Business Communication (MB121) April 2004 - 1.1

Question Paper
Business Communication (MB121)
• Answer all questions.
• Each question carries one mark.
1. Whether you are speaking, writing, or listening, communication is more than a single act. Instead, it is
a chain of events that can be broken into different phases. The phases are (in order)
(a) Sender, encoding, message, channel, receiver, decoding and feedback
(b) Sender, message, encoding, channel, receiver, decoding and feedback
(c) Sender, channel, encoding, message, receiver, decoding and feedback
(d) Sender, channel, message, encoding, receiver, feedback and decoding
(e) Message, sender, encoding, message, receiver, feedback and decoding.
(1 mark)
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2. Nonverbal communication behaviors include
(a) Twitching, scratching, rolling your eyes
(b) Secret notes passed between fellow workers
(c) Intrapersonal dialog
(d) Sending an Email response to an irate customer
(e) Reports, Memos and Letters.
(1 mark)
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3. If we want to emphasize the good news in the reply message, it is advisable to place the news in or after
(a) The beginning (b) The middle
(c) The end (d) An explanation (e) A long
sentence.
(1 mark)
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4. In a closing paragraph in a routine inquiry message, you should have
(a) A question (b) An explanation
(c) A promise to buy (d) A friendly comment
(e) None of the above.
(1 mark)
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5. The main lines of operational communication through which information flows are referred to as
(a) Informal networks (b) Primary networks
(c) Formal networks (d) External networks
(e) Personal networks.
(1 mark)
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6. The best advice for a manager concerning how to deal with the grapevine is to
(a) Ignore it (b) Convert it into a formal network
(c) Ridicule it at every opportunity (d) Eliminate it
(e) Keep in touch with it and use it.
(1 mark)
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7. Which of the following statements is true?
(a) It is advisable to ask close-ended questions when the interviewer wants precise information on a
specific issue
(b) It is advisable to ask open-ended questions when the interviewer wants precise information on
specific issue
(c) It is advisable to ask close-ended questions when the interviewer wants to explore the breadth and
depth of potential information
(d) It is advisable to ask close-ended questions when interviewer wants to provide the opportunity for
respondent to reveal feelings and information
(e) It is advisable to ask open-ended questions when interviewer wants to save time.
(1 mark)
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8. Reconciling differences among group members through meditation or by using humor to relieve tension
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refers to
(a) Initiating (b) Compromising
(c) Harmonizing (d) Diverting (e) Encouraging.
(1 mark)
9. Which of the following statements is not true?
(a) Smiling while talking on the telephone has no impact on how one may sound
(b) Body language, facial expressions, and vocal characteristics are easier to control than words
(c) Eye contact is so important in face to face communication that averting one’s gaze can lead
audience to find negative meaning even in a message with positive wording
(d) In business communication, physical gestures can reinforce words
(e) We need to work at developing effective listening skills for success in business.
(1 mark)
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10. There are many barriers to free flow of communication. Egotism, defensiveness, hostility,
preoccupation, fear are some of the examples of
(a) Disruption (b) Physiological noise
(c) Normal noise (d) Grimacing
(e) Psychological noise.
(1 mark)
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11. Which of the following statements are true regarding compromising approach to the conflict
resolution?
I. A compromise is best when the goals of both parties are important but not worth pushing too hard
to achieve
II. A compromise is best when you have to protect yourself against those who would take advantage
of a more cooperative approach
III. A compromise is best when a quick solution is the need of the hour
IV. A compromise is best when a long-term relationship between the parties is important.
(a) Both (I) and (II) above (b) Both (II) and (III) above
(c) Both (III) and (IV) above (d) Both (I) and (III) above
(e) All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above.
(1 mark)
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12. In which of these sentences are commas correctly used?
(a) The report is due on March 17, 1999, in the Dayton, Ohio, office
(b) The report of course will be due on March 17 in Dayton, Ohio
(c) The report however, is due on March 17th, 1999 in the Dayton, Ohio, office
(d) The report is due on March 17, 1999 in the Dayton, Ohio office
(e) However the report is not due in Dayton, Ohio until March 17.
(1 mark)
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13. There are many obstructions to the free flow of the communication in an organization. These
obstructions are termed as barriers to communication. What does semantic barriers mean?
(a) Obstructions occurring due to the channel used
(b) Obstructions occurring due to the physical environment
(c) Obstructions occurring due to the psychological makeup of the receiver
(d) Obstructions occurring due to the faulty perception of the receiver
(e) Obstructions occurring due to the language used.
(1 mark)
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14. In which of the following types of Resumes are the skills, accomplishments, employment given in the
first section and academic experience in subordinate sections?
(a) Chronological Resume
(b) Technical Resume
(c) Functional Resume
(d) Combination of chronological & functional resume
(e) Divisional resume.
(1 mark)
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15. There are three types of meetings which are usually conducted. Which of the following meetings is
focused on passing on message regarding recent developments to the employees?
(a) Change-facilitating meetings (b) Problem solving meetings
(c) Informational meetings (d) Extraordinary meetings
(e) Routine meetings.
(1 mark)
16. There are many approaches to manage conflicts. What is the approach in which, focus is on satisfying
both the parties to the greatest degree?
(a) Avoiding (b) Competing
(c) Accommodating (d) Collaborating (e) Compromising.
(1 mark)
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17. Which of the following is generally a brief, accurate record of the business transacted at the previous
meeting?
(a) Minutes (b) Agenda (c) Memoirs (d) Notice (e)
Appendix.
(1 mark)
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18. In letter writing, the deductive approach is generally used when the audience are expected to be
I. Pleased II. Receptive
III. Displeased IV. Annoyed
(a) Both (I) and (II) above (b) Both (I) and (III) above
(c) Only (III) above (d) Both (II) and (III) above
(e) Both (III) and (IV) above.
(1 mark)
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19. Which of the following is the phase in the communication process that allows you to evaluate the
effectiveness of your message?
(a) Transmission (b) Feedback (c) Reception (d) Decoding (e)
Encoding.
(1 mark)
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20. Non-verbal clues indicating a lack of understanding include
(a) Constant interruptions from the receiver(s)
(b) Nods and smiles that are not directly connected to what you are saying
(c) Constant questions from the receiver(s)
(d) Non-verbal communication indicating appreciation
(e) All of the above.
(1 mark)
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21. The way people see and interpret reality is known as
(a) Prejudice (b) Perception
(c) Nonverbal message (d) Inference (e) Attitude.
(1 mark)
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22. Eye contact, posture and body positioning are all parts of
(a) Polemics (b) Kinesics (c) Chronemics (d) Para-language (e)
Semantics.
(1 mark)
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23. In the format of a business/formal letter, where does the date come?
(a) Precedes the body of the letter
(b) Double space below the salutation
(c) Six lines below the last line of the letterhead
(d) Succeeds the body of the letter
(e) Double space below the signature block.
(1 mark)
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24. The form of communication that includes memos, reports, and forms is
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(a) Oral communication (b) Written communication
(c) Informal communication (d) Electronic communication
(e) Formal communication.
(1 mark)
25. In which of the following approaches to conflict, competing is advisable?
(a) When you perceive that you have no chance of satisfying your concerns
(b) When two parties with equal power are committed to mutually exclusive goals
(c) A long-term relationship between the parties is important
(d) When you have to protect yourself against those who would take advantage of a more cooperative
approach
(e) When the goals of both parties are important but not worth pushing too hard to achieve.
(1 mark)
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26. Many people are poor listeners, because they are overly concerned with themselves. This concern, a
barrier to listening is termed as
(a) Casual attitude (b) Preoccupation
(c) Discriminative listening (d) Prejudice (e) Egocentrism.
(1 mark)
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27. In an organization, communication flows in upward direction, downward direction and in lateral
direction. Which of the following is not an objective of downward communication?
(a) To give job instructions
(b) To provide information about procedures and practice
(c) To provide motivation to the workers
(d) To request for a leave
(e) To give training.
(1 mark)
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28. The most general statement of the speech is called “core statement” and the least general statements are
called
(a) Main points (b) Sub points (c) Trivial points
(d) Extra points (e) Ordinary points.
(1 mark)
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29. The term used to refer to factors that interfere with the exchange of messages
(a) Grapevine (b) Noise
(c) Network (d) Encoding (e) None of the
above.
(1 mark)
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30. To physically transmit a message, you select a communication channel. The channel is a means to
convey the message. When is it advisable to use an oral channel?
(a) When feedback is not immediately needed
(b) When it is necessary to convey a large amount of data
(c) When immediate feedback is necessary
(d) When the sender shares a comfortable relationship with the receiver
(e) When the sender does not want to leave a proof.
(1 mark)
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31. Negotiating cannot be learned by following a prepackaged set of principles because
I. People are not always rational or predictable
II. People are often dictatorial
III. People are not often superstitious
(a) Only (I) above (b) Both (I) and (II) above
(c) Both (I) and (III) above (d) Both (II) and (III) above
(e) All (I), (II) and (III) above.
(1 mark)
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32. Paying attention to what is being said and trying to understand the full message is
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(a) Listening (b) Hearing
(c) Giving feedback, but not listening (d) Having stereotyped
perceptions
(e) Halo error.
(1 mark)
33. Something you need to study before beginning to write a sales message is
(a) What the product will do
(b) Exactly what is included in the service
(c) The customers' economic status and education
(d) The customers' age and culture
(e) All of the above.
(1 mark)
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34. The successful working of a group depends to a great extent on its ability to meet the expectations of its
members. Which of the following factors does this represent?
(a) Size of the group
(b) Longevity of the group
(c) Perception and self-concept of the group members
(d) Leadership of the group
(e) Status of the group.
(1 mark)
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35. The general plan for a sales messages follows the AIDA structure, which means
(a) Attention, interest, desire, and action
(b) Ambiguity, intellect, drive, and attention
(c) Analyze, invite, dictate, and alert
(d) Address, interest, dominate, and alert
(e) Appeal, identify, direct, and accommodate.
(1 mark)
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36. The study of the non-verbal symbols is divided into three main areas: paralanguage, proxemics, and
kinesics. What does proxemics mean?
(a) A study of the tone of voice, the loudness, rate of speech, etc.,
(b) A study of how people use the physical space around them
(c) A study of body moments and facial expressions
(d) A study of how particular words have an impact on the receivers
(e) None of the above.
(1 mark)
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37. Which of the following is suited for presenting information through description of physical
relationships or procedures?
(a) Pie chart (b) Table (c) Bar graph (d) Flowchart (e) Scatter
diagram.
(1 mark)
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38. There are three letter formats that are usually used for writing commercial letters. Two of the formats
are Block, Modified block. Which of the following is the third one?
(a) Simplified block (b) Complicated block
(c) Stretched block (d) Structured block (e) Common block.
(1 mark)
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39. If your audience do not know you, what do you need to do in the initial portion of your message to earn
their confidence?
(a) Gain credibility (b) Announce your name
(c) Use a friendly opening sentence (d) State your points and present your evidence
(e) Make a few humorous statements.
(1 mark)
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40. There are many ways in which organizational communication flows. In which of the following,
communication flows between the units or individuals of the same hierarchical level?
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(a) Lateral communication (b) Informal communication
(c) Upward communication (d) Downward communication
(e) Formal communication.
(1 mark)
41. When an employee asks a question or reports a problem to his or her supervisor, this is an example of
which direction of communication?
(a) Grapevine (b) Lateral (c) Downward
(d) Upward (e) None of the above.
(1 mark)
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42. People often put an invisible boundary between themselves and others. This is called the personal
feature space. What is the zone, which is within the radius of 18 inches around a person and is reserved
for close relations and friends
(a) Intimate zone (b) Personal zone (c) Social zone (d) Public zone (e) Closed
zone.
(1 mark)
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43. Here the speaker wants the audience to agree with the proposition that brand x coolers are better than
brand y coolers. His speech goes like this
Introduction
I. By the end of this month we have to make a decision about the coolers to be installed.
II. We have two alternatives available cooler x and y
Statement of proposition: Cooler x is superior to cooler y
Body
I. cooler x is cheaper
II. Cooler x has state of the art technology
III. Cooler x is highly portable
Conclusion
I hope you will give a careful consideration to cooler x.
Which structure does the speaker follow while organizing the speech in the above example?
(a) Inductive (b) Spatial (c) Chronological (d) Topical (e)
Deductive.
(2 marks)
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44. When a letter is written for something, to which the writer thinks he/she is entitled, the letter is called a
claim letter. A response to the claim letter is termed as
(a) Good news letter (b) Routine letter (c) Adjustment letter
(d) Commercial letter (e) Return letter.
(1 mark)
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45. By evaluating the words, facial expressions, and behavior of the receivers, the supervisor is using which
of the following communication techniques?
(a) Overcoming communication barriers
(b) Using strategies for effective listening
(c) Learning from feedback
(d) Encoding and decoding properly
(e) Understanding semantics.
(1 mark)
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46. Visual aids help communicate the subject matter more vividly; these tools can attract and hold the
attention of the audience. Which type of visual aid is suggestible to present the data about the
percentage of people who possess Mercedes Benz cars out of the potential car customers in Hyderabad?
(a) Pie diagram (b) Gantt chart (c) Bar chart
(d) Line graph (e) None of the above.
(2 marks)
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47. To promote the listener’s comprehension of your ideas, and to maintain attention at a high level, you
should organize the body of your speech into meaningful patterns. It is advisable to use spatial pattern
(a) When you want to present the effects resulting from various causes
(b) When you want to explain the processes, in presentation of historic events, and in relating
personal experiences
(c) When you want to present speeches describing a scene, a location, or a geographical distribution
(d) When you want to present several facts of a topic that are obviously related and consistent with
the subject of the speech
(e) None of the above.
(1 mark)
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48. Neena sells computer systems. One client, Murty specifically tells her that he knows little about
computers and that he needs a system for his office. Neena knows exactly the right computer for Murty
that is currently on sale at a good price. She immediately steers Murty to the system she has in mind,
saying “I think you will like this system, Murty, it is very popular, it has a 60mhz 486 microprocessor,
8 mb of RAM, all you will ever need. It comes loaded with software, even has a math comprocessor.
Of course, if you like, you could start with a 4 mb system that’s fully expandable…”
“Wow, Neena,” Murty replied, “may be I need to think about this some more.” To himself, he thought,
“I think I will call Vijay and ask him where he bought his computer.”
In the given situation Neena failed to make the sale because
(a) Computer was not up to the expectations of Murty
(b) May be price offered by Neena is not good
(c) Neena failed to understand Murty’s needs and confused him with her sales pitch
(d) Murty did not make up his mind to buy computer
(e) None of the above.
(2 marks)
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49. Many elements are to be included while writing a report. Which of the following elements contains a
brief technical summary?
(a) Letter of transmittal (b) Table of contents
(c) Abstract (d) Executive summary
(e) List of illustrations.
(1 mark)
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50. Which of the following is the ‘core statement’
I. “Andhra Pradesh is experiencing a sharp increase in petrol consumption”
II. “It is increasing in the south”
III. “Petrol consumption is increasing in all parts of India”
IV. “Petrol pumps in Hyderabad and surrounding areas report a 52% increase in sales volume”
V. “The Deccan Chronicle reports that central Andhra Pradesh is witnessing an increase in the
number of new petrol pumps.
(a) (I) only (b) (I) and (II) above (c) (III) only
(d) (III) and (IV) above (e) (IV) and (V) above.
(2 marks)