31
78) If you decide to write a letter of recommendation about a job candidate, your goal should be
to
A) remain neutral about the candidate’s suitability for the job.
B) boost the job candidate’s sense of self-worth and well-being.
C) explain why you’re qualified to access the candidate.
D) convince readers the candidate has the characteristics necessary for the job.
E) include at least one negative comment to show objectivity.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
79) If you have serious concerns about the qualifications of a job candidate who has asked you
for a written recommendation, you should
A) avoid mentioning them in the letter of reference.
B) include allegations of misconduct in reference letter.
C) elect not to write the recommendation.
D) express your concerns via social media.
E) tell the candidate you do not feel they are qualified.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
32
80) Send a ________ to take note of a significant event in someone’s business or personal life.
A) message of appreciation
B) message of congratulations
C) message of acknowledgement
D) message of recognizance
E) message of interest
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
81) Excluding important negative information about a candidate in a recommendation letter
A) is expected—otherwise no one would be able to get a good job.
B) has led some employers to sue after hiring the candidate and discovering problems.
C) is the only way to prevent the candidate from suing you.
D) is okay, as long as you explain to the candidate that you are doing it.
E) is okay—as long as you add a release from liability clause to the letter.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
82) If you are sending an informative memo to employees about policy statements or procedural
changes, you should
A) assume that employees will have a positive response.
B) use the indirect approach.
C) use the body of the message to provide all the necessary details.
D) assume that employees will have a negative response.
E) incorporate a congratulatory tone.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Application
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
33
83) When offering compliments in a goodwill message, you should
A) feel free to exaggerate.
B) keep them broad and general.
C) back them up with specific points.
D) temper them with comments on areas for improvement.
E) offset them with negative comments about other employees.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
84) Condolence messages should
A) focus on your own sense of loss.
B) avoid referring to the deceased.
C) be short, simple, and sincere.
D) always be sent via electronic media.
E) focus on your relationship with the deceased.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
34
85) If you are sending an informative memo to employees about policy statements or procedural
changes, you should
A) assume that employees will have a negative response.
B) use the indirect approach.
C) use the body of the message to provide all the necessary details.
D) make the subject line as ambiguous as possible, so that they will be more likely to read the
memo.
E) assume that employees will have a positive response.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
86) A ________ is a specialized document used to share relevant information with the news
media.
A) treatise
B) press release
C) developmental brief
D) direct-to-consumer release
E) tweet
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
35
87) A social media release includes ________ that’s suitable for use in blog posts, tweets, and
other social media formats.
A) share-ready content
B) newsroom chatter
C) virtual verbiage
D) unfiltered data
E) general purpose news
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
88) Many companies use social media to publish ________, in which they communicate directly
with customers and other audiences, rather than going through news media outlets.
A) cyber statements
B) virtual press publications
C) microcosmic news stories
D) direct-to-consumer news releases
E) goodwill documents
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
89) Friendly notes with no direct business purpose, such as those conveying congratulations or
thanks, are called ________ messages.
A) salutary
B) recognition
C) goodwill
D) congratulatory
E) simple
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
36
90) Messages of ________ recognize the contributions of employees or business associates.
A) salutation
B) recognizance
C) performance
D) appreciation
E) condolence
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
91) ________ are brief personal messages written to comfort someone after the death of a loved
one.
A) Life-coaching letters
B) Remembrance letters
C) Condolence letters
D) Counseling letters
E) Goodwill messages
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
37
92) In today’s electronic media environment, handwritten thank-you notes
A) are not likely to be read.
B) give the impression that the writer is unprofessional.
C) are often particularly appreciated by the recipient.
D) require too much time to prepare and deliver.
E) are viewed as obsolete, except in personal contexts.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
93) In recommendation letters, comparing the candidate’s potential to that of his or her peers
A) should be avoided, since it opens the door to legal action.
B) is unprofessional because it distracts attention from the candidate you are recommending.
C) helps the recipient evaluate the candidate more effectively.
D) is a good idea, even if you have only a “gut feeling” about how the candidate stacks up.
E) almost always reduces the candidate’s chances of landing the job.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
94) Social media releases include social networking links, “tweetables,” and other sharable
content.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
38
95) Policy statements or procedural changes are generally neutral, so readers will not react
emotionally to them.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
96) In responding favorably to a claim even though the customer was at fault, what should you
try to accomplish in the body of your message?
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
97) Briefly explain how the Internet and social media have changed the nature of the news
release.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
98) What potential legal problem can result from writing a critical recommendation letter?
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Moderate
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
39
99) What should you keep in mind when you’re deciding what to include in a message of
condolence?
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
100) Explain what you should include in an effective recommendation letter.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
101) Explain why goodwill messages are important, and then describe at least two characteristics
of effective goodwill messages.
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages
40
102) Why are appreciation messages important? What should they include?
AACSB: Written and oral communication
Difficulty: Difficult
Classification: Conceptual
Learning Outcome: Describe strategies for developing routine and positive messages