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Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 8, Exercises of Organization Behaviour

Key CollegeOrganization Behaviour

Nina is a career counselor in a university’s career development office. She is making recommendations to a student in a career planning session related to improving the quality of the student’s conversation. Which piece of advice should be deleted from Nina’s list?

Typology: Exercises

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Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 8
Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1
Bauer & Erdogan
FWK Test Item File
Chapter 8
TRUE/FALSE
1.Communication is the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a
common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.
(True)
2.The best approach to delivering bad news in the workplace, such as a downsizing decision, is a
written one like e-mail.
(False)
3.Research indicates that communication ability is related to a manager’s performance.
(True)
4.Deficient interpersonal communication was a factor in 70-80% of all accidents over the past 20
years.
(True)
5.Though employees seem more satisfied when their company communicates with them about
issues that impact them, effective communication does little to improve the firm’s market
value.
(False)
6.The communication process is very complex, and thus presents almost insurmountable
challenges to understanding and controlling it.
(False)
7.The sender in the communication process is totally responsible for successful, effective
communication between the sender and receiver.
(False)
8.In the communication process, noise is found only in the external environment of the
communication situation.
(False)
9.Filtering, emotional disconnects, and lack of credibility are all barriers to effective communication.
(True)
10.Selective perception is the personal filtering of what we see and hear so as to suit our own
needs.
(True)
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Partial preview of the text

Download Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 8 and more Exercises Organization Behaviour in PDF only on Docsity!

Management - Organizational Behavior Ch. 8

Organizational Behavior, Version 1.

Bauer & Erdogan

FWK Test Item File

Chapter 8

TRUE/FALSE

  1. Communication is the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. (True)
  2. The best approach to delivering bad news in the workplace, such as a downsizing decision, is a written one like e-mail. (False)
  3. Research indicates that communication ability is related to a manager’s performance. (True)
  4. Deficient interpersonal communication was a factor in 70-80% of all accidents over the past 20 years. (True)
  5. Though employees seem more satisfied when their company communicates with them about issues that impact them, effective communication does little to improve the firm’s market value. (False)
  6. The communication process is very complex, and thus presents almost insurmountable challenges to understanding and controlling it. (False)
  7. The sender in the communication process is totally responsible for successful, effective communication between the sender and receiver. (False)
  8. In the communication process, noise is found only in the external environment of the communication situation. (False)
  9. Filtering, emotional disconnects, and lack of credibility are all barriers to effective communication. (True)
  10. Selective perception is the personal filtering of what we see and hear so as to suit our own needs. (True)
  1. Nancy goes to work at her job at the university after the December holiday break. She opens her email and finds 312 emails after her vacation. Nancy is experiencing information overload. (True)
  2. The EEOC is an acronym for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the Human Resource area. (True)
  3. Men like to ask questions before starting a project; women just “jump right in.” (False)
  4. Men tend to focus more on data in their communications, while women focus on intuition. (True)
  5. The word or term “secretary” is an example of biased language. (True)
  6. Listening is an art, not a skill, and thus individuals cannot be trained to be better listeners. (False)
  7. The phrase, “You had better…” is a communication freezer because it is somewhat threatening. (True)
  8. There are two types of communication in organizations: verbal and written. (False)
  9. Storytelling is largely an ineffective means of communication as receivers perceive the senders to be largely unable to control the process. (False)
  10. Crucial conversations are discussions where the stakes are high, so opinions need to be in line with the majority in the group. (False)
  11. Verbal communication is largely asynchronous. (False)
  12. Written communication is the most often used form of communication in business. (False)
  13. People speak much faster than they hear words. (False)
  14. Nonverbal communication is at least as important as verbal communication. (True)
  15. If I emphasize the word “Max” in the following sentence, “I did not tell Max you were late,” it could suggest that I might have implied it to anyone listening. (False)
  16. There are cultural differences in the use of nonverbal communication elements like body language and facial expression.

Opening Section: You’ve Got Mail…and You’re Fired! The Case of RadioShack

  1. Which of the following statements about communicating downsizing decisions is INCORRECT? a. Employee termination should be conducted in a standardized and consistent manner, so using e- mails is a highly acceptable technique. b. The communication of employee termination decisions requires careful crafting of the message and its delivery. c. Many firms have outsourced the employee termination process to third parties. d. A number of new terms have been developed which attempt to convey the employee termination decision in a softer, more impersonal manner. (a) Difficult/Synthesis Section I: Understanding Communication
  2. Which of the following statements about communication is correct? a. Communication is the process by which information is exchanged between individuals, through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior. b. Miscommunication is an annoyance, but seldom has serious consequences. c. Between 10 and 20 percent of a manager’s time is spent communicating. d. Communication ability is particularly important in lower levels of organizations. (a) Medium/Analysis
  3. Research on communication indicates all of the following EXCEPT a. Poor communication can lead to lawsuits. b. Effective communication skills are the top skills sought by recruiters today. c. Poor communication is seen as a causal factor in 70-80% of all accidents. d. Although good communication helps retain effective performers, it does not increase a firm’s market share. (d) Difficult/Evaluation
  4. Communication fulfills all of the following organizational functions EXCEPT a. transmitting information. b. sharing emotions. c. control. d. coordination. (c) Easy/Comprehension
  5. In the communication process model, the task of translating an idea into words is called a. decoding. b. encoding. c. medium. d. noise. (b) Easy/Knowledge
  6. The individual originating a message is called the a. sender. b. encoder. c. receiver. d. decoder. (a) Easy/Knowledge
  7. Jason sent an email to his mother, “Ur never going 2 believe this. That prof gave me no credit for my paper. I h8 him.” (with emoticons included). When his mother got the e-mail, it took

her quite some time to decipher the message. Jason should have considered his audience when he _________ the message. a. decoded b. validated c. received d. encoded (d) Easy/Comprehension

  1. Ariel was writing a paper at her laptop when the phone rang. She answered it but kept writing as she talked. It was a friend who needed an assignment that had been given last week. Ariel e-mailed her the assignment. A second e-mail just arrived from the friend, which said: “I said the assignment for Monday, this is Wednesday’s.” Ariel likely made the mistake because of the _________ in her communication situation. a. message. b. noise. c. sender. d. feedback. (b) Easy/Analysis A professor decides to save paper by posting her syllabus on the university’s web-based course application program instead of printing it and handing it out during the first class. She sends an e-mail to all her students prior to the actual start of the course that reads, “Your syllabus is available on Courseweb. I will go over that syllabus during the first class but, since I am attempting to conserve paper, will not make a copy available to you. Students however, are welcome to print out their own copy of the syllabus.”
  2. In this scenario, the professor has what role in the communication process? a. receiver b. medium c. decoder d. sender (d) Easy/Application
  3. Given the above scenario, the students have what role in the communication process? a. receiver b. medium c. decoder d. sender (a) Easy/Application
  4. The email sent by the professor represents what aspect of the communication model? a. feedback b. noise c. medium d. decoding (c) Easy/Application
  5. Students come to class and ask why they are not receiving syllabi. This question represents what aspect of the communication model? a. noise b. feedback c. medium d. message

c. emotional disconnects. d. semantics. (b) Medium/Comprehension

  1. The personal filtering of what we see and hear so as to suit our own needs is a. filtering. b. semantics. c. selective perception. d. information overload. (c) Easy/Knowledge
  2. Martha’s mom asks her to go to the grocery store for her. Martha agrees and heads upstairs to get ready. Before she leaves her house, she sits down at her desk to check her e-mail and receives a text message from her friend Nancy to turn on the television and see the story about their friend, Jill. As the story about Jill comes on, Martha’s mom comes in and asks Martha to get her an eight-ounce can of diced tomatoes. Martha smiles at Mom and nods and listens to the story on television as she e-mails Sandra and picks up her phone to text Nancy. When Martha gets to the store, she heads to the tomato aisle and stands in front of the pureed tomatoes trying to remember if mom wanted an 8- or 16-ounce can. This scenario depicts which barrier to communication? a. filtering b. selective perception c. semantics d. information overload (d) Medium/Application
  3. Bill is speaking to a group of fellow marketing specialists at a national convention. He opens his presentation with a dumb blonde joke. Unfortunately, there is dead silence in the room. Bill did not fully address which barrier to communication in preparing his speech? a. filtering b. selective perception c. lack of source familiarity or credibility d. semantics (c) Medium/Application
  4. Which of the following statements about workplace gossip is not correct? a. Research finds that only a minimal amount of workplace communication occurs at the grapevine level. b. Politically motivated employees use the grapevine to disseminate self-promoting information in the organization. c. Employees trust their peers as a source of information. d. Managers can control and manipulate the grapevine if they understand it. (a) Medium/Analysis
  5. The acronym SOX refers to what? If you are not clear, then you have been impacted by a communication barrier. Which one? a. selective perception b. lack of source familiarity or credibility c. filtering d. semantics (d) Medium/Application
  6. Men and women tend to differ in their communication styles. Which of the following statements regarding those differences is correct?

a. Women focus more on competition in their communication; men on cooperation. b. Women use metaphors from the home; men from work. c. Women focus on intuition in communicating; men on data. d. Men focus on requests in their communication; women on orders. (c) Medium/Analysis

  1. Which of the following terms is an example to biased language? a. salesman b. cleaner c. nurse d. engineer (a) Medium/Application
  2. Which of the following statements about listening is correct? a. Listening takes practice and concentration. b. Managers listen up to 70% of their day. c. Listening skills are related to promotions. d. All of the above (d) Medium/Analysis
  3. A communication receiver who is preparing his comment or answer and not really listening to the sender is a. using jargon. b. using semantics. c. biased. d. rehearsing. (d) Easy/Comprehension
  4. All of the following are rules for active listening EXCEPT a. find areas of agreement with the speaker. b. listen for feelings. c. note all cues. d. listen for message content. (a) Medium/Analysis
  5. Active listening involves a. interrupting the message sender to clarify what she is saying. b. giving partial attention to the sender so you can be thinking about your response. c. refraining from asking senders any questions about their messages. d. taking time to understand the points being made. (d) Medium/Analysis
  6. Listening a. is an art, not a skill, and cannot be learned. b. does not require close attention to the sender so multitasking is possible. c. can be demonstrated to the sender by nonverbal signals like the nod of a head. d. creates a bond between communicators, but does not increase communication flow or accuracy. (c) Difficult/Analysis
  7. Which of the following pieces of advice is not a tip to improve your listening habits? a. Start by stopping. b. Think about what you will say when the time comes. c. Don’t multitask during listening. d. Empathize with the sender’s viewpoint.

d. written (a) Easy/Comprehension

  1. Storytelling is an effective form of communication for which of the following situations? a. assigning tasks to an employee b. explaining the benefit package changes to employees c. orienting new employees to the company’s culture d. correcting an employee’s approach to a project (c) Difficult/Synthesis
  2. Which of the following statements about storytelling is INCORRECT? a. Storytelling helps construct common meanings for individuals in an organization. b. The more frequently stories are shared in an organization, the lower the organizational commitment. c. The greater the strength of the stories shared in an organization, the greater the organization commitment. d. The higher quality story relayed by an entrepreneur, the greater the ability to secure capital for his firm. (b) Medium/Analysis
  3. An example of a crucial conversation is a. asking for a raise b. taking part in a weekly meeting c. assigning weekly work to an employee d. chatting about the company’s latest email on the firm’s holiday party plans (a) Easy/Comprehension
  4. All of the following are aspects of crucial conversations EXCEPT a. crucial conversations are ones where opinions vary and emotions run strong. b. high stakes conversations require more planning, reflection and skill than many other types of verbal communication. c. communications experts suggest using “but” not “and” in crucial conversations. d. crucial conversations require flexible communication styles to be most effective. (c) Medium/Evaluation
  5. Nina is a career counselor in a university’s career development office. She is making recommendations to a student in a career planning session related to improving the quality of the student’s conversation. Which piece of advice should be deleted from Nina’s list? a. Speak more than the receiver. b. Ask questions. c. Use eye contact and smile. d. Be receptive to new ideas. (a) Medium/Application
  6. A memo is an example of a. verbal communication. b. direct communication. c. nonverbal communication. d. written communication. (d) Easy/Knowledge
  7. Communication that is asynchronous a. is written for one receiver, but can be read by many. b. is written for one receiver and read by one receiver.

c. is written by the sender and can be read any time by the receiver. d. is written for many but often read by only a few. (c) Easy/Knowledge

  1. Which of the following statements about written and verbal communication is correct? a. Verbal communication is constructed over a longer period of time than written. b. Written communication is better at conveying feelings than verbal communication. c. Humans listen faster than they speak. d. Written communication is used more often than oral communication. (c) Medium/Analysis
  2. Which of the following statements regarding verbal and written communication is true? a. Written communication is an inherently flawed medium for conveying specific facts. b. Individuals hear about 150 words per minute, but speak around 400–500 per minute. c. It is very difficult to teach individuals to write clearly. d. Over ninety percent of employers consider writing a key skill for hiring new employees. (d) Medium/Analysis
  3. What has research shown to be true about nonverbal communication? a. Nonverbal cues are only minimally important. b. Our gestures and other nonverbal movements are largely habitual and really do not convey much to your audience. c. When individuals are lying, they blink more frequently, shift their feet, and shrug more often. d. Only 7% of our message is conveyed through nonverbal communication while 55% is conveyed through the actual words of the message. (c) Medium/Analysis
  4. In the sentence, “I did not tell the teacher you were cheating,” if the word “I” was emphasized by the tone of your voice, what are you implying? a. Someone else told the teacher you were cheating. b. I was talking about someone else. c. I told the teacher you were cheating. d. I may have implied it. (a) Difficult/Synthesis
  5. Which of the following statements about nonverbal cues is INCORRECT? a. If your posture mirrors that of the person to whom you are speaking, it shows you are not listening and generally, not paying attention to that speaker. b. Happiness is conveyed through facial expressions of an upturned mouth and slightly closed eyes. c. In some countries, like the United States, direct eye contact conveys trustworthiness. d. In many parts of the world, simple touch is a necessary, positive part of doing business. (a) Medium/Evaluation
  6. You are part of a marketing team that has just secured a contract for a national ad campaign. The client firm is holding a luncheon to celebrate the contract signing and you are attending. According to Edward Hall’s work, what distance will you maintain from members of the client firm as you network with them? a. personal b. social c. intimate d. public (a) Medium/Application
  7. Information-rich channels convey more

b. ideas are simple. c. emotions or feelings need to be conveyed. d. facts need to be conveyed. (d) Medium/Comprehension

  1. Which of the following statements about e-mail is INCORRECT? a. Over 100 million American adults use e-mail at least once a day. b. Some companies are so concerned about the amount of e-mail their employees receive that they are instituting “no e-mail Fridays.” c. E-mail is the most popular medium of communication today. d. A large portion of e-mails received are either scam or spam attempts. (c) Medium/Analysis
  2. Which of the following is not a piece of good advice regarding business e-mails? a. Do not sign off your e-mails with a closing like “Thank you”; it just wastes space. Simply send your contact information. b. Do not place anything in an e-mail you would not want the world to see. c. Do not use capital letters for your message. d. Do not hit the send button until you check your e-mail. (a) Medium/Analysis
  3. Communication usually travels diagonally to a. supervisors. b. coworkers. c. subordinates. d. other departments. (d) Easy/Knowledge
  4. Which of the following is not a function of business communication? a. creating information b. exchanging information c. seeking information d. giving information (a) Easy/Knowledge
  5. Recent surveys indicate that managers spend a majority of their time communicating with what group? a. those external to the organization b. superiors c. subordinates d. others that are internal to the firm (e.g., those in other departments). (c) Medium/Analysis
  6. Which of the following is not an example of external communications? a. ads b. press release c. attitude surveys d. web page (c) Easy/Knowledge
  7. External communication about a client’s product or service created for a specific receiver is a. a company report b. a web page c. an ad

d. a press release (d) Easy/Knowledge

  1. An external communication that combines the look of an article with the focused message of an ad is a. a web page. b. an advertorial. c. a press release. d. a sweepstakes form. (b) Easy/Knowledge
  2. Which of the following statements regarding external communications is INCORRECT? a. Press releases are sometimes constructed without acknowledging the sender’s identity. b. Ad fees are based on the perceived value of the audience who watches, reads or listens to the channel where the ad appears. c. The key to a successful external communication to customers is to keep the business message formal and professional. d. Blogs are growing in popularity, so much so that some firms have created official positions for those bloggers. (c) Medium/Evaluation Section IV: The Role of Ethics and Culture during Communication
  3. Which of the following statements regarding communication and ethics is INCORRECT? a. Ethical, forthright communication by an organization should occur internally as well as externally. b. A high profile employee, such as an executive, should be the chief external communicator during a crisis situation for a firm. c. People are unhappy with the occurrence of the unexpected, but are even more unhappy when they find out someone tried to hide it. d. Exxon Oil is widely recognized as having been successful communicators during the Valdez incident. (d) Difficult/Evaluation
  4. Which of the following statements regarding cross cultural communication is INCORRECT? a. Nonverbal communication is consistent across cultures. b. The question “Isn’t it?” should be avoided by English speakers with non-English speaking colleagues. c. Low situational context cultures, like the United States, “get down to business” in negotiating deals. d. Within the same culture, words can be misunderstood because of a lack of common experiences. (a) Medium/Evaluation
  5. Which of the following statements regarding nonverbal body signals is true? a. Hand waving indicates greetings in Europe just as it does in the United States. b. A “thumbs up” means five in Germany and one in Japan. c. The American “ok” gesture would be inappropriate or offensive in Brazil or Russia. d. The “hook ’em horns” gesture from the University of Texas means you are warding off evil in Italy. (c) Medium/Analysis FILL IN THE BLANK
  6. ___________ is the process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior.

(rehearsing)

  1. Giving full attention to what other people say, taking time to understand the points made, asking questions as needed, and not interrupting at inappropriate times is called ____________ ______________. (active listening)
  2. _____________ _______________ put an end to effective communication by making the receiver feel judged or defensive and include criticizing, blaming, ordering or judging. (Communication freezers)
  3. The three types of communication are: _____________, _______________, and _______________. (verbal, written, and nonverbal)
  4. Discussions that are high stakes and where opinions vary and emotions run strong are ____________ ______________. (crucial conversations)
  5. A message that can be read at any time is ____________ unlike a conversation, which is carried on in real time. (asynchronous)
  6. ______________ communication does a better job of conveying feelings while _______________ communication does a better job of conveying facts. (Verbal, written)
  7. Nonverbal cues including the tone, pace, and volume of speech is called ______________. (paralanguage)
  8. ___________ is a term coined by Edward T. Hall to denote the different kinds of distance that occur between people. (Proxemics)
  9. The distance between two people, like a mother and child, usually in the zero to eighteen inch range is called the ___________ distance. (intimate)
  10. _________________ __________ communication channels convey more nonverbal information and tend to be used by effective managers. (Information-rich)
  11. __________ communication is best utilized when you need feedback and there is time urgency. (Oral)
  12. ____________ communication is best utilized when ideas are complicated or you are conveying facts. (Written)
  13. _____________ are symbols that offer clues to the emotional side of words used in e-mail messages. (Emoticons)
  1. _________ ________ professionals create external communication about a client’s products, services, or practices for specific receivers. (Public relations)
  2. High __________ cultures place a high value on establishing relationships prior to working with others while low ____________ cultures “get down to business.” (context, context)

SHORT ANSWERS

  1. Briefly discuss the elements in the communication process. A sender encodes a message that translates an idea into words. The message is sent through a medium that may include spoken or written words or signs. The receiver receives the message and decodes it by assigning meaning to the words. The receiver may then decide to respond to the original message by also encoding or translating his idea into words. This process of responding is called feedback. The entire process from sender to receiver may be altered or distorted due to noise in the system. The noise can be external to the environment or internal. If too much noise impacts the encoding or decoding, or any other aspect of the communication process, miscommunication can occur.
  2. Name the three functions which communication fulfills and provide an example of each. The three main functions of communication are: coordination, transmission of information, and sharing emotions and feelings. Coordination would ensure that everyone is aware of the strategy and goals of the organization and all are working together toward them. Transmission of information would be demonstrated by, for example, a written copy of the firm’s objectives such that all employees would know the goals and their general direction. Finally, the sharing of emotions and feelings could be exemplified by praising a department for exceeding annual goals set at a luncheon in their honor.
  3. Name, describe and provide an example of two barriers to effective communication. Barriers to communication include: Filtering: a distortion or withholding of information to manage a person’s reaction. An example might be a manager who keeps negative comments about his department from his superior. Selective perception is personal filtering of what we see and hear so as to suit our own needs. An example is when a sports fan reads the newspaper, he often does not “see” news stories but only those items related to sports. Information overload is when the information processing demands on an individual’s time to perform interactions and internal calculations exceed the supply or capacity of time available for such processing. When an individual returns from vacation, he often has hundreds of email messages, phone messages and memos on his desk. Emotional disconnects are when there are opinion or personality differences which impact communication. I have had a terrible day already and then you say something to me that is actually pretty innocuous, but I take offense.

Written communication is printed messages. These include memos, proposals, e-mails, letters, training manuals, and operating policies. They may be printed on paper or appear on the screen. Written is asynchronous, which means that the message can be read at any time. Further, written communication can be read by many people, and can be constructed by many people in a collaborative fashion. Written communication is better for conveying facts. Oral communication takes place in person or over the phone. The verbal communication takes place in real time and is generally one on one. Verbal communication is a better way of conveying feelings. Oral communication is the most frequently used method of communication.

  1. Define and provide an example of paralanguage. Paralanguage is the tone, pace and volume of speech. The tone can change even with the same sentence thereby changing the meaning of the sentence. For example, if I say, “ I did not tell the teacher you copied the problem,” you are implying that someone else might have told. Changing the emphasis to another word in the sentence, “I did NOT tell the teacher you copied the problem,” implies that this event did not occur.
  2. Define and provide an example of body language. Body language is a series of nonverbal cues that arise from use of various parts of the body. For example, eye contact when direct in the United States shows that you are interested and listening; when indirect that you are not really paying attention to the speaker.
  3. Define proxemics and provide an example of it. Proxemics is the study of the different kinds of space or distance between people and their meaning. For example, a space of 0 to 18 inches is called intimate space and is reserved for those who are very close to an individual. 1.5 feet to 5 feet is the personal distance, and 5 to 7 feet is the social distance.
  4. Define an “information-rich” communication channel and provide an example of such a channel that is high in information richness. Information-rich communication channels convey more nonverbal information in addition to the verbal or written information. A channel high in information richness is the face-to-face conversation.
  5. Provide two instances when written communication should be utilized and two when the choice should be oral communication. Written communication is used when: conveying facts, the message needs to be part of a permanent file, there is little time urgency, you do not need immediate feedback, and ideas are complicated. Oral communication is used when: conveying feelings and emotions, the message does not need to be permanent, there is time urgency, you need feedback, and the ideas are simple or can be simple with explanations.
  6. Briefly discuss the different directions information can flow in an organization.

Information flows downward to subordinates, upward to supervisors, laterally to coworkers, and diagonally to different departments.

  1. Provide two examples of external communications. External communications include: press/public relations releases, ads, web pages, and customer communications. Press releases are external communication about a client’s products, services or practices for specific receivers. Ads are external business messages for target receivers reached through media buys. Web pages combine elements of public relations, advertising, and editorial content and include banner ads, blogs or advertiser-driven click-throughs. Customer communications include letters, catalogs, direct mail, e-mails, text messages, or telemarketing messages. ESSAY
  2. Using the process model of communications as a focal point, discuss how a manager might prepare for his first meeting as the new head of a marketing department. The manager will initiate the meeting, so he will serve as the original sender. The new manager must recognize that first impressions are lasting impressions, so the first message he sends is a critical communication to his future success in his position. Announcing the meeting would be the first communication and he wants to ensure he encodes the message carefully to convey the importance of that meeting. It is at the initial meeting that the strategy for subsequent meetings will be set, so that importance must be obvious in the words chosen. The medium through which the meeting announcement will be sent must also be carefully considered. Multiple channels are always best since individuals’ schedules differ and the medium choice is most dependent on which channel works best for which individual at any given moment in those busy schedules. For all intents and purposes, e-mail is effective but bulletin board notices would also be workable as might face-to-face reminders of this meeting. Clearly words will be used in the various channels of communication but some attention- getting symbols or signs might also be used. The receivers are all those in the marketing department. The words chosen for the communication might contain some jargon from the marketing area so that some credibility is initially established as well as some camaraderie, since those in other departments who may view, for example, the bulletin board reminder, may not understand that jargon. The marketing department members will decode the message and, hopefully, provide some feedback. The feedback could itself be a written response email or simply showing up at the meeting at the designated time and place. This entire communication scenario will take place within the context of noise in the environment. Some examples of the distortions or interferences that may occur include the email for some recipients “bouncing back,” the recipient being distracted when he/she reads the e-mail and focuses on the wrong date or time for the meeting, and/or some offense taken at words contained in the message because of their gender-basis or other aspects.
  3. Maynard is the production department supervisor in a manufacturing firm. Recently rumors have been spreading through the department grapevine regarding a possible company-wide downsizing that will lay off approximately 20% of the employees. If you were Maynard, how would you handle this situation?