In part, media richness refers to
A) the cost of sending a message through a particular medium.
B) the popularity of a specific medium.
C) a medium’s ability to facilitate feedback.
D) the difficulties involved with using a particular medium.
E) how well a medium works with especially long messages.
Answer:
Searching LinkedIn to learn about the managers you will meet with in an upcoming
interview
A) is unethical, since LinkedIn profiles are private.
B) is acceptable as long as you never reveal that you have done it.
C) requires that you ask their permission beforehand.
D) can make it easier for you to build rapport with your interviewers.
E) hinders your chances of success by making you seem desperate for employment.
Answer:
Unlike reports, most proposals
A) contain many supplementary parts.
B) contain few supplementary parts.
C) never contain an appendix.
D) are never analytical.
E) are written in an informal tone.
Answer:
During conversations with non-native English speakers, you should
A) immediately rephrase statements they don’t seem to understand.
B) avoid paying too much attention to nonverbal feedback.
C) avoid including any words or phrases from their native language.
D) write everything down before you say it, and show it to the other person as you
speak.
E) do none of the above.
Answer:
In composing a résumé, it is best to avoid
A) using the word I.
B) active verbs.
C) prepositions.
D) past-tense.
E) bulleted lists.
Answer:
If you have mildly disappointing information to deliver as part of a positive message,
you should
A) put the negative information in a favorable context.
B) just leave it out.
C) put the negative information first.
D) put the negative information last.
E) use sarcasm to suggest that it’s not all that bad.
Answer:
In marketing and sales messages, the best way to handle potential objections is to
A) avoid mentioning them.
B) identify them up front and try to address as many as you can.
C) explain why the objections aren’t really important.
D) suggest that anyone who has them simply needs to do more research.
E) imply that they stem from remarkable ignorance.
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between the topic of a message and the main idea.
Answer:
A bar chart would be particularly useful for
A) illustrating what percentages of a company’s monthly budget are spent on utilities
and other expenses.
B) comparing market shares of three breakfast cereals from 2011 to 2012.
C) showing the stages in production of a jet engine.
D) depicting the proportion of advertising dollars spent on various major media.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
Delivering a business report as a word processing file
A) is usually not preferable to a printed document.
B) is useful if the audience will need to search the report frequently.
C) wastes time and confuses your audience.
D) is rarely, if ever, necessary.
E) is considered unprofessional in the U.S., but acceptable in most foreign countries.
Answer:
The two most common reasons for unsuccessful teamwork are
A) inadequate training and unclear goals.
B) difficult people and overwhelming workloads.
C) unreasonable deadlines and poor leadership.
D) lack of trust and poor communication.
E) poor technology and conflicting schedules.
Answer:
Social networking technologies are designed to
A) discourage employees from socializing at work.
B) help dissatisfied employees find better jobs.
C) discourage teamwork so individual employees can reach their full potential.
D) help employees respect the distinction between personal time and work.
E) do none of the above.
Answer:
When you write in a formal style, you should
A) eliminate references to I and me.
B) open with a humorous anecdote.
C) use many colorful adjectives or adverbs.
D) still include contractions such as “We’ve” to retain a conversational tone.
E) use as much jargon as possible.
Answer:
When preparing review sections in a report,
A) always write them in narrative form, not as lists.
B) use multiple review sections if the report is long and complex.
C) introduce new facts and information to support the review points.
D) make it clear that readers can skip them if they want to.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following is the most effective close for a letter rejecting a job applicant?
A) If you have any questions about our decision, don’t hesitate to call.
B) We hope that despite this rejection you will continue to frequent our establishments.
C) Again, we are very sorry that we cannot offer you a position at this time.
D) I wish you the best of luck as you begin your new career.
E) You should really reconsider your job prospects—really.
Answer:
Which of the following words is an adjective?
A) too
B) silent
C) into
D) badly
E) you
Answer:
When it comes to apologizing for corporate mistakes, judges, juries, and plaintiffs tend
to
A) react negatively when companies apologize.
B) dismiss such apologies as insincere.
C) be more forgiving of companies that apologize.
D) understand that companies should never admit guilt.
E) expect non-profit organizations to admit guilt, but not for-profit companies.
Answer:
The CEO of a pharmaceutical company asks you assess the company’s adherence to
laws governing television ads for prescription drugs. The CEO has requested a
A) personal activity report.
B) work plan.
C) compliance report.
D) policy report.
E) business plan.
Answer:
Generally speaking, bad news for employees should be delivered using
A) blunt language.
B) the direct approach.
C) the indirect approach.
D) passive voice.
E) subordinates.
Answer:
To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you should
A) place it at the beginning of the sentence.
B) place it at the end of the sentence.
C) place it in the middle of the sentence.
D) set it off with a semicolon.
E) use plenty of slang in your wording.
Answer:
One major difference between the 1.0 and 2.0 approaches to business communication is
that in the 2.0 approach audiences are encouraged to be
A) active participants in the communication.
B) compliant listeners.
C) passive recipients of the information the sender shares.
D) disengaged.
E) any of the above.
Answer:
Cultural competency refers to
A) the ability to adjust one’s communication style to accommodate cultural differences.
B) a state of being economically independent according to the standards of a particular
culture.
C) the ability to speak more than one language.
D) a broad knowledge of culture, including music, art, and theatre.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
In general, the best persuasive messages ________ the audience’s potential resistance.
A) avoid mentioning
B) downplay
C) anticipate and address
D) dismiss
E) lampoon
Answer:
Which of the following would be the best wording in a marketing or sales message?
A) The Never-Off whole-house generator requires professional installation.
B) The Never-Off whole-house generator is designed to turn on automatically when it
detects a general service interruption.
C) The Never-Off whole-house generator provides the power you and your family need
during electrical outages.
D) The Never-Off whole-house generator is compact and unobtrusive, so it will not
present an unattractive appearance.
E) The Never-Off whole-house generator may be noisy, but the power it provides is
worth it.
Answer:
When introducing yourself to someone in a business context, you should always include
a brief description of
A) one of your personal interests or hobbies.
B) your role in the company.
C) your company’s history.
D) your greatest accomplishment.
E) all of the above.
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 absolutely 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:
Which of the following is an example of an ethical lapse?
A) Putting unsigned suggestions in the company suggestion box
B) Sharing confidential information with a new employer about your previous
(competing) employer’s major clients
C) Telling your supervisor that another employee is stealing office supplies
D) Providing incorrect data in a report, even though you did not know it was incorrect
at the time
E) Sharing a negative earnings report with your supervisor
Answer:
Which of the following compositional modes for electronic media involves helping
people find their way through an unfamiliar system or new subject?
A) conversation
B) comments and critiques
C) orientations
D) summaries
E) narratives
Answer:
When responding to a claim when your company is at fault, it is best to
A) avoid sympathizing with the customer, since it can lead to lawsuits.
B) do all you can to discourage any need for follow-up.
C) take (or assign) personal responsibility for setting matters straight.
D) be vague about when the claim may be resolved.
E) wait at least two weeks before you respond.
Answer:
All appendixes should be
A) listed in the table of contents, but not mentioned in the text of the report.
B) mentioned in the text of the report, but not listed in the table of contents.
C) mentioned in the text of the report and listed in the table of contents.
D) included in the index, but not listed in the table of contents.
E) printed in a font that is different than that of the report text.
Answer:
The AIDA approach for persuasive messages should be used with
A) the direct approach only.
B) the indirect approach only.
C) a combination of the direct and indirect approaches—never one or the other.
D) either the direct or the indirect approach.
E) neither the direct nor the indirect approach.
Answer:
When it comes to business communication, technology
A) is only a hindrance.
B) can improve or worsen its quality, depending on how it is used.
C) always improves the quality.
D) helps downward communication, but hinders horizontal and upward communication.
E) improves external communication, but not internal.
Answer:
In persuasive messages, limiting your scope
A) is less important than in other types of messages.
B) reduces the likelihood that your audience will be convinced.
C) is critical if your audience is to understand and accept your position.
D) is unnecessary, since audiences expect these messages to be long.
E) can reduce the effectiveness of your argument.
Answer:
What is a title slide?
Answer:
Explain how to include keywords that will attract prospective employers to your
résumé, and how to select those keywords.
Answer:
List at least three elements normally included in the body of a formal proposal.
Answer:
In what forms can transitions be written in a business report?
Answer:
In designing visuals for business reports, what tasks are best suited for bar charts? List
at least two.
Answer:
________ include information about an individual’s personality, attitudes, lifestyle, and
other psychological characteristics.
Answer:
Briefly explain how a wiki can help teams and other groups, and describe at least three
points wiki contributors should keep in mind to increase their effectiveness.
Answer:
You have been asked to help a company find ways to reduce the amount it spends on
employee health and dental benefits. Write a purpose statement for the report you will
produce.
Answer:
List at least three types of materials commonly included in appendixes.
Answer:
Explain what it means to take the initiative to find job opportunities, and why it is
necessary in today’s job market.
Answer:
What is credibility, and when is it especially important to establish?
Answer:
Group ________ are informal standards of conduct that members share and that guide
member behavior.
Answer:
What three main parts make up the text of a report?
Answer:
What is a news release?
Answer:
Explain the dual purposes of employment interviews.
Answer: