Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 10: Employee Relations, Corporate Culture, and
Social Responsibility
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following is an internal communications task?
a. motivating employees
b. developing PR campaigns
c. creating press releases
d. establishing company policies
2. The term employee relations is synonymous with which of the following?
a. public relations
b. internal communications
c. integrated communications
d. organizational clarity
3. What is one of the reasons for significant growth in the employee relations field?
a. more oversight of social responsibility efforts
b. implementation of corporate hiring policies
c. fewer Millennials entering the workforce
d. economic concerns after the 2008 recession
4. What is the broad goal of internal communications?
a. communicating clearly and concisely with stakeholders
b. establishing social media platforms for an organization
c. building and maintaining a strong organizational culture
d. engaging in two-way interaction with numerous publics
5. During a merger, what is the key role of the employee relations team?
a. establishing a corporate culture
b. facilitating organizational change
c. monitoring owned media results
d. communicating with the media
6. Company X buys all of the ownership stakes of Company Z. Company X then
assumes control of Company Z. Which term describes this situation?
a. litigation
b. merger
c. divestiture
d. acquisition
7. Company X and Company Y unite into one new company—Company Z. Which term
describes this situation?
a. litigation
b. merger
c. divestiture
d. acquisition
8. Which term refers to an organization’s personality and the attitudes and behaviors of
its members?
a. corporate culture
b. organizational clarity
c. corporate reputation
d. brand integrity
9. Innovative, successful companies tend to have which of the following?
a. media relations specialists
b. healthy corporate cultures
c. flat hierarchical structures
d. flexible company policies
10. Which of the following is essential for a healthy corporate culture?
a. a diverse workforce
b. innovative concepts
c. strong revenues
d. supportive leadership
11. Which of the following is most important for the success of an organization’s
mission?
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
a. employee engagement
b. short-term strategies
c. positive media publicity
d. stakeholder accountability
12. Upper management in a healthy corporate culture would likely do which of the
following?
a. promote long-time employees
b. clarify company policies
c. offer flexible work schedules
d. seek feedback from employees
13. Which of the following is a characteristic of a healthy corporate culture?
a. positive publicity
b. high-tech systems
c. empowered employees
d. consistent profitability
14. Tanya often tells her friends and family that she loves working at CVX Enterprises.
By sharing these feelings, Tanya is engaging in which of the following?
a. team building
b. employee advocacy
c. recruitment
d. employee relations
15. Company X sells some of its subsidiary business units to Company Z. Which term
describes this business transaction?
a. litigation
b. merger
c. divestiture
d. acquisition
16. Before Stassney Enterprises acquired Midland Enterprises, Stassney
representatives took extensive steps to understand Midland’s financial situation. Which
term describes the actions of Stassney Enterprises?
a. arbitration
b. due diligence
c. divestment
d. litigation
17. Which of the following most likely occurs in a healthy organization?
a. Upper management shares business goals with employees.
b. Internal social networks lengthen the corporate hierarchy.
c. The organization holds scheduled corporate-wide events.
d. Development and training is provided to new workers.
18. Which of the following facilitates collaboration and team building at a firm?
a. corporate profit sharing
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
b. internal social networks
c. wellness programs
d. high productivity goals
19. Which of the following improves employee morale in an organization?
a. managerial accountability
b. hands-off management
c. open lines of communication
d. established codes of ethics
20. How does PR support a healthy organizational culture?
a. communicating with various publics on a regular basis
b. developing a long-term strategy that addresses stakeholder needs
c. monitoring both traditional and digital media for corporate publicity
d. ensuring that messages from management uphold company values
21. Which of the following must occur before PR can successfully implement employee
engagement strategies?
a. empowering employees
b. defining corporate values
c. establishing CSR goals
d. embracing diversity
22. Embracing diversity and exhibiting integrity are traits associated with which of the
following?
a. international corporations
b. profitable organizations
c. innovative corporations
d. healthy corporate cultures
23. Which of the following illustrates a corporation’s commitment to being socially
responsible?
a. complying with environmental regulations
b. matching employees’ charitable donations
c. encouraging two-way communication
d. promoting workforce inclusiveness
24. A company’s newsletter is an effective tool for accomplishing which of the following?
a. bridging corporate barriers
b. identifying media trends
c. publishing press releases
d. reinforcing the firm’s values
25. Which PR tool is effective for communicating with external publics?
a. video news release
b. company newsletter
c. company intranet
d. digital analytics
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
26. According to the text, which of the following was a key factor in the success of GE’s
Ecomagination strategy?
a. top management support
b. golden triangle partnerships
c. independent sustainability reports
d. creative video news releases
27. According to Edelman PR’s 2016 Trust Barometer Survey, which of the following is
perceived as providing the most trustworthy information about a company?
a. corporate recruiters
b. PR professionals
c. top-level managers
d. average employees
28. Which of the following is a key goal of PR through internal relations?
a. facilitating mergers and acquisitions
b. establishing a diverse workforce
c. creating authentic employee advocates
d. communicating with various publics
29. What is the main objective of PR activities during mergers and acquisitions?
a. complying with regulations
b. attaining corporate unity
c. addressing financial concerns
d. revising the corporate mission
30. In a merger or acquisition situation, changes to which of the following have the most
direct impact on employees’ lives?
a. communication methods
b. job training practices
c. leadership and mission
d. budgeting methods
31. Organizational clarity is achieved when employees can answer which of the
following questions?
a. What is my role in the firm’s success?
b. What is the firm’s culture and brand identity?
c. What is the firm’s marketing and PR strategy?
d. How does the firm support my career needs?
32. Most employees at Madison Enterprises understand the company’s culture and
brand identity. Which term describes this understanding?
a. cultural intelligence
b. employee engagement
c. employee relations
d. organizational clarity
33. According to the Institute for Public Relations, achieving organizational clarity
requires which of the following?
a. understanding employee interests and perceptions
b. communicating from top to bottom in an organization
c. developing a wide, flat organizational hierarchy
d. conducting employee surveys on a regular basis
34. Tools such as internal social media and intranets enable a firm’s PR team to do
which of the following?
a. identify key publics
b. measure employee needs
c. gather employee insights
d. measure a campaign’s success
35.What is the primary purpose of Canon’s Miru program?
a. encouraging employee collaboration
b. strengthening organizational clarity
c. establishing a strong brand identity
d. communicating with key publics
36. Which tool serves as the basis for Canon’s Miru program?
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
a. digital analytics
b. message customization
c. company intranet
d. mobile technology
37. Canon’s Miru program strives to create a company culture based on which of the
following ideas?
a. Creativity triggers change.
b. Knowledge is power.
c. Creativity is strength.
d. Knowledge sharing is power.
38. Which of the following describes an intranet?
a. centralized data hub
b. private online network
c. social media platform
d. open internet forum
39. Which of the following is facilitated by a company intranet?
a. initiating two-way external communication
b. delivering secure documents to customers
c. connecting emotionally with employees
d. coordinating activities across departments
40. Meg, a PR professional at Emerson Global Manufacturing, needs to distribute the
company newsletter quickly and efficiently to all employees around the world. Which of
the following tools would be best for Meg?
a. e-mail
b. intranet
c. print
d. internet
41. A PR professional who wants to engage an audience quickly and emotionally should
use which of the following tools?
a. video storytelling
b. infographics
c. static visuals
d. digital media
42. Which of the following should be a component of both internal and external
communication campaigns?
a. communicating via intranets
b. evaluating messaging outcomes
c. relying on employee advocates
d. incorporating video stories
43. According to Meg Wheaton, what should be included in a visual model for an
internal communications strategy?
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
a. five or six key priorities
b. color and imagery
c. bulleted topics
d. communication metrics
44. According to Meg Wheaton, what is the primary purpose of most internal
communications campaigns?
a. encouraging employee collaboration
b. creating compelling stories
c. holding employee focus groups
d. changing employee behaviors
45. Research shows that the top driver of a company’s reputation is its ability to provide
quality products and services at a good value. What is the second strongest driver of a
company’s reputation?
a. degree of employee engagement
b. a company’s positive influence on society
c. a company’s brand equity and loyalty
d. organizational culture and climate
46. Social responsibility efforts by Starbucks have been initiated in response to which of
the following?
a. employee insights
b. shareholder demands
c. consumer surveys
d. community watch groups
47. What is a key internal communication task for PR professionals when supporting
CSR programs?
a. sharing results with the news media
b. summarizing company goals
c. identifying popular charities
d. recruiting employee volunteers
48. By providing fulfillment and purpose for employees, CSR has shown to be an
effective tool for which of the following?
a. recruiting new employees
b. eliminating employee stress
c. encouraging employee innovation
d. developing new company leaders
49. Which of the following has resulted from Best Buy’s Geek Squad Academy?
a. more volunteer opportunities
b. fewer customer service complaints
c. higher employee retention rates
d. less need for employee training
50. Timberland’s Path of Service program allows employees to do which of the
following?
a. Use the company website and intranet to promote a charity.
b. Volunteer at a charity of choice for up to 40 paid hours per year.
c. Take a 3-week leave of absence to volunteer with a charity.
d. Receive matching funds for every dollar they donate to charity.
True/False
1. Companies that implement formal, structured methods to influence their
organizational culture have been shown to experience long–lasting, positive change.
2. The growing need for employee relations specialists is partially due to societal
distrust of corporations.
3. Healthy organizations are those firms that experience consistently positive revenue
growth.
4. PR supports employee engagement by communicating company values and goals to
employees.
5. The majority of mergers and acquisitions achieve expected results, so PR plays a
minor role in such activities.
6. Organizational clarity occurs when external stakeholders understand the
organization’s culture and brand identity.
7. A company’s intranet is typically used to share policies, newsletters, project
information, and benefits information with employees.
8. Few PR professionals use narrative storytelling techniques because studies show
that most employees find such tactics impersonal.
9. A company’s social responsibility programs provide opportunities for engaging
employees and building a healthy corporate culture.
10. The success or failure of an internal communications program can be measured like
any other type of PR campaign.
Short Answer
1. What are the three dimensions of a corporate culture?
2. How can PR support a healthy corporate culture and communicate company values?
3. Define employee advocacy. How does employee advocacy benefit an organization?
4. Why is organizational clarity especially important in today’s society? What PR
activities promote organizational clarity?
5. How does corporate social responsibility promote employee engagement?
Essay
1. What are the goals and tasks of most employee relations specialists? What factors
have led to more companies needing employee relations specialists?
2. In a brief essay, discuss the characteristics of an organization that has a healthy
corporate culture.
3. In a brief essay, discuss the role of PR during a merger or acquisition. What are the
PR decisions, activities, and messages that can improve the success of such business
transactions?
4. What is an intranet? What are the benefits of an intranet? How can PR professionals
use an intranet to support employee relations efforts?
5. According to research, an organization’s CSR program can affect recruitment. Why
would this be the case? Would CSR affect your employment decision? Why or why not?
Illustrate your response by describing the CSR efforts of a specific company.