee. As an effective intercultural communicator, your best immediate response would be to A. assert yourself and take control of the meeting before the men begin chatting. B. stop all committee work and deliver a brief lecture on the rights of women. C. accept the difference in standards for the time being. D. insist that the locals acknowledge your rank by talking to you first.

Q: As her supervisor explains a new procedure, Rachel nods her head. Rachel's response is an example of ________. a. verbal feedback b. noise c. evaluation d. nonverbal feedback

Q: A common communication behavior in cultures that avoid conflict is A. sparing others from unpleasant information. B. hitting the table to emphasize a point. C. clearly saying "no" if you don't support a proposal. D. embarrassing others in public.

Q: In a culture where conflict is avoided, it is appropriate to A. express negative emotions openly. B. say "no" if you mean "no." C. say "I'll consider it" if you mean "no." D. explain unpleasant news in a matter-of-fact manner.

Q: Choose the most effective way to revise the following sentence for positive emphasis: Students cannot park in Lot C until August 25. a. Students can park in Lot C. b. Lot C is off-limits to students until August 25. c. Students may park in Lot C beginning August 25. d. Students: No parking in Lot C!

Q: Members of a polychronic culture would probably A. finish a telephone conversation before acknowledging a friend who has stepped into their office. B. arrive promptly at meetings. C. consider it a waste of time to begin a meeting with half an hour of socializing. D. spend time getting to know a person before doing business with her or him.

Q: As you begin to compose a workplace message, you should ask yourself two important questions: Why am I sending this message? and _______. a. How should I organize it? b. What do I hope to achieve? c. What will my supervisor think? d. What is my deadline?

Q: Jules takes time to chat with his friends at the beginning of the meeting, even though it means the meeting will start late. Jules' sociability illustrates a ________ time orientation. A. monochronic B. polychronic C. central standard D. disrespectful

Q: You are talking with the president of your company about a possible merger. After she finishes speaking, you respond, "If I understand you correctly, your recommendation is that we go through with the merger." You are providing what type of feedback? a. evaluative b. descriptive c. judgmental d. agreement

Q: Skylar is a very organized and timely individual. He always shows up for meetings 15 minutes early. He frowns upon colleagues who fail to arrive on time. Which orientation toward time would most accurately describe Sky's behavior? A. Asian B. standard C. monochronic D. polychronic

Q: Alex is having trouble concentrating on a report he is reading because his phone keeps ringing and his colleagues keep sending him e-mail messages. What kind of communication barrier is this? a. Differing frames of reference b. Digital interruptions c. Lack of language skills d. Bypassing

Q: During Phase 2 of a team writing project, members usually _______. a. work together closely as they discuss the project and establish their purpose b. work together to synthesize their drafts and offer suggestions for revision c. appoint one person to proofread and edit and another to prepare the final document d. work separately as they conduct research, organize their findings, and compose a first draft

Q: The statement: "Time is money, so it should be rationed carefully" reflects a ______________ orientation toward time. A. monochronic B. deictic C. polychronic D. costly

Q: Which of the following is true about business cards in Japan? A. Business cards are not important. B. When you receive a business card, you should observe the card, then nod in acknowledgement. C. You should hold it in one hand. D. You should put it in your pocket.

Q: Suzanne has just received an e-mail message from a client and is reading it carefully to determine her client's needs. She is involved in the ________ part of the communication process. a. encoding b. channel selection c. decoding d. feedback

Q: In international business, a good general rule is: A. Strive to get to know coworkers and quickly get on a first-name basis. B. Be aware that customs in most other countries are much less formal than in the U.S. C. Address people using their formal title until they invite you to talk to them on a first-name basis. D. Follow your own customs, no matter what country you are in, because people don't expect foreigners to know their cultural rules.

