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Test Bank for Business Communication: Polishing Your Professional Presence, 4th Edition

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    Business Communication: Polishing Your Professional Presence Fourth Edition Barbara Shwom Lisa Gueldenzoph Snyder Test Bank for Business Communication Susan Schanne

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    1 Business Communication: Polishing Your Professional Presence, 4e (Shwom/Snyder) Chapter 1 Developing Your Professional Presence 1) Which of the following is a complex process of encoding and decoding information, ideas, and feelings? A) Confidence B) Communication C) Professional presence D) Transmission model E) Feedback Answer: B Explanation: In its most basic form, communication is a complex process of encoding and decoding messages (information, ideas, and feelings). Diff: 1 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 2) Which communication model focuses on a single communication exchange in a linear path from a sender to a receiver? A) Transmission B) Physiological C) Language D) Transaction E) Relational Answer: A Explanation: The transmission model focuses on a single communication exchange and portrays communication as the linear transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 3) Putting ideas into words, images, or actions takes place during which step in the communication process? A) Medium determination B) Transmission C) Encoding D) Decoding E) Interaction Answer: C Explanation: A sender has an intention, selects a medium of communication, encodes that intention into words, images, or actions; and sends the message through that medium. Diff: 2 Question Category: Synthesis AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    2 4) What are the external circumstances that influence communication referred to? A) Interaction model B) Feedback C) Semantic barriers D) Context E) Language barriers Answer: D Explanation: The concept of context is the external circumstances and forces that influence communication. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Reflective thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 5) Issues such as the distance between communicators and the noise in a room are aspects of what type of context? A) Language B) Semantic C) Physiological D) Psychological E) Physical Answer: E Explanation: Physical context is the context in which the communication takes place, including the physical distance between communicators as well as what's going on around you, such as a noisy room or someone whispering. Diff: 1 Question Category: Application of knowledge AACSB: Application of knowledge Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 6) Language that is difficult to understand or is ambiguous is indicative of what type of barrier? A) Semantic B) Feedback C) Physical D) Psychological E) Physiological Answer: A Explanation: Semantic barriers arise from language that is ambiguous or difficult to understand. Diff: 1 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    3 7) Which of the following workplace activities is most likely to be the one in which your communication skills will be utilized? A) Calculating whether sales are up this quarter using the latest figures B) Formulating strategies to manage your new team C) Persuading your colleagues that your idea will likely lead to increased sales D) Analyzing the pattern of errors found in your new product E) Designing algorithms for the to-be-developed software Answer: C Explanation: None of the other options require communication skills as they are not intended to be directed toward someone, while persuading colleagues requires talking to them and making them understand what you wish to convey. Diff: 2 Question Category: Application of knowledge AACSB: Analytical thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 8) Which of the following is a disciplined approach to analyzing and evaluating information to guide actions and decisions? A) Leadership B) Critical thinking C) Communication D) Professional presence E) Context Answer: B Explanation: Critical thinking is a disciplined approach to analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information, which then acts as a guide to actions and decisions. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 9) Which of the following expands the concept of context and is influenced by social and cultural forces? A) Transaction model B) Relational context C) Interaction model D) Psychological model E) Language Answer: A Explanation: The transaction model of communication expands on the concept of context and recognizes that communication is influenced by a broader set of external forces: social, relational, and cultural. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Application of knowledge Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    4 10) During the communication process, which of the following acknowledges that one group's learned behaviors may be different than those of another group? A) Relational context B) Cultural context C) Social context D) Psychological context E) Physical context Answer: B Explanation: Cultural context acknowledges that one group's set of learned behaviors and norms may be different from another's. Diff: 2 Question Category: Synthesis AACSB: Analytical thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 11) Which of the following concepts helps to explain why communication can fail? A) Transmission B) Medium C) Barriers D) Encoding E) Interaction Answer: C Explanation: The concept of barriers helps explain why communication often fails. Barriers are obstacles that get in the way of effective communication and come in many forms. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Analytical thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 12) Which communication process portrays communication as a dynamic process? A) The transaction model B) The relational model C) The credibility model D) The interaction model E) The cultural model Answer: D Explanation: The interaction model of communication portrays communication as a dynamic process. Messages evolve as senders and receivers communicate in turn and give each other feedback. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    5 13) Which of the following is an example of encoding a message? A) Deciding how to phrase a request to your boss for clarification on your new assignment B) Deciding to read the annual financial report of your company C) Deciding to purchase a new smart phone so that you can check and send email while you are on the go D) Deciding to toss out an advertisement that was mailed to you E) Deciding to read an email sent by a friend Answer: A Explanation: Communication begins when the sender has something to "say" to a receiver. To communicate this thought, the sender must encode the message—put it into words, images, or actions. Diff: 2 Question Category: Application of knowledge AACSB: Analytical thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 14) Which of the following terms refers to the process of putting your message into words, images, or action? A) Transmitting B) Encoding C) Receiving D) Interpreting E) Decoding Answer: B Explanation: The person initiating the communication, the sender, must first determine what he or she wants to say and then encode it by putting it into words, images, or action. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 15) Which of the following terms best represents the set of circumstances in which you are communicating? A) Conciseness B) Clarity C) Context D) Medium E) Passive listening Answer: C Explanation: The term "context" refers to the set of circumstances in which you are communicating. Diff: 1 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    6 16) As a sender, immediately after ________ your message, you will most likely ________. A) encoding; decode your message B) encoding; choose your medium C) decoding; choose your medium D) decoding; prepare feedback E) encoding; close the dynamic loop Answer: B Explanation: To communicate your idea to the receiver, you must encode the message. That is, put it into words, images, or actions. While you do this, you also need to choose your medium, e.g., a phone conversation, an email, etc. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 17) You want to inform your colleague about a change to the project schedule. You decide to call him to inform him about this change. By deciding to use the telephone to complete this communication, you have ________. A) encoded the message B) closed the dynamic communication loop C) filtered the noise in the communication process D) selected the communication medium E) decoded the feedback Answer: D Explanation: The sender then has to select a medium—a channel used to transmit the message. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 18) A receiver decodes a message by ________. A) putting it into words, images, or actions B) selecting a channel through which to transmit it C) interpreting its words or actions and attaching meaning to them D) determining the appropriate verbal or nonverbal response that should be sent E) closing the dynamic loop Answer: C Explanation: The receivers' prior knowledge, experience, or expectations may affect the way they decode the message, which involves interpreting and attaching meaning to the words, images, and actions. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    7 19) The process of ________ a message involves interpreting its words and actions and attaching meaning to them. A) encoding B) decoding C) encrypting D) channeling E) blocking Answer: B Explanation: Decoding involves interpreting a message. The meaning that a receiver attaches to a message that she decodes is affected by her knowledge, experience, and context. Diff: 1 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 20) When a message is decoded, the meaning that is attached to it is filtered by the ________. A) transmission medium B) sender's experience C) receiver's knowledge D) sender's emotional state E) dynamic loop Answer: C Explanation: The receiver decodes the message by interpreting the words and actions of a message and attaching meaning to them. This meaning is filtered by the receiver's knowledge, experience, and context. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 21) Which of the following terms refers to an obstacle that gets in the way of effective communication? A) Encoder B) Decoder C) Context D) Barrier E) Channel Answer: D Explanation: Barriers may stand in the way of effective communication. Diff: 1 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    8 22) A hearing loss is an example of a ________ barrier. A) psychological B) semantic C) language D) physiological E) mixed message Answer: D Explanation: A physiological barrier arises from a receiver's physical state, for example a hearing loss or a migraine headache. Diff: 1 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 23) ________ arise from language that is ambiguous or difficult to understand. A) Psychological barriers B) Semantic barriers C) Language barriers D) Physiological barriers E) Mixed messages Answer: B Explanation: Semantic barriers arise from language that is ambiguous or difficult to understand. Diff: 1 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 24) A ________ arises when the sender and receiver do not share a common language. A) psychological barrier B) semantic barrier C) language barrier D) physiological barrier E) mixed message Answer: C Explanation: Language barriers arise from senders and receivers not using a shared language. Sometimes the problem is obvious: the sender speaks only Spanish and the receiver speaks only English. Sometimes the problem is less obvious. For example, employees who are new to a company or industry may not yet understand the jargon people use. Diff: 2 Question Category: Application of knowledge AACSB: Analytical thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    9 25) ________ influences the purpose of communication, the best medium to use to communicate the message, and how receivers interpret the message. A) Collaboration B) Context C) Conciseness D) Clarity E) Channel Answer: B Explanation: Context, or the set of specific circumstances in which communication occurs, influences all of these factors. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 26) Which model of communication considers a broader set of external forces, such as social or relational issues, in the context of the message? A) Social B) Relational C) Cultural D) Transaction E) Physical Answer: D Explanation: The transaction model of communication expands on the concept of context and recognizes that communication is influenced by a broader set of external forces: social, relational, and cultural. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 27) Success in communication is affected by a variety of factors, including physical context and audience expectations. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Success in communication is affected by an array of factors that go beyond the language you use, including the physical, social and cultural context in which you communicate; your relationship with your audience; and the audience's knowledge and expectations. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    10 28) The interaction model of communication portrays communication as a dynamic process. Answer: TRUE Explanation: The interaction model indicates that messages evolve as senders and receivers communicate and give each other feedback. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 29) Psychological barriers arise from senders and receivers not using a shared language. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Language barriers arise from senders and receivers not using a shared language. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 30) Communication is the linear transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Communication is the process of encoding and decoding messages. Transmission focuses on the linear transmission of a message. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 31) The physical context model recognizes that communication is influenced by a broader set of external forces. Answer: FALSE Explanation: The transactional model of communication expands on the concept of context and recognizes that communication is influenced by a broader set of external forces. Diff: 2 Question Category: Synthesis AACSB: Application of knowledge Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    11 32) Discuss the idea of presence and how to develop a professional presence. Answer: These three elements—competence, credibility, and confidence—form the core of professional presence. Some people equate presence with the "wow" factor that allows you to make a great first impression, similar to the peacock that is the emblem of this book. While that wow factor is certainly impressive, presence goes deeper than that. Presence emanates from within, reflecting your comfort with yourself and the rapport you develop with people around you. In addition, your professional presence depends on your ability to communicate so that others recognize your competence, are eager to listen to what you have to say, trust you, and have confidence in you. How do you develop presence? While you are in school, you have undoubtedly been developing your competence as you take courses in your major and other fields. Ideally, you have also been learning how to learn, so that you can continue to increase your competence on the job. Your credibility is based in part on your character, which you have been developing since you were a child. You also earn credibility by doing good work, being trustworthy, and empathizing with others, showing that you understand their needs and point of view. You develop confidence by believing in yourself and by learning communication skills that allow you to project that belief as you communicate your ideas. Confidence also comes from the knowledge that you can use your critical thinking abilities to adapt what you have learned as new situations arise. Diff: 2 Question Category: Synthesis AACSB: Reflective thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 33) Describe steps in the transmission model of communication, how and where the process has the potential for failure. Answer: The transmission model focuses on a single communication exchange and portrays communication as the linear transmission of a message from a sender to a receiver. A sender has an intention; selects a medium of communication; encodes that intention into words, images, or actions; and sends the message through that medium. The receiver gets that message and decodes it to understand its meaning, unless the message is blocked by some kind of noise or barrier. The concept of barriers helps explain why communication often fails. Barriers come in many forms. They may be physiological. For example, if you are speaking to someone who has hearing loss or a migraine headache, he may not be able to listen effectively and interpret what you are saying. Barriers may be psychological. If you compliment someone who does not trust you, she may interpret that compliment as a subtle criticism. Semantic barriers arise from language that is ambiguous or difficult to understand. If a colleague rushes late into a meeting and says to you, "I was held up at the train station," you might ask if the robber had a gun, when your colleague simply meant that the train was delayed. Language barriers arise from senders and receivers not using a shared language. Sometimes the problem is obvious: the sender speaks only Spanish and the receiver speaks only English. Sometimes the problem is less obvious. For example, employees who are new to a company or industry may not yet understand the jargon people use. Diff: 3 Question Category: Application of knowledge AACSB: Reflective thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    12 34) Explain the physiological barrier, language barrier, and psychological barrier of communication. Include examples of each. Answer: Physiological barriers arise from a receiver's physical state. If you work with patients at a hospital, their physical states (confusion, dizziness, nausea, pain, etc.) might create barriers to communication. These might be dealt with by speaking more slowly and clearly, repeating oneself, etc. Language barriers can occur due to unfamiliarity with the jargon used in a particular business. In law enforcement, numerical codes are often used to describe situations and infractions, so someone new or unfamiliar with this jargon might mix up some of the codes and have to ask for clarification. Psychological barriers arise from a receiver's attitudes toward the message or toward the sender. In a professional setting where one company takes over another, there may be resentment on the part of employees when the new company imposes its policies and procedures. Being sensitive to the psychological state of the employees and taking care not to phrase changes so that they sound like criticisms of the old ways will facilitate communication and probably compliance as well. There are many other examples that can illustrate each of the communication barriers. Diff: 2 Question Category: Application of knowledge AACSB: Analytical thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well? 35) Why is it important to be aware of the different types of barriers to communication? Answer: There are many barriers to communication, and they can occur at any point in the communication process. The reason is to be aware of them so that you can anticipate them and hopefully avoid them as much as possible. Or if it is not possible to avoid them, to deal with the glitch as effectively as possible and get the communication back on track. In some situations, this is more obvious than others. If, for example, you are communicating with someone who speaks another language, you will need an interpreter and be very aware of and sensitive to communicating as clearly as possible. But other barriers are less obvious, like using idiomatic expressions that can be misunderstood. Saying you are late for the meeting because you were held up can be construed to mean that you were robbed, while you only meant to say that you were delayed. Being aware of such expressions and avoiding them in favor of others that are less ambiguous is a good idea. Also, paying attention to the body language you are using can help avoid sending mixed messages. If you say you're excited to be part of a new project team, but keep fidgeting during the meeting and looking at the clock, your body language is giving the opposite impression of your spoken words. Diff: 3 Question Category: Synthesis AACSB: Reflective thinking Study Question: 1 Why is it challenging to communicate well?

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    13 36) How will your current communication skills help you when in the workplace? A) They will likely hamper your attempts to communicate. B) They are inapplicable to communication. C) They are most likely sufficient to meet every challenge of communication. D) They will be valuable to you for communicating. E) They must all be unlearned if you want to successfully communicate. Answer: D Explanation: The communication skills you have already developed will be valuable to you in the workplace, where communication is considered to be the most important of all abilities you can possess. However, your current skills may not be sufficient to meet many challenges of communicating in the workplace. Diff: 1 Question Category: Synthesis AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 2 What are the benefits of being a good communicator? 37) In its survey of MBA alumni, the Graduate Management Admissions Council found that ________ tops employers' list of essential workplace skills. A) communication B) problem solving C) cognitive skills D) listening E) technological Answer: A Explanation: Communication tops the list of the essential workplace skills identified by MBA alumni surveyed by the Graduate Management Admission Council. In fact, 94% of alumni ranked communication as the most important skill and identified communication as equally important at all levels of the organization. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 2 What are the benefits of being a good communicator? 38) Which of the following terms best describes web-based applications designed to promote interactions among people? A) Cookie B) Social media C) Filter D) Firewall E) Router Answer: B Explanation: The term "social media" refers to web-based applications designed to promote social interactions among people. Diff: 1 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Information technology Study Question: 2 What are the benefits of being a good communicator?

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    14 39) Good business communication skills ________. A) can have a positive impact on your life outside of work B) will help you advance in your career, but will hinder your personal relationships C) will improve personal relationships, although they offer no financial benefits in your personal or professional life D) are inapplicable to your personal life E) are not worth the investment of time and energy necessary to acquire them Answer: A Explanation: If you learn good business communication skills, you can apply them in your personal life to improve your relationships. You may also be able to use them to negotiate a better deal on a car, persuade your cell phone provider to give you a refund, or write an effective application letter for graduate school. Diff: 2 Question Category: Concept AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 2 What are the benefits of being a good communicator? 40) Polish, confidence, and passion are elements of what type of communication skill? A) Nonverbal B) Team C) Listening D) Writing E) Group Answer: A Explanation: Recruiters look for candidates with communication and writing skills, as well as "more polish, confidence, and passions," which are elements of nonverbal communication and professional presence. Diff: 2 Question Category: Synthesis AACSB: Written and oral communication Study Question: 2 What are the benefits of being a good communicator?

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