A market researcher who uses primary research may use which of the following
methods?
a. Boolean logic, observational studies, the hidden Internet
b. Search engines, normative surveys, interviews
c. Random sampling, website “hits,” observational studies
d. Observational studies, experimental research, normative survey research
Answer:
Which is the BEST choice for the first sentence of a sales message?
a. An acknowledgment of the receiver’s interest in your product
b. A description of your product
c. An astonishing fact related to your product
d. The price of your product and easy steps for taking action
Answer:
Which of the following is FALSE concerning readability level?
a. A readability level of 10 means that a person would need to be able to read at the
tenth-grade level to understand the material.
b. The two factors that affect the readability level are the number of words in the
passage and the complexity of the sentences.
c. Many word processing programs calculate readability measures automatically.
d. The writer should use feedback on readability level to revise appropriately.
Answer:
Which sentence reflects the most effective wording?
a. You failed to tell us the color you wanted.
b. Please check the color you prefer on the enclosed card.
c. You did not state the color; do it now.
d. You probably forgot that we needed to know the color.
e. We are unable to ship your order at this time due to lack of information.
Answer:
Email messages should be limited to one topic because
a. some computers cannot display longer messages.
b. an email message should not contain competing ideas.
c. the recipient might forget to respond to multiple points discussed.
d. messages with multiple topics take too long to type.
Answer:
Which of the following is FALSE concerning the executive summary (abstract) in the
preliminary pages and the summary that appears as a final section of the report body?
a. While they have some similarity, the summary focuses only on the findings.
b. Both are illustrated in the APA style manual.
c. Both are necessary because they serve different purposes even though they have
some content in common.
d. Neither is necessary in a well-written, concise report.
Answer:
Which of the following statements should a manager use to effectively communicate
with an employee who has recently learned to speak English?
a. We have our competition between a rock and a hard place.
b. Your quarterly sales figures have gone through the roof.
c. Bob must be off his rocker if he expects us to complete the report today.
d. The points in your proposal are exactly what I was looking for.
Answer:
Jon is researching and writing a presentation request by his boss regarding beginning a
business casual dress policy at Baltz& Stein Architects. In his research, he finds a
suggested dress code from the American Institute of Architects and wants to include
information from it in the presentation. How should he include the AIA policy without
infringing on the copyright?
a. Use the dress code policy in the presentation and cite its source.
b. Use the policy as an audience handout, with a source note, showing it as an example
of a good policy.
c. Contact the national office of the American Institute of Architects to gain permission
to use the policy.
d. All of the above are recommended.
Answer:
Which of the following sentences is correct?
a. The term flame is online jargon for a heated, sarcastic, sometimes abusive message.
b. The term “flame” is online jargon for a heated, sarcastic, sometimes abusive message.
c. The term flame is online jargon for a “heated, sarcastic, sometimes abusive message.”
d. The term flame is online jargon for a “heated, sarcastic, sometimes abusive message.”
Answer:
The integrity of personal information collected by governmental and private agencies is
protected by the
a. First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
b. Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
c. Fair Information Practices (FIP).
d. Electronics Communication Privacy Act.
Answer:
The grapevine in an organization
a. is typically no more or less accurate than other channels.
b. serves no necessary purpose; thus, managers should work to eliminate it.
c. passes a message in single file from person to person until it finally reaches the end
of the line.
d. has a single, consistent source.
Answer:
Which of the following is FALSE concerning cultural perceptions of North Americans?
a. Some cultures value silence more so than do North Americans.
b. North Americans are frequently perceived by other cultures as being too formal.
c. While North Americans prefer a direct approach to most messages, many cultures
such as the Japanese, Latin American, and Arabic cultures consider this approach
tactless and rude.
d. The Japanese typically think North Americans use inappropriate humor.
Answer:
A résumé summarizes information related to a job’s requirements; the application
message
a. adds exact details needed for processing payroll and benefits.
b. summarizes how the company can benefit the applicant.
c. should be omitted unless specifically requested.
d. interprets the résumé in terms of employer benefits.
Answer:
Because scripted speeches restrict eye contact with the audience,
a. they should be avoided altogether by business speakers.
b. they should be selected only for particular situations, such as when an exact time
constraint is applied.
c. they are recommended when the speaker is self-conscious.
d. they should be used only when visual aids are available.
Answer:
Your staff has worked hard to successfully complete a project for a large advertising
client. Which of the following is the BEST way for you to express thanks to the staff?
a. Thank them at the staff meeting next month.
b. Post a note on the company intranet.
c. Ask your administrative assistant to post a note in the lunchroom.
d. Send an email immediately to all staff.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is FALSE concerning sentence and paragraph length
in business writing?
a. A two-word sentence is acceptable, as is a 60-word sentence, as long as the message
is clear.
b. While compound sentences should be used along with simple sentences, complex
sentences should be avoided in business writing.
c. The first and last paragraphs are typically shorter than other paragraphs.
d. Paragraphs in business letters, memos, and e-mail messages are typically shorter than
paragraphs in business reports.
Answer:
The politician seeking re-election referred to the importance of “revenue enhancements”
for providing additional community services. This is an example of
a. Doublespeak or corporate speak
b. Denotative meaning
c. Cultural bias
d. Emphatic tone
Answer:
In a deductive message, the most important information should be
a. placed at the very end of the message.
b. placed at the beginning of the message.
c. placed in the middle of the message.
d. placed in all sections of the message.
Answer:
The interviewer typically forms an impression of the job applicant
a. in the first few seconds of the interview.
b. after several questions have been answered in the interview.
c. at the close of the interview.
d. while reflecting on the candidate following the interview.
Answer:
The central selling point in a persuasive message
a. appears only once in the message and should, therefore, be carefully placed for best
effect.
b. is usually price.
c. can be thought of as the message’s theme and appears throughout the message as a
common thread.
d. appears only in the attention and action stages.
Answer:
Which of the following statements about culture is true?
a. Culture is inborn from the moment of birth.
b. Components of culture such as value of the individual, value placed on materialism,
work ethic, etc. are distinct, unrelated elements.
c. Stereotyping allows one to form accurate mental pictures of the main characteristics
of another group.
d. None of the above statements are true.
Answer:
Which of the following is the BEST suggestion to follow when refusing a request?
a. Use the inductive approach.
b. Provide a vague reason to minimize the receiver’s disappointment.
c. Use the direct approach.
d. Follow the bad news with adequate reasons.
Answer:
In which situation would a communicator use an inductive outline?
a. To explain how to get optimum performance from a smart phone
b. To outline procedures for logging into a network
c. To tell employees that a two-week furlough is necessary for all employees.
d. To respond positively to a request to replace a defective treadmill
Answer:
Which of the following guidelines for writing a message extending credit is FALSE?
a. The writer should include the credit terms in the message.
b. The writer should include the payment date and penalty fee for late payment.
c. The writer should omit any mention of sales promotion or resale.
d. None of the above is false.
Answer:
You need to produce a graphic for your employees that depicts the process of handling
customer service complaints. Which would be your BEST choice?
a. Organizational chart
b. Flow chart
c. Pictogram
d. Blueprint
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT an effective strategy for companies that want to provide
strong internal communication?
a. Promote open exchange of honest, candid communication.
b. Use a variety of communication channels to encourage two-way communication.
c. Limit the questions employees may ask management.
d. Keep employees informed of both good and bad news.
Answer:
Which of the following describes the major difference between teams and groups?
a. Members of teams generally have a higher commitment to the overall goal than do
members of groups.
b. Teams are usually smaller than groups.
c. Teams do not require leaders, while groups do.
d. Teams exist indefinitely while groups exist for a limited period of time.
Answer:
Which of the following statements about Internet resources is correct?
a. Resources must be reliable and credible to appear on the Internet.
b. Internet resources may be used without concern for copyright, since materials must
be cleared for posting before appearing on the Internet.
c. Because of the vast material available on the Internet, the technologically capable
business researcher does not need to rely on traditional library research any longer.
d. Selected texts of articles and documents are often available via the Internet, while
full texts may only be available in published form.
Answer:
Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
a. The shipment arrived too late for our sale; therefore, we are returning it to you.
b. The shipment arrived too late for our sale, therefore, we are returning it to you.
c. The shipment arrived too late for our sale therefore, we are returning it to you.
d. The shipment arrived too late for our sale: therefore, we are returning it to you.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT an effective strategy for companies that want to provide
strong internal communication?
a. Promote open exchange of honest, candid communication.
b. Use a variety of communication channels to encourage two-way communication.
c. Carefully define the types of questions employees may ask management.
d. Keep employees informed of both good and bad news.
Answer:
Some word processing programs assist in the creation of reference pages.
Answer:
Discuss four guidelines to follow when your dialect differs from that of your audience.
Answer:
Cookie blocking will prevent unwanted tracing of your computer activities while
allowing subscribed online services to continue operating.
Answer:
Explain the purpose of a subject line in an email message, and provide guidelines for
writing an effective subject line.
Answer:
For a professional image, letters should be folded to produce the fewest number of
creases.
Answer:
Email and cell phone calls are preferred channels for communicating information that is
private or sensitive.
Answer:
Bullets are usually preferred over numerals in a document list unless sequence is
important.
Answer:
Under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, employers need only provide a
legitimate business reason for monitoring employee email communication and are not
required to notify employees of the monitoring.
Answer:
Memorandums, or memos, are appropriate for communication both inside and outside
the company.
Answer:
Correlation analysis might be used to determine whether a relationship existed between
how respondents answered one item and how they answered another.
Answer:
When viewing tabulated research results, readers or listeners need exact statistics rather
than rounded fractions and percentages.
Answer:
Networking both electronically and in person is important to gaining job leads and
career counseling.
Answer:
When requesting action in a persuasive message, wording such as “I hope you will . . .”
and “If you agree . . .” is recommended as a courteous way to present the recipient with
the choice of whether to respond favorably.
Answer:
North Americans are perceived by members of some cultures as too casual in their
presentation style.
Answer:
Employers generally prefer not to receive information that provides information about
gender, age, marital status, religion, national origin, or disability because questions
could be raised about whether the information was used in the hiring decision.
Answer:
Explain why quantitative data from a research study must be condensed into a
manageable size before you can interpret it.
Answer: