UGCNET Questions

Upward communication flows from lower levels of an organizational hierarchy to higher levels. When teachers collect and forward students’ feedback or issues to the principal, information moves from the operational level to the leadership level. This helps administrators understand ground realities and make informed decisions. Therefore, this example clearly represents upward communication within an educational institution.

Option A:
Option A, principal issuing new rules to all teachers, is a classic example of downward communication, where directives and policies flow from higher authority to subordinate staff. It is not upward communication.

Option B:
Option B involves teachers, who occupy a lower administrative position, sending information to the principal, who occupies a higher position. This direction from lower to higher level is the defining feature of upward communication, making the example appropriate for the concept.

Option C:
Option C, teachers sharing lesson plans among themselves, illustrates horizontal communication, which occurs between individuals at similar levels in the hierarchy rather than upward or downward.

Option D:
Option D, government broadcasting educational messages on television, is an example of mass communication directed to the public at large. It is not part of the internal upward communication structure of a single educational institution.

Gatekeepers are individuals or roles that decide which messages are allowed to pass through a communication channel and how they are framed. Their decisions shape what information others receive and in what form.

Option A:
Option A says gatekeepers ensure all messages reach everyone without filtering, which is the opposite of gatekeeping. Gatekeeping involves selection, not full openness.

Option B:
Option B is correct because gatekeepers control which messages are selected, shaped and allowed to pass through channels to wider audiences.

Option C:
Option C restricts gatekeepers to technical support roles, which may manage equipment but not the selection of messages.

Option D:
Option D suggests that gatekeepers never modify or interpret messages, while in reality they often edit, frame or prioritize information.

A staff meeting involves several individuals exchanging ideas, opinions and decisions in a shared space. This is group communication because more than two people are interacting with mutual awareness inside the institution.

Option A:
Option A, intrapersonal communication, refers to communication within an individual’s own mind, such as thinking or self-talk. A staff meeting involves several people, so it is not intrapersonal.

Option B:
Option B, mass communication, involves addressing large, anonymous audiences through mass media like TV, radio or newspapers, not a small internal meeting.

Option C:
Option C is correct because a staff meeting has a small group of participants interacting face to face within the institution, which is a form of group communication.

Option D:
Option D refers to communication with the external public or outside organizations. A routine staff meeting is internal, not extra-organizational.

Status or power differences can create psychological distance between communicators. Students may fear expressing dissenting views, and administrators may communicate in an overly formal style, reducing openness and feedback.

Option A:
Option A incorrectly claims that students have more formal power than administrators, which is usually not true in university hierarchies.

Option B:
Option B is correct because perceived power distance can make both administrators and students hesitate to share information openly, creating a psychological barrier.

Option C:
Option C states that status has no influence, which ignores how power differences affect who speaks, who listens and how freely people share information.

Option D:
Option D suggests that status differences automatically improve clarity, but in practice they often make communication more cautious and less open.

Horizontal communication occurs between individuals or units at the same hierarchical level, often for coordination and problem solving. When teachers from various departments collaborate, they typically hold similar ranks and share information as peers.

Option A:
Option A, downward communication, flows from higher to lower levels, such as principal to teachers, which is not the case here.

Option B:
Option B, upward communication, refers to messages sent from lower levels toward administrators, such as reports or feedback.

Option C:
Option C fits the peer collaboration scenario, emphasizing coordination and mutual sharing among staff at the same organizational level.

Option D:
Option D, diagonal communication, occurs between different levels and departments simultaneously, which is not described here.