Q&A Hero

Q: INRT Software Solutions is a firm that builds information systems for banks and other financial institutions. In its presentations to prospective clients, the firm claims to have skilled employees. What does INRT Software Solutions mean by this? A. Its employees have previous experience in performing similar jobs. B. It has factual or procedural information that is necessary for successfully performing a task. C. Its employees have a significant level of proficiency required to perform a particular task. D. Its employees are highly motivated. E. Its employees have software certifications.

Q: "Let me think over what you said and I'll let you know my opinion." Which of the following listening tips does the speaker want to apply in this example? A. Convey meaning. B. Evaluate after listening. C. Paraphrase. D. Watch for nonverbal cues.

Q: Catherine is an HR executive looking for a new job. She comes across an advertisement in a newspaper seeking applications for the position of an HR manager. The advertisement exclusively highlights requirements such as strong communications skills, excellent teamwork abilities, and leadership skills. These requirements constitute a _____. A. job evaluation B. job analysis C. job description D. job specification E. job orientation

Q: "You look puzzled. I'll try to put it in simple terms." Which of the following listening tips has the speaker applied in this example? A. Evaluating after listening B. Thinking C. Evaluating facts presented D. Watching for nonverbal cues

Q: The difference between job specifications and job descriptions is that job specifications primarily describe the: A. list of the tasks and responsibilities that the job entails. B. observable actions that comprise the various job demands. C. steps involved in getting detailed information about a job. D. details of payment associated with the tasks involved. E. qualities a person performing the job must possess.

Q: "Can you please slow down a bit? I am jotting down some points lest I forget them." Which of the following listening tips has the speaker applied in this example? A. Taking notes B. Paying attention C. Asking questions D. Avoiding distractions

Q: N-Pax Technology Corp., a microchip manufacturing company, is hiring for the position of marketing manager for its new division. Nathan, the HR manager, considers the factual information necessary for performing the job successfully, the candidate's level of proficiency at performing tasks, his or her enduring capabilities, and other personality traits, such as persistence or motivation to achieve. Which of the following most likely relates to the task being carried out by Nathan while hiring for this position? A. Job rotation B. Job definition C. Job evaluation D. Job scope E. Job specification

Q: "Let me read it again. I had a lot on my mind when you showed it to me." Which of the following listening tips should the speaker apply in this example? A. Not assuming and interrupting B. Watching for nonverbal cues C. Paying attention D. Avoiding distractions

Q: Leeding Engines Inc. specializes in manufacturing internal combustion engines for flexible fuel vehicles. Mark, the HR manager, is conducting a job analysis for the organization. He creates a list of tasks, duties, and responsibilities to help him determine how well employees are meeting each job requirement. Mark intends to identify the essential duties of the jobs. If Mark were to formulate job descriptions, which of the following would be his appropriate course of action? A. Mark should make changes in the standard format of the job descriptions within his organization to suit individual jobs. B. Mark should take care to avoid including the titles of the jobs while formulating new job descriptions. C. Mark should refrain from making changes in the job descriptions based on individual performance appraisals. D. Mark should consider preparing new job descriptions whenever a new job is created in the organization. E. Mark should make sure that the job descriptions are not altered once they are created.

Q: Which of the following is a way to improve listening skills? A. Avoiding asking direct questions if you feel there is something missing B. Listening and analyzing or evaluating what is said at the same time C. Repeating in your mind what the speaker is saying D. Basing your conclusion on opinions and generalities

Q: Marjorie has joined the HR department of Thomas Johnson Inc. as an intern. The organization plans on giving all newly hired site engineers copies of their job descriptions to help them understand what the organization expects of them. Marjorie has been given the task of conducting job analyses and creating job descriptions for the site engineers. Which of the following should Marjorie consider while creating the job descriptions? A. Job descriptions do not include the job title. B. Job descriptions focus on the qualities or requirements a person performing a job must possess. C. Job descriptions contain only a brief statement that represents the set of responsibilities. D. Job descriptions contain detailed specifications of the tasks involved in carrying out each duty. E. Job descriptions are lists of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that an individual must have to perform a job.

Q: When people interrupt you to talk, which of the following should you do to improve listening skills? A. Stop what you are doing and give them your complete attention. B. Listen to them while you continue to do what you are doing. C. Train your mind to focus on what they are saying as well as the work at hand. D. Ask questions indirectly if you feel there is something missing.

Q: Adam is the HR manager at Infratech. To boost the productivity and efficiency of his team, Adam decides to create a new position within the team. He gathers necessary information from team members who are already performing the same or similar kind of duties. Based on the information gathered, Adam identifies the mental and physical tasks and any methods and resources required to carry out the job. This indicates that Adam is attempting to _____. A. conduct a job evaluation B. prepare a job description C. conduct a utilization analysis D. conduct conjoint analysis E. implement job standardization

Q: _____ is the process of verifying messages. A. Paraphrasing B. Encoding C. Decoding D. Feedback

Q: Which of the following is the final step of the message-sending process? A. State the communication objective. B. Get a commitment and follow up. C. Check understanding. D. Transmit the message.

Q: Jenny is a line manager at Maxvin Corp. She is assigned the task of understanding and gathering detailed information about the requirements of carrying out a certain job. Information gathered by Jenny will be used to provide essential knowledge for staffing, training, performance appraisal, and other HR activities. Which of the following most likely corresponds to the task undertaken by Jenny? A. Job analysis B. Job definition C. Job training D. Job swapping E. Job rotation

Q: _____ is a process of having the receiver restate the message in his or her own words. A. Paraphrasing B. Encoding C. Decoding D. Reinstating

Q: A manager of a functional department would require skills in aligning employees' efforts with the organization's higher-level goals. This is a valid statement because: A. employees in a functional department need to work in a team. B. broad responsibilities are assigned to employees working in a functional department. C. employees in functional departments tend to identify more with their own departments rather than with other departments. D. employees expect their managers to empower them by allowing them to work in self-managing teams. E. employees in such departments tend to work in cross-functional teams.

Q: Which of the following is the first step of the message-sending process? A. Develop rapport B. State the communication objective C. Check understanding D. Transmit the message

Q: LRPN Consulting is a business consulting firm based in Nevada. The departments in the organization are based on the functions carried out by employees, such as customer service, marketing, tech support, and business consulting. Which of the following is most likely true of the organizational structure of LRPN Consulting? A. The organizational functions are aligned with the different departments in LRPN. B. The jobs mostly involve teamwork or broad responsibilities. C. The focus is primarily on products or customer groups within LRPN. D. The workers work alone at highly specialized jobs. E. The workers have more authority and are involved in decision making.

Q: Which of the following can be helpful in overcoming global barriers to communication? A. Believe there are similarities until differences are proved. B. Delay judgment of a person's behavior until you are sure you are being culturally sensitive. C. As the sender, decode your message without any focus on the receiver's cross-cultural differences. D. If you are not sure what is appropriate, do as you are used to.

Q: Koland Corp. is an interior design firm based in California. The firm has a team of interior designers working closely with manufacturers to create home dcor products. In the context of a work flow analysis, the interior designers, manufacturers, and home dcor products required to provide interior design services collectively constitute the _____. A. outputs B. jobs C. work processes D. operating procedures E. inputs

Q: Which of the following is a way to overcome perception barriers while communicating? A. Encoding the message with appropriate words B. Using an appropriate channel for communication C. Sending messages in a quantity that the receiver can understand D. Using the appropriate tone of voice

Q: Bitstar Global Inc. is a soft drink manufacturing company. Kelly, the production manager, designs a new work flow for the production unit. She is confident that the new work flow design will help increase the unit's productivity and efficiency. If Kelly is at the last stage of analyzing the work flow, she is _____. A. identifying the tangible outputs of the production unit B. identifying the operating processes that need to be employed in the production of the soft drinks C. identifying the work processes applied to generate the outputs of the production unit D. identifying the inputs utilized in the creation of the soft drinks E. identifying the market forces of demand and supply for the outputs

Q: "Could you lower the volume? I'm on the phone." Which of the following communication barriers is indicated by this example? A. Filtering B. Noise C. Channel selection D. Information overload

Q: "Do not smile too much. In this country, it is a sign of weakness. Look sterner." Which of the following communication barriers is indicated by this example? A. Gender B. Language C. Channel selection D. Culture

Q: Kidzi Inc. is a toy manufacturing company. As the new production manager, Andrew notices that the production unit has been underperforming. In an attempt to streamline the existing work flow, Andrew works on a new set of ideas that will help improve the efficiency of the production unit. He first identifies discrepancies in the quality and quantity of the toys produced by Kidzi. Which of the following steps should Andrew consider next in order to get a clearer view of how to increase the effectiveness of the production unit? A. Andrew should identify the raw materials required to generate the end product. B. Andrew should determine the number of employees he will need for production. C. Andrew should carefully examine the work processes used to generate the end product. D. Andrew should have an inventory of equipment, facilities, and systems required for production. E. Andrew should estimate the data and information required by the production unit.

Q: Joe's Restaurant, a pizza chain, is known for its quick service. It takes the employees four minutes to prepare the dough and add the sauce and toppings. Cooking and packaging takes another four minutes before the pizza is ready. In this scenario, the employees of Joe's Restaurant are engaged in _____. A. work processes B. task identities C. group dynamics D. job analyses E. ergonomic activities

Q: "Hey Alvin, do you get what I'm saying? Repeat to me what you are expected to do at the exact stroke of midnight." Which of the following communication barriers is indicated by this example? A. Not listening B. Information overload C. Channel selection D. Filtering

Q: Samcys Services Inc. specializes in providing round-the-clock building security services to multinational companies. Which of the following terms most likely represents the service offered by Samcys? A. Outputs B. Inputs C. Tasks D. Jobs E. Processes

Q: "Mr. Brown is a retired old man. Do not send him an e-mail; he doesn't use the Internet." Which of the following communication barriers is indicated by this example? A. Information overload B. Noise C. Channel selection D. Trust and credibility

Q: Which of the following statements is true of work flow analysis? A. Information cannot be considered to be an input because it is not tangible. B. All outputs must be strictly measured in terms of quantity. C. Outputs may be tangible or intangible products of different work processes. D. Quality standards are not a key criterion in the process of work flow analysis. E. Inputs and outputs are only the two stages required to represent a complete work flow cycle.

Q: Which of the following message transmission channels would be most appropriate when the personal assistant of a CEO wants to confirm the reservations for dinner at a restaurant? A. Report B. Telephone C. Meeting D. Poster

Q: Dave wants to set up a manufacturing unit. He has obtained all the required licenses and legal approvals. In order to start production in the unit, which of the following is Dave most likely to do first? A. Examine the processes that will be involved in manufacturing B. Determine the number of people required for production C. Identify the type of products that will need to be manufactured D. Take an inventory of the special equipment, facilities, and systems needed for production E. Estimate the data and information needed by the work unit

Q: In the context of work flow design, which of the following best describes a position? A. The set of duties performed by a person B. A set of related duties fulfilled by many employees C. An aggregate of similar jobs D. The set of skills and abilities that is required of a person in a job E. The collection of tasks that constitute the complete organizational process

Q: Which of the following message transmission channels would be most appropriate to show the turnover and taxes of a company's last four quarters to its board members? A. Report B. Telephone C. Memo D. Poster

Q: Which of the following processes involves analyzing the tasks necessary for the production of a product or service? A. Ergonomics B. Work flow design C. Utilization analysis D. Industrial engineering E. Break-even analysis

Q: "The company's Annual Sports Meet will be held on the November 15 this year." Which of the following message transmission channels would be most appropriate for this message? A. Report B. Telephone C. Memo D. Poster

Q: One method to simplify a job's mental demands is to limit the amount of memorization required for the job.

Q: Which of the following is the final step of the communication process? A. Encoding B. Receiving C. Feedback D. Decoding

Q: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA's) role in ergonomics in occupational settings is restricted to setting guidelines and inspecting instances of violation.

Q: The _____ is the physical form of the encoded information, and it is transmitted through a channel. A. transmitter B. message C. cellphone D. receiver

Q: The primary goal of ergonomics is to reduce the information-processing requirements of a job.

Q: _____ is the sender's process of putting a message into a form that the receiver will understand. A. Encoding B. Transmitting C. Decoding D. Decrypting

Q: The _____ consists of a sender who encodes a message and transmits it through a channel to a receiver who decodes it and may give feedback. A. communication process B. filtering process C. reception process D. verifying process

Q: Jack has opted for a different work schedule in which he works 40 hours over four days a week, instead of working eight hours a day for five days a week. Jack's schedule can be termed a compressed workweek.

Q: Which of the following is a feature of technology? A. It is personalized. B. It involves nonverbal communications. C. It is dehumanized. D. It guarantees complete security of confidential information.

Q: Job sharing is a work option in which several relatively simple jobs are combined to form a job with a wider range of tasks.

Q: _____ enables a company to tap into raw calculating power, storage, software applications, and data from large data centers over the Internet. A. Grapevine communication B. Cloud computing C. M-commerce D. Intranet

Q: According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, individuals are motivated more by the extrinsic aspects of work when compared to the intrinsic rewards.

Q: "Hey Danny, did you know the new girl in HR is Jack's sister?" Identify the flow of organizational communication in this example. A. Downward vertical communication B. Upward vertical communication C. Horizontal communication D. Grapevine communication

Q: Job extension refers to empowering workers by adding more decision-making authority to their jobs.

Q: "Hi, Sam, how are you? How did you like our new product range?" Identify the flow of organizational communication in this example. A. Downward vertical communication B. Upward vertical communication C. Horizontal communication D. Grapevine communication

Q: In the Job Characteristics Model, task significance defines the degree to which a job requires completing a "whole" piece of work from beginning to end.

Q: "Dharma, can I have Jones in my office in 15 minutes? Please ask him to bring the quarterly report along." Identify the flow of organizational communication in this example. A. Downward vertical communication B. Upward vertical communication C. Horizontal communication D. Grapevine communication

Q: Industrial engineering provides the best way to motivate employees by adding meaning to their jobs.

Q: "Hi, Chris, I have completed writing the minutes of the meeting and have kept it on your desk. Please let me know if I have to correct any part of it." Identify the flow of organizational communication in this example. A. Downward vertical communication B. Upward vertical communication C. Horizontal communication D. Grapevine communication

Q: The grapevine is _____. A. also called upward communication B. best used for downward vertical communication C. the informal vehicle through which messages flow throughout an organization D. a useless organizational reality

Q: Job design is the process of defining how work will be performed and what tasks will be required in a given job.

Q: _____ communication does not follow the chain of command. A. Vertical B. Upward C. Downward D. Horizontal

Q: Jobs that have survived the downsizing of recession tend to have a narrower scope of responsibilities coupled with increased supervision.

Q: _____, often called lateral communication, is the flow of information between colleagues and peers. A. Vertical communication B. Downward communication C. Grapevine communication D. Horizontal communication

Q: The expanded use of "project-based" organizational structures has reduced the need for analysis of work flows.

Q: _____ follows the chain of command and is recognized as official. A. Vertical communication B. Informal communication C. Horizontal communication D. Grapevine communication

Q: The Fleishman Job Analysis System asks subject-matter experts to evaluate a job in terms of the abilities required to perform the job.

Q: _____ refers to the way managers design their firm to achieve the organization's mission and goals. A. Organizational temperament B. Organizational structure C. Organizational communication D. Organizational support

Q: The Position Analysis Questionnaire (PAQ) is meant to be completed by job incumbents.

Q: Reassuring statements paraphrase feelings back to the person.

Q: The Occupational Information Network relies on fixed job titles and narrow task descriptions to describe the occupational requirements.

Q: To listen with empathy does not mean you have to agree with the person.

Q: To calm emotional people, we must encourage them to be logical.

Q: In a job specification, a skill refers to a general enduring capability that an individual possesses.

Q: Emotional labor requires the expression of feeling through desired behavior.

Q: Feelings are neither right nor wrong, but behavior is.

Q: The tasks, duties, and responsibilities (TDRs) of a job are non-observable actions.

Q: If the receiver is reluctant to accept a message, the laissez-faire communication style may be appropriate.

Q: Job analysis can only be performed by certified external analysts of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Q: When you have all the information you need, the autocratic communication style may be appropriate.

Q: Jobs that involve teamwork or broad responsibility tend to require a structure based on functions.

Q: Consultative communication style demonstrates low task-high relationship behavior, responding with open elicitation, some initiation, and little presentation.