Test Bank For
Communicating at Work, 14th Edition 2027 Ronald B. Adler
Chapters 1-12
Chapter 1
1. Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement?
A. William Schaffer, International Business Development Manager for Sun Microsystems has stated, "If there's
one skill that's required for success in this industry, it's communication skills."
B. There is a significant difference between communication skills of physicians with and without malpractice
claims.
C. Workers in high-tech fields do not need good communication skills.
D. Poor communication is one of the most common reasons for errors in shooting among officers of the Los
Angeles Police Department.
2. Which of the following is NOT true about individuals communicating in today's organizations?
A. Many recruiters believe that the main factors contributing to job success in corporate America are the ability
to work with others and effective communication skills.
B. More than 60% of reported medical errors have been attributed to poor communication.
C. The average business executive spends more than 45 minutes to an hour communicating.
D. Due to advanced technology, good communication skills are less important in the 21st century than in they
were in the 20th century.
3. A degree in communication is good preparation for a career in all of the following fields EXCEPT:
A. Publishing.
B. Organizational affairs.
C. Government affairs.
D. Communication is good preparation for a career in all of these fields.
4. When your text states that communication is unavoidable, it means that
A. if you're absent from a meeting, you are not communicating at all.
B. all communication is unintentional.
C. people will probably attach meaning to your actions, even when you don't intend to communicate something.
D. true communication occurs only when we are face to face with another person.
5. According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. You cannot not communicate.
B. Most communicators at work send more messages than they receive.
C. It is possible to take back a message after another person has received it.
D. Chronological context has little to do with successful communication.
,6. Which of the following is NOT identified in your text as a strategic goal?
A. Relational communication
B. Unintended communication
C. Instrumental communication
D. Identity management
7. The text identifies three goals of strategic messages. During office meetings, Sara expresses her respect for
her boss by listening attentively, nodding, and taking notes. Through her actions, Sara is illustrating a
__________ message.
A. sequential message
B. content message
C. relational message
D. structured message
8. All of the following are true about strategic communication EXCEPT
A. Our messages include both instrumental and relational aspects.
B. It is unethical to use communication strategies to achieve our goals.
C. It is possible to communicate strategically, while still respecting others' rights and needs.
D. Identity management involves purposefully trying to make a certain type of impression through our
communication.
9. Communication is
A. irreversible.
B. reversible.
C. avoidable.
D. a panacea
10. If you make a harsh and unkind comment to someone
A. he/she will forgive and forget, as long as you apologize later.
B. you can erase the unkind comment from their mind by giving the individual a compliment the next day.
C. he/she is likely to remember the comment for a long time.
D. your unkind comment will have little impact if it occurred during an argument, because unkind behavior is
expected in that context.
11. Which of the following statements describes communication most accurately?
A. When we experience a misunderstanding, better communication can always solve the problem.
B. The meaning of every message we send is affected by the communication context.
C. Fortunately, if we have hurt someone's feelings by our words, we can erase all bad feelings by apologizing.
D. Honest people will not face ethical challenges as they communicate at work.
,12. Your text states that communication is a process. This means that
A. to understand communication, we need to examine the context in which it occurs.
B. effective communication is efficient.
C. every message we send is an isolated event.
D. communication is avoidable.
13. Georgia believes that she will get what she wants if she simply communicates in the "correct" way. Which
of the principles of communication does Georgia fail to understand?
A. One cannot not communicate.
B. Communication is irreversible.
C. Communication is unavoidable.
D. Communication is not a panacea.
14. Which of the following describes most accurately the potential of effective communication?
A. If you develop good communication skills, you can get what you want all the time.
B. If you spend enough time communicating with someone about a misunderstanding, you‘ll always be able to
find a solution that you both like.
C. If you improve your communication skills, you can increase your effectiveness in personal and business
relationships.
D. If two people understand each other's messages, they will never disagree.
15. Which of the following is NOT one of the elements of the communication process described in the text?
A. noise
B. topic
C. channel
D. feedback
16. In the Model of Communication, the "sender" refers to a person who is
A. encoding ideas into words or nonverbals.
B. interpreting words and gestures.
C. buying a stamp for a letter.
D. bilingual.
17. The activity of selecting words and/or nonverbals to express your ideas is known as
A. feedback.
B. context.
C. encoding.
D. decoding.
, 18. "Channels" of communication are defined as
A. gestures.
B. digitized messages.
C. significant gaps in understanding.
D. methods used to deliver a message.
19. Fatima asks "What time will the meeting start?" Fatima's words are an example of a
A. channel.
B. decoding.
C. message.
D. context.
20. ____________ refers to the words a person uses to communicate ideas.
A. The message
B. Nonverbal communication
C. Physical noise
D. The channel
21. The role of the receiver is to
A. send messages
B. attach meaning to words they hear
C. encode messages
D. act as a messenger
22. When an individual attaches meaning to the message he/she receives, which of the following components of
the communication process has occurred?
A. encoding
B. decoding
C. channeling
D. transmission
23. Which of the following would NOT provide feedback to the sender?
A. deciding not to answer a phone message from your ex-girlfriend
B. browsing through a company's catalog to see what styles of shoes they offer
C. falling asleep during a boring meeting
D. sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in response to an article the paper published
Communicating at Work, 14th Edition 2027 Ronald B. Adler
Chapters 1-12
Chapter 1
1. Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement?
A. William Schaffer, International Business Development Manager for Sun Microsystems has stated, "If there's
one skill that's required for success in this industry, it's communication skills."
B. There is a significant difference between communication skills of physicians with and without malpractice
claims.
C. Workers in high-tech fields do not need good communication skills.
D. Poor communication is one of the most common reasons for errors in shooting among officers of the Los
Angeles Police Department.
2. Which of the following is NOT true about individuals communicating in today's organizations?
A. Many recruiters believe that the main factors contributing to job success in corporate America are the ability
to work with others and effective communication skills.
B. More than 60% of reported medical errors have been attributed to poor communication.
C. The average business executive spends more than 45 minutes to an hour communicating.
D. Due to advanced technology, good communication skills are less important in the 21st century than in they
were in the 20th century.
3. A degree in communication is good preparation for a career in all of the following fields EXCEPT:
A. Publishing.
B. Organizational affairs.
C. Government affairs.
D. Communication is good preparation for a career in all of these fields.
4. When your text states that communication is unavoidable, it means that
A. if you're absent from a meeting, you are not communicating at all.
B. all communication is unintentional.
C. people will probably attach meaning to your actions, even when you don't intend to communicate something.
D. true communication occurs only when we are face to face with another person.
5. According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. You cannot not communicate.
B. Most communicators at work send more messages than they receive.
C. It is possible to take back a message after another person has received it.
D. Chronological context has little to do with successful communication.
,6. Which of the following is NOT identified in your text as a strategic goal?
A. Relational communication
B. Unintended communication
C. Instrumental communication
D. Identity management
7. The text identifies three goals of strategic messages. During office meetings, Sara expresses her respect for
her boss by listening attentively, nodding, and taking notes. Through her actions, Sara is illustrating a
__________ message.
A. sequential message
B. content message
C. relational message
D. structured message
8. All of the following are true about strategic communication EXCEPT
A. Our messages include both instrumental and relational aspects.
B. It is unethical to use communication strategies to achieve our goals.
C. It is possible to communicate strategically, while still respecting others' rights and needs.
D. Identity management involves purposefully trying to make a certain type of impression through our
communication.
9. Communication is
A. irreversible.
B. reversible.
C. avoidable.
D. a panacea
10. If you make a harsh and unkind comment to someone
A. he/she will forgive and forget, as long as you apologize later.
B. you can erase the unkind comment from their mind by giving the individual a compliment the next day.
C. he/she is likely to remember the comment for a long time.
D. your unkind comment will have little impact if it occurred during an argument, because unkind behavior is
expected in that context.
11. Which of the following statements describes communication most accurately?
A. When we experience a misunderstanding, better communication can always solve the problem.
B. The meaning of every message we send is affected by the communication context.
C. Fortunately, if we have hurt someone's feelings by our words, we can erase all bad feelings by apologizing.
D. Honest people will not face ethical challenges as they communicate at work.
,12. Your text states that communication is a process. This means that
A. to understand communication, we need to examine the context in which it occurs.
B. effective communication is efficient.
C. every message we send is an isolated event.
D. communication is avoidable.
13. Georgia believes that she will get what she wants if she simply communicates in the "correct" way. Which
of the principles of communication does Georgia fail to understand?
A. One cannot not communicate.
B. Communication is irreversible.
C. Communication is unavoidable.
D. Communication is not a panacea.
14. Which of the following describes most accurately the potential of effective communication?
A. If you develop good communication skills, you can get what you want all the time.
B. If you spend enough time communicating with someone about a misunderstanding, you‘ll always be able to
find a solution that you both like.
C. If you improve your communication skills, you can increase your effectiveness in personal and business
relationships.
D. If two people understand each other's messages, they will never disagree.
15. Which of the following is NOT one of the elements of the communication process described in the text?
A. noise
B. topic
C. channel
D. feedback
16. In the Model of Communication, the "sender" refers to a person who is
A. encoding ideas into words or nonverbals.
B. interpreting words and gestures.
C. buying a stamp for a letter.
D. bilingual.
17. The activity of selecting words and/or nonverbals to express your ideas is known as
A. feedback.
B. context.
C. encoding.
D. decoding.
, 18. "Channels" of communication are defined as
A. gestures.
B. digitized messages.
C. significant gaps in understanding.
D. methods used to deliver a message.
19. Fatima asks "What time will the meeting start?" Fatima's words are an example of a
A. channel.
B. decoding.
C. message.
D. context.
20. ____________ refers to the words a person uses to communicate ideas.
A. The message
B. Nonverbal communication
C. Physical noise
D. The channel
21. The role of the receiver is to
A. send messages
B. attach meaning to words they hear
C. encode messages
D. act as a messenger
22. When an individual attaches meaning to the message he/she receives, which of the following components of
the communication process has occurred?
A. encoding
B. decoding
C. channeling
D. transmission
23. Which of the following would NOT provide feedback to the sender?
A. deciding not to answer a phone message from your ex-girlfriend
B. browsing through a company's catalog to see what styles of shoes they offer
C. falling asleep during a boring meeting
D. sending a letter to the editor of your local newspaper in response to an article the paper published
