IIA IIA Certifications IIA-CIA-PART3 Questions & Answers

• Question 501:

  A manager found that instructions given to a subordinate were not followed. A review of the cause of the failure revealed that the manager was interrupted by several telephone calls while issuing the instructions. In terms of problems in the communications chain, the interruptions are:

  A. Noise.

  B. Nonverbal feedback.

  C. Semantics.

  D. Closure.

  Correct Answer: A

  Noise in the communication channel refers to any disruption that impedes the encoding, sending, or receipt of a message, such as being interrupted by several telephone calls while issuing instructions.

• Question 502:

  "But I mailed the order 4 weeks ago, giving the supplier plenty of time," said the parts manager when asked why a critical part was not available. The most likely reason for this failed communication between the parts manager and the supplier was?

  A. Lack of feedback.

  B. Confusing language.

  C. Inappropriate medium.

  D. Perceptual selectivity.

  Correct Answer: A

  The effectiveness of communication can be determined only by the sender seeking feedback and observing the impact of the communication on the receiver. The sender is obligated to solicit feedback to ensure that the communication process is complete. The receiver should give feedback to the sender. The importance of feedback to check the effectiveness of the communication process indicates the limitations of one-way communications e.g., memos). Effectiveness can only be measured when the sender perceives a change in the receiver's behavior. Thus, the parts manager the sender) should have sought and the supplier the receiver) should have provided, feedback.

• Question 503:

  Which of the following is unlikely to cause changes in attitudes?

  A. Make sure that the message is credible.

  B. Present many different issues in as short a time as possible.

  C. Shape the argument to the listener.

  D. Focus the presentation on the ultimate objective.

  Correct Answer: B

  Presenting many different issues in as short a time as possible will confuse the listener and cause the message to be lost or disregarded. To convey a persuasive message effectively, the communicator should make a clear presentation that focuses on the ultimate objective. The argument should be stated one idea at a time, and unrelated subjects and jumping from issue toissue should be avoided. The presentation should guide the recipient of the communication directly to the desired conclusion.

• Question 504:

  Which one of the following statements about the nature of communication is true?

  A. Communication occurs only when people deliberately and consciously decide to communicate.

  B. Accounting terms such as expense, revenue, net income, and variance mean the same to all users.

  C. Because managerial accounting reports classify and summarize vast amounts of data, the reports do not add to the information overload within an organization.

  D. Communication between departments is affected by the level of functional specialization within departments.

  Correct Answer: D

  Communication between departments is sometimes affected by the level of functional specialization within those departments. Noise of any sort can inhibit communication, and that noise can be physical or nonphysical. An example of nonphysical noise is the difference in expertise between the sender and the recipient. A sender must establish a climate that encourages the elimination of interpersonal barriers to communication.

• Question 505:

  Which of the following is an example of a badly encoded message?

  A. Inattention or disinterest in the message.

  B. Inconsistency between verbal and nonverbal messages.

  C. Gesturing to someone who cannot see the gesture.

  D. Sender's dislike of receiver.

  Correct Answer: B

  If body language or tone of voice send a message different from the spoken words, the receiver will not be clear about the meaning of the message.

• Question 506:

  Which one of the following statements about human perception and human perception's role in the communication process is false?

  A. Perception is used to interpret information from the environment.

  B. Perception can distort communication only at the end of the communication process.

  C. Selective perception refers to the tendency to remember what we prefer and to forget what we are uncomfortable with.

  D. Stereotyping is a form of perceptual organization.

  Correct Answer: B

  Managers must always consider the perceptions of a message recipient. Recipients vary in their perception of messages because of background, language, education, attitudes toward the sender such as stereotyping) and job, etc. This variance can result in communication distortion at any stage of the communication process.

• Question 507:

  The faulty email led to a communications error by the executive committee of the multinational firm. The error was in:

  A. Decoding of the message.

  B. Choice of transmission medium.

  C. Understanding of the message.

  D. Response to the message.

  Correct Answer: C

  Because of faulty encoding, the message was open to two different interpretations. The committee chose the wrong one.

• Question 508:

  Studies of managerial communications have indicated that:

  A. Most managers are excellent communicators.

  B. Managers spend most of their time communicating.

  C. Written communication takes more of a manager's time than oral communication.

  D. Most effective communicators will be good managers.

  Correct Answer: B

  Because communication is the process of conveying meaning or understanding from one person to another, managers must spend most of their time communicating with subordinates, peers, and superiors. They communicate organizational goals and plans downward, lower- evel results and problems upward, and coordinating information horizontally among peers or across organizational channels).

• Question 509:

  The email received by the executive committee was faulty. In terms of the links in the communications process, the error occurred because of:

  A. Noise in the communication chain.

  B. The sender's perception.

  C. Message encoding.

  D. The choice of transmission medium.

  Correct Answer: C

  Encoding is the sender's packaging of an idea for better understanding. It entails translating the message into symbols that can be transmitted through the chosen medium of communication and then decoded by the recipient. In this example, the sender's wording of the message was misleading. A multinational firm was attempting to buy a controlling interest in a medium size US $10 million annual sales) foreign metalworking firm. The multinational firm's negotiator in the foreign country sent the following email:The foreign firm won't deal unless 51% ownership." The executive committee of the multinational firm, not wanting a minority interest, then canceled the deal. Upon returning to the multinational firm, the negotiator pointed out that the foreign firm wanted to sell no more than 51% ownership i n order to retain at least 49%. Thus, the deal could have been made.

• Question 510:

  A purchasing agent placed a rush telephone order with a supplier. The clerk in the supplier's office repeated the order specifications back to the purchasing agent. No written confirmations were exchanged. The shipment arrived late and was of the wrong quantity.

  However, the purchasing agent was unable to prove that the shipment was unsatisfactory.What link of the communication chain has failed in this scenario?

  A. Encoding.

  B. Decoding.

  C. Medium.

  D. Feedback.

  Correct Answer: C

  In the communication process, the medium is the channel through which the communication flows. The failure in this case was caused by the choice of a medium that did not create a permanent record of the facts of the communication. A multinational firm was attempting to buy a controlling interest in a medium size US $10 million annual sales) foreign metal-working firm. The multinational firm's negotiator in the foreign country sent the following email:The foreign firm won't deal unless 51% ownership." The executive committee of the multinational firm, not wanting a minority interest, then canceled the deal. Upon returning to the multinational firm, the negotiator pointed out that the foreign firm wanted to sell no more than 51% ownership in order to retain at least 49%. Thus, the deal could have been made.