SPECIAL EXAM REVIEW WEB PAGE - CHAPTERS 1& 2
Introduction
This document covers Chapter 2. Chapter 1, and then the essay questions, are in separate documents (see web page). See chapter one for more general information about the exam
When I make page references, I suggest you always read the original complete text version in context, as the exam questions are most likely on the fringes of what I quote below and not taken exactly from what I quote below.
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ITEM 1
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TEXT READ ALOUD BY INSTRUCTOR (Pages 38-39 ):
Instructor: "Know the four (4) phases of team development: forming, storming, norming and performing."
Belant's comments: Remember we used these for one of our in-class exercizes, and that the instructor said she would use a similar 15 point essay questions using these. Being able to quote these and know what they refer to and how to apply them to a situation would be an advantage to both the multiple choice question and 15 to 30 points of the essay section of the exam. Be sure to read "The Four Phases of Team Development" on pages 38-39 three or four times before the exam, and memorize the four terms and their definitions.
RELATED MEGUFFEY.COM QUESTION (Question #3):
3. Select the most accurate statement.
-Efficient teams should try to work through the first stages of team development as
quickly as possible.
*-->During the norming stage, mutual interdependence becomes typical.
-Effective team leaders should define the roles and responsibilities of their group
members.
-The team leader is expected to dictate the group's direction when conflict arises.
RELATED REVIEW QUESTION:
None.
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NON-ITEM
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Note that instructor stated that there would be no questions on page 39, at least in the section "The Role of Conflict and Groupthink" which includes cognitive conflict and affective conflict.
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ITEM 2
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TEXT READ ALOUD BY INSTRUCTOR (Pages 41-42):
Instructor: Know the characteristics of successful teams: Small size, agreement on purpose, agreement on procedures, use of good communication techniques, ability to collaborate rather than compete, and shared leadership.
Belant's comments: read this section, pages 40-42, but also note the excellent questions that here below:
FOUR (4) RELATED MEGUFFEY.COM QUESTION (Questions 4 and 5):
4. Jeffrey is forming a team for a new project. The team should _______.
be as homogeneous as possible
*-->encourage tactful, constructive disagreement
encourage person-oriented confrontation
be composed of at least ten or more members
5. Effective teams ______.
*-->are able to inject humor into their interactions
strive to avoid conflict
depend on one or two people to do the bulk of the work
always have a formal leader
6. Which statement accurately describes the leadership of a team?
One team member should always fill the role of leader.
*-->Leadership should rotate to those with the appropriate expertise at a particular time.
Teams should always have a formal leadership structure.
Each person on a team should serve as leader for a portion of a project.
7. Poorly functioning teams _______.
exchange information and contribute ideas freely
*-->avoid confronting conflict
collaborate rather than compete
set up intermediate goals with deadlines
TWO (2) RELATED REVIEW QUESTION (Questions 3 and 5)
3. Why can diverse teams be more effective than homogeneous teams? "Diverse teams often produce more creative solutions with broader applications than homogeneous teams."Page 41 sidebar.1 Also, refer to figure 2.6 on page 55
5. In times of team crisis, is it better to have shared leadership or one leader? One leader: The text states that .". . . in times of crisis, a strong team member may need to step up as leader," from which we can guess that the author of the question was looking for the answer that, in times of crisis, it is better to have one leader than shared leadership. Page 42.
regarding review question 3
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NON-ITEM
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Note that instructor stated that there would be no questions on "Checklist for Developing Team Effectiveness" (pages 42-43) since (according to the instructor) this is merely a review of what was covered up to this point.
Belant comments: I believe questions will never come from this feature called "Checklist for . . ." as it is mostly a reformatting and summary of information with take-action type phrasing.
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NON-ITEM
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Note that instructor stated that there would be no questions on Objective 3 "Organizing Team-Based Written and Oral Presentations" on pages 43-45 since that is covered in later chapters.
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ITEM 3
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TEXT READ ALOUD BY INSTRUCTOR (Page 46 sidebar.1):
"Most of us listen at only 25 percent efficiency."
RELATED MEGUFFEY.COM QUESTION (Question #):
10. Experts say that we listen at an efficiency rate of _______.
*-->25 percent
75 percent
50 percent
10 percent
RELATED REVIEW QUESTION (Question #8)
Workers spend what percentage of their communication time listening?
"30 to 45 percent"
What percentage do executives spend?
"60 to 70 percent"
Page 46.3
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ITEM 4
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TEXT READ ALOUD BY INSTRUCTOR (Page 46-47):
(Paraphrase:) "Know the four stages of listening: perception, interpretation, evaluation, and action. This will be a multiple choice question."
"Perception. . . . The conscious act of listening begins when you focus on the sounds around you and select those you choose to hear. You tune in when you (1) sense that the message is important, (2) are interested in the topic, or (3) are in the mood to listen.
"Interpretation . . . [I]terpretation of a message is colored by your cultural, educational, and social frames of reference. The meanings you attach to the speaker's words are filtered through your expectations and total life experiences.
"Evaluation. . . . After interpreting the meaning of a message, you analyze its merit and draw conclusions. . . . to separate fact from opinion . . prejudging . . . . Thus, to evaluate a message accurately and objectively, you should (1) consider all the information, (2) be aware of your own biases, and (3) avoid jumping to hasty conclusions.
"Action. .Responding to a message may involve storing the message in memory for future use, reacting with a physical response (a frown, a smile, a laugh), or supplying feedback ot the speaker.
"I want your feedback: a nod, perhaps.
". . . Listener feedback is essential because it helps clarify the message so that it can be decoded accurately. Feedback also helps the speaker to find out whether the message is getting though clearly. IN one-to-one conversation, of course, no clear distinction exists between the roles of listener and speaker - you give or receive feedback as your role alternates."
RELATED MEGUFFEY.COM QUESTION (Question #11):
11. You work in a noisy office where conversations, printing, and air-conditioning noises mingle. Yet you manage to hear the beep of the fax machine two desks away indicating that a fax message is about to be transmitted. In what stage of the listening process are you?
Action.
Evaluation.
Interpretation.
*-->Perception.
RELATED REVIEW QUESTION (Question #10)
10 Describe the four elements in the listening process.
Perception [is] when you hear sounds and concentrate on them. . . ." In other words, it is the ". . . conscious act of listening [which] begins when you focus on the sounds around you and select those you choose to hear."
Interpolation means to decode a sound or message through "interpretation of a message [which] is colored by your cultural, educational, and social frames of reference."
"Evaluation involves separating fact from opinion and judging messages objectively [by analyzing] its merit and [drawing] conclusions."
"Action. Responding to a message may involve storing the message in memory for future use, reacting with a physical response (a frown, a smile, a laugh), or supplying feedback to the speaker."
Pages (and paragraphs) 46.6-47.3
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ITEM 5
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TEXT READ ALOUD BY INSTRUCTOR (Page 48, sidebar.1):
"Paraphrasing means rephrasing the speaker's ideas in your own words."
RELATED MEGUFFEY.COM QUESTIONS (Questions 12 & 13):
12. Paraphrasing a speaker means _______.
silently reviewing key points and details
mentally shortening the speaker's main points
*-->summarizing a message in your own words
providing examples and details to amplify the main points
Also in the section "Tips for Better Team Listening" but not related to instructor's comment:
13. To improve her listening involvement, Jennifer should _______.
think about other tasks that she needs to complete only when the speaker is pausing
between thoughts
*-->lean forward and maintain eye contact with the speaker
take advantage of the lag time before the speaker's next idea by discussing key points
with other team members
ask the speaker a question and then immediately offer an answer based on her own
experience
RELATED REVIEW QUESTION (Question #9 - in same section but not related to instructor's comment:)
9 Define lag time. The text suggests that it means "spare moments," such as "while you are waiting for a speaker's next idea [during which you can] use the time to review what the speaker is saying." Pages.Paragraphs 48.8 + 49.9
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ITEM 6
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TEXT READ ALOUD BY INSTRUCTOR (Page 50.2 & Page 50 Figure 2.3 Elements in Message Meaning):
"The elements in a message's meaning are 7% verbal meaning (words spoken), 38% tone of voice, and 55% facial expression. . . .Nonverbal cues can contain up to 93 percent of the meaning of a message. . . . Nonverbal communication includes all unwritten and unspoken messages, both intentional and unintentional."
CLOSEST RELATED MEGUFFEY.COM QUESTION (Question #14):
14. Select the statement that most accurately describes nonverbal communication.
The words used in a message carry more meaning than nonverbal cues.
Nonverbal messages can be interpreted with a great deal of accuracy.
*-->Messages are especially difficult to decipher when the verbal and nonverbal codes contradict each other.
Nonverbal communication is always unintentional.
RELATED REVIEW QUESTIONS (Questions 10 & 11)
11 Define nonverbal communication. "Nonverbal communication includes all unwritten and unspoken messages, both intentional and unintentional." 50.2
12 When verbal and nonverbal messages disagree, which message doe the receiver consider more truthful? Give an example. "When verbal and nonverbal messages clash, receivers tend to believe the nonverbal messages."
"In one experiment speakers delivered a positive message but averted their eyes as they spoke. Listeners perceived the overall message to be negative."50 sidebar.2 + 50.6
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NON-ITEM
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Note that instructor stated that there would be no questions on page 51, Figure 2.4 Body Language Cues
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ITEM 7
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TEXT READ ALOUD BY INSTRUCTOR (Page 52):
"Facial Expression"
Belant comment: I think instructor said something to the effect to read about them, so I quote the paragraph here since there are no meguffey.com questions nor review questions on this matter:
"Facial Expression. The expression on a communicator's face can be almost as revealing of emotion as the eyes. Researchers estimate that the human face can display over 250,000 different expressions. Although a few people can control these expressions and maintain a 'poker face' when they want to hide their feelings, most of us display our emotions openly. Raising or lowering the eyebrows, squinting the eyes, swallowing nervously, clenching the jow, smiling broadly - these voluntary and involuntary facial expressions supplement or entirely replace verbal messages."
Belant comment: Also note that facial expression accounts for 55% (over half) of the meaning in a message, according to figure 2.3 on page 50.
RELATED MEGUFFEY.COM QUESTION:
17. Your boss tells you how easy it is to operate a new printer, but you notice that he's having trouble demonstrating it. As a communicator who senses contradiction between verbal and nonverbal messages, you should _______.
disregard the spoken words because nonverbal messages are more nearly accurate than
verbal ones
strive to improve eye contact so that an accurate message can be transmitted
*-->seek additional clues with comments such as "I'm not sure I understand . . . ."
learn about other cultures to widen your knowledge of nonverbal messages
RELATED REVIEW QUESTION
None.
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ITEM 8
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TEXT READ ALOUD BY INSTRUCTOR (Pages 57-58):
In this Objective section "Planning and Participating in Productive Meetings", the instructor mentions three sections:
1. Getting the Meeting Started
2. Dealing With Conflict
3. Ending With a Plan
She also mentioned that this section begins on bottom of page 54.
In addition, she specifically mentioned that we should look at the section on Dealing With Conflict on our own (starts of bottom of page 58):
"Dealing With Conflict Before reaching decisions, most groups go through a 'storming' or conflict state. Conflict is natural and even desirable, but it can cause awkwardness and uneasiness. In meetings, conflict typically develops when people feel unheard or misunderstood. If two people are in conflict, the best approach is to encourage each to make a complete case while group members give their full attention. Let each one question the other. Then, the leader should summarize what was said, and the group should offer comments. The group may modify a recommendation or suggest alternatives before reaching consensus on a direction to follow."
Belant comment: defiantly read the other sections mentioned by the instructor. I believe these will be valuable in the essay section, as well, if you mention you read about the techniques used in the book, such as deciding on the necessity of the meeting, and making a brief introduction, as mentioned in Objective 6.
TWO (2) RELATED MEGUFFEY.COM QUESTIONS (Questions 18 & 19):
18. Select the most accurate statement.
Most people look forward to meetings.
*-->Meetings should be viewed as opportunities to demonstrate leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Because of advances in technology, the number of face-to-face business meetings is
declining rapidly.
Meetings are an excellent way to communicate information that does not require
immediate feedback.
19. Mr. Rivers is calling a meeting to decide whether to change advertising agencies. He should invite __________ participants.
10 or fewer
*-->5 or fewer
30 or fewer
15 or fewer
RELATED REVIEW QUESTION (Question 14)
14 What is the ideal size for a problem-solving meeting and who should be invited? "The number of meeting participants is determined by the purpose of the meeting. . . . "Intensive problem solving, i.e., to make decisions, . . . the best number is five or fewer participants."
"Ideally, those attending should be people who will make the decision and people with information necessary to make the decision. Also attending should be people who will be responsible for implementing the decision and representatives of groups who will benefit from the decision."55.4 & figure 2.6 Meeting Purpose and Number of Participants.
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END OF CHAPTER TWO
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