CAP (Organizational Communication) 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which communication channel is most appropriate for delivering sensitive performance feedback to an employee?
- Group email to the department
- Face-to-face private meeting (Correct answer)
- Text message
- Public bulletin board posting
Correct answer: Face-to-face private meeting
Sensitive feedback should be delivered face-to-face and privately to maintain dignity and allow for two-way dialogue.
Question 2: What does 'communication noise' refer to in organizational communication theory?
- Loud office environments that disrupt work
- Any interference that distorts or disrupts the message (Correct answer)
- Background music played in the workplace
- Disagreements between coworkers
Correct answer: Any interference that distorts or disrupts the message
Communication noise is any internal or external interference—physical, semantic, or psychological—that distorts the intended message.
Question 3: An administrative professional receives a request using jargon she doesn't understand. What is the best first step?
- Proceed based on best guess
- Ask a clarifying question to confirm the meaning (Correct answer)
- Ignore the request until it is rephrased
- Forward the request to a supervisor without comment
Correct answer: Ask a clarifying question to confirm the meaning
Asking a clarifying question ensures accurate understanding before taking action, preventing costly errors.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'diagonal communication' in an organization?
- Communication between peers in the same department
- Communication from executives to front-line employees
- Communication across different departments and hierarchical levels (Correct answer)
- Communication sent via electronic channels only
Correct answer: Communication across different departments and hierarchical levels
Diagonal communication crosses both departmental and hierarchical boundaries, enabling cross-functional collaboration.
Question 5: When writing a business report, the executive summary should be placed:
- At the end, after all findings
- In the appendix
- At the beginning, before the body (Correct answer)
- On a separate cover sheet mailed in advance
Correct answer: At the beginning, before the body
The executive summary appears at the beginning so readers can quickly grasp key findings without reading the full report.
Question 6: Which listening technique involves restating the speaker's message in your own words to confirm understanding?
- Selective listening
- Paraphrasing (Correct answer)
- Empathic listening
- Passive listening
Correct answer: Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing involves restating the speaker's message in your own words to verify and demonstrate comprehension.
Question 7: A company's formal communication policy primarily serves to:
- Restrict employees from communicating with each other
- Ensure consistent, appropriate, and legally compliant messaging (Correct answer)
- Eliminate the need for informal communication
- Replace verbal communication with written formats
Correct answer: Ensure consistent, appropriate, and legally compliant messaging
Formal communication policies establish standards to ensure messages are consistent, professional, and compliant with legal requirements.
CAP (Organizational Communication) 2
Which communication channel is most appropriate for delivering sensitive performance feedback to an employee?