Before Melissa organizes and composes her message, she should ask two questions: (1)
Why am I sending this message? and (2)
a. Why did my boss give this task to me?
b. What do I hope to achieve with this message?
c. How can I get this message written as quickly as possible?
d. Do I have enough time and financial resources to complete the work?
Answer:
An appropriate statement to include in a thank-you message is Thank you for taking the
time to interview me.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Each and every student will be required to participate in one group writing project
contains a redundant expression.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Informational reports should be written using the direct organizational strategy.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which of the following techniques is most effective when an interviewer asks, Why do
you want to work for us?
a. Briefly summarize current employment problems requiring you to change employers.
b. Show what you know about the interviewer’s company and demonstrate how your
goals match its point of view.
c. Explain that as a recent graduate you want to work for any company needing an
employee with your skills and background.
d. Simply tell the truth about your reasons for seeking this job; for example, you are
unemployed, you need more pay or better benefits, or you just graduated.
Answer:
Adapting your message to the audience involves
a. thinking of the right words and tone to use in your message.
b. rewriting your message several times to ensure it is clear.
c. selecting the best research to incorporate within the message.
d. conducting a thorough audience analysis.
Answer:
Communication style is the most important dimension of culture.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which of the following is the best advice regarding workplace conversation?
a. To personalize your conversations, always use first names when addressing
supervisors, customers, and coworkers.
b. Be courteous and attentive when conversing with managers, colleagues,
subordinates, and customers.
c. Bring up controversial topics such as politics or religion as often as possible to show
your intelligence.
d. To demonstrate that you are human, feel free to complain about your colleagues,
friends, and job when you need to vent.
Answer:
A compound-complex sentence contains two complete but related thoughts.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Profiling your audience helps you tailor your words to your readers or listeners.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
If your message may create a hostile reaction, you should use the indirect strategy.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
A job interview provides an opportunity for you to do all of the following except
a. expand on the information in your résumé.
b. convince the employer of your potential.
c. meet with all the company’s employees.
d. learn more about the job and the company.
Answer:
Connor opened his presentation to an audience of business owners with this statement:
If you want to reduce employee benefit costs by at least 15 percent without hurting
employee morale or impacting your work environment, please stand up right now. By
asking them to stand, Connor is
a. identifying himself and establishing credibility.
b. previewing the main points of his presentation.
c. capturing listeners’ attention and getting them involved.
d. misleading his audience.
Answer:
What should be included in the staffing section of an informal proposal?
a. Credentials and expertise of project leaders
b. List of projected costs
c. Copy of the RFP
d. Schedule or timetable of activities
Answer:
Tanika must prepare a formal report detailing the findings of a year-long study of her
company’s new wellness program. In this report she must discuss employee
absenteeism before and after the program’s implementation. What type of
organizational pattern will she likely use?
a. Chronological
b. Spatial
c. Compare/Contrast
d. Importance
Answer:
Messages to management are more persuasive when they include words such as “you
must” or “we should.”
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Yardstick reports
a. are long formal reports used only in the manufacturing industry.
b. do not include researched data.
c. are rarely written or used in businesses today.
d. examine problems with two or more solutions against set criteria.
Answer:
A blog is a website with journal entries that are usually written by one person.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Tyler is writing a report that analyzes the GlobalCom, Inc., market share of cell phone
subscriptions worldwide by region. He will probably organize his report
a. chronologically by the date the cell phone subscriptions reached their maximums.
b. around extensive secondary data to assure the reader that he conducted adequate
research before he wrote the report.
c. using a functional arrangement to show types of subscriptions globally.
d. geographically with sections representing each region’s market share.
Answer:
Surveys provide the richest, most accurate firsthand information.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
The body of a routine request message presents
a. details explaining the request.
b. action responses from the receiver.
c. deadlines and approvals from governmental agencies.
d. cost-to-benefit ratio analyses.
Answer:
Which of the following statements about persuasive messages within an organization is
most accurate?
a. It is acceptable for managers to be dishonest when trying to persuade others because
of their authoritative position in the company.
b. Persuasive messages flowing both downward or upward require attention to tone.
c. When employees send persuasive messages to their managers, they should include
words such as you must or we should to make their messages sound more convincing.
d. Instructions or directives from managers to employees should be organized
indirectly.
Answer:
Amelia has made a conscious effort to become an active listener. Therefore, she shuts
down her computer, turns off her cell phone, and asks her assistant to hold all incoming
calls when she conducts interviews. What technique is she using to improve listening?
a. Keeping an open mind
b. Establishing a receptive mind-set
c. Capitalizing on lag time
d. Controlling her surroundings
Answer:
The biggest advantage of business blogs is that they
a. have the potential to reach a vast, far-flung audience.
b. are the primary method of internal business communications.
c. provide anytime access to digital audio and video files containing corporate training,
marketing, and informational messages.
d. can safeguard against hackers and rival companies.
Answer:
Which of the following would be the most effective closing statement in a routine
action request message?
a. Please send a contract for heating and ventilation work by April 1 to allow
installation to begin by April 15.
b. We hope you can get our work completed in a timely manner.
c. Thank you in advance for sending a copy of the contract for installation of a new
HVAC system by April 1.
d. I would appreciate receiving a copy of the contract for your proposed installation at
your earliest possible convenience.
Answer:
A record of the proceedings of a meeting is called
a. a progress report.
b. an analytical report.
c. a summary.
d. the minutes.
Answer:
What is the best advice when preparing a memo as an e-mail attachment?
a. Never send a memo as an e-mail attachment.
b. Leave the body of the e-mail message blank.
c. Include the date, sender’s name, receiver’s name, and subject line on the memo.
d. Type the entire body of the memo in the e-mail message.
Answer:
The only advantage of visual aids is that they improve the comprehension and retention
of ideas.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
The final task in the third phase of the writing process is evaluating your message to
decide whether it accomplishes your goal.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
For Americans words are very important, especially in contracts and negotiations.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Analytical reports present data without analysis or recommendations.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
The first step in preparing a report is to conduct research.
a. True
b. False
Answer: