2.5.1b Importance of effective communication and barriers to it Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Business, Unit 10

The 20 questions

1. Why is effective communication important in a business?

   • It helps staff understand tasks and makes operations run more efficiently
   • It ensures that customers always pay the price the business sets for them
   • It means that staff never need to make any decisions for themselves
   • It removes the need for any written records within the business at all

2. What is a barrier to effective communication?

   • Holding a team meeting that everyone is invited to attend
   • Sending a written message that is clear and to the point
   • Keeping a record of each instruction in a shared file
   • Using jargon that the receiver does not understand

3. Which is an example of excessive communication?

   • A short written summary sent after each meeting to all of the people who attended
   • A manager sharing one clear update with the team each week at the start of the shift
   • Staff receiving so many emails that they cannot find the important ones
   • A team leader asking staff to confirm that a task has been completed to the standard

4. Which effect is most likely when communication is insufficient?

   • Costs fall because staff do not need to attend any meetings at all during the month
   • Customers receive faster service because staff are left to work through tasks alone
   • Staff become more motivated because they are free to decide everything for themselves
   • Staff are unclear about their tasks, which lowers efficiency and motivation

5. Which is a barrier to communication caused by distance?

   • Staff use one shared channel, so messages are always clearly received by everyone
   • Staff sit close together, so every message is heard by everyone in the room at once
   • Staff in different branches rarely meet, so messages can be delayed or lost
   • Staff have a short meeting every day, so messages are always kept up to date

6. A manager sends an important instruction by a long email with no summary. Which barrier is most likely?

   • Too much face-to-face contact, so the email is unnecessary
   • Lack of technology, so the email cannot be sent at all
   • Too few managers, so the email is never read by anyone
   • Information overload, so the key message may be missed

7. Which is a barrier to communication caused by language?

   • Staff who all speak the same language may misunderstand each other's accents
   • Staff who share the same first language always understand every message
   • Staff who speak clearly always need translation for every single sentence
   • Staff whose first language is not English may misunderstand technical terms

8. Which is a benefit of two-way communication?

   • Messages only travel in one direction, which makes them faster for managers to send
   • Managers can give orders without ever hearing a reply from the staff who carry them out
   • Staff can ask questions and give feedback, so misunderstandings are reduced
   • Staff only receive information and never need to reply to anything that they are sent

9. A business has poor communication between departments. Which result is most likely?

   • Higher motivation because every department makes its own decisions
   • Lower costs because no departments share any information
   • Duplicated work and delays on projects that need several teams
   • Faster projects because departments work separately without any contact

10. Which is the best description of a communication barrier caused by noise?

    • Background sound in the workplace that makes it hard to hear the message
    • A rule that requires all messages to be sent through the head office
    • A decision to communicate only in writing and never face to face
    • A shortage of staff to answer the business's telephone during the day

11. Why might a manager use a team briefing rather than an email to share a change?

    • It means the message will never need to be repeated again in the future by the manager
    • It removes the need for staff to have any further contact with the manager about the change
    • It is always cheaper than an email because no one needs to travel to attend the briefing
    • It allows questions to be answered immediately and checks that everyone has understood

12. Which of these is a formal method of communication in a business?

    • A rumour about a possible change that has not been confirmed by management
    • A message passed informally from one employee to another by word of mouth
    • A written memo sent to all staff about a new policy
    • A casual chat in the staff kitchen about the weekend

13. A business's communication is so slow that orders are delayed by two days. What is the most likely cause?

    • Too many flexible contracts so that staff work different hours
    • Too few layers of management so that messages are sent directly
    • Too much delegation so that managers have no decisions to make
    • Too many layers of management that messages must pass through

14. Which is a barrier caused by staff not wanting to share bad news?

    • Information is withheld, so problems reach managers late
    • Information is always shared with every staff member as soon as it arises
    • Information is posted publicly on the notice board for everyone to see
    • Information is shared quickly, so problems are solved at once

15. Which is an effect of effective communication on motivation?

    • Staff are ignored when they raise concerns, which makes them work harder
    • Staff feel informed and valued, which can raise motivation
    • Staff feel confused about their roles, which can raise motivation
    • Staff are given no feedback, which makes them more motivated

16. A business sends 40 emails a day to staff, most of which are not relevant. What is the main risk?

    • Important messages are missed because staff are overloaded
    • Staff become more efficient because they read every single email
    • Customers receive faster replies because staff are always online
    • Staff have too little information about their daily tasks

17. Which of these is a barrier caused by a poor communication channel?

    • A message checked by a manager before it is sent to all of the staff in the team
    • A message sent to exactly the people who need to act on it in the business
    • A message sent by the most suitable method for the type of information being shared
    • A message sent by an unsuitable method, such as a long report for a quick update

18. Which is a reason that communication is important to the success of a team?

    • It removes any need for the team to set targets or track progress
    • It makes team meetings unnecessary because all staff already know everything
    • It means that team leaders can avoid responsibility for team results
    • It helps team members coordinate work and solve problems together

19. A business wants to reduce the risk of misunderstanding. Which action is most effective?

    • Leave instructions unrecorded so that staff use their own judgement
    • Confirm key instructions in writing and ask staff to repeat them back
    • Send all instructions through a single person who relays them informally
    • Give instructions quickly with no follow-up or chance to clarify anything

20. Explain why too little and too much communication can both reduce efficiency.

    • Too much communication means staff never need to do any of their actual work at all
    • Too little leaves staff uninformed, while too much overloads them and hides key messages
    • Too little communication always costs more money than too much in every business
    • Too little communication is only a problem for businesses that have no staff at all

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