While dressing for an office interview, it is important to understand an organization’s
office culture and dress accordingly.
If a candidate is asked why there is a gap in his/her work history, it is important to
answer elaborately and apologize for whatever family decisions one has made.
Business strategies that are highly successful in the United States may be ineffective in
other cultures and countries.
When one sends out regularly scheduled messages on the same topic, it is important to
put new material at the top or use color for new or changed entries.
Individual communications are not liable to any legal hassles like communication by
organizations.
It is important to use the reader’s first name in a salutation even if one is not
comfortable with first-name basis.
It is important to choose a persuasive strategy only after one has identified the specific
action one wants and the person who has the power to do it.
Regular feedback is a good way to keep team members contributing their share of work
in a timely fashion.
A truncated graph, where part of the scale is missing, is most acceptable when the
audience does not know the basic data set well because it focuses in on the area of real
interest.
Focused interviews emphasize on one desired aspect of a candidate’s career.
The hidden job market may actually include job openings that have been created with
specific people in mind for them.
It is more effective to use a written channel instead of an oral channel if one wants an
immediate response from an audience.
Writing is considered wordy if it lacks sufficient words to express a particular point or
issue.
A reason why communication is more important in today’s world is because cultural
practices can change rapidly.
Easy-to-read documents enhance a writer’s credibility and build an image of a
professional, competent person.
The best way to prepare for a job interview is to know as much as possible about the
process and the employer.
A threat is an explicit or implied statement that someone will be punished if he or she
does or does not do something.
In chronological progress reports, one should summarize progress in terms of goals and
the original schedule using measurable statements.
During an oral presentation, it is important to use body energy in strong gestures and
movement.
The secret to successful networking is reciprocity.
In order to reduce listening errors, one should ignore instructions that seem
unnecessary.
While writing to a new audience or solving a particularly difficult problem, it is best to
do a light revision of the document.
It is a good idea to schedule a campus interview late in the evening because
interviewers make the most crucial decisions during that time.
Content, method, and process are parts of interpersonal dimensions.
The words in a written document should repeat the information that appears in a nearby
visual.
Team work becomes important when there are high stakes involved because multiple
skilled people are needed.
While writing a long report, it is unnecessary to list out all headings or sections of the
report.
While recruiting young employees, second-language proficiency and multicultural
awareness is an unimportant quality because mid-level positions do not require
inter-cultural interaction.
A message requires benefits when presenting only factual information.
Complex financial information is easier to be delivered using an oral presentation rather
than a written document.
In a negative message, one should ensure that good alternatives are mentioned in the
ending.
Interviews may involve taking one or more tests, including drug tests, psychological
tests, aptitude tests, and so forth.
The best strategy in an oral presentation is to show an audience that an issue affects
them directly.
Which of the following questions does the problem section of a proposal for a class
report address?
A. Why does a certain issue need to be solved?
B. How does one know that an opportunity can be explored?
C. What watchdog audiences may read the report?
D. Can a solution be found in the available time?
E. Who will be affected by a recommendation?
Rachel Howard recently wrote a report on “The Impact of Global Warming” for the
climate change campaign that she is working on. When she submitted the report to her
manager, she received an overall positive response but the feedback also said, “It needs
to follow a parallel structure.” Which of the following does Howard need to change
which will meet the parallel structure requirements of her manager?
A. Global warming can be tackled by enhancing carbon sinks and usage of cleaner
technologies.
B. Policies comprise of targets for reduced emissions and increased use of renewable
energy.
C. Global warming will lead to rising sea levels and melting of glaciers in the
Himalayas.
D. Findings on the issue were gathered by interviewing farmers, and researching
reports.
E. Causes of global warming can be attributed to the growing population and increasing
level of consumption.
If you are sending your rsum in the text of an e-mail:
A. start all lines at the right margin.
B. underline and bold the text.
C. do not put any of the headings in capital letters.
D. do not use keys such as asterisks.
E. shorten line lengths to 65 characters and spaces.
Which of the following purposes should headings undertake?
A. They should group a minimum of ten chunks of information.
B. They should be ambiguous so that they cover a large range of data.
C. They should make each heading cover certain parts of other headings.
D. They should make a page look formidable by preventing from breaking it up.
E. They should allow readers to turn to sections of special interest quickly.
Naomi works at an event management company and is popular among her clients for
her ability to adapt to changing situations and client requirements with ease. She also
avoids making impulsive decisions and gathers all necessary information before
implementing an action. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, she qualifies as
the _____ type.
A. perceiving
B. judging
C. thinking
D. intuiting
E. introverting
Michelle Hill needs to write a report on “Strategies to Market Chic’s New Summer Line
of Clothing.” In order to get ideas for the report, she starts jotting down all the points
she can think of in a few minutes and then stops and picks up points that may work. She
continues the process two more times at the end of which she manages to collect five
good ideas to market the product. Which of the following techniques did Hill use?
A. Clustering
B. Freewriting
C. Automatic writing
D. Psychography
E. Asemic writing
Which of the following is true about negotiating salary and benefits?
A. By discussing all details during the screening interview
B. By avoiding research about salary details because it may cloud one’s decisions
C. By stating that one received a higher package in the previous company
D. By negotiating salary details after one has the job offer in hand
E. By mentioning a specific salary and that one cannot expect anything lesser
Statistics and numbers can be convincing if they are presented in ways that are easy to
see and hear. Which of the following is an example of the best way to represent
numbers?
A. Nineteen hundred and fifty eight billion dollars
B. Just under nineteen billion dollars
C. $19,361,979
D. Less than 20,316,999
E. $19 billion
The _____ pattern of organizing information in reports identifies an issue, explains its
background, discusses its extent, recognizes its causes, and often works well when the
audience is neutral.
A. compare/contrast
B. elimination of alternatives
C. pro-and-con
D. chronological
E. problem-solution
Members of the “Koala Habitat Conservation” project in Australia are working on the
last phase of their campaign. They are currently finalizing ways to create public
participation on the issue and making the wildlife department revive regulatory laws on
poaching. They are undertaking these decisions carefully because they understand that
the success of this phase determines how well the group’s decision will be implemented.
Which of the following phases is the team most likely working on?
A. Aggregation
B. Coordination
C. Initiation
D. Formation
E. Formalization
Which of the following is inappropriate to mention on a rsum?
A. Sex
B. Self-employment
C. Entry-level positions
D. Marital status
E. Educational background
The process of drafting, getting feedback, revising, and getting more feedback is known
as _____.
A. framing
B. cycling
C. kerning
D. typesetting
E. typefacing
Samantha Carter who owns Blaze, a fashion house in Manhattan, recently received an
e-mail from her client requesting for price details of her eco-friendly line of clothing.
Now she needs to write a letter to him with the requested details. Which of the
following is Carter writing?
A. 10-K Report
B. Thank-you letter
C. Quotation
D. Claims adjustment
E. Transmittal
Helen Phillips is working on an afforestation campaign in Indonesia and needs to
collate progress reports from the fundraising and communication departments. She is
yet to receive the communication report from the communications manager, Elizabeth
Turner. She knows that Turner is working on multiple projects and is currently facing a
time crunch. Which of the following should Phillips use, to write a persuasive direct
request to Turner asking for the progress report?
A. “We will establish a good image of our organization if we can send the reports on
time."
B. “We can prevent delaying the third phase of our campaign if we send out the reports
on time."
C. “I wonder if you can send the report to me once you are relatively free from your
work."
D. “Please send the progress report for the communication part of the campaign by 20th
March."
E. “The fundraising department has sent in their report. Is there a way you can send in
yours?"
Which of the following is true of photographs and drawings?
A. The richness of detail in photos makes them more effective than drawings for
focusing on details.
B. Photos convey a sense of authenticity as they can never be edited or staged.
C. Photos are better for showing structures underground, undersea, or in the
atmosphere.
D. Drawings can be used to insert creativity into the presentation of information.
E. A photo can provide as much or as little detail as is needed to make the point.
Claudia Walsh, an insurance agent, recently gave a presentation to a client on long-term
investment policies. Initially, the client was skeptical about the investment products but
by the end of the presentation, they gave a positive response. Which of the following
did he most likely do?
A. Walsh was as ambiguous as possible to avoid offending the members of the
audience.
B. Walsh began the message with something that the audience and the presenter could
agree upon.
C. Walsh put across the message aggressively to prove it as the best solution, even
though it angered the audience.
D. Walsh delivered all aspects and details about the message at once instead of limiting
the message.
Which of the following is an example of demographic data?
A. Moral values
B. Educational level
C. Social security number
D. Personality types
E. Intellect
Which of the following is a way to build one’s credibility?
A. By being factual and reliable
B. By appealing to authority
C. By appealing to popularity
D. By using psychological reactance
E. By exaggerating details
Which of the following is recommended for an effective line graph?
A. Use only one line.
B. Label both the axes.
C. Use perspective to make comparison easier.
D. When time is a variable, put it on the vertical axis.
E. Label only the vertical axis.
“According to Thomas Friedman, the world is…” is an example of:
A. an abstract.
B. plagiarism.
C. a citation.
D. documentation.
E. an acknowledgement.
Ryan Mitchell, the branch manager of Travel Memoirs in Florida, needs to prepare a
report on the challenges faced by the accounts, marketing, and reservation departments
of the branch. In the report, he also needs to include different ways of resolving the
issues faced by each department. Which of the following patterns would best help
Mitchell present his report?
A. Functional
B. Chronological
C. Spatial
D. Pro-and-con
E. Geographic
Johanna Richardson recently created a web page for the project, “Protection of
Orangutans” which gained immense popularity among animal and nature lovers. Which
of the following design principles did Richardson most likely use which helped the web
page gain popularity?
A. Used automatic instead of manual display of animation to entertain the audience.
B. Offered forest music at the site without an off button for the audience’s convenience.
C. Prevented surfers from knowing who sponsored each page to avoid creating bias.
D. Used small graphics so that the text can be viewed while the graphics are loading.
E. Avoided placing links to the home page since it takes attention away from other
pages.
Patterson and Co., an advertising firm, recently conducted an interview for the position
of a communication manager. While screening resumes, they found that one of the
applicants, Irene Gray, had impressive qualifications and worked with several renowned
companies in the past. However, when she was called for a face-to-face round of
interview, they found her behavior unimpressive. Which of the following did Gray most
likely do in the interview?
A. Stated why she would be right for the position of a communication manager
B. Stated that she researched the company online on the Louisiana Advertising Portal
C. Referred to the company specifically as Patterson and Co. instead of as “your
company"
D. Stated “I would love to strengthen networks with Patterson and Co.’s clients."
E. Gave vague answers to most questions to avoid making a mistake
In conducting a survey for an AIDS clinic, you must ask participants some very
personal questions. It would be most appropriate to ask:
A. closed questions, so the participants will not give you answers you do not expect.
B. open questions, since people will welcome the opportunity to share their problems.
C. open questions, because if slightly pressured, respondents will eventually open up.
D. closed multiple choice questions, since seeing the choices listed shows people that
their answer is acceptable.
Which of the following is true of information interviews?
A. It gives you information about the opportunities currently available in the area you’re
interested in.
B. It puts you face-to-face with someone who has the power to hire you.
C. An interview that starts out as a referral interview can turn into an information
interview.
D. One can just walk in and set himself up with an information interview.
E. It gives you information about the area you hope to enter one day.
Which of the following does a request to deviate from policy and procedure bulletin
state?
A. Explains that another approach is better for a specific situation rather than the
standard approach
B. Discusses profitability and problems during a period and how it deviates from past
figures
C. Summarizes financial information to be filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission
D. Discusses the granting or denying of customer request to be given credit for
defective goods
E. Explains why an organization’s statistical figures deviates or varies from external
market figures
Peter Cat, a fast food chain in Mexico, recently conducted a survey to understand what
motivated their employees in their work. To their surprise, they noticed that over 85%
of employees were inspired to perform better by intrinsic factors as opposed to extrinsic
factors. Which of the following is most likely to be an intrinsic motivator for their
employees?
A. Earning a high sales commission
B. Being rewarded with a trip to the Bahamas
C. Being valued by the company
D. Receiving good performance evaluations
E. Enjoying perks and added benefits
Posting your rsum widely on the web is known as _____.
A. P2P rsum sharing
B. rsum blasting
C. rsum diversifying
D. rsum waging
E. open source rsums
Dorothy Rogers, during her lunch hour at work, listens to her colleague, Sarah Jones’
woes about being re-located to the office in San Francisco. Sarah states, “I have just
moved to New York and I am in no state of mind to being relocated to another city so
soon. I do not understand why I of all people in the team need to re-locate!” What
active listening skill should Rogers use which will help Jones feel better?
A. “I am sure you are worrying about nothing. San Francisco is a lovely city! I have
lived there for three years and enjoyed every bit of it."
B. “You told me that a bunch of your relatives live there. Who knows, you may begin to
live the place even more than New York!"
C. “I understand how you must be feeling. Re-locating when you just moved to a new
city can be difficult."
D. “Remember Lisa Green from the marketing branch? She too recently re-located and
is quite happy with the decision."
E. “Moving to a new city should be the least bit of your concern. Think of the work
opportunities and the increased pay package!"
_____ is used by companies to increase work-life balance of employees.
A. Overtime
B. GPS
C. Telecommuting
D. Furlough
E. Punch clock
What are the primary and secondary purposes of informative and positive messages?
How do videoconferences help enhance business communication?
What are some guidelines that one needs to follow while evaluating sources of data?
(p. 410, 415)-Marcel had finished writing his rsum. He was reading his job application
letter over one more time before he put them both in the mail. The letter read as
follows:
“Dear Mr. Jenkins:
Enclosed please find my rsum, which I would like you to consider as my official
application for the job for which you are currently advertising. I am sure you will find it
to your liking."
Marcel thought it sounded pretty good. It was short, yes, but then, the rsum really said it
all without wasting anyone’s time.
Several days later, Mr. Jenkins’s personal secretary brought Marcel’s newly arrived
letter and rsum into the conference room where the search committee was already
reviewing applications. Jenkins picked it up to read. Moments later, he starts laughing.
“Hey Larry,” he said, tossing Marcel’s letter over to another member of the committee,
“Get a load of this!"
Why do you think Mr. Jenkins reacted this way? What’s wrong with Marcel’s letter? Is
Marcel correct in thinking that his rsum “speaks for itself”?
Why is it necessary to include in a formal report, a section that gives the background of
the situation or the history of the problem?
Explain the four dichotomies that the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator uses to analyze
people.
Explain with an example the purpose of using a guided discussion.
What are the two main kinds of jargon? Should their use in business writing be
moderated?
How can one best project refusals in a message?
