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With collaborative writing, the usual outcome is a document that is inferior to one that would have been produced by a single individual. Answer: To resolve conflicts successfully, it is helpful to get opponents to fight together against an “outside […]

Which of the following is not one of the five ways to get the audience to notice your messages? A) Acknowledge the importance of the situation. B) In every message, admit that you could be wrong. C) Use words, images, […]

If you find graphics, photos, videos, and other elements online, you can use them in your own documents without worrying about copyright violations. Answer: A period goes inside quotation marks if the whole sentence is quoted but outside the quotation […]

A conversational tone is not appropriate for most business messages. Answer: In rejecting a proposal you solicited, you should use the indirect approach and provide an explanation. Answer: TRUE Explanation: If you need to reject a proposal that you solicited, […]

Which of the following is a demonstrative pronoun? A) He B) This C) Who D) Anyone E) We Answer: The preferred title for women in business is ________, unless the individual requests otherwise. A) Mrs. B) Miss C) Ms. D) […]

To avoid legal problems, businesses should delay communicating with the media in the aftermath of a crisis. Answer: The introduction to a formal business report should never be longer than a paragraph or two. Answer: FALSE Explanation: The introduction of […]

When preparing persuasive messages for audiences in high-context cultures, you will be most successful if you use an aggressive, hard-sell approach. Answer: Networking is not simply putting yourself in contact with powerful people and asking them for a job: it […]

Not all résumés need to be limited to one page in length. Answer: iTunes can be an effective venue for distributing a company’s podcasts. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Podcasts can be distributed in several ways, including through media stores such as […]

When writing a letter of recommendation, you should A) illustrate your general points with facts and evidence. B) show it to the job candidate before sending it to the person who requested it. C) overstate the candidate’s abilities if he […]

Before volunteering someone’s name as a reference, always A) assume you have permission to do so. B) ask that person’s permission. C) describe your relationship with that person. D) list that person’s address and phone number for ease of contact. […]

In order for audience members to respond appropriately to a business message, they must A) remember the message. B) be able to respond to the message. C) be motivated to respond to the message. D) do all of the above. […]

Unlike most search engines, a web directory yields results that have been screened by human editors. Answer: In application letters it is acceptable to mention that you will follow up with a phone call in a few days. Answer: TRUE […]

Despite increased market globalization, the nature of business communication has not changed much in recent years. Answer: Overhead transparencies are old-fashioned visual aids that are no longer used in business. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Overhead transparencies are not as ubiquitous as […]

Many difficulties in intercultural communication occur because people in different cultures have different A) genetics. B) assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate. C) environments. D) media. E) views, but all the same core values. Answer: Learning about […]

In part, media richness refers to A) the cost of sending a message through a particular medium. B) the popularity of a specific medium. C) a medium’s ability to facilitate feedback. D) the difficulties involved with using a particular medium. […]

When it comes to planning business messages, social media A) enable you to quickly locate experts and vital information on a wide variety of topics. B) are not really helpful, although they can be used in to send the message […]

When responding to claim letters, companies usually accept the customer’s explanation of the problem. Answer: If you regularly edit for conciseness and clarity, you’ll likely find that audiences are more likely to read your documents. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Readers appreciate […]

It’s best to back up all claims and requests for adjustments with invoices, sales receipts, and so on and to send copies to the company and keep the originals. Answer: Using a spell checker guarantees that your documents will be […]

All résumés should be organized chronologically. Answer: SMS is another term for text messaging. Answer: TRUE Explanation: Phone-based text messaging (sometimes called short messaging service or SMS) has many applications in business, including marketing, customer service, security, crisis management, and […]

One drawback of using the yardstick approach to structure business reports is that A) you must discuss all the alternatives, even if many of them turn out to be irrelevant and/or unproductive. B) this approach is generally considered old-fashioned. C) […]

One of the steps in analyzing your audience is to A) determine their likely emotional state. B) remember to keep your speech or oral presentation short. C) define your purpose. D) prepare a detailed, informative outline. E) none of the […]

People in the United States are generally accustomed to having less privacy at work than their counterparts in other cultures. Answer: At the close of an interview, you should impress the interviewer with your assertiveness by pressing for an immediate […]

To avoid awkward situations, it is always best to deliver bad news for employees in writing. Answer: A podcasting channel offers regular recordings on a consistent theme, designed for a wide public audience. Answer: TRUE Explanation: One vital planning step […]

With the availability of telepresence and other sophisticated meeting technologies, face-to-face meetings A) are still valuable in many situations. B) are wasteful and unnecessary. C) should happen only when the topic is highly controversial. D) offer nothing that technology cannot […]

Tables presented in printed documents must contain fewer columns and rows than tables presented online. Answer: Using polite language in business-related persuasive messages weakens your argument and reduces your chance of success. Answer: FALSE Explanation: Consider the cultural aspects of […]

Which of the following would be the most effective preview in a formal report? A) Our sales in the eastern region have plummeted. B) First, let me begin by introducing our team. C) The next section discusses the advantages of […]