SSC Chap1 – Flashcards

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.

The groups affected in some way by a company's actions are referred to as its ________. A) factions B) cliques C) stakeholders D) captive audience E) captive market

Effective 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

6) To be effective, business messages should ________. A) use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation B) never contain opinions C) present more information than required D) not make arguments or recommendations E) give facts rather than vague impressions

To be effective, business messages should ________. A) use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation B) adopt an informal tone C) show your readers how they will benefit from responding to your message D) not make arguments or recommendations E) never contain opinions

To be effective, business messages should ________. A) clearly state what you expect from audience members B) adopt an informal tone C) use abstract words that lend themselves to interpretation D) not make arguments or recommendations E) never contain opinions

Which of the following is true about communicating in today's business environment? A) One should always communicate ethically, even 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 C) Constructing compelling narratives—telling stories—is obsolete in today's fast-paced business environment.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 unethical and, often, illegal. E) It is now an accepted fact that business communication skills are largely innate and cannot be learnt.

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 learned.

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.

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.

In the basic communication model, when someone puts an idea into a message, he or she is ________ it, or expressing it in words or images. A) encoding B) decoding C) abstracting D) indexing E) cataloguing

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

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 podcast is a medium, while an Intranet is a channel. C) A shipping company is a medium, while a printed report is a channel. D) A cell phone is a medium, while a text message is a channel. E) The Internet is a medium while a Twitter tweet is a channel.

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 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

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

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 1.0? A) reactive B) information hoarding C) permission D) influence E) high message frequency

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 1.0? A) reactive B) hierarchical C) permission D) influence E) high message frequency

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 1.0? A) reactive B) information sharing C) permission D) influence E) low message frequency

Business Communication 1.0 tends to be ________. A) reactive B) conversational C) intrusive D) amorphous E) multidirectional

Business Communication 1.0 tends to be ________. A) reactive B) conversational C) isolated D) amorphous E) multidirectional

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0? A) lecture B) egalitarian C) one to many D) control E) few channels

Which of the following is a tendency of Business Communication 2.0? A) lecture B) influence C) one to many D) control E) few channels

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

Business Communication 2.0 tends to be ________. A) structured B) hierarchical C) unidirectional D) reactive E) intrusive

Business Communication 2.0 tends to be ________. A) structured B) hierarchical C) unidirectional D) amorphous E) intrusive

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.

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.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of the social communication model? A) It is hierarchical. B) It is static. C) It presents information security risks. D) The frequency of messages is relatively low. E) It is unidirectional.

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.

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

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 him. D) She failed to ensure transparency. E) She failed to respect the privacy of others.

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.

________ 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) Evangelist E) Interruption

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.

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) Decisions should achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm. 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.

Which the following decisions-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.

In a low context culture ________. 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

In a low context culture ________. 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

In a high context culture, ________. A) people rely more on circumstances surrounding the message to convey meaning B) the primary role of communication is to exchange information C) rules and expectations are spelt out through explicit statements D) the conveyed meaning is encoded into the message itself E) people rely less on cues to convey meaning

In a high context culture, ________. 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

Which of the following is a high-context culture? A) American B) English C) German D) Japanese E) Irish

Which of the following is a low-context culture? A) Chinese B) Indian C) German D) Japanese E) Arab

Which of the following is true about how the cultural context can present communication challenges? 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.

One aspect that is common across cultures is that ________. A) men hold most positions of authority 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

________ is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one's own group. A) Ethnic gloss B) Stereotyping C) Ethnocentrism D) Relativism E) Monocentricism

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) normalizing B) scapegoating C) rationalizing D) secularizing E) stereotyping

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.

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

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

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

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

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

________—which involves 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. A) Mindmapping B) Distributed computing C) Reciprocal socialization D) Crowdsourcing E) Scaffolding

Advanced systems for videoconferencing can feature telepresence, a technology that allows you to ________. A) contribute to and edit the same document from remote locations B) convert e-mail and IM into voice messages C) automatically forward incoming calls D) view video images that are life-sized and extremely realistic E) hold meetings in virtual worlds like Second Life

How do aggregators, sometimes called newsreaders, help businesses to share information? A) They allow virtual teams to collaborate on developing and editing documents. B) They automatically collect information about new blog posts, podcasts, and other content. C) They provide life-sized and realistic video images. D) They allow companies to hold meetings and conferences in virtual worlds. E) They allow people to access their voice and electronic communication through a single portal.

Software tools known as ________ can answer simple questions and respond to requests for electronic documents from customers. A) black swans B) honey pots C) virtual agents D) white lists E) web crawlers

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) 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.

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) Learn important phrases in your audience's language. C) Make multiple points at a time. D) Don't repeat your points. E) Look for nods and smiles to know if your audience is understanding your message.

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) Recognize that nods and smiles don't necessarily mean understanding. E) Avoid checking frequently for comprehension.

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

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

In order to communicate effectively using technology, you should ________. A) use blog feeds and Twitter follows to the maximum extent possible B) become an expert in most technologies C) use technology to completely do away with face-to-face communication D) try to isolate high-priority messages that need your attention E) expand your social networks online to the maximum extent possible

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

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

In order to use communication technology effectively you should NOT ________. A) use the powerful filtering and tagging capabilities of your system B) routinely activate visual alerts for incoming messages 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