21
50) Phone calls are
A) incapable of conveying nonverbal signals.
B) only acceptable for external communication.
C) capable of offering the give-and-take of in-person conversations.
D) no longer practical due to IM and texting.
E) preferable to electronic media when you need a permanent record.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
51) Which of the following media would be best for sending a brief message (requiring no
response from your audience) about an upcoming software update?
A) podcast
B) email
C) blog
D) videoconference
E) letter
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
22
52) The ________ is the form a message takes, and the ________ is the system used to deliver a
message.
A) channel; network
B) medium; channel
C) format; medium
D) channel; medium
E) network; format
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
53) According to the concept of media richness, the richness of a medium depends on its ability
to
A) use only one type of informational cue.
B) limit feedback.
C) allow personal feedback in large group settings.
D) convey a sense of affluence and exclusivity.
E) establish personal focus.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
23
54) A ________ is the richest communication medium.
A) telephone conversation
B) retweet with a comment
C) video podcast
D) face-to-face conversation
E) text message
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
55) A key advantage of oral communication is
A) the ability to plan and control the message.
B) the opportunity to meet an audience’s information needs.
C) the ability to transmit highly complex messages.
D) the opportunity to get immediate feedback.
E) not having to worry about unconsciously conveying undesirable messages.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
24
56) As a new supervisor, you need to introduce yourself to your team of ten employees. The best
medium for this type of non-routine message would be
A) a face-to-face meeting.
B) an email message.
C) a conference call.
D) a text message.
E) a podcast.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
57) Which of the following are advantages inherent in using a written digital channel to deliver a
business message?
A) limited reach and capability
B) delivering messages quickly
C) privacy
D) increased productivity
E) security of confidential information
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
25
58) Of the following media, which is the richest?
A) an electronic slide presentation that includes a prearranged series of images
B) a social media site that invites users’ opinions and feedback on relevant topics
C) an audio podcast posted on Moodle
D) a formal business letter that’s written on corporate letterhead
E) texting and IM
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Critical Thinking
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
59) In high-context cultures, ________ media are often more effective than ________ ones.
A) leaner; richer
B) oral; written
C) foreign; domestic
D) leaner; written
E) written; oral
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Synthesis
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
26
60) According to your textbook, all of the following except ________ are factors you must
consider when choosing a medium for a persuasive business message.
A) urgency of the message
B) cost of producing and sending the messages
C) your personal preferences
D) your audience’s preferences
E) security and privacy
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
61) A manager is using the ________ when he or she “walks-around” to chat with employees
face-to-face, seek input, answer questions, and interpret important business events and trends.
A) oral medium, digital channel
B) visual medium, oral channel
C) visual medium, in-person channel
D) oral medium, in-person channel
E) visual medium, digital channel
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
27
62) A disadvantage of a written, printed message is that it
A) limits opportunities for timely feedback.
B) cannot reach geographically dispersed audiences.
C) minimizes the writer’s ability to plan and control a message.
D) doesn’t give recipients time to process the message before they respond.
E) deemphasizes any inappropriate emotional components.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
63) When you have to enter data on a mobile device, using ________ in public areas or shared
offices can expose private message content and annoy anyone within earshot.
A) a stylus pen
B) a portable computer keyboard
C) voice recognition software
D) a touchpad
E) a wireless mouse
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
28
64) Messages that combine powerful visuals with supporting text
A) can be effective because visuals lower communication barriers for multilingual audiences.
B) are more difficult to remember than purely textual descriptions or explanations.
C) should not be used to describe complex ideas or processes.
D) take more time to review than text only messages.
E) are effective because visuals minimize the relationship between parts that make up the whole.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
65) As a classic form of written business communication, ________ are brief written messages
sent to customers and other recipients outside the organization.
A) letters
B) memos
C) reports
D) proposals
E) emails
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
29
66) When sending a video to someone who will view it on a smartphone, ________ may be a
key concern for the mobile carrier and the customers alike.
A) screen size and resolution
B) data usage and operational costs
C) connectivity limitations
D) media richness
E) input technology
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
67) A key distinction of the oral medium, in-person channel is ________ because it enables the
nuances of nonverbal communication more than any other media-channel combination.
A) being in the same physical space
B) using digital means to transmit vocalizations
C) conveying spatial relationships and technical processes
D) overcoming barriers of time and location
E) that it increases the chance of miscommunication
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Synthesis
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
30
68) In the workplace of today, most business communication efforts will involve the ________
combination.
A) written medium, print channel
B) oral medium, digital channel
C) written medium, digital channel
D) visual medium, print channel
E) oral medium, print channel
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages
69) When it comes to writing messages in today’s business environment,
A) digital messages trump written printed messages every time.
B) printed messages are still preferred for formal correspondence or a court of law.
C) email has completely replaced printed memos for all internal communication.
D) printed messages are used primarily for negative messages.
E) printed messages are becoming more casual.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Easy
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Plan and prepare business messages