Before volunteering someone’s name as a reference, always
A) assume you have permission to do so.
B) ask that person’s permission.
C) describe your relationship with that person.
D) list that person’s address and phone number for ease of contact.
E) explain that you’re not really sure what they will say about you.
Answer:
Many companies are now using ________ to replace or supplement some conference
calls, training courses, and other communication activities.
A) blogs
B) instant messaging
C) email
D) text messaging
E) podcasts
Answer:
For years email has been the primary communication medium at your company.
However, many of your employees now use IM daily for personal messages, and
they’ve come to you asking your approval to begin using it to communicate with clients
and vendors. Your greatest concern is likely to be
A) incompatibility between your company’s IM system and those your vendors and
clients use.
B) the need for users to learn complicated software.
C) the ability to use it only on expensive, highly specialized devices.
D) the high cost.
E) that employees will begin to write messages that are too long.
Answer:
Because application letters are ________ messages, the AIDA approach is ideally suited
for them.
A) positive
B) negative
C) persuasive
D) routine
E) personal
Answer:
The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms is known as
A) ethnocentrism.
B) cultural pluralism.
C) ethnography.
D) stereotyping.
E) dynamics.
Answer:
When making negative announcements about routine business matters,
A) the direct approach is generally best.
B) the indirect approach is best in most cases.
C) it is best to combine the direct and indirect approaches.
D) there is no need to close on a positive note.
E) using a buffer is not acceptable.
Answer:
In the final paragraph of your application letter you should
A) show the reader you mean business and demand an interview.
B) say something philosophical.
C) request an interview and provide contact information.
D) cover your bases by saying something like, “If I’ve left anything important out, I’m
sorry.”
E) thank the reader in advance for interviewing you and making a job offer.
Answer:
Unlike feasibility reports, justification reports
A) are designed to affirm decisions after they have been made.
B) are internal as opposed to external reports.
C) are always in memo format.
D) do not require a great deal of supporting data.
E) are never longer than one page.
Answer:
“Emotional intelligence” refers, in part, to
A) the ability to keep emotions completely out of your communication at work.
B) the ability to figure out what others are thinking, even before they speak.
C) the ability to relate to the needs of others.
D) knowing how to diagnose and treat emotional problems in one’s co-workers.
E) an aptitude for manipulating others’ emotions.
Answer:
During a long meeting, you notice that you’re automatically questioning the motives of
anyone whose viewpoint does not match your own . You are engaging in
A) discrimination.
B) misreading.
C) selective perception.
D) stereotyping.
E) effective business communication.
Answer:
It is best to limit your use of the word “you” in business messages if
A) you know your audience well.
B) your organization prefers an informal, personal style.
C) you are filling your audience’s informational needs.
D) using it will make your message sound overly authoritative or accusing.
E) you are trying to make a sale.
Answer:
When meeting your audience’s informational needs, you should emphasize ideas
A) of greatest interest to the audience.
B) that are uncontroversial.
C) that will have the least impact on the audience.
D) that don’t need supporting evidence.
E) that show how ignorant the audience is about your topic.
Answer:
In business contexts, reports and proposals
A) are never written in memo format.
B) must always be at least 10 pages long.
C) vary in length, and may be written in memo format but never as letters.
D) vary in length, and may be written in many formats, including letters and memos.
E) are rarely taken seriously unless they are lengthy and written in manuscript format.
Answer:
In general, business correspondence in other countries is often ________ ________
than that written by U.S. businesspeople.
A) less formal
B) more formal
C) more humorous
D) less direct
E) none of the above
Answer:
In a(n) ________ interview, the candidate meets with several interviewers at once.
A) panel
B) group
C) team
D) collaborative
E) inclusive
Answer:
Your negative comments about a job candidate could be considered defamatory if
A) in a phone conversation you tell the applicant’s potential employer that the applicant
is an alcoholic.
B) you omit important negative information about the candidate in a recommendation
letter.
C) you decline to provide a recommendation because of “company policy.”
D) you cannot prove that those comments are true.
E) you use actual examples to support what you say or write.
Answer:
Which of the following is the best solution to technology-related problems such as
inappropriate use of the web and social media in the workplace?
A) Forbidding employees to use the web while they are in the office
B) Requiring employees to turn off their smartphones when they arrive for work
C) Developing clear policies that are evenly enforced
D) Rewarding employees who call your attention to those who are using these
technologies inappropriately
E) “Going green” by removing all electronic devices (except telephones) from the office
Answer:
Which of the following is not a common problem that employers see in résumés?
A) They are too long.
B) They display a weak understanding of the business world.
C) They are filled with misspellings and grammatical errors.
D) They are too straightforward.
E) All of the above are common problems.
Answer:
In terms of social networking, UGC stands for
A) user-generated content.
B) underground correspondence.
C) urgent governmental communication.
D) ungrammatical conversation.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
When it comes to functional résumés, many employers
A) are suspicious of them.
B) strongly prefer them to chronological résumés.
C) view them as a sign of strong communication skills.
D) don’t know what they are.
E) require them from applicants for management positions.
Answer:
Telephone calls are
A) completely incapable of conveying nonverbal signals.
B) now acceptable only for external communication.
C) capable of conveying quite a few nonverbal signals.
D) no longer practical when compared to email.
E) preferable to electronic media when you need a permanent record.
Answer:
Employees who engage in whistleblowing
A) are disloyal and should be terminated.
B) have usually not attempted to resolve problems through normal channels.
C) are, in many cases, providing vital information to their employers.
D) rarely provide information of any value.
E) are not protected by any government regulations.
Answer:
When preparing an outline for your speech, keep in mind that
A) it can include delivery cues, such as where you plan to pause for emphasis or use
visuals.
B) you should keep each item to two- to three-word descriptions of what you will say.
C) you can leave out all transitions.
D) this is not the place to include ‘stage directions.”
E) the best presentations are almost entirely spontaneous.
Answer:
Using white space in a document
A) is considered “cheating.”
B) is only an option when you can’t use color.
C) makes your document look unappealing.
D) provides visual contrast and important resting points for your readers.
E) is helpful only when you lack adequate information.
Answer:
One challenge of creating multimedia documents is
A) exorbitant costs.
B) the need for professional designers, even when the requirements are simple.
C) the difficulty of distribution.
D) the freedom readers have to take multiple, individualized paths through your
material.
E) the lack of user-friendly web editors.
Answer:
Ability differences among employees and customers
A) have led many companies to make websites more accommodating to persons with
disabilities.
B) disappear when those individuals enter workplaces.
C) sometimes cause problems when individuals access the Internet, but only in rare
cases.
D) are important, but not related to culture.
E) are impossible to accommodate when it comes to web accessibility.
Answer:
A public health expert is writing a report on lead hazards for a widespread audience.
Any terms in the report that are unfamiliar to her audience should be defined in the
A) introduction.
B) body.
C) explanatory notes.
D) any of the above.
E) none of the above, since doing so would insult the audience.
Answer:
In the close of a negative message, you should
A) encourage the person to write or call to discuss the situation further.
B) emphasize your respect for the audience.
C) ask for feedback on whether the decision is acceptable to the reader.
D) express concern over possibly losing the reader’s business.
E) beg the reader not to be upset with you.
Answer:
If you translate a message from English into another language, it is a good idea to
A) translate it word for word.
B) have it back-translated.
C) use several translators.
D) rely on internet translators alone, since they are usually more accurate than humans.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
________ are informal standards of conduct that team members share.
A) Group maintenance roles
B) Rules of parliamentary procedure
C) Group norms
D) Robert’s Rules
E) Group dynamics
Answer:
When asking multiple questions in a request message
A) begin with the least important question and work your way up to the most important.
B) avoid any open-ended questions.
C) begin with the most important question.
D) weave your questions into the rest of the content of your message.
E) combine as many questions as possible into one.
Answer:
When using builds, you should
A) limit them to text; they are not appropriate for graphics.
B) vary the direction, sometimes going from top to bottom and sometimes going from
left to right.
C) reveal information in a way that helps your audience better understand your
message.
D) set them up so that each letter of the text on a slide appears one at a time.
E) do none of the above—builds have no place in business presentations.
Answer:
When outlining the content of your report
A) it is helpful to use informative headings as opposed to descriptive ones.
B) you should use complex language for all headings.
C) keep in mind that you will have to use this same outline for your final report.
D) you should not use any adjectives.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
Unlike a claim, a request for adjustment
A) is a formal complaint.
B) should be phrased in a more aggressive tone.
C) does not require supporting documentation.
D) seeks a specific settlement.
E) should always open with a buffer.
Answer:
The interest phase of a sales message should
A) begin with a “hard sell” that makes audiences want to hear more.
B) help the audience understand how your idea will benefit them.
C) emphasize the relevance of your message to your audience.
D) avoid any attempts at answering potential objections.
E) suggest that anyone who is not interested in hearing more is foolish.
Answer:
In the communication process, ________ is the step in which the audience extracts the
idea from a message.
Answer:
Describe the primary difference between a committee and a task force.
Answer:
List at least three general categories of nonverbal communication.
Answer:
List three ways to increase the formality of business reports.
Answer:
Since cultures do not always share the same perspectives on ethical issues, how can you
keep messages ethical when communicating interculturally?
Answer:
Describe at least three common types of teams companies often create.
Answer:
In marketing terms, what are champions?
Answer:
Discuss six principles to keep in mind when designing visuals regarding the aesthetic
and symbolic aspects of graphic art.
Answer:
Even when you are positive the person making a claim or request for adjustment is not
telling the truth, it is vital to avoid saying or writing anything the recipient might
interpret as ________: the intentional communication of false statements that damage
character or reputation.
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between concrete words and abstract words.
Answer:
Briefly explain what the opening of a document should accomplish.
Answer:
Describe the typical sequence of employment interviews, and what employers tend to
look for at each stage.
Answer:
Define euphemisms, provide at least one example, and explain how they can be helpful
in writing effective business messages.
Answer:
Briefly explain why the ability to work effectively in teams is so important in business.
Answer:
Briefly describe at least one hypothetical or actual example of an organization utilizing
the 2.0 approach to business communication.
Answer: