What should be done if you are unsure of the types of information the audience will
need from you?
A) Ask them
B) Follow their blogs
C) Access the knowledge management system
D) Cover all key points in detail
E) Gather more information than needed
Which category of informational reports establishes expectations and guidelines for
future actions?
A) Operating reports
B) Plans
C) Policy reports
D) Position papers
E) Compliance reports
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
When writing business reports for outsiders (such as customers or suppliers), it is best
to
A) use a more formal tone than you would for an internal audience.
B) use a less formal tone than you would for an internal audience.
C) avoid the use of headings, transitions, previews, and reviews.
D) sprinkle your writing with idioms, acronyms, and jargon.
E) start the report by explaining why they need your help.
The title slide of your presentation should contain
A) your name.
B) your department affiliation (for internal audiences).
C) your company affiliation (for external audiences).
D) all of the above.
What is one disadvantage of technology and information tools such as social media in
the workplace?
A) They can waste a significant amount of employee time
B) They have to be constantly updated
C) They have to have full-time monitoring of systems for security issues
D) They allow managers to monitor all employee activity
E) They allow more employees to telecommute
How should an organization respond to misinformation posted on social media?
A) Block these senders from your social media accounts
B) Use a fictitious online persona to dispute the information
C) Ignore it; rumors die out quickly on social media
D) Without engaging in “flame wars,” take the opportunity to correct the
misinformation
E) Delete offending posts
Which of the following is the key of a successful call to action when using the AIDA
model?
A) Including testimonials from satisfied users
B) Making it as easy and risk-free as possible
C) Identifying industry experts
D) Offering free samples or discounts
E) Including a money-back guarantee
The potential disadvantages of using Prezi for delivering a presentation don’t include
A) fewer design options.
B) the linear nature of the presentation.
C) over use of the zoom function.
D) viewers “losing the plot” as a presenter jumps from topic to topic.
Improving your communication skills will enhance your career because
A) having great ideas won’t help you much, unless you can communicate them
effectively.
B) the higher you rise in an organization, the more important your communication skills
will be.
C) you’ll need to connect with decision makers outside of your area of expertise.
D) all of the above.
Within the context of statistical analysis, the ________ is the “middle of the road” or
the midpoint of a series.
A) common denominator
B) mean
C) median
D) medium
E) average
Which of the following will help boost your confidence when preparing for an
interview?
A) Have a list of potential questions prepared
B) Research how this organization is different than its competitors
C) Spend time talking about the typical workday
D) Ask the interviewer to define the steps in the selection process so you know where
you fit
E) Focus on how you can use your strengths to help the organization succeed
Which of the following can serve for both site navigation and content skimming?
A) Obscured content that can be clicked through
B) Small, self-contained chunks of information
C) An inverted pyramid
D) Direct and concise link names
E) Localized content
To use photographs successfully in workplace documents or online publications, do
NOT
A) replace all diagrams with photographs.
B) master basic image-processing functions.
C) determine the communication value of each photograph.
D) observe copyrights and model permissions.
E) use photographs except on the front page of the document
Which of the following can be used to pull readers into a story or document by
intentionally withholding key pieces of information?
A) Narratives
B) Summaries
C) Orientations
D) Announcements
E) Teasers
Which of the following words are the most abstract?
A) Two, contract, performance
B) Software, code, signal
C) Kick, move, walk
D) Productivity, excellence, motivation
Strong support sentences that are clearly related to the general idea being developed
help improve which aspect of a paragraph?
A) Its unity
B) Its length
C) Its conversational tone
D) Its business sense
E) Its transmissibility
What is the range of information presented in the message referred to as?
A) Question and answer chain
B) Topic
C) Story
D) Main idea
E) Scope
You need to consider ________ when you’re sending a video to someone who will view
it on a smartphone.
A) screen size and resolution
B) data usage and operational costs
C) bandwidth, speed, and connectivity limitations
D) all of the above
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
Messages that combine powerful visuals with supporting text can be effective because
A) visuals lower communication barriers for multilingual audiences.
B) visuals are easier to remember than purely textual descriptions or explanations.
C) visuals are effective at describing complex ideas and processes.
D) all of the above.
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
How can you ensure your recommendations are ethical when they involve risk?
A) Clearly address each risk inherent in the recommendations
B) Specifically identify the potential benefit tied to the risks
C) Use a matrix approach to allow the audience to see the logic of the recommendations
D) Use logic to guide the audience toward the responses you want them to choose
E) Include only the technical criteria used to evaluate each possible solution
When requesting a sales report from a coworker who is regularly responsible for
sending you the sales report, you should
A) use the indirect approach.
B) get straight to the point.
C) maintain a formal style and tone.
D) use a persuasive approach.
E) explain why you need the information.
When you’re writing a business plan, you must include a ________ section to explain
the purpose of your business and what you hope to accomplish.
A) mission and objectives
B) design and development
C) products and services
D) financial projections and requirements
Sometimes, a group member may have a hidden agenda: a private, counterproductive
motive that will affect the group’s interaction. All of the following EXCEPT the desire
to ________ are examples of possible hidden agendas.
A) take control of the group
B) reconcile schedule conflicts for group meetings
C) undermine someone else on the team
D) pursue a business goal that runs counter to the group’s mission
Because culture seems to be logical and consistent when viewed from within a
particular culture, it is said to be
A) learned.
B) unchangeable.
C) coherent.
D) complete.
E) dull.
________ are the particular advantages that purchasers will realize from the features of
a product.
A) Benefits
B) Optimizations
C) Utilization points
D) Selling points
E) Rewards
Which of the following will help the communication process?
A) Communicating through several media sites
B) Communicating electronically whenever possible
C) Disengage from the computer to communicate in person
D) Structure communications as short, text-like messages
E) Stay up to date on emerging technology tools
A surface chart is
A) a type of three-dimensional pie chart.
B) a form of line chart in which all the lines add up to the top line.
C) a type of map showing various terrains.
D) used to show interrelationships within an organization.
E) used to replace tables within a document.
A segmented or stacked bar chart
A) shows how individual components contribute to a total number.
B) shows the correlation between two items.
C) compares quantities that require different intervals.
D) identifies positive and negative values.
Many companies have formal email policies that include restrictions on sending
A) personal messages via corporate email.
B) confidential or proprietary information.
C) material that might be objectionable or offensive to others.
D) all of the above.
Why is it important to consider the nonverbal message your choice of distribution
method sends?
A) Today’s readers demand little or no nonverbal content
B) Making appropriate distribution choices tells recipients you have good business
sense
C) Junior staff have limited flexibility in such matters, so you shouldn’t overstep your
boundaries
D) Distribution expectations vary widely from one culture to the next
E) With mobile devices, distribution is no longer an issue
Identify seven common areas of concern in rsums, and how to address them.
Discuss the general rule regarding the appropriate length for a rsum.
When you’re writing an introduction to a routine request, what should you do?
How are Gantt charts used in business documents?
Discuss the differences in information reports, analytical reports, and proposals.
Give an example of one way to arouse audience attention at the beginning of a
presentation on your company’s new long-term disability insurance.
What should be considered during the planning phase with instant messaging?
Discuss various ways to overcome anxiety and nervousness when giving a presentation.
Discuss how organizations use and write news releases.
How does the term “topical organization” pertain to informational reports?
Identify and discuss guidelines for making negative announcements.
How can gamification strategies help to improve customer loyalty?
Since cultures do not always share the same perspectives on ethical issues, how can you
keep messages ethical during intercultural communication?
What is the difference in an application letter when you are prospecting and when a
letter is solicited by the organization?
Within the context of the research process, what are information gaps?