Which of the following is not one of the five ways to get the audience to notice your
messages?
A) Acknowledge the importance of the situation.
B) In every message, admit that you could be wrong.
C) Use words, images, and designs that are familiar.
D) Consider audience expectations.
E) Ensure ease of use.
Answer:
When selecting typefaces for most business documents, you should
A) generally avoid using more than two typefaces on a page.
B) make generous use of such styles as all caps, underlines, and boldface.
C) choose a popular sans serif face for your main body text.
D) use a large type size (at least 14 points) for your basic text if you need to fill up
space.
E) use those that best reflect your individual personality.
Answer:
In today’s high-tech business environment, the need for managers to engage in frequent
“walk-arounds” (chatting with employees to get input and answer questions)
A) has virtually disappeared thanks to email and social media.
B) is still there, but only for the smallest organizations.
C) still exists, according to many experts.
D) is minimal, since it suggests a lack of “tech savvy” on the manager’s part.
E) is an important one, but only for nonprofit organizations.
Answer:
Whether or not incoming data are transferred from a recipient’s sensory memory to
short-term memory depends primarily on
A) whether or not the recipient pays attention to the data.
B) the recipient’s I.Q.
C) the time of day.
D) how many times it is repeated.
E) the medium used to communicate the data.
Answer:
The synopsis of a formal report may also be called a(n)
A) abstract.
B) thesis.
C) snapshot.
D) quick view.
E) outline.
Answer:
For most interviews, asking your own questions is
A) necessary only if you are interviewing for a management position.
B) risky and a bad idea unless you are certain the interview is going well.
C) just as important as answering the employer’s questions effectively.
D) usually viewed as a sign of arrogance—after all, the employer is in charge.
E) helpful only when you are interviewing for a job at a large organization.
Answer:
Routine, positive messages should do all of the following except
A) leave your reader with a good impression.
B) use an indirect approach.
C) provide all required details.
D) communicate the information or positive news.
E) use a professional, respectful tone.
Answer:
Meeting a deadline is generally less important than building a relationship for
businesspeople in
A) technical career fields.
B) low-context cultures.
C) high-context cultures.
D) high-paying positions.
E) environments that emphasize teamwork and collaboration.
Answer:
Urging readers to act in the close of a proposal
A) is considered a hard-sell tactic, and should be avoided.
B) is acceptable if you know the audience well, but inappropriate for new clients.
C) is an effective and reasonable strategy.
D) generally works well, but never when responding to government RFP’s.
E) is effective only when your text is organized in the direct approach.
Answer:
A(n) ________ communication climate is one that promotes candor, honesty, and the
sharing of negative information.
A) free-flowing
B) liberal
C) virtual
D) open
E) none of the above
Answer:
In general, audiences are likely to
A) ignore poor organization if the message is important.
B) form inaccurate conclusions from poorly organized messages.
C) fully understand most messages, even those that are poorly organized.
D) feel more comfortable with free-flowing, disorganized messages than with those that
are rigidly structured.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
In persuasive messages, suggesting that the action you want readers to take is easy
A) makes them suspect that you are hiding something.
B) encourages them to do what you have asked.
C) is insulting, since everyone will know it is not.
D) leads them to question the significance of your argument.
E) works only when you use a tone that is obviously sarcastic.
Answer:
A meeting agenda
A) is a formality that most groups skip these days.
B) should be circulated before the meeting, providing participants with enough time to
prepare.
C) should be general rather than specific.
D) is only a guideline, and deviations are common and expected.
E) should be distributed no sooner than the start of the meeting.
Answer:
If your interviewer asks you a potentially unlawful question,
A) you are required by law to end the interview and report it to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission.
B) it is often a sign that the interview is going well.
C) you have several options, including trying to answer “the question behind the
question.”
D) you should ignore it unless it happens more than once.
E) you should demand an immediate job offer and threaten to sue if you do not receive
it.
Answer:
Offering discounts on future purchases, free merchandise, or other considerations in
negative messages about business transactions
A) is almost always viewed as a hollow, insincere gesture.
B) should be avoided since it acknowledges guilt.
C) is a good idea only when dealing with government contracts.
D) has been shown to worsen relationships rather than repair them.
E) can go a long way to rebuilding a customer’s confidence in your company.
Answer:
AIDA stands for
A) appeal, indirect, direct, action.
B) anticipate inquiry in doing adjustments.
C) assume, insist, describe, act.
D) attention, interest, desire, action.
E) assess, inform, decide, act.
Answer:
When writing a persuasive claim letter, you should
A) assume that the other person has no interest in helping you.
B) use a confident and positive tone.
C) mention as many additional complaints as possible about the company.
D) say you have already contacted an attorney (even if you really haven’t).
E) repeatedly say how disappointed you are in the company.
Answer:
The list of secondary sources at the end of a report is labeled “Works Cited” when it
contains
A) all the secondary sources consulted in preparing the report.
B) more than ten entries.
C) only those secondary works that were mentioned in the report.
D) anonymous sources.
E) sources that you feel uncertain about.
Answer:
If you are preparing to conduct business with others from a different culture,
A) anything less than a year’s worth of research and practice will not make a difference.
B) you shouldn’t waste time trying to learn about the unfamiliar culture—just do what
comes naturally.
C) unless you can immerse yourself completely in the unfamiliar culture, your efforts
will not pay off.
D) even a small amount of research and practice will help you get through most
business situations.
E) you should expect them to set aside their expectations and accommodate yours.
Answer:
If your application letter and résumé fail to bring a response within a week or so after
the position close date,
A) call the highest-ranking employee at the company and complain that you are being
mistreated.
B) follow up by email or telephone.
C) cross this particular job possibility off your list.
D) send another copy of your application letter and résumé.
E) assume that the employer has offered the job to someone else.
Answer:
The authors of an informational report have referred to a multitude of data on the
spending habits of 18- to 25-year-old Americans. They want to provide readers with
access to this information, but realize it’s too lengthy to include in the body of the
report. Where should they place it?
A) Nowhere—it should simply be left out.
B) In an appendix.
C) After the letter of transmittal.
D) Between the prefatory parts and the introduction.
E) At the very end of the report, in a section labeled “Extras.”
Answer:
Instead of beginning your negative message with a blunt announcement of the news,
you can use
A) the direct approach.
B) a buffer.
C) a combination of the direct and indirect approaches.
D) the deductive approach.
E) some humor to get things off on a positive note.
Answer:
The longest phase of a job interview is usually
A) the warm-up.
B) the question-and-answer stage.
C) the close.
D) the interchange.
E) none of the above; all are about the same length.
Answer:
At the last staff meeting, someone suggested that using parliamentary procedure would
help make the meetings more efficient. To learn more about parliamentary procedure,
which of the following should you consult?
A) SEC Standards of Ethics
B) Robert’s Rules of Order
C) Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
D) Fundamental Meeting Management
E) Congressional Meeting Policies and Procedures
Answer:
When it comes to instant messaging (IM), the three-step writing process
A) should not be followed since it only slows things down.
B) is impossible to use, even for highly skilled communicators.
C) still applies, except for the planning step.
D) worsens the quality of your messages since IM is supposed to be spontaneous.
E) is compressed, but still helpful.
Answer:
The “replace all” feature in word-processing programs
A) tracks down words or phrases and automatically changes them all.
B) can save you time when revising messages.
C) must be used with care, since it can make undesirable changes.
D) can create words that are not really words, such as strengthful.
E) is characterized by all of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following meeting technologies would be most effective for negotiations,
collaborative problem solving, and other complex discussions?
A) Instant messaging
B) Teleconference
C) Telepresence
D) Wiki
E) None of the above
Answer:
Openness and inclusiveness
A) are not characteristics of many cultures, whose members display a general
unwillingness to accommodate outsiders.
B) characterize all cultures, wherever they are found.
C) are not truly characteristic of any culture, although some try to claim them.
D) are typical only of small, dying cultures.
E) will eventually weaken and destroy any culture.
Answer:
The body of a proposal should
A) capture the reader’s attention.
B) explain the complete details of the solution.
C) make whatever promises it takes to win the contract.
D) aggressively attack any other companies competing for the audience’s business.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
In an online report regarding your region’s potential for market growth, the best way to
include a spreadsheet containing last year’s sales figures would be to
A) embed the spreadsheet in your report.
B) include the spreadsheet in an appendix.
C) simply insert the spreadsheet using Microsoft Word.
D) link the spreadsheet to your report.
E) send a hard copy.
Answer:
A letter of ________ is a specialized cover letter that introduces your report to the
audience.
A) authorization
B) acceptance
C) transmittal
D) introduction
E) appreciation
Answer:
When reviewing your document for content, you should be concerned with
A) grammar and usage.
B) punctuation and spelling.
C) the accuracy and relevance of the information.
D) style and tone.
E) type styles and typefaces.
Answer:
One way to overcome audience resistance to your message is to
A) use the hard-sell approach.
B) present all sides of the issue before making the case for your position.
C) emphasize your impeccable logic.
D) speak negatively about your competitors.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
How do serif typefaces differ from sans serif typefaces?
Answer:
Briefly describe how cultures can differ when it comes to future orientation.
Answer:
When using the indirect approach for a negative message, begin with a (an) ________
that softens the blow of the bad news.
Answer:
The goal of ________ listening is to evaluate the logic, conclusions, and other aspects
of the message.
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between tone and style in business writing.
Answer:
Rewrite the following sentence to eliminate redundancies: “The engineers collaborated
together in order to produce the uniquely original final outcomes of their research.”
Answer:
What are the two primary aims of screening interviews?
Answer:
Briefly describe how to meet an unfamiliar audience’s informational needs.
Answer:
Briefly describe “groupthink.”
Answer:
Rewrite the following sentence in a more formal tone, appropriate for a business report:
“I don’t think changing our mileage reimbursement policy would make things any
better.”
Answer:
List and briefly explain six strategies for holding your audience’s attention during a
business presentation.
Answer:
Briefly describe the three tasks that an effective closing to a presentation should
accomplish and give an example of a sentence that would be an ineffective ending.
Answer:
What is the relationship between Web 2.0 and Business Communication 0?
Answer:
Many routine requests have several parts. What guidelines should you keep in mind
when your request contains a series of questions?
Answer:
Explain the importance and process of proofreading. Why does it matter and what
should you look for?
Answer:
What are the five most common techniques for developing paragraphs?
Answer:
As the leader of a new task force, you notice that one of your team members remains
silent during meetings. What should you do?
Answer: