Business Communication Essentials, 6e (Bovee/Thill)
Chapter 3 Planning Business Messages
1) The first stage of the writing process includes ________.
A) selecting the right medium
B) producing the message
C) composing the message
D) adapting the message to the audience
E) proofreading the message
2) Which of the following activities takes place during the planning stage of the writing process?
A) composing the message
B) adapting the message to the audience
C) organizing the information
D) reviewing the message
E) producing the message
3) Brian needs to create a business message for a new savings scheme for a bank. He develops an
audience profile and gathers the information that must be included in the message. According to
the three-step writing process, which of the following should be Brian’s next step?
A) distributing the message
B) proofreading the message
C) selecting the medium
D) revising the message
E) analyzing the situation
4) The second stage of the writing process includes ________.
A) gathering information that will inform, persuade, or motivate the audience
B) adapting the message to the audience and composing the first draft
C) revising and rewriting until the message is clear and effective
D) proofreading the message
E) selecting the right medium
5) Which of the following sets of activities is undertaken after a message is composed?
A) organizing information and adapting the message to the audience
B) gathering and organizing information
C) revising and producing the message
D) analyzing the situation and adapting the message
E) selecting the medium and producing the message
6) Which of the following activities follows the writing step in the process of writing business
messages?
A) developing an audience profile
B) selecting a medium
C) gathering information
D) revising the message
E) organizing the information
7) At which of the following stages in the three-step writing process do you step back to review
the message to make sure it is clear, concise, and correct?
A) planning
B) writing
C) completing
D) allotting
E) approaching
8) The activities of revising, producing, proofreading, and distributing a message take place in
the ________ stage of the writing process.
A) writing
B) completing
C) planning
D) approaching
E) allotting
9) Which of the following correctly lists the steps in the three-step writing process?
A) writing; revising; adapting
B) organizing; revising; writing
C) planning; writing; completing
D) designing; planning; writing
E) composing; organizing; selecting a medium
10) Business messages usually have general and specific purposes. Which of the following is a
specific purpose of a business message?
A) informing the audience
B) persuading the audience
C) collaborating
D) initiating a conversation
E) achieving precise sales goals
11) Over the last 8 months, consulting firm G&B has been in talks with Wattersons Inc. over a
potential merger. During this time, G&B employees were kept abreast of their company’s plans
and all their concerns regarding the merger were thoroughly addressed. As the company had
assured them that their jobs would be safe, the employees were generally supportive of the move.
Once the decision was finalized, G&B’s top management issued a statement to the employees
confirming the merger. Which of the following is the general purpose of the message issued by
G&B’s top management?
A) to persuade
B) to inform
C) to collaborate
D) to initiate a conversation
E) to negotiate
12) Cosmetics company Go Beaux has a new competitor, Fresh & Clear. To help retain its
market share, Go Beaux releases an ad campaign focusing on the unique features of its products
in order to convince consumers to stay loyal to the brand. Which of the following is the general
purpose of Go Beaux’s ad campaign?
A) to persuade
B) to identify
C) to collaborate
D) to negotiate
E) to converse
13) A news website wants visitors to make a donation to a children’s charity for Christmas. The
site places banner ads on every page to encourage donations. Some ads stress the need for
donation, others explain how to donate. The site aims to have at least 5 percent of the visitors
donate to the charity as a result of the campaign. Which of the following is the specific purpose
of the campaign?
A) to inform visitors about the need to donate
B) to inform visitors about the ways in which they can donate
C) to persuade at least 5 percent of the visitors to donate to the campaign
D) to raise money for the children’s charity by 15 percent
E) to raise awareness about the plight of children
14) An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be to ________.
A) impart information to the audience
B) inform employees about the new vacation policy
C) persuade readers to take an action
D) obtain audience participation and collaboration
E) initiate a conversation about a product
15) ________ must be stated as precisely as possible, identifying which audience members
should respond, how they should respond, and when.
A) The audience preferences
B) The general purpose
C) The audience needs
D) The specific purpose
E) The scope of the message
16) Which of the following purposes of a business message helps define the overall approach
needed, from gathering information to organizing the message, without setting precise goals?
A) variable purpose
B) general purpose
C) explicit purpose
D) relative purpose
E) logical purpose
17) Amber Consulting decides to organize a public service ad campaign as part of its corporate
social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The company chooses the issue of water conservation and
aims to inform people about the problem through its ad campaign. Which of the following will
MOST weaken Amber Consulting’s decision to start the campaign?
A) Statistics reveal that 60 percent of all industrial waste is dumped untreated in to natural water
sources.
B) The company’s previous CSR effort in the field of education did not yield as positive a
response as was expected.
C) The water conservation campaign complements the company’s long-running clean energy
campaign.
D) This issue of water conservation has been in the news for the past several months and has
been the subject of numerous campaigns.
E) Research suggests that most people are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and
are willing to act on their beliefs.
18) Milkman Foods has developed a malted milk powder for children. Which of the following
questions is MOST relevant in helping the company identify the target audience for the
promotional campaign of this product?
A) Who are Milkman’s competitors in the market?
B) How often do people buy groceries?
C) What is the average consumption of milk in the area?
D) Who makes the buying decisions in households?
E) What do consumers expect from the product?
19) Which of the following questions will NOT help determine the audience profile?
A) What is the audience composition?
B) What are the audience’s expectations and preferences?
C) Where is the audience located?
D) How many people does the message need to reach?
E) Will the message change anything?
20) Amy needs to draft an email explaining income tax procedures to all the employees of her
company. Which of the following should she find out to help her decide what to write?
A) the primary audience
B) the age structure of the company
C) the needs and expectations of the employees
D) the expected reaction from readers
E) the key decision-makers among the employees
21) The New York headquarters of a multinational company typically houses a number of
employees from its various branches across the world. English is the common language of
communication, but most employees are not native speakers. How does this fact affect business
communications addressed to all the employees located at the company’s headquarters?
A) The primary audience will be difficult to determine.
B) Geographic location will be important in determining message composition.
C) Gathering information for the message will be difficult.
D) Cultural factors may inhibit understanding of the message.
E) The size of the audience will play an important role in determining message composition.
22) Ethan was commissioned to research the market potential for a new fast food chain in a
particular area. A trained market researcher, Ethan used complex statistical methods to analyze
his data. He is in the process of preparing his research report with conclusions and
recommendations for the top management of the fast food chain, who are located at the firm’s
headquarters in Boston. Which of the following must Ethan necessarily be aware of in order to
draft his conclusions and recommendations in the most effective manner?
A) the median age of the audience
B) the audience’s level of understanding
C) the geographic distribution of the audience
D) the latest market research tools and techniques
E) the male-to-female ratio of the audience
23) Which of the following is true for gathering information for written communication?
A) Information for simple messages can be gathered using informal techniques.
B) Only formal methods of gathering information can be used for complex messages.
C) Informal research techniques are not reliable sources of information.
D) Asking the audience for input is not an acceptable method of gathering information.
E) Formal research techniques are always necessary in the case of simple messages.
24) The term ________ refers to a centralized database that collects the experiences and insights
of employees throughout the organization.
A) social-network platform
B) business intelligence system
C) knowledge-management system
D) teleconferencing system
E) workflow-management system
25) Which of the following reflects providing pertinent information to the audience?
A) The mathematical formulas in a customer report has failed to include some important data
during calculation.
B) A speaker mentions his tips for writing effective reports to business students at a college.
C) The manager did not include a few weekly errors in the monthly accuracy report that goes to
the top management of the company.
D) Due to personal problems, an employee sends an email communication for her manager that
does not contain all the required information.
E) A popular men’s health magazine launches a marketing campaign that provides free samples
of a health supplement to everyone at the local mall.
26) A travel agency is advertising a new holiday package. Which of the following information
about the destination is NOT pertinent for the target audience?
A) the climate of the place
B) the modes of transport there
C) the national income of the country
D) the scenic points along the route
E) the language and culture of the country
27) Which of the following types of communication is best for encouraging interaction,
expressing emotion, or monitoring emotional responses?
A) print
B) oral
C) visual
D) electronic
E) multimedia
28) Which of the following types of media is most effective when immediate feedback is
required?
A) written
B) oral
C) electronic
D) visual
E) multimedia
29) ________ give people the ability to see, hear, and react to each other, thereby encouraging
people to ask questions, make comments, and work together to reach a consensus or decision.
A) Written media
B) Multimedia
C) Oral media
D) Visual media
E) Sensory media
30) Which of the following is an advantage of oral media?
A) increased control over the message
B) ability to revise and rework the message
C) wide audience
D) ability to express the emotions behind a message
E) minimal chances of message distortion
31) D& J Ltd. is in the process of developing a new organization structure. The company wants
inputs and feedback from the management of various departments about possible options. The
topic is expected to generate some differing opinions, but the managers will need to work
together to reach a consensus. Which of the following classes of media will be the most
appropriate for this situation?
A) written
B) oral
C) electronic
D) multimedia
E) visual
32) Which of the following is a disadvantage of oral media?
A) spontaneity
B) increased control over the message
C) wide reach
D) face-to-face interaction
E) giving people the ability to react to each other
33) An organization has recently introduced radical changes in its methods of working.
Managers of various departments must now ascertain employees’ views on the changes and
gauge morale. However, there is a concern that employees may not be fully honest about their
reactions and may tend to present a positive picture of the situation. Which of the following
communication media can managers use to obtain an accurate impression of the situation?
A) multimedia
B) written media
C) oral media
D) electronic media
E) visual media
34) ________ are brief printed documents traditionally used for the routine, day-to-day exchange
of information within an organization.
A) Proposals
B) Letters
C) Instant messages
D) Mind maps
E) Memos
35) A primary advantage of written media is that they ________.
A) increase control over the message
B) are less expensive
C) allow for immediate feedback
D) are brief and to-the-point
E) allow recipients to ask questions
36) A multinational company has a presence in several countries, and its employees come from
different cultures and speak a variety of languages. The company needs to communicate
information about a complex process to all its employees across the world. Which of the
following classes of media should the company use for this purpose?
A) written media, so that the company has a record of the message it sends out
B) oral media, because a complex topic can best be explained through interpersonal
communication
C) visual media, which require less language processing and can be standardized
D) electronic media, because these are the cheapest means of communication
E) multimedia, as it enables audience interaction
37) Which of the following is an advantage of visual communication methods over oral and
written media?
A) They tend to be more persuasive.
B) They reach a large number of people efficiently.
C) They are easy to transmit and store.
D) They allow immediate feedback.
E) They convey complex ideas and relationships quickly.
38) Creating audio signals from computer data is known as ________.
A) voice synthesis
B) augmented reality
C) voice over IP
D) Internet telephony
E) voice recognition
39) Converting audio signals to computer data is known as ________.
A) voice synthesis
B) teleconferencing
C) augmented reality
D) voice recognition
E) voice activation
40) Telephone calls, teleconferencing, voice-mail messages, and audio recordings such as
compact discs and podcasts are collectively known as ________.
A) electronic versions of written media
B) multimedia
C) visual media
D) electronic versions of oral media
E) electronic versions of visual media
41) Which of the following allows reports and other documents, that were once distributed on
paper, to be transferred as electronic documents?
A) Skype
B) IM
C) VoIP
D) Flash
E) PDF
42) ________ is the technology used to superimpose computer-generated text, graphics, or
sounds onto a user’s physical domain, either on a device display or directly onto the physical
world itself.
A) Mind mapping
B) Augmented reality
C) VoIP
D) Cloud computing
E) Internet telephony
43) ________ is a medium’s ability to convey a message through more than one informational
cue, facilitate feedback, and establish personal focus.
A) Media richness
B) Media versatility
C) Media synthesis
D) Media scalability
E) Media leanness
44) Which of the following is a disadvantage of written media?
A) restricts participation of those physically present
B) provides no permanent, verifiable record of the communication
C) reduces communicator’s control over the message
D) offers no opportunity to revise or edit
E) offers no opportunity for nonverbal communication