Despite increased market globalization, the nature of business communication has not
changed much in recent years.
Answer:
Overhead transparencies are old-fashioned visual aids that are no longer used in
business.
Answer:
You’ve just finished a job interview that went badly. Since you know there’s no chance
of getting the job, you should not bother to send a thank-you message to the
interviewer.
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To draw attention to important points or terms italic type is more effective than
boldface.
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Infographics refers to messages that combine powerful visuals with supporting text.
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“Do you think the new employee benefit package is adequate?” is an example of an
open-ended question.
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To devise an effective persuasive message, you need to analyze audience members and
then appeal to their desires and interests.
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If it is necessary to label each slice of a pie chart with data values to avoid confusing
the reader, a table is often a better alternative.
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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.
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Thanks to software such as Microsoft PowerPoint, preparing presentation visuals now
requires almost no planning.
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Short titles such as “Refineries” intrigue audiences and encourage them to pay careful
attention to your visuals.
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Reports do not need an introduction if they have a synopsis and a letter of transmittal.
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Abstract words should be completely avoided in business writing.
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Although intellectual property laws were once a serious concern, the ease of sharing
information through social media has decreased the need to be concerned with them.
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If you get off to a bad start in a job interview, you can usually turn things around with
an impressive close.
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Transitional words and phrases such as, “Now that we’ve covered …” are generally less
important in oral presentations than in written reports.
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When sending a positive message to a customer, it is a good idea to reassure the
customer that he or she has made a wise purchase.
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When a third party is at fault in a claim, the best approach is always to refer the
customer to that party to resolve the problem.
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Requests sent to individuals outside your organization should be more formal than those
sent internally.
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Filtering messages can occur unintentionally, and lead communicators to miss out on
information they need.
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If your proposal is solicited, its introduction should refer to the RFP specifically.
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The use of time and space can send powerful nonverbal signals.
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Words that do not affect the meaning of a sentence are usually unnecessary and
contribute to sentence clutter.
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The primary purpose of the desire section of a persuasive message is to get the audience
to keep reading (or listening) to your message.
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Your résumé should list past jobs in chronological order, with the first job first and the
current job last.
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An application letter should follow the AIDA format for persuasive messages.
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Studies have shown that people often have cultural biases of which they’re not even
consciously aware.
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When people must choose between alternatives that aren’t completely wrong or
completely right, they are facing an ethical lapse.
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When delivering negative news, it is misleading to emphasize any positive aspects of
the situation.
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When describing the data from visual aids in the text of your report, you should be sure
to reiterate all the details of the data, rather than simply touching on the highlights.
Answer:
If you plan to include a career objective or summary of qualifications in your résumé,
you should make it as vague as possible to keep from limiting your prospects.
Answer:
One example of an effective career objective is, “A fulfilling position that provides
ample opportunity for career growth and personal satisfaction.”
Answer:
Using hashtags in microblogs is complicated and difficult.
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Skilled communicators include only the information that their audience has specifically
requested.
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In preparing a speaking outline for your presentation, you should avoid cluttering it
with complete sentences.
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In low-context cultures, businesspeople tend to focus on the results of the decisions
they face.
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If you have a criminal record, you are required by law to disclose it on your résumé.
Answer:
Unlike with verbal language, the meanings of nonverbal signals are consistent across
cultures.
Answer:
A recent survey of hiring professionals revealed that
A) most employers understand that candidates may need to answer their mobile phones
during the interview, and that doing so has no effect on the outcome.
B) candidates who answer mobile phone calls during interviews are more likely to get
the job because they are perceived as busy and important.
C) answering mobile phone calls or texting in the middle of an interview is the most
common mistake candidates make during their interviews.
D) candidates who warn the interviewer ahead of time that they might have to answer a
call during the interview have a better chance of getting the job than those who do not.
E) none of the above
Answer:
________ refers to the overall impression of your messages.
A) Tone
B) Climate
C) Style
D) Dialect
E) Medium
Answer:
The categories of routine replies and positive messages include all of the following
except
A) answering requests for information and action.
B) granting claims and adjustments.
C) refusing requests.
D) sending goodwill messages.
E) providing recommendations.
Answer:
You’re sending an unsolicited proposal to a local restaurant in an effort to become its
primary food vendor. The letter of transmittal to accompany the proposal should follow
the format for
A) persuasive messages.
B) bad-news messages.
C) good-news messages.
D) routine messages.
E) operational reports.
Answer:
A crisis management plan
A) should guide a company in communicating about serious problems.
B) is not relevant to a company’s response to claims, even when the company is at fault.
C) should not address communication, but instead focus on emergency procedures.
D) should be referenced in every response to disgruntled customers, since every case is
a crisis.
E) should stipulate that the company must never accept responsibility for serious
problems.
Answer:
Within two days after an employment interview, you should
A) have a friend call to see whether you got the job.
B) write a follow-up letter (using the format for persuasive messages) and include
another copy of your résumé.
C) write a short note of thanks in which you sound positive but not overconfident.
D) assume that you didn’t get the job if you haven’t heard anything.
E) call the employer and say you have received some other job offers (even if you have
not).
Answer:
The best known newsfeed, which allows blog followers to get new information
automatically, is
A) RSS.
B) Digg.
C) YouTube.
D) Yelp.
E) Napster.
Answer:
Applicant tracking systems help employers by
A) charting each applicant’s progress through the hiring process.
B) mapping out promising career paths for each applicant.
C) sifting through the hundreds or thousands of résumés they receive each year.
D) tracking down promising applicants by searching social media sites.
E) doing all of the above.
Answer:
The termcorporate culture refers to
A) the number of organizational levels within a corporation.
B) the extent to which corporations dominate a particular culture.
C) the mixture of values, traditions, and habits that give a company its atmosphere and
personality.
D) a company’s sponsorship of events such as concerts and plays.
E) the heavy influence business has had on our society.
Answer:
“The above-mentioned book” is potentially an example of
A) a redundancy.
B) a strung-out sentence.
C) an indefinite pronoun starter.
D) an awkward reference.
E) a camouflaged verb.
Answer:
When revising a document, you should
A) first read through it to evaluate its overall effectiveness.
B) first look carefully for grammatical errors.
C) try to accomplish all revision tasks in one pass, in order to finish quickly.
D) pay closest attention to the document’s spelling.
E) keep in mind that a few errors here and there are no big deal.
Answer:
As a speaker, how you go about establishing credibility depends in part on
A) what time of day you deliver your remarks.
B) whether or not you are known to the audience as an expert in the subject matter.
C) how you are dressed.
D) the size of your audience.
E) the length of your presentation.
Answer:
For printed reports, the letter of transmittal is most often positioned
A) right before the table of contents.
B) just after the table of contents.
C) in between the introduction and first chapter of the report.
D) on the outside of the report cover, usually fastened with a paper clip or staple.
E) Any of the above locations are acceptable.
Answer:
Which of the following is not discussed in the chapter as an important principle to
follow in designing business documents?
A) Balance
B) Restraint
C) Detail
D) Variety
E) Consistency
Answer:
Which of the following is not an example of demographic information?
A) Age
B) Occupation
C) Lifestyle
D) Income
E) Education
Answer:
You have decided to post a video on YouTube explaining how to use one of your
company’s new products. To be most effective, the video should be no more than
________ minute(s) long.
A) 1
B) 5
C) 25
D) 60
E) Any length is appropriate, as long as the content is compelling.
Answer:
Compared to writing a solicited application letter, composing an unsolicited application
letter is
A) much easier.
B) much more difficult.
C) equally challenging.
D) most effective when you use passive verbs entirely.
E) most effective when you use only complex sentences.
Answer:
Form letters in business
A) can be helpful when communicating about routine matters.
B) were once very common, but have now all but disappeared due to software
advancements.
C) are rarely used, since companies now realize how much customers dislike
impersonal messages.
D) are still common, but only for negative messages.
E) are now statistically linked to reduced profits and loss of customers.
Answer:
Which of the following statements best reflects the “you” attitude?
A) You failed to enclose a check for $25.
B) We need a check from you for $25 so that we can send the merchandise by May 15.
C) We will send you the merchandise as soon as we receive your check for $25.
D) You will have your merchandise by July 15 if you send us your check for $25 today.
E) If you want your order, you have to pay us first.
Answer:
If you are engaging in critical listening, your goal is to
A) understand and retain information.
B) understand the speaker’s feelings, needs, and wants.
C) evaluate the logic and validity of the message.
D) appreciate the speaker’s point of view.
E) criticize the speaker’s ideas as promptly as possible.
Answer:
Choosing the right medium for your message
A) is not important as long as the content of your message is accurate.
B) is important only when communicating with managers and supervisors.
C) is vital for external communication, but not important for internal communication.
D) is an important communication skill.
E) is easy these days, since electronic media are always the best option.
Answer:
Unlike those focused on conclusions or recommendations, reports focusing on logical
arguments
A) use the indirect approach.
B) are not very convincing.
C) emphasize the positive.
D) do not include outside evidence.
E) are too confusing for most audiences.
Answer:
When closing a direct request, you should
A) thank the reader in advance for helping you.
B) mention your own qualifications or status.
C) request a specific response and mention the time limits.
D) indicate the consequences of a failure to reply.
E) downplay the significance of what you are asking.
Answer:
“Accounting Services is here to assist you during our transition to electronic billing” is
an example of which type of buffer?
A) good news
B) cooperation
C) understanding
D) fairness
E) appreciation
Answer:
When writing persuasive messages, one way to avoid faulty logic is to
A) avoid induction.
B) avoid deduction.
C) avoid praising your opponent.
D) avoid hasty generalizations.
E) stick to vague, hedging statements.
Answer:
The second stage of interviews (following screening) is the ________ stage.
A) in-depth
B) narrowing
C) exploration
D) elimination
E) selection
Answer:
An index
A) may include the names of important persons mentioned in your report.
B) lists only the names of authors cited in the report.
C) is never necessary in business reports.
D) should always be prepared by someone other than the author of the report.
E) All of the above are true.
Answer:
A slideument is
A) a particularly useful electronic slide that provides lots of information.
B) a slide that is sent ahead of time to introduce the audience to your topic.
C) an electronic slide that tries to function as both a presentation visual and a printed
document.
D) a slide that is also printed and distributed to the audience as a handout.
E) a helpful summary of your presentation, distributed to the audience just as you
begin.
Answer:
A formal work plan includes all of the following except
A) a statement of the problem or opportunity addressed in your report.
B) a list of all the sources you will use.
C) plans for following up after delivering the report.
D) a statement of the purpose and scope of your investigation.
E) a list of final conclusions and recommendations.
Answer:
The best tone for most business messages is
A) informal.
B) very formal.
C) conversational.
D) passive.
E) happy-go-lucky.
Answer:
Using overnight delivery for a business message
A) is always a good idea, since it shows that the message is highly important.
B) is no longer needed, since electronic delivery options are always preferable.
C) hurts your image, since it suggests that you are a procrastinator.
D) is usually a waste of money unless the audience truly needs to receive it right away.
E) should always be your first choice among distribution methods if you work for a
large company.
Answer:
In the middle section of a job application letter, you should
A) present your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the
organization.
B) give your entire work history, in case the employer doesn’t read your résumé.
C) mention any ways in which you do not meet the job qualifications but point out that
you are willing to learn.
D) state your minimum salary requirements, even if the employer has not requested
them.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
When responding to a customer request for an adjustment, it is usually reasonable to
assume that
A) if you handle the situation well, the customer will be even more loyal than before.
B) the customer’s account of the situation is exaggerated.
C) the customer is hostile.
D) the customer is trying to pull a fast one.
E) the customer will no longer do business with you, even if you grant the request.
Answer:
Your entire message supports, explains, or demonstrates your ________ ________—a
specific statement about the topic of your message.
Answer:
Rewrite the following email subject line to make it more interesting without revealing
the main idea: “The case for switching to new medical insurance provider.”
Answer:
Briefly explain the primary differences between solicited application letters and
unsolicited application letters.
Answer:
What three functions do effective headings serve in business documents? Explain each
one.
Answer:
List at least three helpful questions to ask in evaluating the purpose of a message.
Answer:
Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture, and
provide at least one example of each.
Answer:
Your work history includes a lengthy gap in employment. How can you handle this
challenge when writing a résumé?
Answer:
Briefly explain how social media have changed the way customers and other groups
engage in business communication.
Answer:
In preparing to write persuasive messages, what two types of information are vital to
assess the needs of your audience?
Answer:
If you are new to a company, what is the best way to decide what type of dress is
appropriate in that organization?
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between descriptive headings and informative headings.
Answer:
Briefly describe at least three factors to consider when choosing media for business
messages.
Answer:
Describe the three-step strategy for writing a routine request.
Answer:
In preparing a presentation for a local community group, you need to describe the
process your plant uses to manufacture home appliances. What type of visual aid should
you use to describe the process, and why?
Answer:
To adopt an audience-centered approach to communication, what do you need to learn
about your audience? List at least three specific attributes.
Answer:
List at least three drawbacks of using instant messaging in business.
Answer:
In a business report, where should you define terms that might be unfamiliar to your
audience?
Answer: