Chapter 10

Question 1

Interpersonal communication

Answer 1

The exchange of information between people.

Question 2

Chain of command

Answer 2

Lines of authority and formal reporting relationships.

Question 3

Downward communication

Answer 3

Information that flows from the top of the organization toward the bottom.

Question 4

Upward communication

Answer 4

Information that flows from the bottom of the organization toward the top.

Question 5

Horizontal communication

Answer 5

Information that flows between departments or functional units usually as a means of coordinating effort.

Question 6

Filtering

Answer 6

Tendency for a message to be watered down or stopped during transmission

Question 7

Voice

Answer 7

Constructive expression of disagreement or concern about work unit or organizational practices.
o More likely to be utilized by satisfied employees who identify more strongly with their work unit or organization as well as those who are conscientiousness or extraverted.

Question 8

Psychological safety

Answer 8

Shared belief that it’s safe to take social risks.

Question 9

Mum effect

Answer 9

Tendency to avoid communicating unfavourable news to others.
o Most likely to affect employees with strong aspirations for upward mobility.
o More likely to occur when the sender is responsible for the bad news but that is not necessary for it to occur.
o Doesn’t only apply to subordinates but may occur to employees who want to impress their bosses or achieve a promotion.

Question 10

Grapevine

Answer 10

Organization’s informal communication network.

Question 11

What motivates people to gossip via the grapevine?

Answer 11

 Timely, inexpensive source of information that is not available through other channels.
 This information can provide an alternative source of power and influence.

Question 12

What are the pros of a grapevine?

Answer 12

 Keeps employees informed about important organizational matters.
 Provides a test of employee reactions to proposed changes without making formal commitments.

Question 13

What are the cons of a grapevine?

Answer 13

 Could become a rumour (unverified belief in general circulation) pipeline.
 Rumours spread fastest and farthest when information is especially ambiguous, when the contents of the rumour is important to those involved, when it seems credible, and when the recipient is anxious.

Question 14

Jargon

Answer 14

Specialized language used by job holders or members of particular occupations or organizations.

Problems with the use of jargon:
 Barrier to clear communication between different departments.
 New organizational members may find jargon intimidating and confusing.
 Communication barrier to those outside the organization.

Question 15

Non-verbal communitcation can occur through…?

Answer 15

Body language - Non-verbal communication by means of a sender’s bodily motions, facial expressions, or physical location.

Office decot and arrangment.
Clothing

Question 16

How dp senders communicate liking and interest in the receiver?

Answer 16

 Position themselves physically close to the receiver.
 Touch the receiver during the interaction.
 Maintain eye contact with the receiver.
 Lean forward during the interaction.
 Direct their torso toward the receiver.

Question 17

Relaxation is demonstrated through body lanuage by?

Answer 17

 Casual, asymmetrical placement of arms and legs.
 Reclining, non-erect seating position.
 Lack of fidgeting and nervous activity.

Question 18

What are differences in gender in regards to communitcation?

Answer 18

Men tend to be more sensitive to power dynamics and will use communication as a way to position themselves in a one-up situation.

Women are more concerned with rapport building, and they communicate in ways that avoid putting others down resulting in a one-down position that can have a negative effect on the rewards they receiver and their careers.

Question 19

What are key differences in male and female communication styles and rituals that often place women in a one-down position?

Answer 19

 Getting credit - Men are more likely than women to take credit for good things they’ve done.
 Confidence and boasting - Women downplay their certainty, but men boast more making them be perceived as more confident.
 Asking questions - Men are less likely to ask questions as they understand it would put them in a one-down position and reflect negatively on them.
 Apologies - Men see ritual apologies as weakness, but women use them often.
 Feedback - Men are more blunt and straightforward when it comes to criticism and women’s indirect feedback methods can lead to communication misunderstandings which cause men to misinterpret their criticism as praise.
 Compliments - Men are more likely to interpret things more literally and provide a critique, but women are more likely to compliment.
 Ritual opposition - Women see ritual opposition as a personal attack and something to be avoided while men use it as a form of communication and idea exchange.
 Managing up and down - Men spend more time communicating with their superiors and talking about their achievement which influences their ability to get recognized and promoted more positively compared to women.
 Indirectness Women in positions of authority are more indirect in giving orders.

Question 20

Cultural context

Answer 20

Cultural information that surrounds a communication episode.

Low context cultures interpret messages more literally because more meaning resides in the message than in the context in which the communication occurs.

Question 21

Computer-mediated communication

Answer 21

Forms of communication that rely on computer technology to facilitate information exchange.

Enhance sheer number of ideas generated when brainstorming a problem.

Question 22

What is a challenge social media brings?

Answer 22

o One challenge posed by social media is that they can be addictive to the extent that employees engage in cyberloafing while at work. Social media also blur the distinction between work and non-work domains and senders may not be ware of just who receivers their messages.

Question 23

Enterprise social media-

Answer 23

Private work-related social media platform that is accessible only by organizational members.

Question 24

What are the basic principles of effective communication?

Answer 24

o Take the time.
o Be accepting of the other person.
o Do not confuse the person with the problem.
o Say what you feel.
o Listen actively.
o Give timely and specific feedback.
o Assume differences until you know otherwise.
o Recognize differences within cultures.
o Watch your language and others language as well.

Question 25

Congruence

Answer 25

Condition in which a person’s words, thoughts, feelings, and actions all contain the same message.

Can be a problem with positive messages.

Question 26

Active listening

Answer 26

Technique for improvising the accuracy of information reception by paying close attention to the sender.
	Techniques:
•	Watch your body language.
•	Paraphrase what the speaker means.
•	Show empathy.
•	Ask questions.
•	Wait out pauses.

Question 27

What are organizational approaches to improving communication?

Answer 27

o Provision of explanations.
 2 factors critical to the perceived fairness of controversial policies: Explanation adequacy and style in which explanation is delivered.

o 360-Degree feedback - Performance appraisal that uses the input of supervisors, employees, peers, and clients or customers of the appraised individual.

o Employee surveys and survey feedback.

o Suggestion systems- Programs designed to enhance upward communication by soliciting ideas for improved work operations from employees.
 Good programs are ones that reward employees for suggestions that are actually adopted and provide feedback as to how management evaluated each suggestion.

o Telephone hotlines, intranets, and webcasts.

o Management training