Managerial Effectiveness ñ I (MB121): April 2006

Question Paper
Managerial Effectiveness ñ I (MB121): April 2006

• Answer all questions.
• Marks are indicated against each question.
1. There are many ways of experiencing the world around us. How we experience the inputs from the
environment around us depends on many factors like, our previous experience, education, family
background etc.
If we have the ability to experience the world around us from another person’s perspective, the ability is
termed as
(a) Credibility (b) Empathy (c) Cognitive dissonance (d) Context (e) Sympathy.
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2. Communication researchers have found that nonverbal signals have more impact in conveying the
meaning than verbal content.
Nonverbal communication functions in many ways to convey meaning. When a sales manager whispers
a secret to sales representatives during a training session, she is using nonverbal communication to
(a) Complement and illustrate (b) Reinforce and accentuate
(c) Replace and substitute (d) Control and regulate
(e) Replace and regulate.
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3. Listening is one process and remembering what you have listened to is another process. According to a
study, the average listening efficiency rate is only 25 percent. Immediately after a ten-minute
presentation, a normal listener can recall only 50 percent of the information conveyed. After 24 hours
the recall level is only 25 percent.
To help you remember important information, you should develop relevant acronyms, links, or rhymes.
When your boss is giving you the instructions regarding the new machine, as to how to operate it, how
to service it etc., you should
(a) Take selective notes and then revise your notes immediately
(b) Take selective notes and then put your notes away for a day or two so that you can review them
with a fresh eye
(c) Take selective notes and then revise your notes immediately and verify them with the speaker
(d) Rely on your memory (which is probably smarter than relying on notes)
(e) No notes but listen attentively.
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4. There are many ways to send documents. Conventionally people used to send printed documents. With
the advent of various electronic instruments, like fax, e-mail etc., speed of sending documents has
increased and slowly these electronic documents are replacing the sending of printed documents. But
these electronic documents have some disadvantages. Which of the following is one of them?
(a) Low availability (b) Risk to data security and integrity
(c) Distribution time is more (d) Cost is high
(e) Maintenance is difficult.
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5. A skillful manager will attempt to say “no” in such a way that the reader supports the decision and is
willing to maintain and continue a positive relationship with the company. What kind of a closing
should a bad-news message use?
(a) A cordial closing
(b) An apologetic closing
(c) An indifferent closing
(d) A negative closing that matches with the bad-news content of the message
(e) A critical closing.
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6. While talking to one of your friends, you observed the following facial expressions in his face. The
inner corners of the eyebrows are raised and drawn together. The corners of the lips are drawn down or
the lips appear to tremble. What does the above said expression signify?
(a) Surprise (b) Happiness (c) Sadness (d) Disgust (e) Fear.
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7. As a communication expert put it: “Awareness of the more subtle voice characteristics, such as
pleasantness, especially in combination with voice qualifiers, can do much to help individuals and
organizations improve communication. Think, for instance, how much a company’s image can be
helped by a receptionist who sounds, both in person and over the telephone, ‘pleasant’, ‘confident’ and
‘competent’. The given example can be described by which of the following components of
paralanguage?
(a) Voice qualifiers (b) Vocal characteristics (c) Voice pitch
(d) Rhythm (e) Pronunciation and enunciation.
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8. Communication is essential for the functioning of an organization. Everyday a vast amount of
information flows from managers to employees, employees to managers and from employees to
employees. If a company’s formal communication network limits the flow of information
(a) Superiors do not have to be burdened with flow of communication from subordinates
(b) Only the people at the top of the chain of command see “The big picture”
(c) Lower-level employees will feel relieved because of less communication load
(d) Effectiveness of organizational communication improves
(e) Communication channels in the organization work efficiently since, less communication passes
through.
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9. When we hear, we only perceive sounds, but when we listen, this hearing is accompanied by a
deliberate and purposeful act of the mind. While listening, if we think, we must defend our position; we
already know what others have to say and how we are coming through? Which of the following barriers
are we encountering?
(a) Selective perception (b) Prejudice (c) Preoccupation
(d) Stereotyping (e) Egocentrism.
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10. Groups form to accomplish some objectives. The objectives may be to complete some kind of task or it
may be to strengthen interpersonal relationships between group members. Which of the following is not
a part of the reflective thinking developed by John Dewey?
(a) Problem identification (b) Problem analysis
(c) Nominal group technique (d) Criteria selection (e) Solution
generation.
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11. Which of the following statements is not true?
(a) Teams can help organizations succeed by increasing information and knowledge, diversity of
views, acceptance of solutions, and performance levels
(b) Groupthink contributes to good decision making by members of teams
(c) The key to conducting productive meetings is carefully planning the purpose, participants,
location, and agenda of the meeting
(d) A good meeting is not a series of dialogues between individual members and the meeting leader
(e) People’s minds tend to wander because they can think faster than they can speak.
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12. The importance of effective bad-news communication is illustrated by the story of a man who carried in
his coat pocket a job-refusal letter he had received from a company some years ago. He would
frequently show the superbly written letter to others and comment, “I would accept a job from this
company any day because this letter made me feel good about myself even though the company could
not hire me.” When possible, which of the following is good refusal strategy?
(a) Be definite by use of words such as no, not, cannot, and refuse
(b) Show regret or apologize
(c) Refuse in a position of emphasis
(d) Tell what you can do
(e) Be deliberately vague.
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13. Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording?
(a) "Given the parameters of the situation, the most propitious choice would be to make adjustments
in certain budget areas"
(b) "We need to cut the operating budget by 12 percent or profits will plummet"
(c) "Someone's going to need to do some budget cutting around here or heads will roll"
(d) "Perusal of budgetary figures reveals that a 12 percent reduction in operations is called for if we
are to stave off a negative impact on profits"
(e) “We need to tread cautiously if we were to better our fortunes”.
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14. An interview is a goal-oriented, interpersonal communication between an interviewer and a respondent.
The style and structure of an interview depend on its purpose and on the relationship between the two
parties involved. What is an employment interview?
(a) A formal meeting at which both employer and applicant ask questions and exchange information
to determine their suitability for each other
(b) Is a formal meeting at which only the employer asks questions and the applicant provides answers
(c) An informal meeting at which the employer asks questions and the applicant provides answers to
demonstrate his or her suitability for the organization
(d) Is like a meeting with an employment counselor during which you exchange information about
your professional interests and goals
(e) A formal meeting where employer advertises about the organization.
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15. Look at these sentences: “You never come to office on time.” And “Since you have been coming in late,
I have had to make a lot of excuses whenever the Director asks for you. I am uncomfortable with that.”
Which of the following is true?
(a) First sentence sounds descriptive and evokes defensive reaction, second sentence sounds
judgmental
(b) First sentence sounds judgmental and evokes defensive reaction and second sentence is descriptive
(c) Both the sentences are judgmental and evoke defensive reaction
(d) Both the sentences are descriptive and do not evoke defensive reaction
(e) Both the sentences are descriptive and evoke defensive reaction.
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16. When we hear, we only perceive sounds, but when we listen, this hearing is accompanied by a
deliberate and purposeful act of the mind. What are the three most crucial barriers to effective listening?
(a) Lack of judgment, lack of self-control, and lack of interest
(b) Judgment, self-centeredness, and selective listening
(c) Much listening, too many interests, and lack of self-control
(d) Dislike for the speaker, a difficult topic, and a shortage of time
(e) Fear of the speaker, lack of knowledge, and inconvenient timings.
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17. Recent studies that focus on the workplace show that, on an average, personnel at all levels spend about
32.7% of their time listening, while speaking takes up 25.8% of their time and writing 22.6%. Top
executives spend even more time listening than other employees. Mr. Sharma is the in-charge for
preparing advertisements for Khan Ltd. In an advertisement presentation to a top management team, by
Sharma for a new product launch, Murty, one of the members of the management team requests for
more details. Here Murty is involved in which of the following stages of listening process?
(a) Retention (b) Action (c) Involvement (d) Evaluation (e) Feedback.
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18. Business correspondence is one of the most common forms of communication. It is so common that
people often neglect to write letters carefully, and as a result, inadvertently antagonize customers,
business partners, and potential clients. How can one write an “effective” business letter?
(a) By conveying the subject to the intended audience in most concise way
(b) By conveying the subject to the intended audience in most emotional way
(c) By conveying the subject to the intended audience in such a way that the writer’s purpose is
achieved
(d) By conveying the subject to the intended audience in a most economical way
(e) By using an attractive material.
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19. The ability to communicate bad news as delicately and clearly as possible is an essential business skill.
A skillful manager will attempt to say “no” in such a way that the reader supports the decision and is
willing to maintain and continue a positive relationship with the company. Using the passive voice
makes sense when
(a) You want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error
(b) You want your sentence to be easier to understand
(c) You need to make your sentences shorter
(d) You want to emphasize the subject
(e) You want to display your authority.
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20. The content of a memo should depend on its objectives. These objectives will help determine the type
of memo that should be used: request, confirmation, periodic report, ideas and suggestions or informal
study results. Memos that convey bad news need to be written
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(a) Inductively (b) Apologetically (c) Ambiguously
(d) Quickly (e) Doubtfully.
21. The “elements” of a report refer to those components that are usually included in a formal business
report. Which of the following is the element that introduces the purpose and content of the report to
the principal reader?
(a) Title page and title fly (b) Abstract
(c) Letter of transmittal (d) Executive summary
(e) Glossary and list of symbols.
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22. Nonverbal communication signals can completely alter the message that you communicate. In response
to an idea Srikanth states during a meeting, Vijay makes a "thumbs up" gesture. Vijay's action
(a) Controls and regulate the communication taking place
(b) Contradicts Srikanth's expressed idea
(c) Serves as a substitute for saying "I like your idea"
(d) Indicates that the idea is offensive
(e) Restricts the communication.
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23. “To be well prepared, you must know exactly how much you are willing to concede or compromise on
each factor. You must also have ready all the arguments you may need to justify your point of view.”
Which of the following elements of negotiation does this come under?
(a) Conduct (b) Understand the people involved
(c) Know your objectives (d) Know the rules and regulations
(e) Know yourself.
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24. Whether you are speaking, writing, or listening, communication is more than a single act. It is a chain of
events that can be broken into five phases with feedback as the last phase. Feedback is the receiver’s
response to a message; it can take a number of verbal and nonverbal forms. Which of the following is
not a good way to give constructive feedback?
(a) Focusing on particular behaviors; feedback should be specific rather than general
(b) Keeping feedback impersonal and job related
(c) Using "you" statements; make clear where the employee is wrong
(d) Making feedback well timed; there should be only a short interval between the recipient's behavior
and the feedback
(e) Focusing on the aspects the receiver can do something about.
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25. According to studies, average listening efficiency rate is only 25%. Immediately after a ten-minute
presentation, a normal listener can recall only 50% of the information conveyed. Which of the
following solutions cannot ensure effective listening?
(a) Thinking from speakers’ point of view (b) Adjusting the delivery
(c) Utilizing the feedback (d) Knowing the purpose
(e) Ensuring clarity.
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26. The channel is the means to convey the message. To physically transmit your message you select a
communication channel and medium. Which of the following demonstrates use of an inappropriate
communication channel?
(a) Janine prepares a long memo to explain a complicated new procedure to employees in her unit
(b) A supervisor sends an e-mail message to all employees announcing a company picnic
(c) A manager sends an e-mail message to an employee telling the employee he or she is being fired
(d) The lead operator on the assembly line orally lets his boss know about an equipment problem
(e) Mona invites one of her subordinates to congratulate him regarding his promotion.
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27. Without empathy for the audience’s feelings, it is hard to gain their cooperation or persuade them to
accept tough decisions. So, before composing a letter containing unpleasant news, always ask yourself,
“if I were the receiver of the message I am about to transmit, how would I react?” Which of the
following is a part of a negative message?
(a) Praise (b) Reasons (c) Evaluations (d) Solution (e) Congratulations.
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28. Which of the following statements are false?
I. Resumes should be modified to match the interests of different target employers.
II. Work experience is the strongest selling point in a resume at all times.
III. The chronological resume is not suitable for showing growth and career progression.
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IV. An electronic resume differs from a traditional resume in some significant ways. While traditional
resumes use action verbs, electronic resumes use nouns.
(a) Both (I) and (II) above (b) Both (I) and (IV) above
(c) Both (II) and (III) above (d) Both (II) and (IV) above
(e) Both (III) and (IV) above.
29. “The top staff in an organization may think that they always inform their subordinates in advance about
change, but only about half their subordinates may agree that their bosses communicate in advance
about change.” Which of the following best describes the difference?
(a) Perception (b) Empathy (c) Grapevine
(d) Vertical information flow (e) Horizontal information flow.
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30. A claim letter is a request for an adjustment. When writers ask for something to which they think they
are entitled (such as a refund, replacement, exchange, or payment for damages), the letter is called the
claim letter. What kind of communication channel is better for making a claim?
(a) A phone call
(b) A personal visit to the organization to which you are making the claim
(c) An e-mail
(d) A letter
(e) A fax.
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31. As in other persuasive letters, the primary purpose of a collection letter is to get action - in this case,
payment. A secondary goal is to maintain a customer’s goodwill. The following sentence “keep your
part of the agreement.” “send your check today”, is used in which of the stages of the collection series?
(a) Reminder (b) Appeal (c) Repeal (d) Inquiry (e) Urgency.
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32. Padmini was asked to prepare a six minute speech for presenting before her sociology class the
following week. She followed carefully the advice she had been given on preparing speech content.
She analyzed the audience and gathered material. Inspite of her preparation, her audience did not
respond with interest or enthusiasm. One listener remarked, “Padmini, you did not seem to be
interested in what you were saying, I had a hard time forcing myself to listen.” Which of the following
factors did Padmini not take care of?
(a) She did not put enough effort on putting attractive language
(b) She did not align her nonverbal communication
(c) She did not meet the emotional needs of the audience
(d) She did not analyze the audience properly
(e) She had an arrogant attitude.
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33. Communication among the members of a group leads to group decisions. If these decisions are to be
effective, a group’s members must be able to communicate freely and openly with all the other
members of the group. If communication fails that may lead to conflict. What should the leader of a
meeting do if a discussion lags?
(a) Call on those who have not yet spoken
(b) Introduce topics that are not on the meeting agenda
(c) End the meeting
(d) Ask the more talkative people to contribute more to the discussion
(e) Have some fun.
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34. Interview is primarily undertaken to accomplish a specific purpose, perhaps to obtain or provide
information, to solve a problem, or to persuade someone to undertake some action. The style and
structure of an interview depend on its purpose and on the relationship between the two parties
involved. Which of the following kinds of interview has the most chance of being led into rambling
conversation?
(a) Group interview (b) Stress interview (c) Open-ended interview
(d) Situational interview (e) Problem-solving interview.
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35. Conflicts are inevitable. Even the most amicable people get upset at times. Disagreements arise
because individuals see, hear, and interpret things differently. Which of the following is not a selforiented
role?
(a) Diverting (b) Attention seeking (c) Controlling
(d) Withdrawing (e) Harmonizing.
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36. To communicate your purpose effectively, you need to understand the audience. Which of the following
questions is least likely to help you analyze your audience?
(a) What channel is most cost efficient?
(b) How will the reader use the document?
(c) What will the reader’s initial reaction be to the message?
(d) How much information does your reader need?
(e) What is the educational level of your audience?
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37. Which of the following sentences is correct?
I. People usually who stay out of the sun have better skin and fewer chances of skin cancer.
II. People who usually stay out of the sun have better skin and fewer chances of skin cancer.
III. People who stay out of the sun usually have better skin and fewer chances of skin cancer.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Only (II) above
(c) Both (I) and (II) above (d) Both (I) and (III) above
(e) Both (II) and (III) above.
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38. When business people speak of reports, they are, in general, thinking of written, factual accounts that
objectively communicate information about some aspect of the business.
Report is a decision making tool for the managers. To make it useful for the same purpose, report
preparation should go through various steps.
If you have already collected the facts regarding a problem on which you are preparing a report, the
next step is to
(a) Write a report (b) Prepare graphics
(c) Interpret the findings (d) Determine the physical format
(e) Construct the bibliography.
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39. People often put an invisible boundary between themselves and others. Which of the following is the
distance one wants between oneself and other people in ordinary, non-intimate interchanges?
(a) Personal boundaries (b) Spatial arrangement
(c) Personal space (d) Feature space (e) Official space.
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40. 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 an
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.
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41. Visual aids help communicate the subject matter clearly. Imagine reading a paragraph of text
describing your company’s share of sales and your competitor’s share of sales in the region, it would be
unreadable and incomprehensible. If the same information were tabulated the information would not
only be crystal clear, it would also be easy for the reader to make the necessary comparisons of
differences in market share. To show correlations, all of the graphs/charts can be used except
I. Bar. II. Line. III. Pie.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Only (III) above
(c) Both (I) and (II) above (d) Both (II) and (III) above
(e) Both (I) and (III) above.
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42. We all know that a sentence can broadly be divided into two parts. In a sentence, which of the following
makes an assertion about or describes an action involving the subject?
(a) Noun (b) Predicate (c) Object (d) Verb (e) Adjunct.
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43. People listen for various purposes. Sometimes they listen because they enjoy what they are listening.
Depending on the purpose, a listener adopts various approaches. Which of the listening approaches,
entails supportive behavior that tells the speaker, “I understand, please go on.”?
(a) Content listening (b) Critical listening (c) Empathic or active listening
(d) Sustained listening (e) Passive listening.
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44. When we hear, we only perceive sounds, but when we listen, this hearing is accompanied by a
deliberate and purposeful act of the mind. To listen means to get meaning from what is heard. One
may hear the words another person utters, without really understanding them. Emotionally charged
words or messages can interfere with listening because
(a) They put the speaker in a bad light
(b) They may insult the listener
(c) They cause the listener to focus on the emotion
(d) They cause the listener to focus on the message
(e) They are powerful stimulators to listen effectively.
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45. Writers use punctuation marks to help readers extract meaning from a sentence, in much the same way
that readers use pauses and voice inflection. In which of the following cases should a “comma” not be
used?
(a) Between coordinate clause joined by but, for
(b) Between hours and minutes to express them in figures
(c) After dependent clauses
(d) Between words in a series
(e) After participle phrases.
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46. Understanding the audience is often a more challenging task. It requires the cultivation of a “you” or
“reader oriented” attitude. Understanding audience and making the message acceptable to them is very
important in making the communication successful. The first step in adapting your message to the
reader is
(a) Researching the situation about which the reader wants to know
(b) Forming a mental picture of what the reader is like
(c) Outlining the logical developments of the message
(d) Deciding on the company goal to be served
(e) Deciding what kind of vocabulary to use.
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47. Recently you have received an order from one of your old clients. His previous record suggests that he
delays payments. Hence, you do not want to supply goods to him. Which of the following phrases
should not be used in the close of the letter refusing your old client’s order?
I. “Enclosed is the list of latest products”.
II. “I trust our decision is satisfactory”.
III. “If you have further questions, please write”.
IV. “We hope you will continue to do business with us”.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Both (I) and (II) above
(c) Both (I) and (III) above (d) (I), (III) and (IV) above
(e) (II), (III) and (IV) above.
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48. You are writing a business message to a customer regarding the benefits of a to-be introduced and a bit
costlier product. You have to include evidences supporting the claims you have made regarding the
utility of the product. The evidence should be
(a) As abstract as possible
(b) Minimal if your subject is complex or unfamiliar
(c) Enough to be convincing but not so much that it's boring
(d) As lengthy as possible
(e) The most important component of the message.
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49. You are graduating from a business school in another month and entering the job market. Your
education has equipped you with a set of resources - qualifications and skills. Now you have to prepare
a resume to sell yourself. Which of the following statements is not true regarding the resume?
(a) In a chronological resume, the "Work Experience" section dominates and is placed in the most
prominent slot
(b) The chronological approach emphasizes a list of skills and accomplishments
(c) One of the advantages to a functional resume is that employers can see what you can do for them
(d) The chronological approach is the most common way to organize a resume
(e) In a combination chronological and functional resume, education and experience are sequenced in
chronological order, while other entries are listed under separate headings that emphasize skills
that are of special relevance to the job in question.
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50. Imagine you are an HR manager in a medium sized firm, which recently published an advertisement for
sales representatives. The company needs three people. You get nearly 500 application letters. After
all, it is the appearance that makes the first impression. Which of the following is the efficient format in
letter writing?
(a) Modified block (b) Block (c) Hanging block form
(d) Complete block form (e) Simplified block.
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51. Visual aids will definitely help to present the information more attractively. Choosing the proper visual
aids is very important. The multi-range bar chart is also called
I. Multiple range bar chart.
II. Comparative bar chart.
III. Cluster bar chart.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Only (III) above
(c) Both (I) and (II) above (d) Both (II) and (III) above
(e) All (I), (II) and (III) above.
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52. An interview is a goal-oriented, interpersonal communication between an interviewer and a respondent.
Which of the following interviews seeks to induce somebody to adopt a new idea, product, or service?
(a) Situational (b) Complimentary (c) Counseling (d) Persuasive (e) Traditional.
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53. Most managers agree that “active listening” is the most crucial skill for becoming a successful manager.
You can become a better listener by controlling distractions, becoming actively involved, identifying
important facts, and
(a) Separating facts from opinions
(b) Interrupting with quick replies or your own opinions
(c) Asking hostile questions
(d) Capitalizing on lag time by thinking of tasks that you have to complete
(e) Discussing with the team members.
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54. Writing the message often aims at a diverse audience .Which of the following should be considered
while writing a message to a diverse audience?
(a) Write to the least educated readers
(b) Write to the highest level educated readers
(c) Write to the middle-level educated readers
(d) Write several different messages - one for each level reader
(e) Write the message keeping in view your educational level.
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55. The introduction to an essay often determines whether the reader continues to read the essay or decides
to slip it into the nearest trash can. How you introduce your ideas depends on the audience you are
writing for and the type of essay you are writing. Broadly, an introduction should
I. Capture the reader’s attention.
II. Present the thesis statement.
III. Hint at how the writing is organized.
IV. Present the writer’s qualifications.
(a) Both (I) and (II) above (b) Both (I) and (IV) above
(c) Both (II) and (III) above (d) Both (III) and (IV) above
(e) (I), (II) and (III) above.
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56. Visual aids will definitely help to present the information more attractively. Choosing the proper visual
aids is very important. If you want to show change across time both by subdivisions and total quantity,
you can use
(a) Bilateral bar charts
(b) Line charts with multiple series
(c) A pie chart or pictogram
(d) Either a subdivided bar chart or a component-part line chart
(e) Multiple-bar charts.
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57. When business people speak of reports, they are, in general, thinking of written, factual accounts that
objectively communicate information about some aspect of the business. The reports which contribute
to management control are termed as
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(a) Cross reports (b) Informal reports
(c) Proposal reports (d) Vertical reports (e) Horizontal reports.
58. The elements of a report refer to those components that are usually included in a formal business report.
If you wish to acknowledge help given by others, place it in the
(a) Letter of authorization (b) Title fly
(c) Title page (d) Letter of transmittal (e) Abstract.
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59. Two punctuation styles are customarily used in business letters: open and mixed. Standard or mixed
punctuation uses which of the following after the salutation and a comma after the complimentary close
(a) A period (b) An exclamation mark
(c) A semi colon (d) A colon (e) A bracket.
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60. Which of the following statements are true?
I. Reports are mostly long, formal documents that cannot be presented as memos or letters.
II. Informational reports present data and facts with analyses and recommendations.
III. Reports for implementing policies and explaining procedures are informational reports.
IV. Proposals and problem-solving reports are analytical reports.
(a) Both (I) and (II) above (b) Both (I) and (IV) above
(c) Both (II) and (III) above (d) Both (II) and (IV) above
(e) Both (III) and (IV) above.
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61. A memo is a written message designed to provide a quick convenient way for personnel to
communicate with each other in the organization. The prerequisite of a good memo is, it should
(a) Be of at least a full page in length
(b) Include a salutation and formal close
(c) Use a formal, businesslike tone
(d) Stick to a single topic
(e) Use flowery language.
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62. You have identified the position for which you would like to apply. You have prepared an effective
resume. The next step is to write a letter of application. In which of the following sections of your
application letter, would you ask the reader for a specific action?
(a) Closing section (b) Middle section (c) Opening section
(d) Formal section (e) Subject section.
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63. Informal communication increases when official channels are closed or when the organization faces
periods of change, excitement, or anxiety. Instead of trying to eliminate the grapevine, sophisticated
companies minimize its importance by making certain that the official word gets out. But, some
executives are wary of informal communication channels, possibly because they
(a) Fear the spread of misinformation
(b) Believe only formal channels are efficient carriers of information
(c) Object to casual conversations on company time
(d) Fear a loss of their control over the flow of information
(e) Don’t know the advantages of informal communication.
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64. It may be unethical to omit negative information from a recommendation if
(a) The information is well-known in the workplace
(b) The information is true and relevant
(c) The applicant asks you to do so
(d) The position is a high-ranking one
(e) The applicant happens to be your close associate.
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65. You are working as a finance manager in a manufacturing firm. You have requested one of your
assistant managers to give you a report. While going through the report you found a mistake. Hence,
you have decided to call him and tell him about the mistake. When you are criticizing or correcting
your assistant manager, it is best to
(a) Focus on what your assistant manager can do to improve
(b) Emphasize your assistant manager’s mistake so that he or she will not make the same mistake
again
(c) Call a spade a spade and call attention to your assistant manager’s failures or shortcomings
(d) Make your assistant manager an example for everyone else to learn from
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(e) Demonstrate your special abilities in finding faults.
66. Which of the following is/are a correct sentence(s)?
I. To express themselves, graffiti decorate walls.
II. Graffiti decorate walls to express themselves.
III. To express themselves, some youths decorate walls with graffiti.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Only (II) above
(c) Only (III) above (d) Both (I) and (II) above
(e) All (I), (II) and (III) above.
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67. Before you actually start structuring your resume, it would be a good idea to take inventory of all the
information you actually want to include. The format, content and style of your resume will depend on
your specific qualifications, the job profile and the individual personality you wish to portray. What
could be the disadvantage of having a "Career Objective" section in a resume?
(a) It reveals your long-term goals
(b) It takes employers' attention away from your work experience
(c) It takes up space for no reason
(d) It limits your choices
(e) Employers give less importance to the “career objective” section.
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68. Whether you are speaking, writing, or listening, communication is more than a single act. It is a chain of
events that can be broken into five phases. Which of the following is not a phase in the communication
process?
(a) The sender has an idea
(b) The receiver has an idea
(c) The idea becomes a message
(d) The message is transmitted
(e) The receiver gets the message.
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69. Identify the sentence(s) that is/are grammatically correct and convey(s) the meaning clearly
I. The first ice cream, eaten in China in about 2000 BC, was more lumpy than the modern era.
II. The first ice cream, eaten in China in about 2000 BC, was more lumpy than the ice cream in the
modern era.
III. The first ice cream, eaten in China in about 2000 BC, was more lumpy than that in the modern era.
IV. Eaten in China in about 2000 BC, the first ice cream was more lumpy than the modern era.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Both (I) and (II) above
(c) Both (I) and (IV) above (d) Both (II) and (III) above
(e) Both (III) and (IV) above.
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70. While preparing a message to be transmitted the fundamental question to be asked is, “is the message
understandable by the intended receiver?” If your answer is yes, you can proceed further with the
formulation of the message.
The process of selecting and formulating information to be transmitted in an understandable form, both
to the sender and receiver is known as
(a) Message selection
(b) Encoding
(c) Decoding
(d) Channel selection
(e) Feedback.
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71. Which of the following is a good way to stimulate your audience’s interest and desire to respond
positively to your persuasive claim request?
(a) Remind them that their reputation will be in jeopardy if they do not grant your claim
(b) Reveal the consequences of other business that did not grant their customers’ claims
(c) Make your complaint emotionally hard-hitting so that the audience is persuaded to grant your
claim
(d) Appeal to their sense of goodwill and give them some positive reasons to grant your claim
(e) Offer them something in return for granting your claim.
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72. As in other persuasive letters, the primary purpose of a collection letter is to get action - in this case,
payment. A secondary goal is to maintain a customer’s goodwill.
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Which of the following is an important ingredient, every collection letter should mention?
(a) Data (b) Name (c) Date (d) Amount (e) Subject.
73. Which of the following statements is/are true regarding the informal channels of communication?
I. The informal channels of communication are also known as ‘grapevine’.
II. The informal channels of communication are officially prescribed channels of communication.
III. The informal channels of communication are the result of operation of social forces at work place.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Only (II) above
(c) Both (I) and (II) above (d) Both (I) and (III) above
(e) All (I), (II) and (III) above.
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74. Regardless of your background, knowledge, or skill, each time you speak it is a different and unique
experience. Which of the following speech deliveries is often referred to as the “middle course”.
(a) Impromptu (b) Extemporaneous
(c) Manuscript (d) Memorized (e) Pedagogy.
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75. Your boss has been telling the staff that he would welcome suggestions about how to improve the
organization. You take him at his word and meet him to discuss some of your ideas with him. As you
begin to outline the changes you propose, he fixes you with an icy stare and folds his arms across his
chest; as you go on, the frown on his face gathers intensity. When you finish, he gets up abruptly and
says, with barely suppressed menace in his voice, “Thank you very much. Your ideas are priceless.”
Nonverbal communication differs from verbal communication because it
(a) Is less reliable
(b) Is composed of words and grammar
(c) Has few rules and often occurs unconsciously
(d) Conveys less meaning than words
(e) Is given least importance in communication.
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76. Communication is essential for the functioning of an organization. Every day a vast amount of
information flows from managers to employees, employees to managers, and from employees to
employees. Apart from this internal communication, a considerable amount of information is also
carried in and out of the organization.
Different situations call for different messages and different channels to transmit messages. Every
channel has its own advantages and disadvantages.
In which of the following situations is a written message most suitable?
(a) When the message is detailed, complex, and requires careful planning
(b) When there is no need to have a permanent record
(c) When there is a need to overcome time-zone barriers
(d) When there is a need to have immediate feedback from the audience
(e) When the content of the message is not important.
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77. If I _______, I would exchange that typewriter for a personal computer
(a) Was her (b) Were her (c) Were she (d) Was she (e) Was herself.
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78. The elements of a report refer to those components that are usually included in a formal business report.
Many different types of reports are written in business and they may or may not contain all the elements
uniformly. In a report, a list of definitions is called a/an
(a) Glossary (b) Appendix
(c) Executive summary (d) Title fly (e) Letter of transmittal.
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79. An interview is a goal-oriented, interpersonal communication between an interviewer and a respondent.
The interviewer must have a specific goal clearly in mind, so that the structure of the interview and the
actual questions can all be tailored to that goal. Under which of the following phases of the planning
process does this come?
(a) Get information about the other party
(b) Decide the structure
(c) State the purpose
(d) Persuade the respondent
(e) Determine the type of question to ask.
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80. Preparation is required to effectively communicate bad news to employees. Which of the following is
not a key question that should be answered regarding delivering bad news?
(a) What is the purpose of change?
(b) How will delivering bad news affect only myself?
(c) How does bad news relate to corporate/business objectives?
(d) How will the bad news affect employees, customers, and shareholders?
(e) How will bad news message be received by the reader?
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81. The content of a memo should depend on its objectives. These objectives will help determine the type
of memo that should be used: request, confirmation, periodic report, ideas and suggestions or informal
study results.
In which of the following ways should an idea and suggestions memo be written?
(a) Deductively (b) Inductively (c) Vaguely (d) Aggressively (e) Assertively.
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82. There are many types of reports prepared for different purposes. Monthly cost control reports and
quartely sales reports are examples of
(a) Request report memos (b) Periodic report memos
(c) Confirmation memos (d) Informal survey results memos
(e) Analytical report memos.
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83 The length of the introduction depends on the length of the report. As a result, the length of the
introduction can vary from one or two paragraphs to several pages. Which of the factors are covered in
the limitations part of introduction?
(a) The factors affecting the quality of the report
(b) The factors that have led to the report
(c) What is and what is not going to be covered in the report
(d) When, how and by whom the report was authorized
(e) The organization of the report along with a rationale for following this plan.
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84. To physically transmit your message you select a communication channel and a medium. The medium
could be telephone, computer, fax, letter, memo, report, face-to-face, etc. The richest communication
medium is
(a) A phone call
(b) A memo
(c) An e-mail
(d) A face-to-face conversation
(e) A fax.
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85. “Passing the building, the vandalism was clearly visible” The sentence is burdened with dangling
modifiers. Which of the following is/are true regarding dangling modifiers?
I. They are illogical.
II. They are confusing.
III. They are modifiers that do not clearly modify a specific word.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Only (II) above
(c) Both (I) and (II) above (d) Both (II) and (III) above
(e) All (I), (II) and (III) above.
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86. In the job market we have competition with thousands of other applicants, all vying for the same jobs
we are aspiring to get. Hence, we need to have a resume which will properly convey our strengths.
Building blocks of your resume are
(a) Results (b) Your character traits
(c) Your self-analysis (d) Your employment history
(e) Your list of references.
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87. All business communicators face the problem of compressing complicated, closely related ideas into a
linear message that proceeds sequentially from point to point. People simply do not remember
disassociated facts and figures, so successful communicators rely on organization to make their
messages meaningful. Well organized message has many benefits. Which of the following is not one of
them?
(a) It makes the message more acceptable to the audience
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(b) It saves the audience's time
(c) It ensures that the audience will agree with the message
(d) It helps the audience understand the message
(e) It creates good image of you.
88. The paragraph must be developed in a logical manner. For instance, in a paragraph describing a process,
chronological or time orders would be important. To achieve a logical progression of ideas and to
provide coherence, writers use
(a) Synthesizers (b) Punctuations (c) Logical connectors
(d) Parentheses (e) Exclamations.
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89. The channels are the means used to convey the message. To physically transmit your message you
select a communication channel and a medium. The medium could be telephone, computer, fax, letter,
memo, face-to-face, etc. Companies that use intranets
(a) Are engaging in e-commerce with their customers
(b) Facilitate communication among employees within a company
(c) Are behind the times technologically
(d) Facilitate communication between employees and the society
(e) Are engaging in communication with the government.
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90. Different messages will have different objectives. Depending on the objectives, many things like tone of
the letter, language of the letter etc., will change. What is your goal when you write a letter of
recommendation?
(a) Nothing, because the letter is written for someone else
(b) To make some general comments about the person you are writing about so that you don't have to
go into any details about his work
(c) To convince readers that the person you are recommending has the qualities necessary for the
relevant position or benefit
(d) To convince the reader that you are a person in an important position
(e) To underscore your relationship with the person being recommended.
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91. You are graduating from business school in another one month and entering the job market. Your
education has equipped you with a set of resources-qualifications, skills –that you now have to sell to
prospective employers. Which of the following would improve the effectiveness of a scannable resume?
(a) An application letter should be made a part of a scannable resume, so the letter can be in the
database too
(b) A detailed "References" section to enable the employer to check out your references before calling
you for an interview
(c) A "Keyword Summary" section
(d) A "Keyword Summary" section in a box
(e) A section on special interests.
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92. A memo is a written message designed to provide a quick, convenient way for personnel to
communicate with each other. Memos can range from informal, handwritten notes to formal,
typewritten reports. Your manager has written the following memo to one of his subordinates.
“I would be interested in receiving copies of the material that you and I talked about at the annual
meeting last December”. The memo is
I. Too short.
II. Too vague.
III. Unclear.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Only (II) above
(c) Both (I) and (II) above (d) Both (II) and (III) above
(e) All (I), (II) and (III) above.
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93. A report, investigating different purchasing patterns of discretionary income on the basis of age and
economic status would logically follow a breakdown of subdivisions on the basis of
(a) Place (b) Quantity (c) Factors (d) Hypotheses (e) Time.
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94. Your friend has started a new organization. He is encountering some labor problems. You are a
personnel management specialist and have several years of experience in the personnel department of a
large conglomerate. Your friend calls you over to his office one day to discuss his problems. In the
course of the conversation, you give him some ideas about how he could solve his problems. He finds
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your ideas innovative and thinks they are just right for his kind of set-up. As you get up to leave, your
friend clasps your hand warmly, beams at you and says, “thank you very much. your ideas are
priceless.” With respect to this, which of the following statements is most accurate?
(a) Most people can control their facial expressions; therefore, they can control the nonverbal facial
messages they send
(b) Gestures merely add nonverbal meaning to verbal messages rather than conveying the entire
meaning by themselves
(c) Most communicators consider the eyes to be the most accurate predictor of a speaker's true
feelings and attitudes
(d) A speaker's nonverbal cues rarely contradict his or her verbal messages
(e) Most communicators do not consider the existence of nonverbal communication.
95. Which of the following points should be kept in mind when choosing a level of formality for a specific
document?
I . Use a friendly, informal style to someone you have talked with.
II. Avoid contractions, slang, and even minor grammatical lapse in paper documents when writing to
people you do not know.
III. Pay particular attention to your style when you write to people you fear or when you must give
bad news.
(a) Only (I) above (b) Only (II) above
(c) Both (I) and (III) above (d) Both (II) and (III) above
(e) All (I), (II), (III) above.
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96. Resistance to any change is a common human tendency. Overcoming resistance to change is crucial for
successful implementation of any program. Which of the following is not a good strategy for
overcoming resistance to change?
(a) Ignoring the conflict until it goes away
(b) Making people aware of their resistance
(c) Evaluating others' objections fairly
(d) Holding your arguments until the other person is ready for them
(e) Manipulate the people who are resisting.
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97. An interview is a goal-oriented, interpersonal communication between an interviewer and a respondent.
While interview is going on sometimes the interviewer needs to take some notes on the responses of the
interviewee. If an interviewer wants to take notes, he must do so
(a) Aggressively (b) Unobtrusively (c) Hastily
(d) Egregiously (e) Stealthily.
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98. The ultimate goal of the message is to make the audience understand our message. What should we do,
if audience members do not share our general background in the topic of our communication?
(a) We should educate them about the topic of our communication
(b) We should try communicating about a topic in which they have a background
(c) We should find an audience with our general background
(d) We should educate ourselves to match the background of our audience members
(e) We should let the audience speak on the topic they are familiar with.
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99. Communication researchers have found that nonverbal signals have more impact in conveying meaning
than verbal content. In fact, nonverbal behavior is so important to effective business communication
that many companies are now trying to train their employees to understand it. Personal space can vary
according to
I. Culture. II. Gender. III. Number. IV. Name.
(a) Both (I) and (II) above (b) Both (I) and (III) above
(c) Both (II) and (III) above (d) Both (II) and (IV) above
(e) Both (III) and (IV) above.
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100. You have identified the position for which you would like to apply. You have prepared an effective
resume. The next step is to write a letter of application. What is the first step in organizing a solicited
job application letter?
(a) Develop your major qualifications in detail
(b) State that you are applying for the job
(c) Ask for an interview
(d) Develop your other qualifications, even if the ad does not ask for them
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(e) Give references.