COM4807 ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION THEORY 1 2026 FINAL
REVIEW QUESTIONS ANSWERS BUNDLED
PRACTICE COLLECTION
◉ What is the main idea behind McGregor's Theory X/Y?
Answer: Theory X assumes workers are inherently lazy, while
Theory Y assumes they are self-motivated.
◉ What is the significance of Rensis Likert's Systems 1-4?
Answer: They describe different management systems based on
participation and communication.
◉ What does Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggest about worker
motivation?
Answer: Workers have social needs that must be met for satisfaction
and performance.
◉ What is the role of communication in organisations according to
the Human Relations Theory?
Answer: Communication must be two-way and participative to
improve satisfaction and performance.
,◉ What is the impact of upward communication in Bureaucratic
Theory?
Answer: It is minimal and often structurally suppressed.
◉ What does the term 'iron cage' refer to in the context of
Bureaucratic Theory?
Answer: Weber's warning about the dehumanizing effects of
bureaucratic rationality.
◉ What is the relationship between communication and
organisational structures?
Answer: Communication constitutes organisational structures, not
the reverse.
◉ What is the primary goal of communication in classical theories?
Answer: Efficiency.
◉ What were the Hawthorne Studies focused on?
Answer: The effects of lighting, rest breaks, and pay on productivity.
◉ What is the key finding of the Hawthorne Studies?
Answer: Productivity rose regardless of physical conditions; social
attention was the critical variable.
, ◉ What is the Hawthorne Effect?
Answer: Workers perform better when they know they are being
observed and valued.
◉ What did the Hawthorne Studies discover about informal groups?
Answer: Workers formed their own norms, channels, and power
structures.
◉ What does Theory X assume about workers?
Answer: Workers are inherently lazy and avoid responsibility,
requiring external control and direction.
◉ What is the communication style in Theory X?
Answer: Top-down and directive communication.
◉ What are the implications of Theory Y?
Answer: Workers seek meaning, exercise self-direction, and are
motivated by belonging, esteem, and growth.
◉ What is the primary communication style in Theory Y?
Answer: Participative and two-way communication.
COMMUNICATION THEORY 1 2026 FINAL
REVIEW QUESTIONS ANSWERS BUNDLED
PRACTICE COLLECTION
◉ What is the main idea behind McGregor's Theory X/Y?
Answer: Theory X assumes workers are inherently lazy, while
Theory Y assumes they are self-motivated.
◉ What is the significance of Rensis Likert's Systems 1-4?
Answer: They describe different management systems based on
participation and communication.
◉ What does Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggest about worker
motivation?
Answer: Workers have social needs that must be met for satisfaction
and performance.
◉ What is the role of communication in organisations according to
the Human Relations Theory?
Answer: Communication must be two-way and participative to
improve satisfaction and performance.
,◉ What is the impact of upward communication in Bureaucratic
Theory?
Answer: It is minimal and often structurally suppressed.
◉ What does the term 'iron cage' refer to in the context of
Bureaucratic Theory?
Answer: Weber's warning about the dehumanizing effects of
bureaucratic rationality.
◉ What is the relationship between communication and
organisational structures?
Answer: Communication constitutes organisational structures, not
the reverse.
◉ What is the primary goal of communication in classical theories?
Answer: Efficiency.
◉ What were the Hawthorne Studies focused on?
Answer: The effects of lighting, rest breaks, and pay on productivity.
◉ What is the key finding of the Hawthorne Studies?
Answer: Productivity rose regardless of physical conditions; social
attention was the critical variable.
, ◉ What is the Hawthorne Effect?
Answer: Workers perform better when they know they are being
observed and valued.
◉ What did the Hawthorne Studies discover about informal groups?
Answer: Workers formed their own norms, channels, and power
structures.
◉ What does Theory X assume about workers?
Answer: Workers are inherently lazy and avoid responsibility,
requiring external control and direction.
◉ What is the communication style in Theory X?
Answer: Top-down and directive communication.
◉ What are the implications of Theory Y?
Answer: Workers seek meaning, exercise self-direction, and are
motivated by belonging, esteem, and growth.
◉ What is the primary communication style in Theory Y?
Answer: Participative and two-way communication.
