When preparing persuasive messages for audiences in high-context cultures, you will
be most successful if you use an aggressive, hard-sell approach.
Answer:
Networking is not simply putting yourself in contact with powerful people and asking
them for a job: it requires establishing mutually beneficial relationships.
Answer:
Unlike a synopsis, an executive summary may contain headings and visual aids.
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Messages can be unethical simply because certain details have not been included.
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The verb “do” is an example of a regular verb.
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The best opening for a positive message includes the single most important information
you need to give the audience.
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You should always include your college GPA on your résumé.
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Paraphrases do not require documentation of sources.
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A routine positive message should never include negative information.
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The close of a proposal on health insurance would be the best place to ask the audience
to call you for more information.
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Even when you expect your audience to be skeptical, the direct approach is always best
for presentations.
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It is illegal for your company to open and read email you send and receive at work.
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To improve the readability of your messages, make liberal use of references such as
“the latter,” “the former,” “the aforementioned,” and “as mentioned above.”
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When delivering presentations online, it is especially important to ask the audience for
frequent feedback.
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Plagiarism is only a problem in the classroom. In the business environment, it’s just
another term for information sharing.
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Cloud computing offers little that can affect how teams conduct virtual meetings.
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When it comes to business research, online sources generally require more careful
evaluation than other types.
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In productive teams, conflict is always handled politely—regardless of how strongly
team members feel about their viewpoints.
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Headings have only one function, which is to break up long blocks of type.
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Among other factors, the globalization of business has decreased the demand for skilled
communicators.
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Spelling, punctuation, and grammar do not matter in email; getting your message out
quickly should be your only concern.
Answer:
To find out your company’s average monthly utility bill over the last year, you would
need to calculate the mode of the last twelve bills.
Answer:
In intercultural conversations, speaking slowly is usually regarded as a sign of
disrespect.
Answer:
The recommendations you make in a report should offer practical guidance on next
steps.
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Linking a spreadsheet to your report will help ensure that readers are always seeing the
most up-to-date information.
Answer:
Blogs are useful tools for crisis communication.
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One potential disadvantage of using a photograph to help explain a repair procedure is
that it shows so much detail.
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Within organizations, formal communication is upward and downward, while informal
communication is always horizontal.
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Preliminary screening interviews are often conducted via telephone or Skype.
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When replying to a customer’s complaint when your company is at fault, be sure to list
the names of all employees who were involved in the error.
Answer:
Unlike a summary, a paraphrase
A) restates the original material in your own words and with your own sentence
structures.
B) presents the gist of the original material in fewer words.
C) does not require complete documentation of sources.
D) is never acceptable in business documents.
E) is more difficult to understand.
Answer:
You’ve used information from several websites to support your argument in a formal
report. You should
A) not worry about documenting the sources since that’s only necessary in school—not
in business.
B) provide information on your sources only if the audience requests it.
C) clearly document the sources in the report.
D) determine whether the websites are copyrighted, and then decide whether or not to
document them.
E) do none of the above.
Answer:
A woman returns a formal dress to your store. It is stained and has a rip at the hem line,
but she says she is returning it unworn because it doesn’t fit. Which of the following
would be the best way to inform her of your refusal to give 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.
E) You’re not the first to try this, so forget it.
Answer:
Communication is the process of
A) transferring information and meaning.
B) listening actively.
C) writing messages.
D) speaking to others.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
Asking a colleague “How was your weekend?” is
A) an effective greeting in any culture.
B) accepted in the U.S., but considered intrusive in some cultures.
C) never acceptable in a business environment.
D) grounds for a lawsuit.
E) offensive to members of every low-context culture.
Answer:
Compared to word processing software, desktop publishing applications
A) are less advanced and useful only for the simplest documents.
B) tend to be used only by amateurs.
C) are far less expensive.
D) are produced only by small, largely unrecognized companies.
E) offer more advanced and precise layout capabilities.
Answer:
In the following sentence, which words should not be capitalized? “After talking with
President Hilda Bruckner, he decided that the Insurance industry would provide a
suitable career for someone who was a Graduate of the Department of Business at
Gable University.”
A) insurance, department
B) president, university
C) graduate, department
D) insurance, graduate
E) after, business
Answer:
When preparing a message to someone from another culture, you should
A) never write more than a single paragraph.
B) assume that the audience is familiar with common U.S. phrases and references.
C) be sure to remove all graphics, in case they might offend someone.
D) be careful to express numbers and dates in the format used in that person’s culture.
E) write in simple sentences only.
Answer:
Which of the following is the best heading for the close of a formal report?
A) Ending
B) Take-Aways
C) Final Thoughts
D) The Point
E) Summary
Answer:
When it comes to planning for the future,
A) people of all cultures view it as a valuable task.
B) individual views may differ, but it is not a cultural issue.
C) some societies tend to view it as a waste of time.
D) younger workers tend to place more value on it than older counterparts.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
To convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany,
people rely more on
A) gestures and vocal inflection.
B) indirectness and metaphors.
C) situational cues.
D) explicit verbal communication.
E) facial expressions.
Answer:
A crisis management plan
A) defines operational procedures to deal with the crisis.
B) is not helpful for small to mid-sized organizations.
C) should avoid limitations on who is authorized to speak to the media.
D) is unnecessary if your organization has not faced any recent crises.
E) does all of the above.
Answer:
Including transitions and other directional aids is important
A) in online reports, but not usually necessary in written ones.
B) whether your report is in print or online.
C) in print reports, but not in those published online.
D) in any report longer than 2 pages.
E) only if English is not your audience’s first language.
Answer:
The subject line of an email message
A) is rarely read by the recipient.
B) helps recipients decide whether or not to read the message.
C) should describe only the general topic of the message.
D) must never be longer than 3 words long.
E) does all of the above.
Answer:
What would be the most concise and compelling title for a formal report analyzing your
company’s proposed acquisition of Freedman’s Nuts & Bolts?
A) “To Acquire or Not to Acquire”
B) “A Study of the Feasibility of Angstrom Hardware Inc. Acquiring the Concern
Currently Operating as Freedman Fasteners”
C) “The Pros and Cons of Acquiring Freedman Fasteners”
D) “Why Angstrom Should Forget About Acquiring Freedman”
E) “An Easy Decision”
Answer:
Within 48 hours, people tend to forget approximately ________ percent of what was
said in a 10-minute conversation.
A) 1
B) 10
C) 50
D) 90
E) none of the above
Answer:
An important drawback of IM is
A) the need for user authentication.
B) the limited number of devices on which it is available.
C) its high cost.
D) the ease with which it can be misused to broadcast unwanted messages.
E) its stilted, formal feel.
Answer:
To help establish credibility with your audience, you should
A) impress them with a long list of your accomplishments.
B) be modest and deferential.
C) show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message.
D) use hedge words (“maybe,” “perhaps”) to demonstrate your knowledge that no issue
is fully cut and dried.
E) simply state up front that you know more about your topic than they do.
Answer:
“Insurance premiums have increased, and cost-of-living raises have not kept up” is a
________ sentence.
A) simple
B) compound
C) complex
D) compound-complex
E) simple-compound
Answer:
Placing detailed supporting materials online instead of in a traditional appendix
A) can make it much more convenient for readers to access.
B) suggests that you are lazy and unprofessional.
C) is not acceptable unless your report is highly technical.
D) is a great inconvenience for your audience.
E) often leads to legal problems.
Answer:
A flatter organizational structure
A) tends to increase the chance of communication breakdowns.
B) helps make communication flow more efficiently.
C) is obsolete now that social networking is so widespread.
D) is helpful for small companies only.
E) makes internal conflict more difficult to manage.
Answer:
When it comes to using the “you” attitude,
A) cultural differences are not a concern, since it is universally acceptable.
B) it is important to recognize and accommodate cultural differences.
C) you should assume that members of high-context cultures will find it offensive.
D) you should avoid it completely in intercultural communication.
E) it is really no more complicated than using the word “you” as much as possible.
Answer:
Using your résumé to tell employers you are detail oriented, a team player, and a hard
worker
A) is an effective strategy, since all employers appreciate these characteristics.
B) is generally not helpful unless you also include concrete proof and evidence to
support your claims.
C) is often effective as long as you repeat the claims in your application letter.
D) often results in a higher starting salary.
E) should be avoided unless you are applying for an executive position.
Answer:
The best type of visual aid for showing that annual consumer spending has decreased
over the past ten years would be
A) a table.
B) a pie chart.
C) a line chart.
D) an organization chart.
E) a flowchart.
Answer:
If you are planning a career change and want to deemphasize lengthy unemployment or
lack of career progress, the best organizational plan for your résumé would be
A) chronological.
B) functional.
C) targeted.
D) indirect.
E) fundamental.
Answer:
Associating youth with strength and age with declining powers is
A) a universal trait that characterizes all cultures.
B) common in European cultures, but not in the U.S.
C) common in the U.S., but not in many Asian societies.
D) an outdated practice.
E) a politically correct approach.
Answer:
A paragraph that focuses on the reasons why some event has occurred is developed
according to which method?
A) Illustration
B) Comparison and contrast
C) Cause and effect
D) Problem and solution
E) Augmentation
Answer:
Which of the following media would be best for sending a brief internal message
(requiring no response from your audience) about an upcoming software update?
A) Podcast
B) Email
C) Blog
D) Videoconference
E) Formal Letter
Answer:
A good way to test the thoroughness of your business message is to check it for
A) a main idea.
B) a purpose.
C) the who, what, when, where, why, and how.
D) accuracy.
E) opinions that contradict one another.
Answer:
When using the direct approach to deliver negative messages, you
A) begin with a buffer.
B) should not include reasons for the decision or information.
C) should end the message on a respectful note.
D) can expect your audience to be offended.
E) should not worry about tone.
Answer:
When it comes to grammar and spelling, today’s employers generally
A) expect employees to follow accepted standards.
B) take a laid-back approach as long as employees can get their point across.
C) understand and accept that abbreviations (such as those used in text messaging) and
informal language are now the norm.
D) expect employees to use spell-check, but otherwise understand that mistakes are no
big deal.
E) want employees to speak and write informally, so everyone feels comfortable.
Answer:
When making a routine request, you should begin with
A) an indication of the importance of your request.
B) a statement of who you are.
C) a clear statement of the main idea or request.
D) a question.
E) a humorous comment.
Answer:
In an upcoming presentation, you plan to cover three important changes to your
employees’ working hours. The proper place to list this plan would be the ________
slide.
A) cover
B) introduction
C) agenda
D) teaser
E) snapshot
Answer:
Use of parliamentary procedure
A) tends to slow meetings down.
B) contributes to dissent among participants.
C) helps meetings run more smoothly.
D) is only useful only for meetings with more than a dozen participants.
E) is a longstanding tradition in Europe, but has not caught on in the U.S.
Answer:
Briefly define persuasion.
Answer:
You are scheduled to discuss a negative performance evaluation with one of the
employees you supervise. How can you emphasize the positive during your
conversation?
Answer:
When does the rumor mill tend to be most active within an organization? Include an
example of a situation that might cause the rumor mill to become more active.
Answer:
Briefly explain the concept of cultural context.
Answer:
Messages of ________ express sympathy.
Answer:
List at least three strategies to help ensure the accuracy of information you include in
business messages.
Answer:
Above all, the ________ communication model for business communication is more
interactive and conversational than a traditional publishing or broadcasting approach.
Answer:
Explain the “information technology paradox.”
Answer:
List at least three types of nonverbal differences might you encounter when working
with businesspeople from other cultures. Provide at least one example of how these
differences might cause misunderstandings in communication.
Answer:
What are some viable options for refusing social networking recommendation requests?
Answer:
What are seven guidelines to keep in mind when creating content for business-related
social media?
Answer:
Define hedging and briefly explain why it should be avoided in business messages.
Answer:
List the three major categories of common routine requests.
Answer:
Dissatisfied customers can request a(n) ________, or claim settlement.
Answer:
List the four steps involved in planning an oral presentation.
Answer:
Briefly describe the circumstances in which the yardstick approach would be
particularly useful for organizing your proposal, and provide an example of a report that
would benefit from this organizational approach.
Answer:
Describe the main sections or elements that are included on most résumés.
Answer: