CHAPTER 1 UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION IN TODAYS WORKPLACE Multiple Choice 1.

Your ability to communicate effectively as a business professional gives both you and your employer benefits in a. quicker problem solving b. increased productivity c. enhanced professional images d. all of the above ANSWER: d. The benefits of effective communication include all of the items listed here plus still more listed on pages 2 and 3. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 2; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept 2. Communication is effective only if your message a. is understood b. stimulates action c. encourages the audience to think in new ways d. all of the above ANSWER: d. Effective communication is understood by the receiver; it stimulates the audiences to think or take action. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 2; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept 3. Good communication skills are more important today than ever in history because of a. advances in technology
1

Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication in Todays Workplace

b. the need to access vast amounts of information c. the growth of globalization d. all of the above ANSWER: d. Each item listed is but one of the factors that make up the complex environment of the workplace. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 3; OBJECTIVE: 2; TYPE: concept 4. One of the biggest challenges that communicators face in the new age of information is a. effectively formatting their documents b. successfully analyzing their audience c. effectively catching their audiences attention amid all the clutter d. successfully editing for clarity ANSWER: c. People are so inundated with information, they tend to ignore messages they see as less important. It is a challenge to catch their attention. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 3; OBJECTIVE: 2; TYPE: concept 5. Communication is the process of a. transferring knowledge b. listening actively c. sending and receiving messages d. writing effective messages ANSWER: c. Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages. Only answer c contains the key dynamics of communication: sending and receiving. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 2; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept

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6. Communicating in team-based organizations requires that you a. listen well and understand how groups interact b. be assertive and take charge c. speed up the decision-making process d. all of the above ANSWER: a. To function effectively in team-based organizations you need to understand communication in groups, to listen closely and to interpret body language. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 3; OBJECTIVE: 2; TYPE: concept 7. In the communication process all of the following occur except a. the sender has an idea b. the sender transmits the message c. the receiver has an idea d. the receiver decodes the message ANWER: c. The receiver sends feedback but the initial idea is the senders. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 4; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept 8. When senders transmit a message, they must a. select a communication channel b. choose a communication medium c. analyze the message, the audiences location, the need for speed, and the formality required d. all of the above ANSWER: d. In order to select a channel and a mode, the sender must analyze several factors.

Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication in Todays Workplace

DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 4; OBJECTIVE: 3; TYPE: concept

9.

The four main ways to improve business communication include all of the following except a. acknowledge the importance of communication b. improve your workplace sensitivity c. adopt an audience-centered approach d. improve your intercultural sensitivity

ANSWER: a. Acknowledging the importance of communication is not one of the steps for improving business communication; the other three are. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept 10. a. b. c. d. Ethical communication is not deceptive in any way designed to enhance public image a strategy for increasing profits a way to conceal errors

ANSWER: a. Ethical communication is not deceptive in any way. No other answer can apply. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept 11. Identify the characteristic that is not a part of ethical communication. a. includes all relevant information b. is designed to hide some negative information c. is true in every sense d. is not deceptive in any way

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ANSWER: b. Ethical communication must always include the qualities noted in answers a, c, and d. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: application 12. a. b. c. d. Which of the following is the best definition of ethics? stealing someone elses words or work and claiming it as your own the principles of conduct that govern a person or a group the belief that ones own culture is superior to others predicting individuals behavior on the basis of their membership in a particular group

ANSWER: b. Ethics refer to the principles of conduct that govern a person or a group. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept 13. All of the following are examples of unethical communication practices except a. distorting visuals b. using jargon c. plagiarism d. misquoting ANSWER: b. While using jargon is not effective communication, it is not unethical. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept 14. An ethical message a. will attempt to subtly manipulate the audience b. will hide negative information behind an optimistic attitude

Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication in Todays Workplace

c. acts in good faith d. all of the above ANSWER: c. Ethical messages do not hide information or manipulate the audience. They act in good faith. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept

15. an a. b. c. d.

Making a clearly unethical or illegal choice is termed ethical lapse ethical dilemma ethical crime ethical misdeed

ANSWER: a. An ethical lapse is the term used in Chapter One for a clearly unethical or illegal choice. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 10; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept 16. Choosing between alternatives that arent clear-cut is termed an a. ethical lapse b. ethical dilemma c. ethical crime d. ethical misdeed ANSWER: b. An ethical dilemma occurs when you must weigh the relative merits of the situationthere is no clear answer. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept

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17. You can help your audience understand and accept your message by a. writing and speaking from your audiences point of view b. becoming more sensitive to cultural differences c. trying to project yourself into the audiences position d. all of the above ANSWER: d. Each element listed in answers a, b, and c is necessary for an audience-centered approach to communicating. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 6; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: application
18. When

faced with a complex moral dilemma in the workplace, the most ethical action to take is a. to check the legality of your response b. to see that those with power over you are taken care of c. to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people d. a and c apply

ANSWER: d. Both the law and the greatest good can serve as cornerstones for ethical behavior in the workplace. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 6; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: application

Chapter 1: Understanding Business Communication in Todays Workplace

19. Complying with a request to share a client list from a past employer with a new employer would put you in a position of a. earning important points with a new employer that might help your career b. establishing a basis of unethical behavior c. clarifying the terms of your contract d. showing that you understand standard business practices ANSWER: b. Answer b requires students to make a judgment call. Any other answer constitutes an unethical choice. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 6; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: application
20. Miscommunication

between cultures often occurs

because a. the senders and receivers are encoding and decoding messages using the assumptions of their different cultures b. the senders are encoding messages that the receivers will not be able to decode c. the receivers are decoding messages that the senders were not able to encode d. the senders and receivers are encoding and decoding messages that offend each other ANSWER: a. When you communicate with someone from another culture, you encode your message using the assumptions of your own culture. However, the audiences will decode your message using the assumptions of their culture.

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DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 6; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: concept 21. a. b. c. d. You can improve your intercultural sensitivity by holding to the ethics of your own culture recognizing cultural differences insisting that any transaction be conducted in English only all of the above

ANSWER: b. Only answer b satisfies the dynamics for effective intercultural communication. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 4; TYPE: application 22. Cultures like South Korea and Taiwan that rely less on verbal communication and more on context and setting to convey meaning are considered a. basic-context b. moderate-context c. high-context d. low-context ANSWER: c. South Korea and Taiwan are high-context cultures where context and setting convey meaning and where people are expected to recognize situational cues (such as gestures and tone of voice). DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 13; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

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23. You can improve intercultural sensitivity by recognizing and accommodating cultural differences including all of the following except a. social customs b. ethics c. nonverbal communication d. impact ANSWER: d. Impact is not one of the cultural differences to consider. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 24. a. b. c. d. Cultural context is a pattern of physical cues implicit understanding that conveys meaning a pattern of environmental stimuli all of the above

ANSWER: d. Cultural context is the pattern of cues and stimuli that convey meaning between members of a culture. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 25. Cultures like the U.S. and Germany that rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstance and cues to convey meaning are considered a. basic-context b. moderate-context c. high-context d. low-context ANSWER: d. The U.S. and Germany are low-context cultures where people rely more on verbal communication and less on context and cues to convey meaning.

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DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 26. Rules and expectations are usually spelled out in cultures that are a. basic-context b. moderate-context c. high-context d. low-context ANSWER: d. In low-context cultures, rules and expectations are usually spelled out through explicit statements. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 27. People in these cultures tend to view laws with flexibility. a. basic-context b. moderate-context c. high-context d. low-context ANSWER: d. People in low-context cultures tend to view laws with flexibility. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 28. a. b. c. d. People in these cultures tend to adhere more strictly to the law. basic-context moderate-context high-context low-context

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ANSWER: c. People in high-context cultures tend to adhere more strictly to the law. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 29. a. b. c. d. The U.S. is governed by this type of law. the Kings Rules of common law the English common law Lockes code of law the Napoleonic code

ANSWER: b. Like the United Kingdom, the U.S. adheres to English common law. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 30. a. b. c. d. Law in Turkey presumes that you are guilty until proven innocent innocent until proven guilty neither guilty nor innocent until tried innocent, as long as you can pay court costs

ANSWER: a. Like Mexico, in Turkey someone is presumed guilty until proved innocent. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 31. Those cultures in which individuals learn how to recognize situational cues (such as gestures and tone of voice) and how to respond are termed a. basic-context b. moderate-context c. high-context d. low-context

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ANSWER: c. In high-context cultures, the rules of everyday life are rarely explicit. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 32. All of the following are suggestions to help keep your message ethical when communicating across cultures, except a. seek mutual ground b. focus on profits c. show respect for cultural differences d. withhold judgment ANSWER: b. Focusing primarily on profits instead of on understanding will not further ethical intercultural communication. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

33. The pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between two members of the same culture is termed a. ethics b. context c. social customs d. nonverbal communication ANSWER: b. Context is the shared pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the same culture. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

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34. The formal rules of a culture that govern behavior, such as table manners at meals, are termed a. ethics b. context c. social customs d. nonverbal communication ANSWER: c. Formal social rules are specifically taught rights and wrongs of how to behave in common social situations (such as table manners at meals). DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 35. Contextual differences are apparent in the way cultures approach a. problem solving b. negotiations c. decision making d. all of the above ANSWER: d. Contextual differences are apparent in the way cultures treat any issue and behavior. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 36. Identify the item from the list below that is not one of the basic principles for communicating across cultures. a. show respect for cultural differences b. seek and receive messages without judgment c. ignore body language d. actively seek common ground ANSWER: c. Attending to body language gives you important feedback and is one more way to communicate effectively. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

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37. Nonverbal communication that differs from culture to culture includes things like a. personal space b. gestures c. body language d. all of the above ANSWER: d. All these nonverbal behaviors may have different meanings in different cultures. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 38. a. b. c. d. Personal space for most Americans is usually greater than between people from Germany or Japan closer than between people from Germany or Japan about the same as people from Germany or Japan about the same in all parts of the world

ANSWER: b. Most Americans stand about five feet apart during a conversation. This is too close for most people from Germany or Japan. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 39. Forming opinions on others based upon their affiliation or membership in a particular group is called a. stereotyping b. ethics

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c. ethnocentrism d. context ANSWER: a. Assumptions made upon the basis of an individuals group membership come from stereotyping. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: application 40. a. b. c. d. Ethnocentrism is predicting individuals behavior or character based upon group affiliation the belief that ones culture is superior to all others the promotion of ethnic cultures the formal rules that govern a cultures social behaviors

ANSWER: b. Ethnocentrism is the belief that ones culture is superior to all others. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 41. To overcome ethnocentrism, follow all but one of these suggestions. a. always hold to U.S. customs b. acknowledge distinctions c. avoid assumptions d. avoid judgments ANSWER: a. Both parties must be flexible and avoid insisting that an interaction take place strictly in terms of one culture or another. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 42. When writing for multicultural audiences, its important to a. use plain English

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b. be clear c. address international correspondence properly d. all of the above ANSWER: d. All of the items listed above are important in writing for multicultural audiences. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 43. Identify the one item listed below that would not help you communicate effectively with people who speak English as a second language. a. try to eliminate noise b. always hold to U.S. customs and common greetings c. observe body language d. rephrase sentences where necessary ANSWER: b. Both parties must be flexible and avoid insisting that an interaction take place strictly in terms of one culture or another. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 44. When one person takes credit for the words and writing of another, it is called a. ethics b. cultural diversity c. plagiarism d. ethnocentricism ANSWER: c. Plagiarism is claiming someone elses work as your own. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: application 45. Identify the claim that is most true. a. ethical questions are always clear-cut

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b. ethical behavior will result in higher pay c. ethical dilemmas are never easy to solve d. ethical choices may lie somewhere in the gray area between right and wrong ANSWER: d. Ethical dilemmas often include complex alternatives that may offer equally valid and ethical choices. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept True/False 46. T One challenge you will face as a business communicator is to get your audiences attention so they will read and act on your message. ANSWER: True. Every business communicator faces the sometimes daunting task of cutting through the clutter to get an audience to read or hear a message. DIFFICULTY: moderate; Page: 3; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept 47. F The channel a communicator selects to transmit a message is only occasionally important. ANSWER: False. How effective the channel of communication is depends on the message, the audiences location, the need for speed, and the formality required. Each element is important to deciding which channel to use. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 4; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept 48. T Plagiarism is claiming someone elses work as your own.

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ANSWER: True. Plagiarism is claiming someone elses work as your own. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept 49. T Ethics refer to the principles of conduct that govern a person or a group. ANSWER: True. This is the definition given in the text. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept 50. F Ethical communication may state opinions as facts.

ANSWER: False. Ethical communication does not state opinions as facts, does not hide negative information behind an optimistic attitude, and portrays graphic data fairly. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: application 51. T An ethical dilemma may involve choosing between alternatives that are not clear- cut. ANSWER: True. Ethical dilemmas often include complex alternatives that may offer equally valid and ethical choices, or the alternatives may lie somewhere in the gray area between right and wrong. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: application 52. __F_Germany, where business people want to make decisions as quickly and efficiently as possible, is considered a high-context culture. ANSWER: False. Germany is a low-context culture where people rely more on verbal communications and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning.

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DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: application 53. _T__Greece, where business people consider it a mark of good faith to spend time on each little point before reaching a decision, is considered a high-context culture. ANSWER: True. Greece is a high-context culture. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: application

54. __T___Members of high-context cultures put less emphasis on the written word and consider personal pledges more important than contracts. ANSWER: True. Members of high-context cultures put less emphasis on the written word and consider personal pledges more important than contracts. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: application 55. __T___ Differences in legal systems are particularly important if your firm must communicate about a legal dispute with another country. ANSWER: True. Obviously, if legal disputes are to be resolved, negotiations must take place between differing legal systems and qualified personnel.

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DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: application 56. __T__When the informal rules of a culture are violated , people often feel uncomfortable without knowing exactly why. ANSWER: True. Informal rules are more difficult to identify than are formal rules; thus when informal rules are violated, people often feel uncomfortable without knowing exactly why. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 57. _T____The five feet of personal space that usually separates people in the US who are having a conversation is uncomfortably far apart for Arabs and Latin Americans. ANSWER: True. Arabs and Latin Americans differ from Americans and Canadians in their attitude toward personal space. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 58. __F___When communicating across cultures, both parties must determine whose code of ethics they will allow to guide their interactions. ANSWER: False. Both parties must be flexible and avoid insisting that an interaction take place in terms of one culture or another. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 59. _T____Differences in social values are apparent in the way various cultures define manners, think about time, recognize status and value wealth.

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ANSWER: True. One culture may condemn materialism and prize communal effort above that of the individual; such differences are apparent in social customs and values. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 60. __T____A hand gesture in your culture may be interpreted quite differently in another culture. ANSWER: True. The simplest hand gestures change meaning from culture to culture. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 61. _ F ___To communicate successfully across cultures, you must hold to the customs and values of your home country. ANSWER: False. To communicate across cultures successfully, you must be able to overcome our human tendency to judge others by ones own standards. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 62. _T___Ethnocentrism is the belief that ones own culture is superior to all others. ANSWER: True. This is the definition given in the text. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 63. __ F _Ethnocentrism is predicting individuals behavior or character on the basis of their membership in a particular group or class. ANSWER: False. Ethnocentrism is the belief that ones culture is superior to all others.

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DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 64. __F___Stereotyping is the belief that ones own culture is superior to all others. ANSWER: False. Ethnocentrism is the belief that ones culture is superior to all others. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 65. _T____Stereotyping is predicting individuals behavior or character on the basis of their membership in a particular group or class. ANSWER: True. This is the definition given in the text. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 66. _T____Stereotyping may be useful in the beginning, as long as you move beyond stereotypes into relationships with real people. ANSWER: True. Stereotyping may be useful in the beginning, but the next step is to move beyond those stereotypes to relationships with specific and real people. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 67. __T___Instead of talking with unique individuals, ethnocentric people are talking to an Arab, an American, a Mexican, etc. ANSWER: True. People who are ethnocentric force individual actions to fit their preconceived image, even if that image is wrong. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

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68. _ F ____ To overcome ethnocentrism, its important to ignore the differences between your culture and another. ANSWER: False. When communicating across cultures, its important to acknowledge distinctions. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 69. __T___ Too often both parties in an intercultural exchange are guilty of ethnocentrism and prejudice. ANSWER: True. Such ethnocentrism and prejudice leads to misunderstandings. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 70. _F____ When communicating across cultures, it is important to use an impressive vocabulary. ANSWER: False. When communicating across cultures, its important to use short, precise words that say exactly what you mean. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 71. _T____ When communicating across cultures, it is important to avoid using slang, idioms, jargon, and abbreviations. ANSWER: True. Effective communication across cultures, whether written or spoken, requires the writer or speaker to avoid using slang, idioms, jargon, and abbreviations. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 72. _T____ When speaking with people for whom English is a second language, an effective communicator will learn common greetings and a few simple phrases in the other persons native language.

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ANSWER: True. Such accommodation shows simple respect and demonstrates interest in your listeners culture. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 10; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 73. __T___ Its appropriate to follow-up a crossculture conversation by writing a letter or a memo summarizing the conversation and thanking the person for meeting with you. ANSWER: True. Such a strategy allows you to clarify what will happen next. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 10; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 74. __F___ Cultural diversity has little effect on how business messages are conceived, planned, sent, received, and interpreted in the workplace. ANSWER: False. Cultural diversity has very important effects on how business messages are conceived, planned, sent, received, and interpreted in the workplace. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 10; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 75. __T___ No matter how much you read about other cultures or talk with to people who have done business in these cultures, you can never expect to understand another culture completely. ANSWER: True. No matter how much you study, you will never have the knowledge or experience of having grown up in any culture but your own. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 11; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

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76. __T___ To improve intercultural communication, it is important to not assume that others are very similar to you. ANSWER: True. We tend to think that everyone else is going to be like us; this results in miscommunication. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 11; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 77. __F___ When communicating with multicultural audiences, you can generally assume that they will speak English. ANSWER: False. Although English is becoming the international language of business, you cannot assume that others will speak it. DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept Fill-in the Blank 78. _____ Ethics ____ refer to the principles of conduct that govern a person or a group. ANSWER: Ethics DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept 79. Stealing someone elses words or work and claiming it as your own is called __plagiarism______. ANSWER: Plagiarism DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept

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80. Unlike an ethical dilemma, an ethical ___lapse____ is making a clearly unethical or illegal choice. ANSWER: Lapse DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 6; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept 81. Focusing on and caring about the receivers of your messages and making every effort to get your message across in a meaningful way is necessary to adopt a/an _audience-centered__ approach. ANSWER: Audience-centered DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 6; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept 82. A focus on ___ audience __takes on special importance when you are communicating with someone from another culture. ANSWER: Audience DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 6; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

83. In a/an __ High __-context culture, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. ANSWER: High DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

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84. In a/an _ Low __-context culture, people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. ANSWER: Low DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept
South Korea and Taiwan are both considered High-context cultures.

ANSWER: High DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 85. Both the U.S. and Germany are considered Low -context cultures. ANSWER: Low DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 86. Because members of Low -context cultures value the written word, they consider written agreements binding. ANSWER: Low DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 87. Rules that teach members of a culture how to behave in common social situations (such as table manners at meals) are considered Formal rules.

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ANSWER: Formal DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 88. Rules learned by watching how people behave and then imitating that behavior are termed informal rules. ANSWER: Informal DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 89. ethnocentrism is the belief that ones own cultural background is superior to all others. ANSWER: Ethnocentrism DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept

90. Predicting individuals behavior or character on the basis of their membership in a particular group or class is called stereotyping ANSWER: Stereotyping DIFFICULTY: Low; PAGE: 9; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 91. The workplace mixture of races, genders, ages, cultures, family structures, religions, and educational backgrounds is called cultural diversity. ANSWER: Diversity

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DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 10; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept Short Answer/Essay 92. List the six steps in the communication process.

ANSWER: 1) The sender has an idea. 2) The sender encodes the ideadecides on the messages form, length, organization, tone, and style. 3) The sender transmits the messageselects a communication channel and a medium depending on the audiences location, the need for speed and the formality required. 4) The receiver gets the message. 5) The receiver decodes the messagethe receiver must understand the message and interpret it correctly. 6) The receiver sends feedbackresponds in some way. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 4; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept 93. Provide specific, how-to advice to business school graduates on how they can establish a solid ethical basis in both their communication and their behavior when they begin their professional careers. ANSWER: Ethical communication includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive . Avoid plagiarism, misquoting, misrepresenting numbers, or distorting visuals. An ethical message is sincere. It does not try to manipulate the audience or to hide negative information. Dont state opinions as facts, be honest, dont make others look better or worse than they are. Act in good faith. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5; OBJECTIVE: 1; TYPE: concept

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94. List the four ways your textbook offers for new professionals to be sure their communication is ethical. ANSWER: 1) Is this message legal? Does it violate law or company policy? 2) Is the message balanced? Does it do the most good and the least harm? Is it fair to all concerned? 3) Is it a message you can live with? Would you be embarrassed by it if others saw it? 4) Is this message feasible? Can it work? What are the likely costs or risks of your message? DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 6; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept

95. Explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse. ANSWER: An ethical dilemma involves choosing between alternatives that arent clear-cut. The right answer or action is not obvious. Two conflicting alternatives may lie somewhere in the gray area between right and wrong. An ethical lapse is making a clearly unethical or illegal choice. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 5, 6; OBJECTIVE: 5; TYPE: concept 96. Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture. Be sure to give an example of each.

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ANSWER: High-context cultures like South Korea or Japan reply less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. The rules of everyday life are rarely explicit ; instead, as individuals grow up, they learn how to recognize situational cues and how to respond as expected. In a low-context culture like Germany or the United States, people rely on verbal communication and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. Rules and expectations are spelled out through explicit statements. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7, 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 97. Briefly discuss the accommodations a speaker from a low-context culture might have to make to a speaker from a high-context culture. Give one example to illustrate your point. ANSWER: Speakers from low-context cultures will have to pay more attention to nonverbal cues and to environmental factors when communicating with a person from a highcontext culture. For example, they will have to realize that a high-context speaker will not come directly to the point. A Chinese speaker, for example, will expect the audience to discover the essence of a message and will use indirectness and metaphor to provide a web of meaning. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 7, 8; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 98. Give at least four helpful tips to anyone needing to speak English to a person for whom English is not the native language. ANSWER: Any four of these: 1) Use plain English. 2) Be clear. 3) Address international correspondence correctly. 4) Cite

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numbers carefully. 5) Avoid slang, idioms, jargon, and abbreviations. 6) Be brief. 7) Use short paragraphs. 8) Use transitional elements. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 9, 10; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept 100. Define cultural diversity and give examples to support your answer. ANSWER: Cultural diversity includes all the elements that make people different from one another. This may include things like race, class, gender, ethnicity, language, family structure, religion, educational background, and others. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 10; OBJECTIVE: 6; TYPE: concept