If you have a criminal record, you are required by law to disclose it on your résumé.
Answer:
When you’re applying for jobs, assume that potential employers will search online to
learn more about you.
Answer:
Asking, “Did you know that almost 90% of American homeowners are underinsured?”
would be a good way to get the audience’s attention at the beginning of a presentation
on homeowner’s insurance.
Answer:
Readers can understand descriptive headings without reading the rest of the document.
Answer:
As long as your message is clear and interesting, the medium you choose doesn’t really
matter.
Answer:
Although they are popular for personal use, user-generated content sites such as Flickr
and YouTube generally are not useful for business communication.
Answer:
When you’re composing a draft, writing and editing at the same time will speed up the
writing process.
Answer:
Termination messages are highly controversial, so you should never deliver them in
person.
Answer:
The Modern Language Association of America recommends compiling the list of
references after you’ve written your report.
Answer:
The denotative meaning of a word is its dictionary definition.
Answer:
Filtering messages can occur unintentionally and cause communicators to miss out on
information they need.
Answer:
Adopting a “you” attitude in business writing is simply a matter of using the pronoun
“you” as much as possible.
Answer:
A memo should always contain a complimentary close and a signature.
Answer:
The verb do is an example of a regular verb.
Answer:
Ethics can be defined as not doing anything illegal.
Answer:
The close of a formal proposal emphasizes the benefits that readers will realize from
your solution.
Answer:
A wiki is a website that allows anyone with access to add new material and edit existing
material in collaborative documents.
Answer:
The pronoun who is in the nominative case; the pronoun whom is in the objective case.
Answer:
Items in a list do not need to have parallel construction.
Answer:
Flowcharts are effective for illustrating processes or procedures.
Answer:
The social networking aspect of microblogs makes them good for asking one’s
followers for input or advice.
Answer:
Selective listening is an important skill for professionals, since it helps them filter out
information that is not relevant to their jobs.
Answer:
In APA style, titles of articles are put in quotation marks, and each important word is
capitalized.
Answer:
You can deemphasize bad news by minimizing the space or time devoted to it.
Answer:
If you’re creating a wiki, don’t worry about a long-term purpose. Instead, just let your
creativity flow.
Answer:
A metacrawler enables you to use multiple search engines simultaneously.
Answer:
It is not necessary to ask someone’s permission before listing his or her name as a job
reference.
Answer:
iTunes can be an effective venue for distributing a company’s podcasts.
Answer:
Because the first thing that readers will notice about your message is its appearance,
you should pay special attention to design and page layout.
Answer:
“Take an action” is an example of a camouflaged verb.
Answer:
Letterhead stationery commonly includes the company’s URL.
Answer:
Because they fall at the beginning of a report, write the prefatory parts first.
Answer:
The best general-purpose search engines are capable of reaching information on the
hidden Internet.
Answer:
If a proposal is unsolicited, the letter of transmittal should follow the format for
persuasive messages.
Answer:
Most persuasive business messages involve requests for action.
Answer:
Starting to develop a job-search strategy before your senior year of college is a waste of
time.
Answer:
You should always end business presentations in a cheerful, optimistic toneeven if it
means glossing over obvious disagreements among your audience members.
Answer:
The three general purposes of business messages are to inform, to persuade, and to
collaborate.
Answer:
A functional résumé is organized around a list of accomplishments and focuses on the
person’s areas of competence.
Answer:
Normally, requests sent to individuals outside your organization should be more formal
than requests sent to audiences within your organization.
Answer:
Which of the following words is misspelled?
A) Accomodate
B) Exaggerate
C) Occurrence
D) Receive
E) Disbursement
Answer:
In a proposal designed to persuade clients to order surge protection equipment from
your company, the close should
A) outline the report’s key findings.
B) include your analysis of the data you’ve presented.
C) describe the action(s) you would like readers to take.
D) answer the questions that led to the report.
E) tell readers they can choose not to make a purchase, but they will regret it.
Answer:
The general purpose of any ________ is to persuade the audience to do something.
A) proposal
B) presentation
C) press release
D) research report
E) pictograph
Answer:
Serif typefaces are generally preferable to sans serif fonts for
A) display treatments.
B) all business documents.
C) headings and captions.
D) regular paragraph text.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following does not represent an important principle of designing business
documents?
A) Balance
B) Restraint
C) Detail
D) Portability
E) Consistency
Answer:
Active listening involves
A) thinking of what you will say next, while others are speaking.
B) playing “devil’s advocate” and thinking of ways to disagree, even before the other
person has finished speaking.
C) making a conscious effort to truly hear and understand what the other party is
saying.
D) allowing your mind to multitask while others are speaking.
E) working to overhear coworkers’ conversations, even if they are unaware that you are
listening.
Answer:
Use the concept of ________ to help you design visuals that are consistent from one
page of a document to the next.
A) data visualization
B) visual parallelism
C) information enrichment
D) data redundancy
E) graphical overreach
Answer:
If you will be living in another country where English is not the official language but
you will be doing business in English, you
A) will not need to learn that country’s language.
B) should learn only those words that are necessary for getting around.
C) will show respect by making an effort to learn the language.
D) should only deal with natives who can speak English.
E) demand that a translator be present for all conversations.
Answer:
Unlike more traditional promotional messages, those written for social media
A) offer less interaction and sensory appeal to consumers.
B) allow companies to engage consumers in conversations about products and services.
C) promote less transparency and openness with customers.
D) let companies rely on the news media to distribute important messages.
E) have little effect on the perceptions of customers and other stakeholders.
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:
Most compliance reports are required by
A) parent companies.
B) accounting departments.
C) government agencies.
D) marketing departments.
E) unreasonable bosses.
Answer:
When you describe your work experience on your résumé, you should
A) start with your most recent job and work back chronologically.
B) describe one or two jobs in detail so that employers get an idea of your work ethic.
C) list only full-time positions.
D) try to come up with fancier titles for the jobs you’ve held.
E) omit any positions in which you did not get a raise.
Answer:
Sending preview materials to the audience prior to an online presentation
A) will discourage participants from attending your presentation.
B) can suggest that you are not confident in your abilities as a presenter.
C) can help audience members become familiar with important background
information.
D) will minimize backchannel activity during your presentation.
E) will distract readers from the main idea of your presentation.
Answer:
In describing activities and achievements on your résumé, you should
A) use mild exaggerationseveryone else does, so you’ll be at an unfair disadvantage if
you don’t.
B) include only what makes you a more attractive job candidate.
C) use significant amounts of jargon and technical terms.
D) leave out any awards you’ve won unless they are specifically relevant to your current
career objective.
E) omit any volunteer activities.
Answer:
For most business presentations, ________ are the medium of choice.
A) flip charts.
B) whiteboards.
C) electronic slides.
D) overhead transparencies.
E) All of the above are equally popular.
Answer:
The basic purpose of informational reports is
A) to persuade the audience to act.
B) to present recommendations and conclusions.
C) to present data, facts, feedback, and other types of information, without analysis or
recommendations.
D) to convince the reader of the soundness of your thinking.
E) to change the audience’s opinion on your topic.
Answer:
A euphemism is a word or phrase that is
A) possibly offensive.
B) general or abstract in meaning.
C) highly technical.
D) a milder term for one with negative connotations.
E) difficult to understand.
Answer:
Customizing your résumé for each job opening is
A) a waste of valuable time, since your qualifications are the same no matter where you
apply.
B) necessary only if you are slightly exaggerating some aspect of your qualifications.
C) a good way to get into trouble, since you might forget what you wrote on one of the
versions.
D) not necessary unless you are applying for senior executive positions.
E) an important step in showing each employer that you will be a good fit.
Answer:
An example of horizontal communication is
A) a junior staff person giving information to a staff supervisor.
B) a company briefing held on the organization’s ground floor.
C) an email message about sick leave sent from one department secretary to a secretary
in a different department.
D) an email message that sparks a chain of multiple replies.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
Most messages should not be sent unless they will
A) bring about a change.
B) increase your chances of being promoted.
C) please your boss.
D) convey negative information about your competitors.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
When writing business reports for outsiders (such as customers or suppliers), it is best
to
A) use a more formal tone than you would for an internal audience.
B) use a less formal tone than you would for an internal audience.
C) include personal references such as “you” and “us.”
D) use a great deal of idiomatic language.
E) use contractions whenever possible.
Answer:
A business plan
A) is useful only before a company is launched.
B) always contains the same elements.
C) should not identify risks and problems, since these might discourage potential
investors.
D) is sometimes prepared after a company is up and running.
E) is just another name for a justification report.
Answer:
For someone who’s involved in the job search process, volunteer work
A) has little to no value, since it does not involve working for pay.
B) is helpful only for those seeking employment in the nonprofit sector.
C) should not be mentioned, since many employers view it as a waste of time.
D) can provide valuable networking opportunities.
E) is helpful only if it allows you to do temporary work for a potential employer.
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:
The second stage of interviews (following screening) is the ________ stage.
A) in-depth
B) narrowing
C) exploration
D) elimination
E) selection
Answer:
The most important aspect of any presentation is
A) enveloping your message within a cloak of technology.
B) impressing the audience with your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
C) getting the audience to receive, understand, and embrace your message.
D) regarding your audience as passive recipients rather than trying to engage them.
E) making sure that coffee and donuts are available in the break room for all attendees.
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 a positive message, present the main idea
A) in the first sentence of the middle paragraph.
B) at the end of the middle paragraph.
C) right at the beginning of the letter.
D) in the last sentence of the letter.
E) by implication only.
Answer:
Which of the following intercultural communication situations is not a challenge for
supervisors?
A) Connecting with diverse employees
B) Motivating diverse employees
C) Fostering cooperation and harmony among diverse employees
D) Getting a broader range of views and ideas from diverse employees
E) None of the above
Answer:
Based on the expectations of today’s younger employees, listening skills
A) have become even more vital for managers.
B) have become less important than in years past, when face-to-face interaction was
more prevalent.
C) rank low on the list of what employees look for in job candidates.
D) are still important, but only for managers.
E) have become less of an emphasis in leading U.S. business schools.
Answer:
List three functions of the close in a business report.
Answer:
You’re preparing an internal blog posting to provide information about this year’s annual
company picnic. Overall, your message is positive, but you also need to say that, unlike
past picnics, the event won’t be catered. What approach should you use to convey this
message?
Answer:
Distinguish between “formal” and “informal” cultural rules, and then briefly describe
three areas in which differing informal rules can become evident during intercultural
communication.
Answer:
What is the primary purpose of a performance review?
Answer:
Describe at least five strategies for establishing credibility when preparing persuasive
messages.
Answer:
What are the three categories of report components?
Answer:
What are the three main sections of a business report?
Answer:
What should you focus on when you (and your interview partner) are evaluating your
performance in mock interviews?
Answer:
What six tasks do you need to complete to prepare for a successful job interview?
Answer:
Provide at least five guidelines to observe when making negative organizational
announcements.
Answer:
List three ways to increase the formality of business reports.
Answer:
If you’re responding favorably to a claim even though the customer was at fault, what
should you try to accomplish in the body of your message?
Answer:
Explain the function of each phase of an application letter written in the AIDA format.
Answer:
Rewrite the following sentence to avoid camouflaged verbs: “The customer will
ultimately make a determination about whether or not a purchase will occur.”
Answer:
What potential risk should you consider before including a career objective on your
résumé?
Answer: