As a good communicator, you need to know all technologies.
Answer:
Tertiary data is collected by surveying, interviewing, or observing people.
Answer:
Potential employers can perceive even slight exaggerations of your accomplishments as
lies.
Answer:
Formal reports are at least 100 pages long.
Answer:
According to the National Association of College and Employers, only 10 percent of
college graduates use social media in their job search.
Answer:
If the proposal is unsolicited, your audience has not asked for the proposal and may not
even be aware that a problem or opportunity exists.
Answer:
Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn is primarily intended to be an interactive professional
networking tool.
Answer:
Many proposals, especially those that are unsolicited, are unsuccessful not because the
audience accepts a different proposal, but because the audience decides to do nothing at
all.
Answer:
Research suggest that people in the workplace spend much less of their communication
time listening than they do speaking, reading, or writing.
Answer:
Social media networks give businesses more opportunities to receive customer
suggestions and complaints, and respond to them quickly to satisfy customers and
maintain goodwill.
Answer:
Communicating bad news ineffectively may not only anger people, but it may harm
your own business.
Answer:
Presentation experts often recommend that you limit your number of main points in a
presentation (or bullet points on a slide) to a maximum of two, Miller’s Magical
Number, based on influential research by George Miller.
Answer:
An empathetic listener focuses on the literal content of the communication but not on
the emotional content.
Answer:
Composing, in ACE, does not refer only to writing.
Answer:
During team presentations, each speaker needs to make a connection between his or her
content and the next speaker’s.
Answer:
A mixed message occurs when the sender transmits a message in a language that is not
spoken or understood by the receiver.
Answer:
When delivering bad news it is best to only imply the message.
Answer:
Internal proposals are often informal, taking the form of an email.
Answer:
After receiving an email from your boss asking if you are free to help with a project on
Saturday, you reply with an email asking how long it will take and what your role will
be. Your reply is an example of feedback.
Answer:
Compressing pictures in PowerPoint will decrease their size as well as resolution.
Answer:
It is most effective to focus your time and energy into creating one perfect résumé
which you can use for all situations.
Answer:
Businesses are increasingly using instant messaging for informal communication, but it
is still not acceptable for formal communication.
Answer:
Persuasion is the process of influencing your audience to agree with your point of view,
recommendation, or request.
Answer:
The desired outcome of your message is what you want your audience to know or do as
a result of your communication.
Answer:
A goodwill message allows you to establish and maintain a positive relationship with
your audience.
Answer:
Interpretation involves analyzing the meaning of what you hear, read, or see.
Answer:
Lily takes over a project from a coworker and finds that very little research has been
done so far, though the deadline is just a week away. Since she is unable to extend the
deadline, one of the ways in which she can complete the research is by narrowing the
scope of her research.
Answer:
Corporate culture refers to the personality of a company as reflected in its atmosphere,
attitudes, values, and behaviors.
Answer:
Deciding how best to phrase a request to a coworker for the information that you need
to create a proposal is an example of decoding the message.
Answer:
Compared to word processing software, presentation software more easily allows you
to place pictures, tables, and graphs in precise locations.
Answer:
You do not need to include a document title such as “résumé” or “curriculum vitae” at
the top of your résumé.
Answer:
Simple, well-planned messages ________.
A) don’t require a first draft
B) should have exactly one draft
C) benefit from at least two drafts
D) require at least five drafts
E) tend to be less successful in conveying the information
Answer:
A recommendation is a business message that ________.
A) denies the existence of a problem
B) establishes a need that cannot be filled
C) suggests a solution to a problem or a need
D) supports the maintenance of the status quo
E) identifies a problem and asks others to figure out a solution
Answer:
Which of the following statements is true?
A) The passive voice should be predominantly used in business writing.
B) In active voice sentences, the subject does not perform the action of the verb.
C) The passive voice leads to a clear and lively style of writing.
D) The active voice may be a good choice when you do not want to assign blame.
E) In passive voice sentences, the subject receives the action expressed by the verb.
Answer:
A(n) ________ briefly summarizes the most important information in the proposal and
key decision makers might read only this document and, based on how persuasive it is,
decide whether or not to read the entire document.
A) appendix
B) title page
C) executive summary
D) table of contents
E) glossary
Answer:
Which of the following terms is a synonym for a reference list?
A) executive summary
B) glossary
C) bibliography
D) title page
E) table of contents
Answer:
Which of the following statements about buffers is true?
A) A buffer is a closing statement that comes after the bad news.
B) A buffer tends to aggravate the adverse impact of the bad news.
C) A buffer should obscure the fact that the bad news may be coming later in the
message.
D) A buffer can provide a context for the message or provide positive information that
builds goodwill.
E) A buffer should divert the audience from the main idea of the news.
Answer:
John is responsible for researching and proposing a solution for the problem of
breakdown of internal communication in his office, and creating a report of his
findings. He is a bit nervous about this, as he suffered from a crippling writer’s block in
his most recent assignment prior to this. Which of the following pieces of advice would
be useful to John regarding writer’s block?
A) Try to avoid writer’s block by waiting until the last minute to start the report.
B) If you’re stuck, do not try to write down whatever comes to your mind without
worrying if it is appropriate or meaningful.
C) Think aloud to get your ideas out in the air.
D) Write the toughest parts of the report first.
E) Stop frequently in the drafting process to evaluate what you have written, and don’t
move on to the next sentence until the last one is perfect.
Answer:
Which of the following guidelines should be followed for creating a template that
supports effective visual communication?
A) Use dramatic color gradations on backgrounds.
B) Use highly ornate dingbats as bullets.
C) Avoid including slide numbers.
D) Avoid templates with decorative, nonfunctional graphics.
E) Use arrows as bullets.
Answer:
Which of the following statements uses the “you” perspective?
A) Please send me the latest figures so that I can work on next year’s sales forecasts.
B) I’d appreciate it if you could meet me so that you can learn about your next
assignment.
C) Give me your report when it is finished so that I can present it at the monthly
meeting.
D) Would you please get me that information so that I can work on my proposal?
E) You should help me on this project so that I can finish on time.
Answer:
Taking a “you perspective” in the face of a mistake ________.
A) results in the customer ending all business relations with the company
B) is considered to be harmful for future business
C) results in angry customers
D) is ethical and a good business decision
E) must be avoided
Answer:
If a slide deck makes ‘stand-alone sense,” then it means that the slide deck ________.
A) is comprehensible only for those people who have prior knowledge of the topic
B) includes every word the presenter plans to say
C) requires the presence of the presenter standing there to explain the slides
D) requires supporting documents like handouts for it to be understood
E) can be understood by anyone who reads it without the benefit of the presenter
Answer:
Which of the following considerations is relevant to the adaptable characteristic of
effective business communicators?
A) What do I want to accomplish with my message?
B) With whom should I communicate to accomplish my goal?
C) Is my message able to work with other cultures?
D) Is my message clear and concise?
E) Is my message ethical?
Answer:
Which of the following is a guideline for writing grant proposals?
A) Send proposals to any agency that has funds to distribute, regardless of its relevance
to your organization’s project.
B) Arrange a personal meeting only after you have submitted your grant proposal.
C) Omit a cover letter, as it is not expected from most funding agencies.
D) Never submit a proposal online.
E) Draft a proposal that addresses each topic area.
Answer:
Denise is pursuing a degree in hospitality. After an internship at a boutique hotel she
decides that she is interested in guest management, preferably for a large operation in a
major city. In analyzing her strengths and skills, she realizes that she has acquired
problem solving and interpersonal skills as well as written and oral communication
skills during her internship. Additionally she speaks Spanish and has used social media
to effectively promote events for her school’s Spanish club. As graduation approaches,
Denise comes to know about an entry-level position at a large hotel chain through a
friend.
When she composes her résumé to apply for this position, which of the following
objectives would be most appropriate to include?
A) To obtain a challenging position in hospitality that allows me to use my strong
interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills to provide excellent guest
experiences.
B) To secure a challenging position with a top-tier company that enjoys a premier
reputation and provides the potential for employee growth.
C) To find a position at a large hotel chain in a major metropolitan location so I can
fulfill my ambition to work in hospitality.
D) I would love the opportunity to work for your company and get a chance to be part
of the “team” and contribute to helping you succeed.
E) To obtain good work experience at a great company so that I can open my own hotel
in future.
Answer:
Samantha is putting together a formal proposal and she finds that some of the tables she
wants to include will not fit on one page. She should ________.
A) omit them from the proposal
B) include them in the executive summary
C) include them in an appendix
D) provide a hyperlink that will direct readers to these tables on the Internet
E) delete some of the rows and columns to make them fit on one page
Answer:
In the context of a survey, which of the following terms represents the span between the
highest and lowest values?
A) mean
B) median
C) mode
D) range
E) volatility
Answer:
________ involves focusing on information needs, motivation and benefits, and
potential resistance.
A) Analyzing your audience’s needs
B) Analyzing your purpose
C) Analyzing medium choices
D) Analyzing your desired outcome
E) Analyzing the business result
Answer:
Jane is preparing a proposal for an audience that has invited her to do so. This means
that ________.
A) it is an unsolicited proposal
B) Jane should submit her final report as an email
C) Jane will need to explain her experience and qualifications
D) the direct organizational approach would be appropriate
E) Jane’s audience is not aware that a problem or opportunity exists
Answer:
Abraham Maslow argued that ________.
A) logic alone is always enough to persuade an audience
B) the needs of people vary with their different generations, backgrounds, and cultures
C) all people share a common set of needs
D) it is impossible to address the psychological needs of an audience you don’t know
E) emotional appeals to audiences cannot be effective
Answer:
When using ACE for bad-news messages, which of the following should be considered
during the composing stage of the process?
A) Can I do anything else to project a positive image and maintain goodwill?
B) How can I close the message appropriately?
C) What is the best medium for this message?
D) Have I avoided legal complications?
E) Does the message project a good image of me?
Answer:
During a salary discussion, ________.
A) giving a minimum salary figure could result in a lower salary than the company
planned to offer
B) suggesting a figure higher than the company had planned would give you an edge.
C) indicating that you are flexible about salary is a bad idea
D) asking for the company’s salary range must be avoided
E) demonstrating an awareness of the industry average may make the interviewer
defensive
Answer:
Which of the following statements is true regarding an unsolicited sales proposal?
A) It does not attempt to persuade the audience.
B) It avoids using headings and subheadings.
C) It avoids emphasizing audience benefits.
D) It does not discuss any contractual arrangements.
E) It does not end with a call to action.
Answer:
Which of the following would you select to conduct federated searches?
A) Yahoo
B) Google
C) Biznar
D) Bing
E) AltaVista
Answer:
Which of the following approaches is most likely to be appropriate for closing a
bad-news message?
A) avoid proposing a solution
B) distract the audience from the topic
C) blame the audience
D) focus on a benefit
E) apologize for the bad news
Answer:
“I oversaw updates of annual editions and developed the concept, format, and look of
the new titles.”
The statement mentioned above is a bullet point description of one of Liza’s
responsibilities at a previous job. Which of the following changes will best modify this
statement for describing job duties?
A) It should be revised by changing “oversaw” to “oversee.”
B) It should be revised by adding “Used to oversee” at the start of the phrase.
C) It should be rewritten to read, “Worked at a publishing company.”
D) It should be rewritten to read, “Helped with annual editions and creating new titles.”
E) It should be revised by removing the “I” at the beginning.
Answer:
You find a website with some interesting information about your topic, and the author is
a well-known expert in the field. There is some useful data, for which the author has
taken care to provide citations. There are also some promising looking links, but when
you try to click through they are broken. Based on this information, which of the
following is an accurate assessment of this source, following the 3 A’s?
A) The broken web links suggests that the page may be outdated.
B) The author’s qualifications are questionable.
C) The author expects you to take her word for the data.
D) The source seems irrelevant to your problem.
E) The source is protected by copyright.
Answer:
The last step before beginning your research is to ________.
A) identify audience concerns and needs
B) develop a work plan
C) define research activities
D) analyze the research question and topic
E) establish scope of the research
Answer:
You run a branch of a very technologically savvy real estate agency in a large city. The
company employs a powerful database to enable realtors to pinpoint the properties that
most accurately meet their clients’ specifications. Realtors currently consult the
database with clients in the office, to create a list of desirable properties to view. But
you think it would be even more effective and lead to quicker transactions if realtors
could access the database outside the office with clients. After some research you find
that the purchase of iPads for the realtors would make this possible.
Writing a proposal to request this from the company owners would be an example of
a(n) ________.
A) unsolicited sales proposal
B) solicited sales proposal
C) competitive proposal for grants
D) internal proposal
E) external proposal
Answer:
A(n) ________ is a very short story, usually a true one, that can bring a subject to life.
A) citation
B) anecdote
C) quotation
D) message headline
E) paraphrase
Answer:
Your colleague Anita previews for you the slides she created for an upcoming
presentation. You notice that she used slide animations on almost every slide. What
advice would you give her?
A) Animations are engaging and should be used anywhere possible on your slides.
B) Animations are not necessary but fun so you should squeeze them in as much as
possible.
C) Animation should be used only to reveal bullet points one at a time.
D) Animation is encouraged only when it helps your audience better understand your
point.
E) Animation trivializes your concepts and should not be used in serious presentations.
Answer:
Which of the following is an example of unsuccessful communication?
A) ordering an item online and deciding, after it arrives, that you don’t like it
B) asking a friend for advice and then trying to apply it to your problem
C) receiving instructions on how to put something together and then assembling the
item
D) making an urgent request on a colleague’s voice mail and getting no reply for a week
E) writing a letter to a manufacturer complaining about a recent purchase and receiving
a discount on a future purchase
Answer:
Which of the following is a form of social media?
A) performance report
B) company newsletter
C) Twitter
D) industry journals
E) email
Answer:
Which do you think is more important when writing a proposal, benefits or objections?
Answer:
Describe the analyzing process for this message.
Answer:
Denise is pursuing a degree in hospitality. After an internship at a boutique hotel she
decides that she is interested in guest management, preferably for a large operation in a
major city. In analyzing her strengths and skills, she realizes that she has acquired
problem solving and interpersonal skills as well as written and oral communication
skills during her internship. Additionally she speaks Spanish and has used social media
to effectively promote events for her school’s Spanish club. As graduation approaches,
Denise comes to know about an entry-level position at a large hotel chain through a
friend.
How should Denise compose her résumé for this position?
Answer:
As you are evaluating your proposal, you realize that you meet all but one of the
audience’s stated requirements. Evaluate the various possible ways in which this
situation can be handled.
Answer:
You’re working on a proposal to install a new software system for a small local
company. You have an extensive list of testimonials and a history of successfully
completing other similar projects for different businesses. You know that the plan you
propose will meet the client’s needs, but due to other scheduling commitments you
think it is unlikely that you will have the system up and running in six weeks as the
customer requested. You decide to provide a timeline that commits to the customer’s
deadline, deciding that if you cannot honor it you will mention some excuse to explain
the need for an extra week or two. Discuss the implications of this situation.
Answer:
Olivia works in the main office at a public elementary school. School began last
Wednesday, and by the following Tuesday morning kindergarten teachers were
experiencing a difficult situation. Many of the students’ parents were lingering in the
classroom past the start of the school day, consequently making the emotional transition
harder for their children. They are also crowding the limited physical space within the
classrooms and doorways. Olivia is asked to draft a notice to be distributed to the
kindergarteners’ parents to try to rectify this problem.
A simple enough task, she thinks, and she writes the notice as mentioned below.
Discuss her draft and explain how you might improve it.
“Attention kindergarten parents: do not remain in your children’s classrooms for too
long, as this is causing problems.”
Answer:
Padma, an avid home cook, has no culinary training or experience in professional
kitchens. After dining at her house one evening, her friend Tom is so impressed by her
cooking that he gives Padma the opportunity to work in the restaurant he manages.
Describe some of the communication challenges that Padma may face as she works in a
professional kitchen for the first time.
Answer:
Discuss how the legal liabilities of bad news might be affected by the delivery of the
message.
Answer:
Discuss how to make effective use of technology as you analyze your career goals and
begin a job search.
Answer:
Select a couple of advertisements and discuss which higher need they appeal to and
how.
Answer:
You are about to graduate from college and have found an advertisement for a job you’d
like to apply for. You came up with a long list of work experiences, areas of expertise,
and sellable qualities when you were analyzing your strengths and skills prior to
composing your résumé. Now that you are writing your résumé, you have so much
content that your résumé is going to be two pages long. Discuss why or why not this is
appropriate.
Answer:
Carmelo doesn’t consult any books for the research project he is doing at work. When
his boss asks why not, Carmelo replies that books are not only unnecessary in light of
all the information available online, they are undesirable as sources. Discuss this
statement.
Answer:
Discuss why it is especially important to communicate bad-news messages in ways that
will maintain the audience’s goodwill in our increasingly technological age.
Answer:
John has to spend about five hours writing a report. He considers spending an hour each
day for a week writing on his laptop at a local coffee shop. He also considers hunkering
down in his cubicle with headphones on and working for five hours straight. Discuss
which approach is optimal.
Answer:
Will’s boss tells him that he should always use active voice in his business writing.
What do you think of Will’s boss’s advice?
Answer:
Discuss some of the ways in which one can deal with relational differences in the
workplace.
Answer:
Alyssa shies away from using the direct organizational approach in her requests, as she
feels it is rude and inconsiderate to blurt her request out at the start of a message. Do
you agree?
Answer:
Stacey runs a small technology company. She has tried to retain all her staff, but her
business is losing money and she has no alternative but to let several employees go.
These workers are professional, loyal, and highly effective, but Stacey can no longer
bear the expense of their salaries and benefits. She feels terrible about letting these
employees go, and even somewhat guilty that she couldn’t improve the bottom line
enough to save their jobs. As the business is a technology company, much of the
communication is done via email, text messaging, etc. How would you advise Stacey to
convey to the employees that they are fired?
Answer:
You have an interview for an internship that you really want to get. Discuss the ways in
which you can display professionalism in this situation.
Answer: