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Critical Thinking Questions 1. “If there’s no definitive solution, then all ways of handling a business communication problem are equally good.” Using the discussion of business communication problem solving in this chapter, explain why this statement is false. (LO6) 2. […]

Chapter 01 – Communicating in the Workplace Skills Building Exercises 1. Using the Internet, find a company that has a corporate social responsibility program and study what the company’s website says about that program. What kind of image as a […]

Part II: Chapter-by-Chapter Lecture Notes & Exercises Chapter 1: Communicating in the Workplace Teaching Suggestions Much of the informaon you will cover in the rst meeng is roune—introducon of yourself, oce hours, course requirements, operang policies, and other business. In […]

Text Summary, Lecture Outline The Role of Communication in Business Slides 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 This chapter puts business communicaon in context. It explains the importance of business communicaon skills, describes large and small factors that aect business communicaon, idenes the […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. Talking is something we do every day, so we can be confident that these everyday skills are ready for use in the workplace. Discuss. (LO1) Though most people do some form of talking every day, the […]

Chapter 10 – Communicating Orally Skills Building Exercises Talking (LO1) 1. Record yourself in conversation with three different audiences (e.g., a friend, your parents, a customer or client at work, an instructor). Conduct a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis […]

Teaching Suggestions Teaching oral communication is best done through application exercises and problems. Even so, probably you will want to review the techniques for each type presented in the text first. As you will note, many kinds of oral communication […]

Making Formal Speeches Slide 10-17 Most business people can overcome their discomforts with formal speeches if they desire to improve and master speaking techniques. This overview slide introduces the basics of public speaking. Slide 10-18 The formal speech begins with […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. “Building a network of contacts to find jobs seems selfish. It involves acquiring friendships just to use them for one’s personal benefit.” Discuss this view. (LO1) This argument can be supported, for one can “use” people […]

Chapter 11- Communicating in the Job Search Sample Solutions to Problem-Solving Cases Case #3 This case is an excellent opportunity for students to define their long-term career goals and become more strategic in their job searches. It also generates material […]

Skills Building Exercises 1. Criticize the following excerpts from résumés. (They are not from the same résumé.) (LO4) a. Work Experience 2011–2014 Employed as sales rep for Lloyd-Shanks Tool Company 2012–2013 Office manager, Drago Plumbing Supply, Toronto 2013–2014 Matson’s Super […]

Teaching Suggestions The teaching techniques for this chapter are the same as the preceding chapters. Some instructors will tackle this chapter early in the semester as a way to get to know their students. Others may want to wait unl […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. Identify and explain the steps in the writing process. (LO1) See pages 22 – 28 in the text. 2. Think about a writing project that you recently completed. Using the terminology in this chapter, describe the […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. Interview a working professional about his or her writing process. In addition to asking about general strategies for different kinds of writing, ask how he or she tackled a particularly difficult writing situation. Write the results […]

Part II: Chapter-by-Chapter Lecture Notes & Exercises Chapter 2: Understanding the Writing Process and the Main Forms of Business Messages Teaching Suggestions Probably this material is covered best by lecture and discussion. But some wring could be assigned—especially of short, […]

Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 You can point out that this chapter will cover advice that applies to wring all kinds of documents, as well as specic advice on the shorter forms of business communicaon, or “messages”: […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. For the past 20 years, Professor Clark Kupenheimer has required that his students include five visuals in the long, formal report he assigns. Evaluate this requirement. (LO1) 2. Because it was easier to do, a report […]

Skills Building Exercises 1. Construct a complete, concise title for a line chart representing employment placement rates for graduates in your major at your school from 2010 to the present. (LO2) 2. The chart prepared in Exercise 1 requires an […]

Part II: Chapter-by-Chapter Lecture Notes & Exercises Chapter 3: Communicating Eectively with Visuals Teaching Suggestions As we look at teaching visuals, the emphasis in a business communication class should be on their proper use and selection—not on the mechanics of […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. Evaluate this comment: “I’m not going to simplify my wring for my readers. That would be talking down to them. Plus, if they can’t understand clear English, that’s their problem.” (LO1) There are ways to simplify […]

Chapter 04 – Using an Appropriate Style Skills Building Exercises Using Familiar, Short Words (LO1) Instructions, Sentences 1-20: Assume that your readers are at about the 10th-grade level in education. Revise these sentences for easy communication to this audience. 1. […]

Part II: Chapter-by-Chapter Lecture Notes & Exercises Chapter 4: Using an Appropriate Style Teaching Suggestions This chapter and the next contains a great deal of advice about wring. One foundaonal point deserves special emphasis: what counts as a good style […]

Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 4-1, 4-2, 4-3 here are to (1) use words that your reader can readily understand, (2) use an economical, lively style, and (3) avoid any wording that hints of exclusion or discrimina on. Adapting Your […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. When is the direct order appropriate in inquiries? When would you use the indirect order? Give examples. (LO1) 2. “Explanations in inquiries merely add length and should be eliminated.” Discuss. (LO3) Explanations often help the reader […]

Skills Building Exercises 1. Point out the shortcomings in this email response to an inquiry about a short course in business communication that Casey Webster’s company offered to its employees. The course was taught by a local college professor. Mr. […]

Teaching Suggestions This chapter introduces students to one of the standard organizaonal approaches in business wring: the direct organizaonal paern. Because this paern is used most frequently in situaons in which the reader will react posively or neutrally, Chapter 5 […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. Give examples of mes (or situaons) when directness is appropriate for responses giving negave informaon. (LO1) 2. Wring in the indirect order usually requires more words than does wring in the direct order. Since conciseness is […]

Chapter 06 – Writing Bad-News Messages Sample Solutions to Problem-Solving Cases Indirect Claims, Case #16 The main trap to avoid here is using language that is too dramatic and indignant. You need to express your displeasure, but in a way […]

Skills Building Exercises 1. Point out the shortcomings in the following email message from a sports celebrity declining an invitation to speak at the kickoff meeting for workers in a fundraising campaign for a charity. (LO3) Subject: Your request for […]

Teaching Suggestions The teaching techniques for this chapter are the same as for the preceding chapter. Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 When introducing this chapter, you can ask your students to give examples of mes when a […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. Explain why a persuasive-request message is usually written in the indirect order. Could the direct order ever be used for such messages? Discuss. (LO2) Persuasive requests are written when we assume the reader is likely to […]

Skills Building Exercises 1. Assume that, as a volunteer for a nonprofit organization in your town, you have been asked to write the next fundraising letter for the organization. In what ways might you gather enough information about the intended […]

Solutions to Sample Problem-Solving Cases Persuasive Requests, Case #1 Persuasion involves convincing – getting someone else to see things the way you do or to take an action you want them to take. The key to success is to know […]

Teaching Suggestions The teaching techniques for this chapter are the same as for the preceding two chapters. Text Summary, Lecture Outline Slides 7-1, 7-2, 7-3 This chapter begins with some advice that pertains to all kinds of persuasive messages. Then […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. What kinds of reports do you expect to write in your chosen profession? Why? What will the likely purposes of these reports be? (LO1) The goal here is to get students to realize that the nature […]

Chapter 08 – Researching and Writing Reports Skills Building Exercises 1. For each of the following problem situations, write a clear statement of the problem and list the factors involved. When necessary, you may use your imagination logically to supply […]

Teaching Suggestions In teaching this chapter we suggest that you use a combination of techniques. Lecture is good to review the text contents. You can supplement your lecture with the slides. After you have covered the subject matter, or perhaps […]

Critical Thinking Questions 1. Discuss the effects of formality and likely length on report makeup as described in the chapter. (LO1) As a general rule, the more formal the report situation, the more the report writer should dress up the […]

Chapter 09 – Writing Short Reports Sample Solutions to Problem-Solving Cases Shorter Reports, Case #5 This report problem enables your students to pracce much of the advice in this chapter and the preceding one. For starters, they need to write […]

Suggested Solutions for the Skills Building Exercises 1. Review the following report situations and determine for each the makeup of the report you would recommend for it (LO1) a. A professional research organization has completed a survey of consumer attitudes […]

Teaching Suggestions Lecture, discussion, and illustraon are all good for teaching types of reports. You can use lecture to summarize text highlights. We give special emphasis to the overall makeup of reports (Exhibit 9-1 in the text, Slide 9-5). For […]

Briefly describe the three methods of presenting a speech. Answer: Which of the following is true about paragraph design? A. Paragraphs should usually be longer than ten sentences. B. The topic sentence expresses the main idea of a paragraph. C. […]

Which of the following is true of adaptation, one of the basic elements of the techniques of good talking? A. It refers to the pitch and resonance of the sounds a speaker makes and the sounds an audience hears. B. […]

_____ refer to help-wanted notices in newspapers and professional journals, whether online or in print. A. Classified advertisements B. Display advertisements C. Personal advertisements D. Cover messages E. Public notices Answer: Which of the following is true of writing negative […]

Answer: Answer: FALSE Your name and contact information should be placed at the top of the résumé and subheadings should be created for the main parts (e.g., objective, education, employment, extracurricular activities). FALSE In a bad-news message, a neutral buffer […]

Answer: Answer: FALSE Intrinsic benefits are tightly linked to what you’re asking people to do, while extrinsic ones are added on and more short-lived. Answer: Answer: TRUE FALSE The minutes of a meeting usually list the date, time, and location […]

Answer: Answer: FALSE Answer: Answer: FALSE The decimal outlining system uses whole numbers to show the major sections of a business report, with decimals and additional numbers added to show subsections. FALSE External-operational communication consists of a business’s communication with […]

Answer: Answer: TRUE Answer: Answer: FALSE Emotional appeals are those based on our senses and emotions. Answer: Answer: FALSE By definition, persuasive messages are written to potentially uncooperative readers; that is why persuasion is necessary. For this reason, it is […]

Which of the following questions would be asked as part of a behavioral interview? A. Why do you think we should hire you for this job? B. Are you comfortable working night shifts? C. How will you tackle a project […]

Answer: Answer: FALSE The subject line of a sales message should tell clearly what your message is about, and it should be short. It should avoid sensational wording, such as “How to earn $60,000 the first month.” FALSE User testing, […]

Cross-cultural competency is best defined as the ability to _____. A. understand and adapt to the preference for individualism or collectivism, religious beliefs, political environment, and ideas about social hierarchy of different countries B. interact with data, see patterns in […]

Answer: Answer: FALSE By frequently asking questions, you display an open mind and show that you are listening. And you assist the talker in developing his or her message and in improving the correctness of meaning. TRUE Answer: Answer: FALSE […]

_____ refer to a number of pages that come before the actual report itself and are included when the situation is formal and the report is long. A. Appendices B. Prefatory pages C. Proposal notes D. First-pass pages E. Supplements […]

When giving a speech or a formal presentation, which of the following steps involves determining the contents of the introduction, body, and conclusion? A. Determining the topic and purpose of the report B. Preparing the presentation C. Choosing the presentation […]

Which of the following applies not only to proposals but also to all other types of messages? A. There is a set pattern that must be followed. B. The content must be adapted to the reader of the message. C. […]