Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 11: Corporate Communication and Reputation
Management
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Which institutions are examined in the Edelman Trust Barometer?
a. NGOs, media, government, and business
b. education, hospitals, and government
c. military, education, religious organizations, and banks
d. media, military, and the federal government
2. Which of the following reasons best describes why the Starbucks “Race Together”
campaign was not well received?
a. Customers did not like having the phrase “Race Together” written on their coffee
cups.
b. The discussions about racial relations between customers and employees created
service delays.
c. The public thought race was inappropriate for a company to address with customers
in a retail setting.
d. Many Starbucks customers did not believe racial tensions were a significant problem.
3. What do most observers believe about companies speaking out about “hot button”
social issues?
a. Companies should take a stand on social issues and not worry about any backlash
that comes from customers who disagree.
b. Companies should be quiet or be prepared for the backlash that comes with trying to
engage customers in an issue.
c. Companies should present both sides of “hot button” social issues to meet the needs
of all customers.
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
d. Companies benefit from the publicity of speaking out on social issues, even when
most customers disagree with the corporate stance on the issue.
4. John reports directly to the CEO of his company and is responsible for public
relations and public affairs for the company stakeholders. Which of the following is most
likely his title?
a. Chief Business Officer
b. Chief Financial Officer
c. Chief Marketing Officer
d. Chief Communications Officer
5. Who is typically responsible for corporate brand management?
a. Chief Business Officer
b. Chief Financial Officer
c. Chief Marketing Officer
d. Chief Communications Officer
6. Which of the following statements best describes results from the 2016 Edelman
Trust Barometer study?
a. There is a decrease in the expectation for more effective corporate social
responsibility.
b. The gap in the trust between the four institutions and the public is beginning to
narrow.
c. The disenfranchisement between people and the four institutions is impacting
markets and elections worldwide.
d. The trust between the general population and the media has declined broadly.
7. ______ is a strategy of finding opportunities for executives to give speeches, get
involved in research, or lead events so a company will be thought of as an expert within
the industry.
a. Thought leadership
b. Investor relationship
c. Corporate branding
d. Two-way symmetry model
8. Caroline recently read a report that showed an increase in the sense of
disenfranchisement between the public and businesses, which is impacting markets and
elections worldwide. Which report did Caroline likely read?
a. annual report
b. Edelman Trust Barometer
c. shareholder letter
d. report on sustainable and responsible investing trends
9. Which of the following did Gary Sheffer, retired VP of Corporate Communications at
General Electric, state was critical if communicators wanted to help companies drive
change?
a. expansion
b. volunteering
c. profits
d. trust
10. What did Starbucks state as the reason they quit writing “Race Together” on the
cups after one week?
a. The CEO decided that a retail setting was not the place to engage in social issues.
b. The feedback from social media was simply too critical and sales were declining.
c. The initiative lasted for its intended run date and was simply a jumping off point in the
conversation.
d. The CEO and Vice President of Corporate Communications felt threatened so the
initiative was stopped.
11. How is the schedule for company’s financial communications, such as the Quarterly
and Annual Reports, determined?
a. Chief Executive Officer decides on the date.
b. Investor relations professionals pick the date.
c. Chief Communications Officer chooses the date.
d. Laws determine the schedule.
12. NASDAQ and NYSE are examples of ______.
a. investor relations advisors
b. national financial publications
c. stock exchanges
d. corporate branding
13. Frank, a public relations practitioner, uses social media to not only relay messages
to the company’s key publics but also identify issues that require attention of strategic
managers. What is Frank modeling with this interactive communication?
a. excellence theory
b. symbolic-interpretive model
c. corporate branding
d. disclosure model
14. The attributes of a company that come to mind when you hear the name represents
a ______.
a. company name
b. social responsibility
c. corporate brand
d. popular product
15. The practice of corporate branding is an outgrowth of ______ as a key function of
corporate communicators.
a. two-way communication
b. reputation management
c. public disclosure
d. social responsibility
16. Which of the following is a key national publication that tracks business
performance?
a. Lucky
b. Via
c. L’Officiel
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
d. Bloomberg
17. What should be the goal of a PR communicator when working with the media?
a. to prepare a carefully written article that is given to the media reporter to use
b. to produce an accurate, balanced story that represents the company’s point of view
c. to ensure that any news coverage is always positive or flattering
d. To avoid giving corporate information to media that writes negative or unflattering
stories
18. According to James Grunig, what type of communication is most beneficial for
effective communications?
a. two–way symmetrical
b. one–way symmetrical
c. symbolic-interpretive
d. two–way asymmetrical
19. AFLAC, a health insurance company, demonstrated a good example of how to
implement a corporate campaign with a strong ______ component during the
implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2010.
a. investor relations
b. social responsibility
c. media relations
d. employee volunteer
20. Which of the following is an advantage of using social media for public relations?
a. can provide effective one-way communication with consumers
b. can rely on positive reviews by citizen journalists
c. can ensure the corporate message only gets to a targeted audience
d. can speak directly to a targeted audience without alterations by a media gatekeeper
21. Which of the following best describes the Starbucks corporate brand?
a. innovation
b. social responsibility
c. technology
d. education
22. Most often, the task of building and maintaining the corporate brand is the
responsibility of the ______.
a. Chief Marketing Officer
b. investor relations professional
c. corporate communications team
d. Chief Executive Officer
23. Which of the following best describes a lesson corporate communicators follow
today to effectively communicate with LGBT audiences?
a. There is rich diversity within the LGBT community.
b. Baby boomers are the most likely generation ever to advocate for LGBT friends.
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
c. Reaching out to LGBT audiences will cause businesses to lose mainstream
customers.
d. Companies do not need to have a diverse workforce as long as they have positive
outreach to LGBT audiences.
24. According to a recent study, what is the failure rate of many corporate mergers to
deliver on results promised, such as cost savings and improvements?
a. less than 10%
b. approximately 30%
c. more than 50%
d. more than 75%
25. A planned, managed effort that seeks to motivate employees to effectively volunteer
under the leadership of the employer is ______.
a. Earned Value Professionals
b. Points of Light
c. Corporate Service Engagements
d. Employee Volunteer Programs
26. The employees at Roger’s Pet Store are given 4 hours of paid time off each week to
volunteer in an animal shelter. This is an example of best practices in ______.
a. Employee Volunteer Programs
b. Points of Light
c. Earned Value Professionals
d. corporate branding
27. According to the text, many employees expect their employer to provide ways for
them to ______ at work.
a. make more friends
b. relax more
c. find purpose
d. have fun
28. A business approach that delivers environmental and social benefits to improve
society is ______.
a. public disclosure
b. corporate social responsibility
c. employee volunteer program
d. thought leadership
29. What are two reasons organizational branding is more critical than ever before?
a. increase in consumers work hours and increase on consumer debt
b. increased interest in health and fitness and increased access to media
c. increase in consumer spending and increase in social media use
d. increase in global competition and pervasiveness of online commerce
30. Which of the following best describes a benefit of strong internal corporate
communications?
a. opportunity to create a unified corporate image
b. ensure employees understand the business rules and regulations
c. provide current details on recent employee mistakes
d. give clients an opportunity to meet employees
31. Socially Responsible Investors only consider investing in companies with a
demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding ESG criteria. What does ESG stand
for?
a. education, service, and giving
b. excellence, standards, and growth
c. environmental, social, and governance
d. efficiency, sacrifice, and growth
32. In addition to requiring companies to meet or exceed ESG criteria, Socially
Responsible Investors also only invest in companies that have ______.
a. long-term competitive financial returns
b. over 100 employees
c. no negative consumer complaints
d. more than 10 years experience
33. When comparing financial communications with corporate communications, ______.
a. the rules are same because the desired outcome is the same
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
b. the rules are same but the desired outcome is different
c. the rules and the desired outcome are different
d. the rules may be different but the desired outcome is the same
34. Which of the following represents a best practice in Employee Volunteer Programs
noted by the Points of Light Foundation?
a. having two-way communication with business stakeholders
b. providing authentic communication to the company’s publics
c. providing bonuses to employees that surpass sales goals
d. contributions of materials and staff to volunteer activities
35. The key to success in developing an excellent corporate social responsibility activity
is ______.
a. having a clear business and strategic connection to the activity
b. choosing an activity that supports a social issue that is not controversial
c. choosing a volunteer activity for employees that helps improves society
d. ensuring the activity does not reduce company profits
36. Which generation of employees is most likely to expect their employer to provide
ways for them to find purpose at work?
a. Baby Boomers
b. Gen X
c. Gen Z
d. Millennials