Business Communication Today, 12e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 11 Writing Negative Messages
1) During the process of composing a negative message, you should try to
A) choose a buffer that will distract your reader.
B) gain the reader’s acceptance of the bad news.
C) leave the reader with hope that you will change your decision.
D) avoid stating the bad news.
2) When you’re planning a negative message, ________ in order to minimize the damage to
business relationships and encourage acceptance of your message.
A) analyze the situation carefully
B) be direct at all times
C) emphasize your needs and concerns
D) quote the policies and regulations of your company
3) If you’re using the direct approach to deliver a negative message,
A) save the bad news for last.
B) state the bad news at the beginning.
C) embed the bad news in a parenthetical expression.
D) subordinate the bad news in a compound sentence.
4) If you must deliver bad news, ask ________ to help you choose the direct or indirect approach
for delivering the message.
A) Will the reader be shocked by the news?
B) How important is the news to the reader?
C) Does the reader prefer, short direct messages?
D) Ask all of the above.
5) Consider the following statements. Which one of them is phrased in a negative way?
A) Please clarify your request.
B) Your copier will be repaired next week.
C) Your payment is late.
D) Thank you for sharing your concerns about your shopping experience.
6) When you deliver negative messages, you
A) should always begin with a buffer.
B) should not include reasons for the decision or information.
C) should use language that conveys respect.
D) can expect your audience to be offended.
7) If you choose to apologize in a negative message, you should
A) phrase the apology in a conditional manner (“If I have offended anyone …”).
B) imply that not all of the blame lies with you or your company.
C) be sincere and make it a true apology.
D) always demonstrate sincerity, but never accept blame.
8) Instead of announcing the bad news up front, you can open with a ________ to establish
common ground with the reader.
A) humorous anecdote
B) buffer statement
C) diversionary tactic
D) heartwarming story
9) You can use an agreement strategy to write an effective buffer statement if you
A) find an attribute or achievement to compliment.
B) express sincere thanks for receiving something.
C) demonstrate that you understand the reader’s goals and needs.
D) discover a point on which you and the reader share similar views.
10) The buffer of a negative message
A) should be neutral and noncontroversial.
B) implicitly says no.
C) is a form of apology.
D) should be very vague about the subject of the message.
11) A poorly written buffer can
A) trivialize the reader’s concerns.
B) divert attention from the problem.
C) mislead the reader into thinking your message actually contains good news.
D) all of the above.
12) One important goal of a buffer is to
A) delay stating the bad news.
B) establish common ground with your reader.
C) make your reader wonder what the message is about.
D) divert the reader’s attention to a more pleasant subject.
13) If you up to now you have failed to respond to a request, a buffer
A) comes right out and says no to the request.
B) ignores the request altogether.
C) automatically misleads the reader.
D) explains why you have so far not responded to the request.
14) Which one of the following would be the most effective way to open an indirect message
that delivers bad news to someone who applied for a summer internship?
A) Please accept my apology for having to deliver bad news.
B) We have rejected your application for the summer internship.
C) Your résumé clearly shows why you’re interested in a summer internship.
D) We are unable to consider your résumé and application letter at this time.
15) In a negative message organized using the indirect approach, the reasons that justify the
negative decision
A) are so obvious that you don’t need to mention them.
B) come directly after the buffer and follow naturally from it.
C) should be glossed over quickly.
D) should be long and roundabout to cushion the negative aspects.
16) In the reasons section of a negative message, you should
A) present enough detail to make your conclusion compelling.
B) explain what your decision is before you explain why you have reached it.
C) apologize for the negative decision.
D) do all of the above.
17) One way to be tactful when giving your reasons for bad news is to
A) explain why the decision is good for you and your company.
B) highlight, if possible, how your negative decision benefits the recipient.
C) explain that the decision is based on company policy.
D) apologize for having to be the bearer of bad news.
18) According to the indirect approach for delivering bad news, you should place the negative
news
A) immediately after the buffer.
B) immediately before the reasons.
C) immediately after the reasons.
D) at the very end.
19) A good way to deliver bad news kindly is to
A) maximize the space devoted to it.
B) say, “I trust our decision is satisfactory.”
C) avoid stating it and hope that the reader understands what you mean.
D) deemphasize it by embedding it in the middle of a paragraph or use parenthetical expressions.
20) When rejecting a job applicant, you can soften the blow by
A) expressing appreciation for his or her application.
B) mentioning the qualifications of the person who was hired.
C) telling the applicant how many others he or she was competing against.
D) apologizing for wasting the person’s time.
21) To reject someone as clearly and kindly as possible, do all of the following except
A) use phrases such as, “Much as I would like to help you.”
B) de-emphasize the bad news.
C) use a conditional statement.
D) tell the audience what you can or will do rather than what you cannot or will not do.
22) Employees who observe illegal or unethical behavior in the workplace may resort to
________ if they’re unable to resolve the problems through normal channels.
A) “shuffling the deck”
B) “calling the game”
C) “blowing the whistle”
D) “jumping the shark”
23) Which of the following statements does the best job of delivering bad news clearly and
kindly?
A) I am sorry to have to tell you that you were not selected for the position.
B) Because you do not have the experience we clearly listed in the job posting, we cannot offer
you the position.
C) Although you currently do not have the master’s degree that we require for this position, we
would be happy to reconsider your application once you have completed your degree.
D) Several other applicants were far more qualified for the position than you were, so we cannot
offer you the job.
24) When delivering bad news, wording such as “We must turn down,” “I am unable to,” and
“We cannot afford to”
A) softens the blow by drawing attention away from the reader and onto the sender.
B) will impress the reader as being straightforward and forceful.
C) is likely to cause pain and anger in the reader.
D) is unavoidable.
25) If you do all of the following except ________, you can close a negative message in a
positive way.
A) build goodwill
B) suggest alternative actions
C) dwell on the bad news
D) look toward the future
26) Which of the following is the most effective close for a letter rejecting a job applicant?
A) If you have any questions about our decision, don’t hesitate to call.
B) We hope that despite this rejection you will continue to frequent our establishments.
C) Again, we are very sorry that we cannot offer you a position at this time.
D) I wish you the best in your job search. I am confident you will find a match for your skills and
interests.
27) When you must deliver bad news in the workplace, remember that
A) you should de-emphasize the news at all costs.
B) your feelings, as well as the feelings of anyone who receives the message, are irrelevant.
C) delaying, downplaying, or distorting the news may be unethical or illegal.
D) internal and external audiences will react to the news in the same way.
28) When you are refusing a routine request from someone in an established relationship, you
A) should use the indirect approach.
B) should invoke company policy if that is a possible out.
C) donʹt need to invest as much time and effort as you would for other kinds of negative
messages.
D) should give the name of the person making the decision.
29) Do all of the following except ________ if you must refuse a claim.
A) show that you understand the claim
B) argue heatedly for your point of view
C) explain your refusal
D) suggest alternative action
30) Your communication goals do not include ________ if you’re sending bad news about
transactions.
A) modifying the customer’s expectations
B) explaining your plan for resolving the situation
C) repairing any damage to the business relationship
D) pinpointing what the customer did wrong
31) If the stakes are high for you or your receiver, use an ________ to deliver negative
information.
A) intuitive approach
B) irregular approach
C) indirect approach
D) off-the-cuff approach
32) Negative messages about business transactions are designed to
A) confirm the customer’s expectations.
B) explain how you plan to resolve the situation.
C) show the audience that whatever has happened, your company is not at fault.
D) let the audience know which of your employees caused the problem.
33) Whether or not you should apologize when delivering bad news about transactions depends
mainly on
A) how much the customer has purchased from your company in the past.
B) the medium you are using for the message.
C) how long it has been since the problem occurred.
D) none of the above.
34) A woman returns a formal dress to your store, asking for a refund. The bodice is stained and
the hemline is torn, but she says she is returning it unworn because it doesn’t fit. Which of the
following would be the best way to refuse her request for a refund?
A) State that company policy prevents you from accepting the return but that if you had anything
to say about it, you’d take it back, no questions asked.
B) Restate her complaint to let her know you understand it, explain as positively as possible that
you are unable to accept the return of damaged merchandise, and recommend a tailor who can
fix the tear and alter the dress for her.
C) Challenge the woman to try on the dress and prove that it doesn’t fit.
D) Use humor to soften the blow of your refusal.
35) To avoid being accused of defamation, you should
A) refuse to communicate with unhappy clients.
B) make it clear to disgruntled customers that you refuse to be intimidated.
C) avoid any kind of behavior that could be considered abusive.
D) frequently refer to company policy.
36) In refusing a customer’s request for adjustment, you are concerned about possible defamation
charges. You should
A) make all refusals by phone instead of in writing.
B) explain why you are making the refusal.
C) consult your company’s legal department or an attorney if you think a message might have
legal consequences.
D) none of the above.
37) When you need to inform employees that a benefit or privilege will be eliminated
A) the best approach is to leak the news as a rumor rather than make a public announcement.
B) minimize the impact of the bad news by presenting it in as positive a light as possible.
C) use the direct approach.
D) use as many hedging words as possible.
38) The challenge of ________ is a direct result of the proliferation of social media and other
communication technologies.
A) researching and developing new products and services
B) communicating up and down a company’s supply chain
C) attracting and recruiting qualified applicants for employment
D) responding to online rumors and attacks on a company’s reputation
39) When responding to rumors and countering negative information in a social media
environment, a company should not
A) engage customers early and often.
B) monitor online conversations.
C) rely on its reputation to protect it.
D) respond appropriately and professionally.
40) A crisis management plan should
A) define operational procedures and outline communication tasks and responsibilities.
B) make provisions for concealing operational issues from the news media.
C) avoid limitations on who is authorized to speak on behalf of the company.
D) never include contact information for key executives and personnel.
41) Which of the following can help you handle requests for recommendations in a social
networking environment?
A) Ignoring a request from someone you don’t know
B) Maintaining a policy of not writing a recommendation for anyone
C) Writing as much or as little as you’re comfortable with sharing about the person
D) All of the above
42) As a member of an online social network, the recommendations you write
A) must include extensive detailed information.
B) cannot be seen by the other network members.
C) become part of your online brand.
D) don’t affect your online profile.
43) A letter rejecting a job applicant should
A) avoid explaining why he or she was not selected.
B) point out the applicant’s shortcomings.
C) be as personal as possible.
D) be as long as possible.