Business Communication Today, 14e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 4 Planning Business Messages
1) The three primary steps involved in preparing a business message are
A) planning, writing, and completing.
B) informing, persuading, and collaborating.
C) defining the purpose, the main idea, and the topic.
D) satisfying the audience’s informational, motivational, and practical needs.
2) Which of the following is an advantage to utilizing the three-step writing process?
A) Your message will be more effective
B) Your message will take less time to write
C) Your audience will have a deeper appreciation of your efforts
D) The message will be able to clarify the situation in very few words
E) You will spend less time proofreading the message
3) Which one of the following is an element of the completing phase of the three-step writing
process?
A) Organizing the information
B) Interpreting the research
C) Proofreading the message
D) Selecting the right medium
4) What are the steps in the three-step writing process?
A) Writing, proofing, and distributing
B) Planning, writing, and completing
C) Analysis, commitment, and implementation
D) Writing, adapting, and composing
E) Analysis, gathering, and organizing
5) All of the following EXCEPT ________ are elements in the planning phase of the three-step
writing process.
A) gathering information
B) adapting to the audience
C) selecting the right medium
D) organizing the information
6) During which step of the writing process do you define your purpose and audience profile?
A) Writing
B) Composing
C) Planning
D) Producing
E) Completing
7) Planning is essential when writing business messages because it
A) helps you provide the right information to the right people in the right format.
B) makes the writing process faster and less stressful.
C) can save you from embarrassing blunders that could hurt your company or your career.
D) all of the above.
8) During which step of the writing process should you select the medium and channel to be
used?
A) Writing
B) Composing
C) Producing
D) Planning
E) Completing
9) If you devote sufficient time to planning a business message before you begin writing it, you
can expect all of the following outcomes EXCEPT
A) expediting the writing process.
B) avoiding embarrassing blunders.
C) experiencing extra work and stress in the writing and completing stages.
D) delivering concise, compelling information that your audience wants and needs to know.
10) During which step of the writing process should you define the main idea and limit the scope
of the message?
A) Writing
B) Composing
C) Producing
D) Planning
E) Completing
11) In order to optimize your writing time, reserve about ________ of that time for revising,
producing, proofreading, and distributing your message.
A) 10 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 15 percent
12) In the writing phase of the three-step writing process, which of the following should be used
to adapt your message to your audience?
A) Strong words and coherent paragraphs
B) An outline of the content
C) An evaluation of the content and readability
D) Editing and rewriting skills
E) Sensitivity and relationship skills
13) Which of the following should be incorporated into the message when working on the
writing phase of the three-step writing process?
A) Strong words and effective paragraphs
B) An audience-friendly format
C) A well-defined main idea and direct approach
D) Strong words and short sentences
E) An appropriate channel and medium
14) During which phase of the three-step writing process should you revise your message?
A) Writing
B) Completing
C) Producing
D) Planning
E) Composing
15) Which of the following should be the main focus of revising your message?
A) Use of strong words and phrases
B) Creating complex sentences
C) Content and readability
D) Sensitivity and relationship skills
E) Appropriate writing style
16) When using the three-step writing process, when should you review a written message for
design and layout effectiveness?
A) When writing it
B) When printing or posting it
C) When producing it
D) When planning it
E) When composing it
17) As a general rule, which step of the three-step writing process should take the most time?
A) Writing
B) Distributing
C) Completing
D) Producing
E) Planning
18) Which of the following is an advantage of spending more time on planning?
A) Reduced rework
B) It is more intuitive
C) A stronger focus on the writing effort
D) Easier distribution
E) Adaptability to a variety of mediums
19) How can you be sure you are providing the right information to your audience in the right
format?
A) By assembling all facts
B) By spending enough time on planning
C) By spending more time on research
D) By using several revisions and rewriting opportunities
E) By carefully choosing the channel and medium
20) What can be done to make the actual writing stage faster and easier?
A) Audience analysis
B) Strong revisions
C) Careful planning
D) Effective channels
E) Technology
21) During which step of the writing process should a document be proofread?
A) After each paragraph
B) At any time during the writing stage
C) Before a final product is created
D) When completing the message
E) Several times as needed
22) When allocating your time among the three stages of the writing process, you should use
about a fourth of the time for planning, half the time for writing, and a quarter of the time for
completing.
23) The three steps in the writing process are planning, writing, and completing.
24) Simple and short messages require as much planning as long reports.
25) What are the four tasks involved in planning business messages?
26) Explain each phase of the three-step writing process.
27) What steps should be taken during the planning stage of the three-step writing process?
28) What should take place during the writing phase of the three-step writing process?
29) Describe steps to be taken when completing a business message.
30) Which of the following is NOT a general category common to business communication?
A) To inform
B) To persuade
C) To negotiate
D) To collaborate
31) An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be
A) to impart information to the audience.
B) to inform employees about the new vacation policy.
C) to persuade readers to take action.
D) to obtain audience participation and collaboration.
32) Which of the following is one of the general purposes of all business messages?
A) To generate interest in a product
B) To accomplish a goal
C) To get approval
D) To ask questions
E) To inform
33) What can be used to develop ideas about how the audience should think or what you hope to
accomplish with the message?
A) A specific purpose
B) A goal statement
C) A general purpose
D) Tone
E) Specific word choices
34) What is one of the key goals related to the audience that should be developed within the
specific purpose of your message?
A) How to best inform the audience of your ideas
B) What the audience should do or think after receiving your message
C) The extent of the collaboration needed with the audience
D) The overall approach that should be used to get the message to the audience
E) The information and the organization of the message
35) What question can you ask yourself to help determine if your message is worth sending?
A) Will the message enhance your career?
B) What is the purpose and scope of the message?
C) Will the message change anything?
D) Did I follow the three-step writing process?
E) Does the message need another revision?
36) Which of the following can be accomplished by ensuring your message supports the
objectives and policies of the organization?
A) That the timing is right for the message
B) That the purpose is realistic
C) That the specific purpose has been well defined
D) That the purpose of the message is acceptable to the organization
E) That something will change as a result of the message
37) Why is timing important to the success of the message?
A) It shows the sender has good business sense
B) It will reduce information overload
C) It will determine the merit of the message
D) It will help audience members determine how to best respond
E) If receivers are busy, they are less likely to pay attention to it
38) When you craft messages with realistic goals, which of these traits are you exhibiting?
A) Good business sense
B) A willingness to compromise whenever you encounter resistance
C) Highly efficient writing
D) Concern for upper management’s emotional needs
E) A strong sense of individualism
39) What should be your goal when defining the purpose of your message?
A) You understand the members of your audience
B) The purpose is clear and meaningful
C) You understand the needs of your audience
D) The message is relevant to the audience’s needs
E) The audience should want to see and hear more
40) What step can you take to help ensure your audience will be interested in your message?
A) Develop a general purpose
B) Time your message carefully
C) Develop an audience profile
D) Make sure the purpose is acceptable to the organization
E) Develop a specific purpose
41) If you are targeting an audience with diverse information needs and levels of interest in your
topic, how should you focus your message?
A) Write a separate message for each subgroup
B) Format your message in a table with one column of information for each subgroup
C) Estimate the average level of audience knowledge and structure your message around that
D) Target your message at the key decision makers while incorporating the needs of other groups
as much as possible
E) Provide a little bit of information for every segment of the audience
42) When should you determine the size and location of your audience?
A) During the writing stage
B) When choosing the message channel
C) During the completing state
D) When determining the message medium
E) When conducting an audience analysis
43) If you expect the audience to react favorably to your message, how should you handle the
conclusions and recommendations in the message?
A) Increase the amount of supporting evidence
B) Build a strong argument that implies a conclusion
C) Place them up front
D) Build a point by point argument that leads to the recommendations
E) Place them after reasons for the recommendations
44) Why is it important to gauge audience members’ level of understanding when crafting a
message?
A) To determine their general background and level of effort
B) To make sure those of a higher rank have all their needs addressed
C) To keep the communication internal if necessary
D) To determine how much help they will need in understanding your message
E) To forecast probable reaction to the message
45) How can you determine the level of detail needed in an internal message?
A) By forecasting the audience’s probable reaction
B) By timing your message effectively
C) By determining audience composition
D) By limiting size and geographic distribution of the audience
E) By understanding audience preferences and expectations
46) If you expect a favorable response to your message, where can you place your
recommendations?
A) Up front
B) After each key point
C) After each piece of supporting evidence
D) In the recommendation section
E) At the end
47) If your audience is skeptical, you should introduce conclusions gradually and with more
proof.
48) The general purpose of a message identifies what you hope to accomplish with the message
and what your audience should do or think after receiving your message.
49) Describe at least three of the tasks involved in developing an audience profile.
50) List at least three helpful questions to ask in evaluating the purpose of a message.
51) Discuss the relationship between general and specific purposes and the goals of each.
52) How can a writer test the purpose of a message?
53) Discuss the steps in developing an audience profile.
54) A knowledge-management system
A) helps companies limit the amount of information employees store on the network.
B) enables organizations to test employees periodically to ensure they are doing adequate
research.
C) is a centralized database of experiences and insights of employees throughout an organization.
D) is a tool for creating a bibliography when writing long reports.