Q: Rodney wants to motivate his sales force to increase sales in the upcoming quarter. Which channel should he choose to be the most persuasive? a. A face-to-face group meeting b. A phone call to each sales team member c. A group e-mail d. A memo posted in a central area

Q: One guideline for interacting with people who have a disability is: A. To prevent embarrassment, take care that you don't say "see you later" to a blind person. B. When you are talking to a person who uses a wheelchair, position yourself at her or his eye level. C. An effective way to reduce your awkwardness and create a sense of familiarity is to lean on a person's wheelchair. D. If a person has difficulty speaking, you can assist her by finishing her sentences for her.

Q: Which of the following statements about business writing is most accurate? a. Business writing is similar to academic writing. b. When writing business documents, business communicators should recognize that quantity enhances quality. c. Business writers should have a definite purpose to fulfill in each message. d. Business writing should be focused on the writer's needs.

Q: Which of the following is appropriate behavior for communicating with a person with a disability? A. If you offer assistance, don't start helping the person until he or she accepts your offer. B. Do not attempt to shake hands with a person who has an artificial limb. C. Place your hand on the shoulder of a person in a wheelchair when you are speaking to him or her. D. If a person uses a sign language interpreter, look at the interpreter while you are talking to the person who is hearing impaired.

Q: Though previously useful as a collaboration tool, which of the following has become less effective as projects have become more complex and team members use a wider variety of devices? a. Slack b. Dropbox c. Google docs d. E-mail

Q: Which of the following best describes advocates' advice for how we should treat persons with disabilities? A. Act awkwardly around them. B. Use words that treat the disability as a feature and not an intrinsic part of who they are. C. Honor their disabilities by treating them differently than we would treat others. D. Stay away from them as much as you can because most people with disabilities are more comfortable associating only with other persons who have disabilities.

Q: Zachary needs to deliver a sensitive message to a colleague and decides to deliver it face-to-face. Zachary is in the process of ________. a. encoding the message b. decoding the message c. preparing for feedback d. selecting the channel for the message

Q: The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities A. are given preference in being hired. B. don't have to function in mainstream culture. C. get to be interviewed first for jobs and have longer interviews. D. receive reasonable accommodations in employment.

Q: As a technical support rep, Jorge is responding to a customer's question sent to him via e-mail. What should Jorge first task be? a. Print the customer's message. b. Determine the purpose of his response. c. Start composing his reply. d. Conduct any necessary research.

Q: Speakers of nonstandard dialects of English A. are perceived as more competent than speakers of standard English. B. are recommended for higher-level jobs than speakers of standard English. C. are recommended for lower-level jobs than speakers of standard English. D. are judged to have messages with more significant content than speakers of standard English.

Q: The suggestion to make business messages purposeful refers to ________. a. presenting ideas clearly but concisely b. having a definite strategy to fulfill in each message c. looking at a problem from the perspective of your audience rather than your own d. saving your organization money

Q: On the job, Millennials tend to A. be technologically inept B. dislike receiving feedback regarding their job performance C. have a strong need for affirming feedback regarding their job performance D. fear working in a diverse workplace

Q: Which of the following sentences uses conversational, middle-level diction? a. We've got this contract in the bag. b. If we just hang in there, we'll snag the contract. c. If we stay positive, we'll win the contract. d. If we persevere and remain steadfast, we will secure the contract.

Q: Which generation is most likely to regard correct spelling and grammar usage as a sign of competence? A. Baby-Boomers B. Gen Xers C. GenY D. Millenials

Q: Devon is writing an e-mail message to a customer to tell him that the customer's order has been shipped. His primary purpose is to ________. a. inform b. persuade c. sell d. promote goodwill

Q: First-generation college students from a working-class background tend to lack all of the following skills EXCEPT: A. following rules B. thinking critically C. arguing persuasively D. speaking assertively

Q: Deborah is writing a proposal to solicit business from a potential client. She should expect to spend the most time on ________. a. analyzing the purpose of the message and anticipating the needs of the client b. editing, proofreading, and evaluating the proposal c. composing the first draft of the proposal at her computer d. researching the information to include in the proposal