Which of the following is NOT an advantage of email?
a. Avoid playing “telephone tag.”
b. Reduce expenses related to sending messages to multiple recipients.
c. Achieve quick message delivery.
d. Replace the need for personal conversation.
Answer:
Conducting a pilot test of a survey instrument involving a small group of the population
can
a. correct problems in clarity, ease of answering, and quality of answers.
b. complicate the clarification of questions developed for a larger sample group.
c. be a better alternative to the use of open-ended questions.
d. use information from biased sources and correlate it to unbiased sources.
Answer:
A sincere apology message should be
a. written as a negative news message.
b. written as a routine news message.
c. written as a persuasive message.
d. unnecessary, since a verbal apology is more meaningful.
Answer:
Ola Jensen has placed her first order with your company. What is the BEST method to
let her know you received her order?
a. Send her a preprinted form letter acknowledging the order.
b. Send her a copy of the sales order.
c. Send her sales promotional material.
d. Send her an individualized acknowledgment message about her order.
Answer:
Which of the following is consistent with McGregor’s Theory Y management style?
a. Workers are concerned only about satisfying lower-level needs.
b. Workers are motivated best by extrinsic incentives.
c. Management exercises strong control with little emphasis on the individual.
d. Management strives to balance control and individual freedom.
Answer:
To avoid litigation, some credit-granting companies
a. choose not to respond to customer requests for credit.
b. choose to omit from their letters the explanation for credit denial.
c. make the name and address of the credit bureau inaccessible to the consumer.
d. refuse credit by phone rather than in writing.
Answer:
Which of the following does NOT provide assistance when using MLA referencing?
a. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
b. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing
c. OWL website developed by Purdue University
d. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Answer:
Which of the following is true of document headings?
a. Readers are more motivated to pay attention to a document with headings than one
without headings.
b. Headings should not reveal the conclusions reached in the discussion.
c. Major and minor headings should be formatted to receive equal attention.
d. All of the above are true.
Answer:
A company plans to downsize over the next year. Which of the following would be the
BEST way to prepare employees for this negative announcement?
a. Send an email to employees the first day that employees are scheduled for layoff.
b. Send a letter to laid off employees at their home address instructing them not to
report for work to avoid emotional confrontations.
c. Use the company’s internal communications (newsletters and intranet) to make
employees aware of the downsizing before it happens.
d. Call a staff meeting at the end of the day on the Friday before layoffs begin to make
the negative announcement.
Answer:
In a report on effective advertising to the net generation, researchers explain the small
size of the selected sample and the use of three selected online databases. They are
describing the ____ of the study.
a. delimitations
b. scope
c. limitations
d. hypotheses
Answer:
A procedural message may be ineffective if it
a. uses active voice and action verbs.
b. numbers each step of the procedure in order of completion.
c. uses a flow chart to show complex procedures.
d. is not pilot tested by colleagues and other employees.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT part of the three-step process to preparing a spoken or
written business message?
a. Identify the central idea of the message.
b. Determine the likely receiver reaction to the message.
c. Choose an inductive approach for a spoken message and a deductive approach for a
written message.
d. All of the above are part of the process.
Answer:
Which research method would be best for determining whether employees in Acme
Company’s computer assembly produce more under Theory X or more under Theory Y
management style?
a. Historical
b. Survey
c. Observational
d. Experimental
Answer:
During a business lunch with a client, a colleague calls with bad news about another
project. You should
a. answer the call at the table and discuss the situation without leaving the table.
b. answer the call at the table, listen to the news calmly, and tell your colleague you will
call him back later.
c. excuse yourself from the table, take the call somewhere unobtrusive, handle anything
you can handle quickly, and then tell your colleague you will call him back later.
d. let the phone continue to ring at the table without answering.
Answer:
A Gantt chart is
a. a specific type of pie chart that places the most important information at the twelve
o’clock position.
b. a flow chart that can track more than one process simultaneously.
c. a specific type of bar chart that is useful for tracking progress toward completing a
series of events over time.
d. a line chart that depicts changes in quantitative data and illustrates trends.
Answer:
Jennifer, a young business associate with your firm, is anticipating her first international
sales tour to make presentations to businesses in five countries. You recall your own
first trip abroad and some awkward problems you encountered in business protocol.
Which of the following would NOT be good business etiquette advice for Jennifer?
a. Avoid gift-giving, since each culture has its own expectations and taboos.
b. Learn how to give and receive business cards appropriately.
c. Learn how to deliver the expected greeting such as the handshake, bow, etc.
d. Expect to allow extra time prior to the presentation for mingling with the audience.
Answer:
Which of the following is the BEST suggestion for preparing accurate documentation
in a report?
a. Choose an authoritative reference manual, be consistent, and include more than
enough rather than too little information for citations and references.
b. Use more then one authoritative reference manual, be consistent, and include
citations only for sources you quote.
c. Use the MLA style guide for all reports, be consistent, and include only the author,
article title, and publisher information.
d. Use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for all
documentation and the MLA Handbook, only if needed, as a backup for format.
Answer:
Which of the following is an example of an effective talking title?
a. Interest Rates in the U.S.
b. U.S. Rates of Interest from January-April
c. U.S. Interest Rates Declined January-April
d. News on Interest Rates
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT true of nonverbal communication?
a. Nonverbal messages may be intentional or unintentional.
b. While verbal messages have different meanings for different people, nonverbal
messages have consistent meanings for different people.
c. Nonverbal messages can contradict the accompanying verbal message.
d. A nonverbal message can be more powerful than the accompanying verbal message.
Answer:
Which of the following is a factor that will help you direct a presentation specifically to
an audience?
a. the location and occasion of the speech
b. the audience’s knowledge & experience
c. the seating arrangement for the presentation
d. all of the above.
Answer:
You receive an email message from a co-manager concerning the negative performance
of an employee. How do you respond?
a. Reply to the email, adding your comments to those of your co-manager.
b. Forward the email to the employee.
c. Meet with your co-manager and discuss the employee’s weaknesses face to face.
d. Forward the email to your supervisor for her comments.
Answer:
A technology that provides information about your computer usage to remote third
parties is called
a. a computer hard drive.
b. a firewall.
c. a cookie.
d. a sensor.
Answer:
Email and memos differ from letters in that they are
a. written only to employees within a company.
b. less formal in tone and formatting.
c. subject to less grammatical scrutiny.
d. shorter and more condensed.
Answer:
Distance delivery presentation methods are appropriate
a. for covering highly sensitive or confidential issues.
b. for persuasive or problem solving meetings where no relationship has been
established among participants.
c. whenever participants are unfamiliar with the technology.
d. when the costs in time, money, and human energy justify them.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT recommended when preparing form messages?
a. Add variables to the standard text to tailor the message to the individual.
b. Use pre-produced mailing labels.
c. Use stored paragraphs that are selected according to the situation.
d. Use good quality paper and a high quality printer.
Answer:
Which of the following is the MOST accurate statement concerning a business person’s
vocabulary?
a. Business people don’t need a broad vocabulary because simple language is best in
business.
b. Business people need a broad vocabulary to choose precisely the right word for a
given situation.
c. Business people need a broad vocabulary of simple, concrete words; longer,
multi-syllable words are not appropriate in business writing.
d. Business people need only a small working vocabulary and can use the computer
thesaurus on the infrequent occasions when a complex word is needed.
Answer:
Which of the following is the BEST advice for using template documents that are
available with word processing software?
a. Avoid their use altogether; they are worthless.
b. Recognize their shortcomings, and use them cautiously.
c. Use the deductive templates, but ignore the inductive and persuasive ones.
d. Use them with confidence, as they were developed by experts.
Answer:
Which of the following best describes the purpose of an analytical report?
a. To solve a specific problem or answer research questions
b. To provide information on a specific problem
c. To provide information and summarize findings of research
d. To compare and contrast research on similar problems related to the topic
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT true of the executive summary?
a. It provides an overview of the essential elements in an entire report.
b. It includes the table of contents.
c. It summarizes the recommendations.
d. It previews the major report divisions.
Answer:
You are faced with a work-related ethical dilemma. In deciding what action to take, you
would:
a. Check the company code of ethics to see if the action is prohibited.
b. Check legal implications and the company code of ethics, and then decide if the
action is personally ethical.
c. Check with colleagues to see if they would take the action.
d. Check the legal implications and feel free to take the action if it is not illegal.
Answer:
Which type of primary research requires no direct involvement with human subjects?
a. Observational studies
b. Experimental research
c. Normative surveys
d. Longitudinal research
Answer:
The MOST important reason for teams to utilize agendas and minutes is that
a. participants know what is expected of them and can track, follow up, and ensure
implementation of decisions made in previous meetings.
b. written records prove to company owners that meetings aren’t a waste of time.
c. written records clear team members of any legal challenges that may arise.
d. written records assure that each member participates equally.
Answer:
Which of the following is a source of primary data?
a. Journal articles
b. Surveys
c. Online government documents
d. All of the above are sources of primary data.
Answer:
Good- or neutral-news messages follow a deductive sequence in which the message
begins with the main idea.
Answer:
You have been asked to provide a credit reference for a customer. Which of the
following will be part of your written response?
a. your opinions about the customer
b. a statement as to whether the client is a good credit risk
c. a general statement about the client’s credit history, followed by supporting details
d. all of the above
Answer:
The research strategy used at Novartis International is to concentrate on cures for highly
visible diseases.
Answer:
Jarrod deleted an email message that documented problems with the company’s safety
procedures. In court, this lack of evidence will be likely dismissed as an innocent
mistake that is frequently made by employees.
Answer:
A number of widely used reference styles are available for documenting the sources of
information used in report writing. Identify two widely used reference styles and tell
where one can obtain information on how to use them correctly.
Answer:
One recommended way to check the quality of your voice mail system is to pretend you
don’t know your direct line or extension number and place a call to yourself.
Answer:
A pronoun must agree in number with its antecedent. Explain this rule and provide
several examples.
Answer:
Explain the value of knowing an audience in preparing a presentation.
Answer:
Sentences should generally NOT end with a preposition.
Answer:
According to the situational leadership model, a leader who listens, communicates,
recognizes, and encourages is demonstrating directive behavior.
Answer:
One appropriate use of a semicolon is to separate phrases with commas that appear in a
series.
Answer:
The placement of pronouns, adverbs, phrases, and clauses in a sentence is not critical to
the meaning of the sentence.
Answer:
An ethical communicator will substantiate any claims made and reflect a sensitivity to
those who might find a message offensive.
Answer:
Zappos has simplified the information-seeking process for customers through the FAQ
section on the company website, effectively reducing the need for customers to call the
company.
Answer:
The following sentence is grammatically incorrect: The news is good.
Answer:
Improvement of Poor Questionnaire
Meacham Industries is a small company that wants to improve communications
between supervisors and employees. A questionnaire has been developed for
distribution to employees on their attitudes towards communication with supervisors.
The following questions are in draft form and need to be rewritten for clarity and easy
tabulation.
1) Do you work in the office, maintenance, assembly line, or shipping?
2) How long have you worked here?
3) Do you think most supervisors are approachable?
4) Do you feel that you can talk to your supervisor when needed?
5) Is your supervisor available to answer questions?
6) How do you prefer to communicate with your supervisor?
7) How does your supervisor usually communicate with you?
8) Does your supervisor give you feedback?
9) Does your supervisor give reprimands? How?
10) Do you think an employee suggestion box would be useful?
Required:
Rewrite the above questions for clarity and easy tabulation of results.
Answer:
XYZ, a potential supplier to NASA, would typically submit an RFP (request for a
proposal) to NASA in order to obtain a contract with this government agency.
Answer: