Page 1
1.
Speaking for your vocation is
A)
speaking to earn recognition or fame.
B)
more like a calling.
C)
speaking in a situation that earns money.
D)
making everyday conversation in your workplace.
2.
A vocation is best described as
A)
a feeling of dedication toward one’s occupation.
B)
a way to earn a living.
C)
your profession or career.
D)
anything you have been trained to do.
3.
Which of these is an example of vocational speaking?
A)
A server shouts an order to a short-order cook in a diner.
B)
A fast-food worker takes an order at a drive-thru window.
C)
A supervisor counsels a worker on her chronic lateness.
D)
A teacher gives a lecture for his students.
4.
Kearis engages in multiple activities. Which activity most likely reflects her vocation?
A)
babysitting her nephew from time to time
B)
mentoring middle school students
C)
going to school to earn her master’s degree
D)
buying lunch for her softball teammates
5.
Speaking in your workplace will usually take place for
A)
people you know and work closely with.
B)
large audiences.
C)
small audiences.
D)
people you do not know or work closely with.
6.
The best way to learn your workplace’s cultural norms for speaking is
A)
trial and error.
B)
watching how other people behave in similar contexts.
C)
asking your peers to explain those norms.
D)
asking your supervisor to explain those norms.
Page 2
7.
Organization culture includes things such as the
A)
diversity of the employee population.
B)
size of the organization.
C)
corporate mission statement.
D)
appropriate and inappropriate things to say and the ways they should be said.
8.
Rachel has been asked to present an oral report on what she learned at a seminar she
attended in her second week at a new job. She has not had an opportunity to observe the
speaking norms at this new company. To maximize her chances of success, Rachel
should
A)
ask her coworkers for their understanding of the speaking norms of the
organization.
B)
review her notes from her college public speaking class and do her best.
C)
ask her supervisor what the expectations are for this type of presentation.
D)
explain to her supervisor that she is not comfortable speaking at a seminar only two
weeks after being hired and needs time to observe the speaking norms first.
9.
How is workplace speaking different from public relations?
A)
Workplace speaking involves a more specialized skill set than public relations.
B)
Workplace speaking usually focuses internally (on other members of the
organization), and public relations focuses externally.
C)
The principles of speaking you learn in a public speaking class apply to workplace
speaking but not to public relations.
D)
Workplace speaking is taught in business administration programs, and public
relations is taught in lower-level communication courses.
10.
_____ is speaking to represent a company.
A)
Workplace speaking
B)
Sales
C)
Television advertising
D)
Public relations
11.
A local TV reporter calls the number listed for press inquiries on XYZ Corp.’s website
and asks for a representative to appear on his station’s evening broadcast to talk about
the charity walk this company is sponsoring to benefit muscular dystrophy research.
This representative will be engaging in _____ when he or she participates in this
interview segment.
A)
organizational outreach
B)
philanthropy
C)
public relations
D)
workplace speaking
Page 3
12.
Three or more people who interact and self-identify as members of a group are called a
A)
team.
B)
small group.
C)
coalition.
D)
task force.
13.
Which would NOT be considered a small group?
A)
four employees from different departments who strike up a conversation in line at
the company cafeteria
B)
six members of a cost-cutting task force who meet for the first time
C)
five members of a work team who hold a daily status meeting
D)
four members of an ad hoc committee who meet to establish a strategy for meeting
their assigned goal
14.
In what way is small group communication considered impromptu in nature?
A)
Very little preparation is possible.
B)
Very little preparation is necessary.
C)
Very little is scripted.
D)
Very little is structured.
15.
Which statement about small group communication is true?
A)
It is socially oriented.
B)
It is relatively formal.
C)
It typically involves three to twenty people.
D)
It requires a leader.
16.
What is the primary role of a small group leader?
A)
to serve as the final decision maker
B)
to present counterpositions or critiques to help avoid groupthink
C)
to take notes and keep records of what is discussed during the meeting
D)
to moderate and guide the group discussion
17.
Another term for small group communication is small group
A)
interaction.
B)
discussion.
C)
discourse.
D)
communication.
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18.
Small group norms are
A)
usually made explicit when a group first meets.
B)
unrelated to roles.
C)
learned primarily through observation.
D)
less prevalent because small group communication is impromptu by nature.
19.
Is small-group discussion a form of public speaking?
A)
no, because it is socially oriented and interactive
B)
no, because it is task-oriented and impromptu
C)
yes, because it is goal-oriented and persuasive
D)
yes, because it is audience-oriented and informative
20.
Tracy is a member of a very task-oriented team at work. She is the only member who
remembers that people may need a restroom break or the group needs to break for lunch.
What role is Tracy fulfilling?
A)
leader
B)
task-oriented role
C)
social-oriented role
D)
devil’s advocate
21.
The person in a small group who is designated or who emerges to guide and moderate
discussion is serving
A)
in a task-oriented role.
B)
in a social-oriented role.
C)
as the leader.
D)
as a devil’s advocate.
22.
Ted is a member of a task force that is led by his charismatic manager. He has noticed
that any time a member of the task force disagrees or contradicts the manager, the room
becomes silent, and members feel awkward. He has counterpoints to offer, but he
doesn’t feel they would be welcome. What is happening in Ted’s group?
A)
intimidation
B)
negative sanctions
C)
manipulation
D)
groupthink
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23.
Researchers have identified two tendencies that can lead a small group discussion astray
— _____ and conflict.
A)
unexpressed hostility
B)
groupthink
C)
apathy
D)
deception
24.
Trey is the chairperson of a standing committee, and three of his members have
complained to him about one member’s tendency to want to “name and blame” other
members for ideas that turn out to have flaws. What is happening in this committee?
A)
aggression
B)
hostility
C)
depersonalization
D)
personalization
25.
The common, often unconscious tendency to avoid conflict in a group — usually by
failing to challenge ideas or decisions — is called
A)
groupthink.
B)
reticence.
C)
shyness.
D)
apathy.
26.
What is one effective way to manage conflict in small groups?
A)
Associate people with their ideas.
B)
Focus on issues rather than people.
C)
Insist on civility.
D)
Discourage complaining.
27.
Marjorie has just been promoted and is running her first staff meeting. One of her new
supervisees points out during the meeting that Marjorie has a tendency to try to change
the subject any time someone disagrees with another member. Of the following actions
that Marjorie can take, which is most likely to result in more productive meetings
moving forward?
A)
Put a different employee in charge of each meeting moving forward, and let staff
members come to a resolution on their own.
B)
Meet with her employees separately before the group meeting to better understand
their positions on certain topics.
C)
Resolve to let any and all conflicts take their natural course without her
intervention or interference to ensure that all voices are heard.
D)
Explore points of conflict as a group to assess the disadvantages and advantages of
each idea, while also ensuring the discussion remains focused on problem solving.
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28.
How can conflict be positive and productive?
A)
It can lead to a deeper understanding of problems and inspire critical analysis that
makes decisions better.
B)
It can help encourage groupthink.
C)
It can reveal how people actually feel about one another.
D)
It can help groups to bond and become more cohesive.
29.
What strategy can increase a group’s chances of discussing conflicts productively?
A)
facing
B)
minimizing
C)
personalizing
D)
depersonalizing
30.
Buck has made it clear that he will tolerate nothing but a unified front in his team
meetings. He actively discourages anyone from disagreeing — especially with his ideas.
What is most likely to result from Buck’s approach?
A)
delayed decision making
B)
task orientation
C)
depersonalization
D)
groupthink
31.
Offering opposing or alternative views in a deliberately playful way as a check on
groupthink is called
A)
confrontation.
B)
debate.
C)
playing devil’s advocate.
D)
sarcasm.
32.
Martina’s groupmates tease her about her most-repeated phrase in meetings: “Just for
the sake of argument.” What role is Martina playing when she begins a question in this
way?
A)
heckler
B)
devil’s advocate
C)
leader
D)
blocker
Page 7
33.
Which skill tends to be the weakest in people who are just entering the workforce?
A)
collaboration
B)
cooperation
C)
persuasive speaking
D)
nonverbal communication
34.
Telitha was just promoted to a management position, and she is eager to learn strategies
to help make her team’s discussions constructive. Her team currently has a tendency to
bicker. To help ensure the team’s conflict is productive rather than destructive, Telitha
can
A)
encourage active listening and avoid groupthink.
B)
hold mandatory social events after work so group members can bond.
C)
ask her team members to avoid saying anything hurtful to or about other members.
D)
create a new rule that as soon as bickering starts, she will end the meeting.
35.
Lauren manages a team that meets every other day to report progress. She has noticed
that whenever the team members are asked to identify and address obstacles to their
deadlines, they become “yes people” who are afraid to disagree with her or even with
one another. Lauren is afraid her group is falling into a pattern of groupthink. She can
address this concern by asking someone on her team to _____ during their meetings.
A)
take notes
B)
play devil’s advocate
C)
focus on points of disagreement
D)
emphasize civility
36.
How are groupthink and playing devil’s advocate related?
A)
Playing devil’s advocate fuels groupthink.
B)
Playing devil’s advocate fights groupthink.
C)
Playing devil’s advocate is a form of groupthink.
D)
Playing devil’s advocate and groupthink are two ways to help make conflict more
productive.
Page 8
37.
Randall, a new manager, has years of experience with public speaking as a scout leader.
As he begins to make presentations for his peers and executive management, he is
puzzled when his comments are not well received. Randall must learn that
A)
workplace presentations are different from public speaking presentations because
they are constrained by the norms of workplace culture.
B)
workplace presentations are the same as public speaking presentations, and he will
be received well once he gets to know his audience members better.
C)
workplace presentations are different from public speaking presentations because
they are more formal and structured.
D)
workplace presentations are the same as public speaking presentations, so he
should informally survey his audience members to see why he isn’t connecting with
them.
38.
Elena’s teammate is also her best friend. When they make a presentation to the team,
they like to include inside jokes that they think are hilarious but no one else understands.
What don’t Elena and her friend understand about workplace speaking?
A)
Humor is not appropriate in workplace presentations.
B)
Elena’s friendship with her teammate is a conflict of interest.
C)
The culture of this company is not a good fit for Elena and her friend.
D)
The two friends need to moderate their level of formality and remember they are at
work.
39.
A collection of people brought together to work on a common task through
long-distance technologies (teleconferencing, Skype, and so on) is called a _____ group.
A)
simulated
B)
virtual
C)
remote
D)
long-distance
40.
Cherise will be giving the keynote address at an award banquet for the most successful
salespeople in her company. What should she remember as she prepares?
A)
She should be able to include sales jargon in her speech because the audience will
include the company’s sales force.
B)
She should follow the guidelines for a workplace presentation as opposed to a
public speech.
C)
She should strike a celebratory, inspirational tone.
D)
She should include data to prove that the winners outperformed the other sales
contenders.
Page 9
41.
_____ presentations are similar to celebratory speeches, which are inspirational in tone.
A)
Sales
B)
Keynote
C)
Proposal
D)
Training
42.
Romero will be training employees of his newly formed department. Some are transfers
from other departments, and some are new to the company. As he is preparing his
training presentation, Romero should
A)
consider the training to be persuasive in nature because he will be trying to
convince them to listen and comply.
B)
approach the training as he would a proposal presentation.
C)
keep in mind that all members of his new team may not be familiar with his
department’s specialized terms and jargon, so he will need to carefully define his
function’s vocabulary.
D)
set a formal, serious tone to establish his authority and credibility as their
supervisor.
43.
DeMarcus has been asked to research new customer relationship management (CRM)
software and present his findings and recommendation to the management team. He will
be presenting a
A)
sales presentation.
B)
report.
C)
proposal.
D)
training session.
44.
In keynote presentations, the message is more general and celebratory in tone, and the
language is typically
A)
specialized.
B)
less specialized.
C)
impromptu.
D)
fact-filled.
45.
How is a proposal different from a sales pitch?
A)
Sales pitches always involve a product, whereas proposals do not.
B)
Proposals almost always start as written documents and become oral presentations.
C)
Sales pitches involve a monetary cost, whereas proposals may or may not.
D)
The motivated sequence would work well as an organizational pattern for a sales
pitch but not for a proposal.
Page 10
46.
Which type of presentation veers from informative to persuasive?
A)
proposals
B)
sales presentations
C)
reports
D)
keynote addresses
47.
A proposal is different from a report because
A)
reports and proposals reach the same goal in different ways.
B)
reports are researched, and proposals are not.
C)
proposals are future-oriented, and reports are past-oriented.
D)
although both are informative, proposals are also persuasive.
48.
Which type of presentation is fundamentally a persuasive speech designed to convince
an audience to purchase a product or service, adopt an approach, address a problem, or
embrace an opportunity that your organization is recommending?
A)
a report
B)
a sales presentation
C)
a proposal
D)
a keynote address
49.
What makes the motivated sequence a better organizational pattern for sales pitches than
the problem-solution pattern?
A)
It has a visualization step, which asks the audience to imagine the solution in place.
B)
It has five steps, whereas the problem-solution pattern has only two.
C)
It addresses the cause of the problem in addition to proposing a solution.
D)
It is a more modern method.
50.
It is important for the speaker to focus on shared values in a
A)
report.
B)
proposal.
C)
sales presentation.
D)
keynote address.
51.
A researched presentation that informs clients or colleagues of the status of specific
aspects of the business or organization is called a
A)
report.
B)
proposal.
C)
sales presentation.
D)
keynote address.
Page 11
52.
Although they are not technically speeches or presentations, _____ use the techniques
and skills of speaking.
A)
reports
B)
proposals
C)
interviews
D)
keynote addresses
53.
You should research your audience and strive to establish goodwill and common values
in both public speaking and _____ contexts.
A)
small group discussion
B)
interview
C)
interpersonal
D)
impersonal
54.
In the workplace setting, the two most common kinds of interview are screening
interviews and
A)
team interviews.
B)
group interviews.
C)
selection interviews.
D)
behavioral interviews.
55.
Selection interviews are most similar to a _____ when compared with communication
contexts outside the workplace.
A)
speech
B)
date
C)
small group discussion
D)
conversation
56.
Employers use _____ interviews to attempt to reduce a large number of job applicants to
a smaller and more manageable number.
A)
screening
B)
selection
C)
behavioral
D)
group
Page 12
57.
Boyce receives a phone call requesting a phone interview with a representative from a
company where he has applied for a job. What kind of interview is this?
A)
behavioral
B)
technology-based
C)
screening
D)
selection
58.
Many people know it is a good practice to research the company before an interview,
but it is also a good idea to research
A)
your potential supervisor.
B)
your interviewer.
C)
exceptional performers in the company.
D)
the CEO.
59.
Behavioral interviews are different from standard interviews because they
A)
ask about hypothetical future behavior.
B)
ask about past behavior in specific situations.
C)
focus on current behavior rather than experience or education.
D)
attempt to assess the fit between the company and the candidate.
60.
Behavioral interviews became popular when
A)
interviewers realized they could cover more information in less time.
B)
companies discovered a new and novel way to try to assess fit.
C)
interviewers found interviewees preferred them.
D)
researchers found that traditional interviews using open-ended questions were not
effective.
61.
When Denisha interviewed for a grocery cashier position, her interviewer asked her to
describe the most difficult customer she had ever experienced and the way she handled
the interaction. This is part of _____ interview.
A)
a screening
B)
a panel
C)
a behavioral
D)
an investigative
62.
The first step in the STAR method of responding to behavioral interview questions is
A)
select an example from your life.
B)
explain the situation thoroughly.
C)
start to explain your story.
D)
set the stage for the example you have chosen.
Page 13
63.
Which is a behavioral interview question?
A)
“What was your major in college?”
B)
“Where do you see yourself in ten years?”
C)
“Tell me about a time when you had to ask for help and how you handled it.”
D)
“Talk a little bit about your experience with student government.”
64.
The second step in the STAR method of responding to behavioral interview questions is
A)
talk through your chosen example.
B)
take your time explaining your chosen example.
C)
explain the task thoroughly.
D)
transform the example into a learning experience.
65.
Dennis’s interviewer asked him questions about college, his favorite classes, his
previous jobs, and his goals for his career. What type of interview was this?
A)
panel
B)
traditional selection
C)
behavioral
D)
investigative
66.
What is the third step in the STAR method of responding to behavioral interview
questions?
A)
Advocate for your chosen strategy.
B)
Ask the interviewer for feedback.
C)
Choose an appropriate example.
D)
Describe the action you took.
67.
What is the fourth step in the STAR method of responding to behavioral interview
questions?
A)
Describe the result of your action.
B)
Reiterate the moral of the story.
C)
Remain focused on the objective of your answer.
D)
Give the reason you acted as you did.
Page 14
68.
Darby speaks with her public speaking professor after class and tells her she used the
STAR method in her interview yesterday and got a job offer. Darby most likely had a
_____ interview.
A)
screening
B)
traditional selection
C)
group
D)
behavioral
69.
There is one ethical guideline that is useful across most organizational contexts, and that
is to
A)
follow the Golden Rule.
B)
treat people with respect.
C)
avoid offending.
D)
be honest.
70.
Identify the step of the STAR method that is represented in this statement: “From that
point on, my boss trusted my judgment more and allowed me more freedom to handle
refunds flexibly.”
A)
S
B)
T
C)
A
D)
R
71.
Because all calls are requests to establish relationships built on trust, our vocations
implicate ethical orientations.
A)
True
B)
False
72.
The speaking norms to follow will be different based on the culture of the specific
organization or business.
A)
True
B)
False
73.
A group that achieves consensus quickly has engaged in groupthink.
A)
True
B)
False
Page 15
74.
Successful group leaders seek to limit conflict in group discussions.
A)
True
B)
False
75.
Work presentations are often conversational in tone, but it is important to recognize
when more formal speaking is required.
A)
True
B)
False
76.
A sales pitch works best with a problem-solution or refutation organizational pattern.
A)
True
B)
False
77.
A workplace interview is an opportunity for both the employer and the prospective
employee to learn about one another.
A)
True
B)
False
78.
Screening interviews focus primarily on predicting a candidate’s future work-related
behavior.
A)
True
B)
False
79.
Shannon has been volunteering at a homeless shelter for three years. This can be
considered a vocation.
A)
True
B)
False
80.
Four strangers having a conversation in line at the post office meet the definition of a
small group.
A)
True
B)
False
81.
Phil makes coffee for his team and makes sure the temperature is comfortable for
everyone. He is adopting a task-oriented role.
A)
True
B)
False
Page 16
82.
Proposals are by definition presented to audiences who have not yet deliberated or
discussed them.
A)
True
B)
False
83.
Training sessions tend to be formal because of their “how–to” character.
A)
True
B)
False
84.
Sam has an English degree, so his manager asks him to take an afternoon to work with
his colleagues on best practices for e-mail communication. This would be considered a
training presentation.
A)
True
B)
False
85.
Because persuasion is central to any sales presentation, pitches should always build on
beliefs that are commonly shared with the audience.
A)
True
B)
False
86.
Brandi is getting ready for her first professional interview. Although she took a public
speaking class in college, it will not help in this context because an interview is not a
speech or presentation.
A)
True
B)
False
87.
If your first interview with an organization is conducted by phone or video technology,
you are likely in a screening interview.
A)
True
B)
False
88.
Your job is your vocation.
A)
True
B)
False
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