Q&A Hero

Q: One consideration to make in selecting the channel for a message is the necessity of a permanent record. a. True b. False

Q: When two coworkers manage their own conflict without asking the boss to referee, they are using horizontal communication.

Q: Employees often say what they think the boss wants to hear instead of providing open and honest upward communication.

Q: Business communicators should generally spend the most time on the prewriting phase of the 3-x-3 writing process. a. True b. False

Q: Businesses can usually profit from paying attention to the opinions of their employees.

Q: Team-written documents and presentations are standard in most organizations because collaboration produces a better product. a. True b. False

Q: When you complain to your supervisor that the new company software is not working correctly, you are using downward communication.

Q: The first question to ask yourself when composing a business message is "What channel should I use to send the message?" a. True b. False

Q: In many organizations employees are hesitant to provide honest upward communication

Q: The best feedback to a message is descriptive rather than evaluative. a. True b. False

Q: When you attend a company meeting that serves as a pep talk, this is an example of upward communication.

Q: The following sentence uses a positive tone: Employees cannot park in Lot H until April 1. a. True b. False

Q: Indoctrination is a form of downward communication that is always manipulative.

Q: Indicate whether the statement is true or false.Robert is gathering data for a business proposal he is writing. Robert is in the first phase of the writing process.a. Trueb. False

Q: Organizational charts visually represent both the formal and informal networks in an organization.

Q: Caroline is writing a business letter to a German client. What should she do as she prepares the letter? a. Use jargon to introduce the client to U.S. culture. b. Use longer sentences and paragraphs to make her letter look more formal. c. Use words that have several meanings. d. Observe the receiver's title and rank.

Q: Both formal and informal communication networks exist in organizations.

Q: Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the globalization of markets? a. Although market borders are blurring, it is still easy to determine the nationality of companies. b. Many U.S. companies with famous brands are now controlled by global enterprises. c. Doing business beyond borders is common only for U.S. companies. d. Because many companies are multinational, cultural differences are not as important.

Q: It is not a good idea to send a message via more than one channel, because that would create redundancy.

Q: According to some intercultural experts, the most important attitude in achieving intercultural competence is ________. a. descriptiveness b. supportiveness c. nonjudgmentalism d. ethnocentrism

Q: Handwritten notes of thanks or sympathy express thoughtfulness and add a personal touch that typed messages lose.

Q: U.S. businesses and those of other countries are seeking to expand around the world for many reasons, including the passage of favorable trade agreements, growing numbers of middle-class consumers in emerging nations, and ________. a. increasing sales growth in their home countries b. advances in transportation c. limited communication technologies d. growing domestic markets

Q: An example of a country with a high-context culture is _______. a. Germany b. Japan c. Scandinavia d. U.S.

Q: A recent study indicates that employees who follow their organization's preferred channels of communication tend to receive high performance evaluations.

Q: Synchronous communication channels provide the shortest amount of lag time between the transmission and reception of messages.

Q: By tradition, Asian businesspeople typically place a high value on _______. a. group decision making b. individual achievements c. direct verbal interaction d. initiative and self-assertion

Q: Gayle will be traveling to Thailand on business and wants to demonstrate intercultural competence while there. What is the best advice you can give her? a. Provide judgmental feedback rather than descriptive feedback. b. Take the lead when interacting with businesspeople from other cultures. c. Show supportiveness with head nods, eye contact, facial expressions, and physical proximity. d. Use gestures often and freely to attempt to communicate nonverbally.

Q: Your boss tore a ligament in a weekend skiing accident. It would be appropriate to show your personal concern by sending him the following Instant Message from your work computer: "2 bad 4 u, that sux."

Q: When you're using voice mail, you shouldn't state the name of the person you are calling.

Q: Jing-Ying places great value on the posture, voice inflection, gestures, and facial expressions of employees within the workplace. She is most likely part of a(n) ____ culture. a. low-context b. linear logic c. high-context d. analytical

Q: Members of high-context cultures often go to great lengths to avoid saying no directly. This is an example of the focus they place on _______. a. being right b. group decision making c. saving face d. ethnocentrism

Q: A disadvantage of face-to-face communication is that it doesn't leave a written record.

Q: Which of the following statements about tolerance is most accurate? a. To improve tolerance, one must practice empathy. b. If a nonnative speaker is struggling to express an idea in English, Americans should help by finishing the sentence for the speaker. c. In Asian cultures, people deliberately avoid silence because it can show disrespect. d. To show empathy, one must work to become fluent in other languages.

Q: One advantage of asynchronous forms communication is that they encourage careful thought rather than rapid response.

Q: One of the advantages of face-to-face communication when compared to written communication is that it gives you more control over the receiver's attention.

Q: To succeed in todays interdependent global village, multinational companies try to negotiate two seemingly opposite approaches based on their target demographic: introducing new products in new territories and _______. a. slowly removing a territory's outmoded but beloved products b. localizing their product offerings to match each market c. saturating markets with products representative of all countries and cultures d. lowering prices in all markets to generate sales

Q: Which of the following terms refers to individuals whose gender identity is flexible and shifting? a. Transgender b. Gender nonbinary c. Gender nonconforming d. Gender fluid

Q: If a message is clear enough, it will be received and understood equally well regardless of the channel by which it is sent.

Q: First thing in the morning, after the Christmas rush, before a cup of coffeeall of these concepts are associated with the chronological context of a conversation.

Q: Which of the following trade agreements expands free trade among Canada, the United States, and Mexico? a. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) b. World Trade Organization (WTO) c. European Free Trade Association (EFTA) d. U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ((f.k.a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA))

Q: The social context of a communication interaction refers to the people who are present and to your relationships with those people (boss, sister, and stranger).

Q: During business negotiations, which group of individuals is most likely to place more emphasis on the surrounding context than on the actual words? a. Germans b. Americans c. Canadians d. Japanese

Q: An example of a country that has a low-context culture is _______. a. the United States b. Saudi Arabia c. China d. Japan

Q: Your instructor assigns you to a small group of students, each of whom comes from a different culture. These cultural differences are an example of the "physical context" of the group.

Q: When you hear the name of your former boyfriend, your eyes fill with tears, and you lose focus on the conversation. This is an example of "psychological noise" in the communication process.

Q: Closely studying your own culture is one way to better understand and accept the values and behaviors of other cultures.a. Trueb. False

Q: In the communication model, internal distractions such as wandering thoughts are called "noise."

Q: The term global village most closely refers to small communities in underdeveloped countries. a. True b. False

Q: Cigarette smoke blowing in front of your face can create a listening distraction that would be classified as "environmental noise."

Q: The rules, values, and attitudes of culture are inherent; that is, we are born with them. a. True b. False

Q: According to the communication model, we can use feedback to build shared meaning.

Q: Diversity positively impacts work teams, but consumers are not impacted by an organization's diversity. a. True b. False

Q: If you are sending a message, you cannot be a receiver of a message at the same time.

Q: The term digital nationalism refers to the global differences in Internet and social media use caused by government influence in certain countries. a. True b. False

Q: Saving face is a primary motivational factor in high-context cultures such as those in Asia and the Middle East. a. True b. False

Q: If you forget to respond to a voice mail, your lack of response provides feedback to the person who called.

Q: When discussing cultures, we should avoid making any generalizations. a. True b. False

Q: Because messages can be decoded in more than one way, misunderstandings often arise.

Q: Jennifer's family always celebrates Christmas with decorated tree and stockings hung on the fireplace. These holiday decorations are visible symbols of Jennifer's cultural background. a. True b. False

Q: When people select a word to express their thoughts, this is called decoding.

Q: McDonald's in India substituting vegetarian options for beef and pork on its menu is an example of localizing offerings to match a market's preferences and habits. a. True b. False

Q: Fax, e-mail, and voice mail are examples of communication channels.

Q: The communication model shows that the receiver often does not understand the message in the way the sender intended.

Q: Globally, ethical codes of conduct are becoming more sophisticated and accessible. a. True b. False

Q: Because communication is an ongoing process, it isn't important to think before you speak. You can erase any negative impact of your words by apologizing later.

Q: A stereotype, which is an oversimplified behavioral pattern applied uncritically to groups, is always false. a. True b. False

Q: Strategic communication is almost always unethical.

Q: One of your colleagues admires silence and considers it a key to success. Your colleague is most likely American. a. True b. False

Q: The instrumental aspect of messages is more important than the relational meaning of messages.

Q: One benefit of workplace diversity is less government regulatory action. a. True b. False

Q: We often communicate strategically, for purposes such as identity management.

Q: Ethnocentrism, which involves the belief that one's own race is superior to others, is a natural attitude inherent in all cultures. a. True b. False

Q: Spoken messages have a relational dimension.

Q: Adjusting your writing style and tone for intercultural written communication does not apply to numbers, which are formatted the same throughout the world. a. True b. False

Q: Your mother meets you at the door after a date and says, "Tell me all about it!" You glance at her and walk straight to your room without saying a word. In this situation, you have been able to avoid communicating, even though another person was present.

Q: The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) (f.k.a. NAFTA) promotes open trade globally. a. True b. False

Q: A recent survey suggests that many students overestimate their own communication competence and underestimate the importance of effective communication in the workplace.

Q: Time is a dimension that is perceived the same across cultures. a. True b. False

Q: Some experts have estimated that the average business executive spends about 45 minutes out of every hour communicating.

Q: When Americans conduct business abroad, they should always adopt the ethical standards of the foreign country as a sign of respect. a. True b. False