The Fair Information Practices (FIP)
a. protect the basic right to privacy of citizens in the U.S.
b. form the basis of 13 federal statues that endure the security and integrity of personal
information collected by governmental and private agencies.
c. provide for equal treatment of job applicants, regardless of race, color, gender,
religion, or national origin.
d. require that businesses fairly disclose their financial condition to the public.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT recommended behavior in a job interview?
a. Initiate a handshake if the interviewer does not.
b. Wait for the interviewer to ask you to be seated.
c. Lean slightly forward to show interest.
d. Emphasize a rising intonation at the end of sentences.
Answer:
Which graphic aid would be best to show Starbuck’s quarterly sales over a 5-year
period?
a. Line graph
b. Bar chart
c. Pie chart
d. Pictogram
e. None of the above are appropriate.
Answer:
Which of the following is FALSE when offering guarantees and free trial offers in
persuasive messages?
a. Guarantees and free trials convey a negative connotation that the purchase could be
regretted or refused.
b. The positive connotations of such messages are stronger than the negatives, since the
seller has a definite plan for ensuring that buyers get value for money spent.
c. If terms of a guarantee are long or complex, they can be included in an enclosure.
d. The purpose of the guarantee or free trial is to deter the reader from personally
checking the product and comparing it with competing items.
Answer:
Which of the following employment messages would most appropriately be written
using an inductive approach?
a. A letter of application that accompanies your résumé
b. A thank-you message written after your interview
c. A job refusal letter written to decline a job offer
d. None of the above would use an inductive approach
Answer:
Which of the following is an effective strategy for companies that want to provide
strong internal communication?
a. Promote open exchange of honest, candid communication.
b. Choose one communication channel and use it consistently.
c. Carefully define the types of questions employees may ask management.
d. Keep employees informed of good news but avoid reporting the bad.
Answer:
Two techniques for effectively presenting a negative idea are
a. use passive voice and place the bad news in a dependent clause rather than the main
clause.
b. use active voice and place the bad news in a separate sentence.
c. use non-specific words and place the bad news at the beginning of the message.
d. use concrete words and place the bad news at the end of the message.
Answer:
Which of the following sentences best expresses the receiver’s point of view?
a. I want to take this opportunity to offer my congratulations on your recent promotion.
b. A promotion is always great news.
c. Congratulations on your recent promotion to regional manager.
d. I hear that congratulations are in order!
Answer:
A manager who wants to introduce flexible work schedules in a company will write
which one of the following proposals for management consideration?
a. solicited proposal
b. RFP
c. external proposal
d. internal proposal
Answer:
A subject line
a. is used only when composing a memo or email message.
b. sets the stage for the receiver to understand the message.
c. directs a document to a specific person.
d. provides a record of how the document was sent.
Answer:
Persuasive requests differ from routine requests in that
a. persuasive arguments need to be presented at the beginning of the message.
b. routine requests require a forceful approach.
c. routine requests begin with details and explanations first.
d. persuasive messages are shorter in length.
Answer:
You have decided to accept another position and must write a refusal letter to a firm that
had also offered you a job. The message should be written
a. deductively, opening with a pleasant comment regarding the interview, the refusal,
and a forward-looking ending
b. inductively, opening with an explanation about why the job offer is being refused,
followed by the refusal, and closing with an apology for the refusal.
c. inductively, opening with the nature of the subject, followed by the reasons for the
refusal, the refusal, and a pleasant ending.
d. deductively, opening with the refusal, followed by the reasons for the refusal, and an
apology for wasting the interviewer’s time.
Answer:
Which of the following are the most frequently used methods of communicating
standard operating procedures and other instructions to employees?
a. Memos and email messages
b. Face-to-face meetings and phone conversations
c. Phone conversations and instant messaging
d. Reports and letters
Answer:
Crystal, a special events coordinator for the American Heart Association, is visiting
Henderson Middle School to kick off a campaign called Jump Rope for Heart. She is in
a gymnasium speaking to 300 11-year-old students without the aid of a microphone.
Which particular vocal quality might be a concern?
a. Dialect
b. Pitch
c. Volume
d. Rate
Answer:
Marcus, Leroy, and Mallory are planning to give a team presentation on diversity for
their company. Which of the following is NOT an effective guideline for their team
presentation?
a. All team members should respond to each question asked at the end of the
presentation.
b. The team members should agree on the purpose and schedule.
c. The team should pay close attention to each other as each member presents.
d. The team should plan seamless transitions between presenters.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT a technique for linking sentences?
a. Repeat a word used in a preceding sentence.
b. Use a pronoun representing a noun from the preceding sentence.
c. Use the passive voice.
d. Use connecting words.
Answer:
Email messages and memos differ from letters in that they are
a. written to employees within a company.
b. less formal in tone and formatting.
c. subject to less grammatical scrutiny.
d. more formal in tone.
Answer:
Which of the following is generally true of work teams?
a. Although the concept of work teams has been widely used in the U.S. for some time,
it has not gained significant support in other countries.
b. Work teams occasionally experience a drain on their collaborative energy; this drain
is referred to as synergy.
c. Employees in a self-directed work team handle a wide array of functions and work
with a minimum of direct supervision.
d. Work team members typically set their own goals without management input and
plan how to work to achieve those goals.
Answer:
Which one of the following statements is FALSE concerning a job objective?
a. A job objective helps the interviewer determine if what you have to offer matches the
job the company has to offer.
b. A job objective should be specific to one job.
c. Some experts say that a job objective may limit your job opportunities.
d. A job objective should reveal your career goal.
Answer:
As a result of the changing demographics in your area, your company has decided to
hire those previously declared “unemployable.” Your task is to educate these people to
do the job. Which of the following questions will help you MOST in solving the
problem?
a. Has this education program been successful in other corporations?
b. What type of skills do these new employees need to do their jobs?
c. How do we know this program will work?
d. Why will this program assist with our shortage of employees?
Answer:
What proofreading procedure should Kyle use when proofreading an employee training
manual?
a. Proofread only once, thoroughly checking for errors of various types.
b. Proofread twice, concentrating in the first pass on content errors and in the second
pass on format errors.
c. Proofread three times, concentrating on content, organization, and style in the first
pass; on mechanical errors in the second pass, and reading from right to left in the third
pass.
d. Allow the computer to do the proofreading, as it is thorough and accurate.
Answer:
Which of the following is true concerning the English language?
a. It is the generally recognized international business language because it is easy to
understand and free of ambiguities.
b. It includes numerous sports analogies that are easily understood by non-native
speaker of English.
c. It has a core of only about 1,500 words and simple grammatical rules that make it
easy to learn.
d. It includes many figurative expressions that do not have literal meanings.
Answer:
A report that provides a written description of how an organization can meet the needs
of another organization by providing products, services, or solutions to problems is
what kind of report?
a. Functional
b. Proposal
c. Internal
d. Periodic
Answer:
Which of the following is most accurate concerning the spacing of company reports?
a. Text should be double spaced and references single spaced.
b. Text and references should be double spaced.
c. Text and references should be typed according to software default spacing.
d. Spacing can vary with the preference of the company.
Answer:
Which of the following is FALSE concerning the use of headings in reports?
a. Several levels of headings may be used and should be typed in different ways to
indicate level of importance.
b. Heading format varies with the documentation manual used.
c. Two levels of headings should not appear consecutively without any intervening text.
d. Only first, second, and third level headings should be used.
Answer:
When planning and practicing your presentation to a national audience, how should you
handle a Deep South accent?
a. Speak more rapidly.
b. Apologize for your accent at the beginning of the presentation.
c. Do not let concern over your accent interfere with your enthusiasm.
d. None of the above
Answer:
Which of the following is an adequate reason for choosing passive voice?
a. To emphasize the “you” focus
b. To avoid assessing blame
c. To make the sentence more emphatic
d. To make the sentence more descriptive
Answer:
Which of the following applies to paragraph indention?
a. Indented paragraphs are required in the modified block format.
b. Indented paragraphs are optional in the block style.
c. Indented paragraphs are optional in the modified block format.
d. Indented paragraphs are never used in a business letter.
Answer:
A job applicant appears for an interview in wrinkled clothing. What nonverbal message
is the interviewer most likely to receive?
a. He didn’t care enough to look his best.
b. He will dress better once hired.
c. He is a busy person.
d. He is not concerned about physical appearance.
Answer:
An analytical report
a. is designed to solve a specific problem or answer research questions.
b. draws inferences in its body and therefore does not have a conclusions section.
c. neither a nor b is correct.
d. both a and b are correct.
Answer:
Which statement best describes the appropriateness of the following product claim in a
sales letter? “Viruscan is the best virus defense product available. It offers the most
sophisticated and comprehensive protection for your data.”
a. The passage is appropriate, since the receiver will likely assume the comparison is
with all others, even though research results are not offered.
b. The passage is appropriate, since it provides vital comparative information while
sparing the receiver of unnecessary and boring details.
c. The passage is inappropriate, since the sender has no ethical right to compare his/her
product with others.
d. The passage is inappropriate unless it is followed up with facts about the comparison.
Answer:
Although North Americans prefer a direct approach (with the main idea presented first)
in most presentations, many cultures including the Japanese, Latin Americans, and
Arabs consider the straightforward approach tactless and rude.
Answer:
To be effective as a presenter, you must spend time learning about the audience.
Answer:
Appropriate channel selection is dependent on the purpose of your message.
Answer:
The best advice concerning dress for a career interview is conservatism.
Answer:
The word “Meeting” is an example of an efficient and effective subject line for an email
message.
Answer:
Ethical Dilemma in Publishing
Laurence heads the advertising department for a chain of local weekly newspapers. His
friend, who writes news, shared an upcoming news story to be printed in the next
edition. The story discloses that a local quick oil change firm has been cited for illegally
dumping used oil and that customers have alleged that they paid for oil changes that
were not made. As a major advertising client, the oil change firm is placing a full-page
ad that mentions its environmentally safe handling methods and trustworthy service.
Answering the six questions in the Pagano Model, help Laurence decide what action, if
any, he should take.
Answer:
Poor Example of a Job-Refusal Message
Saying no tactfully is important since future job success often is influenced by previous
interactions with people in various circumstances. Rodrigo has received a job offer but
has decided not to take the job. He sends the following job-refusal message to the
company.
Dear Mr. Pates:
I regret to inform you that I must turn down your offer of the sales associate position. I
have recently received an offer that provides more opportunity for growth and better
monetary compensation. Given my personal goals, I believe that it would be a mistake
for me not to take this offer.
Thank you for your consideration. I wish you the best of luck finding someone who
meets your needs.
Cordially,
Rodrigo Martinez
Required:
Rewrite the job-refusal message for better human relations.
Answer:
GE views diversity as an unavoidable challenge that threatens the organization’s
mission and business strategies.
Answer:
When leaving a phone message, you should give only your name and number to
improve efficiency.
Answer:
Though people around the world speak different languages, nonverbal communication,
such as gestures and facial expressions, generally has the same meanings to all cultures.
Answer:
The standard paper size for business documents is consistent around the world.
Answer:
In APA style, a citation in the text includes only the author’s last name and the page
number for the quoted or paraphrased material.
Answer:
You want to show total U.S. auto sales in each year since 2005; the data could be
illustrated using either a pictogram or a bar chart.
Answer:
The governor of West Virginia during the Sago mine tragedy told Sago managers and
inspectors to share all the factual information, good or bad.
Answer:
Describe five positive team roles. How does their presence in a team help conteract
negative roles that might emerge?
Answer:
An effective action paragraph in a sales message reminds the recipient of the benefit,
which may be another referral to the central selling point.
Answer:
A limitation of language translation is that some words do not have an equivalent
meaning in another language.
Answer:
Gabrielle writes a sales message in the AIDA approach. She should Announce her
intention, Infer the central selling point, Deal with objections, and ask the reader to take
Action.
Answer:
What do you consider to be the worst mistake a speaker could make in the use of
visuals? Explain.
Answer:
Business writers normally use active voice more frequently than passive voice because
active voice conveys ideas more vividly.
Answer: