Business Communication Today, 14e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 11 Writing Negative Messages
1) Which of the following is one of the five goals of communicating negative information?
A) Gain acceptance for the bad news
B) Let the audience assume the bad news
C) Offer alternatives to the bad news
D) Offer the opportunity to discuss the issue further
E) Avoid sharing the bad news
2) Which of the following is one of the five goals of communicating negative information?
A) Offer the opportunity to discuss the issue further
B) Reduce the need for future correspondence on the matter, if appropriate
C) Offer alternatives to the bad news
D) Let the audience assume the bad news
E) End all opportunities for communication with the audience
3) Which of the following is one of the goals of analyzing a situation before conveying negative
news?
A) Less acceptance of the message
B) Improved future performance on the part of the sender
C) Minimized damage to the business relationship
D) Controlled context for the message
E) A personal message to the recipient
4) During which step of the planning process should you determine the channel and medium for
a negative message?
A) Writing
B) Sending
C) Completing
D) Evaluating
E) Planning
5) When using the direct approach for a negative message, which of the following should open
the message?
A) Reasons for the situation
B) The bad news
C) Reasons for the decision
D) A positive statement of good will
E) A statement of your desire to maintain a good relationship
6) Which approach to bad news should be taken if you want to get the reader’s attention
immediately?
A) Indirect
B) Persuasive
C) Leading
D) Direct
E) Complicated
7) Which approach to bad news should be taken if the news is particularly important or
consequential to the reader?
A) Indirect
B) Persuasive
C) Leading
D) Direct
E) Routine
8) Which of the following will help to take some of the sting out of bad news, helping your
reader accept the decision?
A) Avoiding positive words and replacing with negative ones
B) Using an accusing tone
C) Telling the reader how to avoid the issue in the future
D) Explaining your qualifications
E) Writing clearly and with sensitivity
9) Use the ________ when you must deliver bad news, if your audience has an emotional
investment in the situation.
A) blended approach
B) discretionary approach
C) direct approach
D) indirect approach
10) When you’re planning a negative message, ________ in order to minimize the damage to
business relationships and encourage acceptance of your message.
A) analyze the situation carefully
B) be direct at all times
C) emphasize your needs and concerns
D) quote the policies and regulations of your company
E) offer an opportunity to discuss the issue in person
11) Use the ________ if you must deliver bad news that will shock or surprise your audience.
A) indirect approach
B) discretionary approach
C) direct approach
D) introverted approach
12) When you’re writing a negative message, use ________ to take some of the sting out of the
bad news and to help your reader accept the message and move forward.
A) facts and figures
B) clarity and sensitivity
C) subtlety and innuendo
D) blame and leverage
E) company policy
13) One of the primary goals of a negative message is to
A) sell products and services to unwilling customers.
B) empathize with fellow employees.
C) rally support for unpopular causes.
D) gain acceptance for the bad news.
E) offer alternative ways of achieving the desired outcome.
14) Use the ________ to deliver bad news, if you have to get the reader’s attention immediately.
A) dialectic approach
B) bidirectional approach
C) direct approach
D) indirect approach
E) persuasive approach
15) When composing negative messages, don’t use language that
A) conveys respect.
B) avoids an accusing tone.
C) protects your reader’s pride.
D) pinpoints the reader’s shortcomings.
E) considers the needs of the audience.
16) If you have to compose a negative message, keep in mind that your audience will be
indifferent to what you have to say.
17) Withholding or delaying bad news can be unethical, or even illegal.
18) To avoid awkward situations, it is best to deliver bad news for employees in writing
whenever possible.
19) Discuss questions that should be thought through when determining if negative information
should be shared in an indirect or direct format.
20) What are your five main goals when delivering bad news?
21) Which of the following is an advantage to stating the bad news at the beginning of the
message?
A) The audience will recover from their shock quicker
B) The message can be shorter
C) The main idea will not be identified until the middle paragraph
D) The focus of the message will be on personal factors
E) You will not need to explain to the reader why you are writing
22) Which of the following should be placed immediately after a direct opening?
A) Positive alternatives to the news
B) A list of those affected by the news
C) An apology
D) Reasons for future decisions
E) An explanation of why the news is negative
23) Why should an apology be delivered quickly when an apology is included in a negative
message?
A) To help close the discussion
B) To encourage further communication
C) To help maintain some control over a story
D) To avoid reasons and detail in the message
E) To prevent comments from being posted on social media
24) Which of the following is important to include in the close of a message when you are
responding after a mistake was made by your organization?
A) Clear identification of who made the mistake
B) Assurance the error will never happen again
C) A reminder of the bad news
D) Reasons for the decision
E) A description of actions taken to avoid similar mistakes
25) When closing a negative message on a respectful note, what types of statements should be
avoided?
A) Those that create false hopes
B) Those that use positive language
C) Those that include alternative solutions
D) Those that offer an apology when you have done nothing wrong
E) Those that indicate how the organization plans to avoid the error in the future
26) If you’re using the direct approach to deliver a negative message
A) save the bad news for last.
B) state the bad news at the beginning.
C) embed the bad news in a parenthetical expression.
D) subordinate the bad news in a compound sentence.
E) avoid mentioning the bad news entirely.
27) When you deliver negative messages, you
A) should always begin with a buffer.
B) should not include reasons for the decision or information.
C) should use language that conveys respect.
D) can expect your audience to be offended.
E) should always avoid specific statements of bad news.
28) If you choose to apologize in a negative message, you should
A) phrase the apology in a conditional manner (“If I have offended anyone …”).
B) imply that not all of the blame lies with you or your company.
C) be sincere and make it a true apology.
D) always demonstrate sincerity, but never accept blame.
E) explain what the reader should do to avoid similar issues in the future.
29) Which of the following can be done to create a close to a message that is respectful to the
audience?
A) Create some hope for future opportunities
B) Explain why the news seems negative but can be helpful in the long term
C) Include a statement of confidentiality
D) Understand the impact the news is likely to have on the recipient
E) Avoid offering alternative solutions
30) Use the direct approach for negative messages, if the message will have a relatively minor
impact on the audience.
31) An advantage of the direct approach for communicating bad news is that it keeps the
message short.
32) Briefly describe the elements of a negative message that uses the direct approach.
33) What are the two benefits of stating the bad news at the beginning of a negative message?
34) Discuss why apologizing in business messages is not always advised.
35) Which of the following is an advantage to using an indirect approach for negative messages?
A) The bad news will be obscured
B) The reader is more prepared for the bad news
C) The writer can limit their responsibility for the bad news
D) The bad news will be delayed, and therefore minimized
E) The reader is likely to overlook the bad news
36) Which of the following is one of the purposes of using the indirect approach for negative
messages?
A) To obscure news
B) To delay sharing the news
C) To help the readers accept the situation
D) To limit your responsibility
E) To signal the seriousness of the news
37) Which of the following is used to open messages when using the indirect approach?
A) Summary
B) Bad news
C) Conclusion
D) Buffer
E) Reasons
38) A poorly written buffer can
A) trivialize the reader’s concerns.
B) divert attention from the problem.
C) mislead the reader into thinking your message actually contains good news.
D) all of the above.
39) Which of the following is a neutral statement that establishes common ground with the
reader without revealing the main idea of the message?
A) Ethics statement
B) Obscuring
C) Audience orientation
D) Close
E) Buffer
40) Which of the following is one of the goals of a well-written buffer?
A) To be relevant and sincere
B) To trivialize the reader’s concerns
C) To divert attention from the problem
D) To offer flattery or additional material
E) To have the reader think the message contains good news
41) In which section of an indirect message should you provide information that will lead the
audience to the negative news?
A) Buffer
B) Opening section
C) After the bad news
D) The explanation
E) Close
42) Which one of the following would be the most effective way to open an indirect message
that delivers bad news to someone who applied for a summer internship?
A) Please accept my apology for having to deliver bad news.
B) We have rejected your application for the summer internship.
C) Your résumé clearly shows why you’re interested in a summer internship.
D) We are unable to consider your résumé and application letter at this time.
43) Which of the following should be avoided when closing a negative news message?
A) Optimism
B) Uncertain conclusions
C) Final decisions
D) Sincerity
E) Available alternatives
44) Instead of announcing the bad news up front, you can open with a(n) ________ to establish
common ground with the reader.
A) humorous anecdote
B) buffer statement
C) diversionary tactic
D) heartwarming story
E) expression of appreciation
45) You can use an agreement strategy to write an effective buffer statement if you
A) find an attribute or achievement to compliment.
B) express sincere thanks for receiving something.
C) demonstrate that you understand the reader’s goals and needs.
D) discover a point on which you and the reader share similar views.
E) want to identify points where the reader should understand your view.
46) The buffer of a negative message
A) should be neutral and noncontroversial.
B) implicitly says no.
C) is a form of apology.
D) should be very vague about the subject of the message.
E) should mention the bad news.
47) According to your textbook, which of the following techniques is a best practice for
delivering bad news?
A) Maximize the space devoted to it.
B) Make the bad news seem trivial.
C) Withhold important information.
D) Deemphasize it visually and grammatically.
48) One important goal of a buffer is to
A) delay stating the bad news.
B) establish common ground with your reader.
C) make your reader wonder what the message is about.
D) divert the reader’s attention to a more pleasant subject.
E) offer alternative ways of solving a problem.
49) If you do all of the following EXCEPT ________, you can close a negative message in a
positive way.
A) build goodwill
B) suggest alternative actions
C) dwell on the bad news
D) look toward the future
50) In the reasons section of a negative message, you should
A) prepare the reader for the negative news.
B) state the bad news directly.
C) apologize for the negative decision.
D) establish common ground with the reader.
E) include every reason you have identified.
51) In a negative message, the explanation section should
A) distract readers with current events.
B) apologize for any inconvenience the message may cause.
C) lead readers to your conclusion before you state it.
D) establish common ground with the reader.
52) One way to be tactful when giving your reasons for bad news is to
A) explain why the decision is good for you and your company.
B) highlight, if possible, how your negative decision benefits the recipient.
C) explain that the decision is based on company policy.
D) apologize for having to be the bearer of bad news.
E) ignore any request you don’t intend to comply with.
53) With the exception of ________, all of the following guidelines can help you close a
negative message on a respectful note.
A) being sincere
B) managing future correspondence
C) avoiding an uncertain conclusion
D) promising an optimistic future outcome
54) Consider the following statement: “Our profits, which have been disappointing, are only part
of the total picture.” This statement uses a ________ to deliver negative news.
A) mixed metaphor
B) parenthetical expression
C) deflective reference
D) contingent modifier