Business communication uses of microblogging are limited to the publication of brief
updates.
Answer:
An infographic shows the relative frequency of terms used in a blog, a website, or
another collection of online text.
Answer:
Because mobile devices aren’t particularly useful for collaborative writing and other
workplace communication projects.
Answer:
Using the word “young” to describe an employee can have negative implications.
Answer:
An executive dashboard is a customized online presentation of highly summarized
business information.
Answer:
Printed, hard-copy documents have no place in a court of law.
Answer:
Thanks to software such as PowerPoint, Keynote, and Prezi, preparing presentation
visuals now requires almost no planning.
Answer:
As long as your message is clear, the size and location of your audience should not
influence the approach you choose to take.
Answer:
Unlike source notes, content notes may supplement your main text with comments
and/or cross-references.
Answer:
One drawback of current blogging software is that it takes a great deal of time to post
new material.
Answer:
You don’t need to verify information that you plan to use in a report.
Answer:
To avoid awkward situations, it is best to deliver bad news for employees in writing
whenever possible.
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Use a table to summarize information that would be difficult or tedious to handle in the
main text.
Answer:
Open corporate cultures benefit from free-flowing information and employee input.
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You should assume everyone who examines the evidence you present in your report
will arrive at the same conclusion.
Answer:
A routine positive message should never include negative information.
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As a rule, your colleagues and customers around the world will use the same
communication tools that you use.
Answer:
Social media has revolutionized customer service.
Answer:
If you have a personal webpage or e-portfolio, you should list it on your résumé under
“Contact Information.”
Answer:
Staging mock interviews can help you identify undesirable nonverbal behaviors and
speech mannerisms.
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A good résumé is targeted for specific situations and prospective employers.
Answer:
Even if nothing will change because of your message, you should send it if you believe
it is important.
Answer:
When you’re verifying design plans for a presentation, make sure that the visuals drive
the message.
Answer:
The three general purposes of business messages are to inform, to persuade, and to
collaborate.
Answer:
Few users of mobile devices rely on cloud-based services for support.
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A real drawback of most visual media is that it requires skill to create effective images.
Answer:
When people must choose between alternatives that aren’t completely wrong or
completely right, they are facing an ethical lapse.
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During the question-and-answer phase of an interview, keep your answers short and to
the point.
Answer:
An advantage of the direct approach for communicating bad news is that it keeps the
message short.
Answer:
Recruiters enjoy receiving résumés that allow them to search for information, as if they
were on a treasure hunt.
Answer:
Plans provide feedback on a wide variety of an organization’s functions.
Answer:
In most cases, when making routine requests you should assume that the audience will
not comply.
Answer:
The term framing refers to gathering secondary camera footage that you can use when
you’re editing a video.
Answer:
Written, printed business messages are the only medium-channel combination with
limitations.
Answer:
In the simplified letter format, commas follow both the salutation and the
complimentary close.
Answer:
When you deliver negative messages, you
A) should always begin with a buffer.
B) should not include reasons for the decision or information.
C) should use language that conveys respect.
D) can expect your audience to be offended.
Answer:
An employment interview is
A) an unplanned dialogue with a representative from a potential employer.
B) a monologue about your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
C) a formal meeting during which you and the interviewer ask questions and exchange
information.
D) a one-way communication pipeline in which the interviewer asks questions and you
answer them.
Answer:
The number 29 is the ________ in this set of figures: 25, 29, 34, 29, 29, 42, 8.
A) mean
B) median
C) mode
D) correlation
Answer:
The best way to handle frequent job changes on a résumé is to
A) avoid any mention of a job you held for less than a year.
B) group similar jobs under a single heading.
C) provide a detailed explanation of each one.
D) do none of the above.
Answer:
Possible uses of online monitoring tools include all of the following except
A) subscribing to newsfeeds from blogs and websites.
B) following people on Twitter and other microblogs.
C) entering key terms into general-purpose search engines.
D) setting up alerts on search engines and online databases.
Answer:
When using conventional structured slides, try to average one slide for
A) each minute you speak.
B) every 3 minutes you speak.
C) every 7 minutes you speak.
D) every 10 minutes you speak.
Answer:
If a customer uses the comment feature to criticize your business blog, you should
A) respond promptly, honestly, and professionally.
B) ignore the criticism unless the critic is incorrect.
C) take verbal potshots at the critic’s integrity.
D) let blog readers know that you won’t tolerate criticism.
Answer:
In a formal proposal, the work plan section
A) reviews the situation at hand and explains the need for action.
B) describes your action plan for accomplishing the work that must be done.
C) describes your organization’s experience, personnel, and facilities.
D) emphasizes the benefits and advantages of your proposed solution.
Answer:
A ________ includes key features of the chronological and functional approaches.
A) hybrid résumé
B) mash-up résumé
C) combination résumé
D) granular résumé
Answer:
If you do all of the following except ________, you can close a negative message in a
positive way.
A) build goodwill
B) suggest alternative actions
C) dwell on the bad news
D) look toward the future
Answer:
An online résumé
A) consists of only a PDF version of a chronological résumé and a cover letter.
B) lets jobseekers use multimedia to expand on the information in a basic résumé.
C) requires a paid subscription to an online hosting service.
D) will not be well received outside of technology-related fields.
Answer:
________ come after a body of material in a report, and they summarize the
information included in that material.
A) Extension sections
B) Review sections
C) Transposition sections
D) Preview sections
Answer:
________ refers to working together to meet complex challenges.
A) Collation
B) Collaboration
C) Gathering
D) Meeting up
Answer:
Your success as a businessperson is connected closely to your ability to convince others
to
A) accept new ideas.
B) change old habits.
C) act on your recommendations.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
The best way to find job opportunities is usually
A) searching online job boards such as Monster and applying before others get the
chance to see the openings.
B) looking in the newspaper.
C) waiting to hear about them from people you know.
D) identifying companies you want to work for and focusing your efforts on them.
Answer:
All of the following except ________ can help you to overcome ethnocentrism and
stereotyping.
A) adopting preconceptions
B) avoiding assumptions
C) accepting differences
D) avoiding judgments
Answer:
An effective listener tries to practice ________ in an effort to hear and understand what
the other party is saying.
A) emphatic listening
B) critical listening
C) active listening
D) content listening
Answer:
________ your blog makes it easier for readers to find what you’ve written about a
certain topic.
A) Labeling
B) Stamping
C) Synthesizing
D) Tagging
Answer:
The best way to become a valued network member is by
A) expecting others in your network to help you.
B) emailing your résumé to everyone in your network.
C) broadcasting the contact information of everyone you meet.
D) none of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of online databases?
A) They often categorize information by subject area.
B) They offer access to many materials that are not accessible through standard search
engines.
C) Using them requires knowledge of basic search techniques.
D) Most of them are available free of charge.
Answer:
When you’re responding to a complaint from a customer,
A) deflect the blame up the supply chain.
B) maintain a professional demeanor.
C) counter the complaint with logical arguments.
D) imply that the customer is at fault.
Answer:
CAD stands for
A) charts automatically designed.
B) complete audiovisual display.
C) computer-aided design.
D) computer adaptable display.
Answer:
The primary benefits of using a system of headings in a workplace document do NOT
include
A) improving the document’s readability.
B) filling up “dead space” in the document.
C) indicating shifts from one idea to the next.
D) identifying the framework of the document.
Answer:
A barrier to communication can be caused by
A) the structure and culture of an organization.
B) the common habit of multitasking.
C) human or technological intervention between senders and receivers.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
A writer who wants to use a ________ to build an informational report can choose from
a number of arrangement patterns, such as geography, sequence, chronology, category,
or importance.
A) talking pattern of organization
B) topical pattern of organization
C) demonstrative pattern of organization
D) representative pattern of organization
Answer:
In a formal, unsolicited proposal, a synopsis or executive summary may be
A) essential for highlighting your competitive advantage.
B) useful if the proposal is fairly short.
C) placed in an appendix.
D) unnecessary.
Answer:
All of the following except ________ are elements in the planning phase of the
three-step writing process.
A) analyzing the situation
B) adapting to your audience
C) gathering information
D) selecting the right medium
Answer:
Many companies judge the success of their recruiting efforts by the
A) quantity of hire.
B) cost-benefit hiring ratio.
C) quality of hire.
D) social media click-through rate.
Answer:
When it comes to paragraph length,
A) use long paragraphs with detailed information for direct-mail letters.
B) use long paragraphs if you want your document to look more inviting.
C) keep all paragraphs to fewer than 60 words.
D) use one-sentence paragraphs only occasionally, for emphasis.
Answer:
You’ll impress prospective employers with your application letter if you
A) use a flashy, eye-catching layout that demonstrates how you might be able to
upgrade the company’s correspondence.
B) show that you know something about the company and its place in the market.
C) use a personal, “chummy” tone.
D) do all of the above.
Answer:
When you’re writing a(n) ________ for a report, present the report’s main points in the
order that they appear in the text.
A) executive forecast
B) informative synopsis
C) descriptive synopsis
D) transactional document
Answer:
What would be the median for the following set of monthly salaries: $1200, $1200,
$1300, $1500, $1700, $2000, $2800?
A) $1200
B) $1500
C) $1671.43
D) $1700
Answer:
The recommendations you make in a report should
A) interpret the results of your research.
B) not be limited by the report’s conclusion.
C) tell audience members what they want to hear.
D) adequately describe the steps that come next.
Answer:
In a line chart, what do the vertical and horizontal axes normally illustrate?
Answer:
Describe several benefits and one potential drawback of organizing business reports
using the direct approach.
Answer:
How can cultural differences affect communication styles? What general approach
should Americans take when writing intercultural correspondence?
Answer:
Briefly explain how the Internet and social media have changed the nature of the news
release.
Answer:
List and describe the seven elements that usually are part of a formal work plan.
Answer:
Briefly explain the difference between primary research and secondary research.
Answer:
What potential legal problem can result from writing a critical recommendation letter?
Answer:
Provide an example of an open-ended question, and then give an example of a closed
question on the same topic.
Answer:
In addition to your name, what should be included in the Contact Information section of
your résumé?
Answer:
List at least three areas of nonverbal communication that can differ widely among
cultures.
Answer:
Identify and define the four basic varieties of sentences.
Answer:
What four topics areas are commonly covered in the introduction to a business
proposal? Briefly explain each one.
Answer:
Define and explain the “visual evolution in business communication.”
Answer:
Explain the three basic categories of analytical business reports and provide at least one
example of each type.
Answer:
List at least three personal characteristics that can help establish credibility with your
audience.
Answer:
Explain important considerations to keep in mind when deciding whether to conduct an
interview face-to-face or via email.
Answer: