One of the steps in analyzing your audience is to
A) determine their likely emotional state.
B) remember to keep your speech or oral presentation short.
C) define your purpose.
D) prepare a detailed, informative outline.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
The primary difference between a résumé and a CV is that the CV is likely to be
________ than the résumé.
A) shorter
B) less formal
C) more detailed
D) less detailed
E) easier to read
Answer:
When asking for information and action, explaining why you’re making the request
A) is unnecessary since the audience is likely to comply.
B) is part of an effective strategy for getting what you want.
C) suggests that you think the audience is unintelligent.
D) is viewed as a sign of weakness in most organizations.
E) generally reduces the likelihood of receiving a positive response.
Answer:
The primary audience for your message is made up of
A) all who receive it.
B) the key decision makers in the audience.
C) those people with the highest status.
D) those people who represent the opinions and attitudes of the majority.
E) every single person who will (or might) get your message.
Answer:
A business plan
A) is useful only before a company is launched.
B) always contains the same elements.
C) should not identify risks and problems, since these might discourage potential
investors.
D) is sometimes prepared after a company is up and running.
E) is just another name for a SWOT analysis.
Answer:
When preparing a persuasive request, it is vital to
A) show that you understand and respect the audience’s concerns.
B) emphasize how you will benefit if the request is fulfilled.
C) emphasize the negative consequences of not complying with the request.
D) suggest that there are no other alternatives, even when there are.
E) show readers that you are not overly concerned about their objections.
Answer:
An ideal approach to proofreading a formal report or proposal is to
A) skim it quickly as soon as you finish drafting it, and then send it as soon as possible.
B) have two people review it—one who is an expert on the topic and one who is not.
C) never rely on anyone other than yourself.
D) completely avoid using spell checkers, grammar checkers and other software tools.
E) send the draft to a competing company, and ask for their feedback.
Answer:
After sending your application letter and résumé in response to a job posting that lists a
close date, you should
A) always call the employer prior to that date to see if your materials have been
reviewed.
B) email the employer on the morning of the close date to reiterate your interest in the
job.
C) avoid following up with the employer before that date.
D) wait until the day after the close date and then call the employer to see where you
stand.
E) call the employer and do all you can to set up an interview prior to that date.
Answer:
When it comes to online etiquette,
A) spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are not important.
B) do not assume that people are available to discuss work matters around the clock.
C) avoiding “flames” is really all that matters.
D) you can rest assured that there’s almost nothing you can do that will offend your
audience.
E) you should expect a prompt response to email messages, even when you send them
on the weekend or in the middle of the night.
Answer:
Uncomfortable meeting rooms, multitasking, and computer screens filled with popup
messages are all examples of
A) problems with feedback.
B) distractions.
C) problems with background differences.
D) overload problems.
E) social media.
Answer:
Compared to low-context cultures, high-context cultures tend to take a(n) ________
approach regarding the meaning of business contracts.
A) equally flexible
B) more literal
C) more flexible
D) more aggressive
E) none of the above
Answer:
Proofreading reports is different from proofreading other kinds of business messages in
that
A) reports usually have more typographical errors.
B) the visual aids in reports don’t usually need proofing.
C) reports often have elements that aren’t included in other business messages.
D) audience expectations are usually lower when it comes to reports.
E) none of the above—reports do not differ significantly from other business messages.
Answer:
Many interviewers begin making a decision about the applicant
A) within the first 20 seconds of the interview.
B) during the question-and-answer stage.
C) during the final minutes of the interview.
D) after the candidate has left.
E) only after receiving a note of appreciation.
Answer:
Using the active voice is helpful when you
A) want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error.
B) want to point out what’s being done without taking or attributing either the credit or
the blame.
C) want to make your writing more direct, livelier, and easier to read.
D) need to avoid personal pronouns in order to create an objective tone.
E) are unsure what action the subject of your sentence will take.
Answer:
The slide master feature in presentation software
A) should be avoided, since it is viewed as a crutch for unskilled presenters.
B) gives your slides a cartoonish look.
C) helps create a consistent design for your entire slide show.
D) is too complicated for most presenters to use effectively.
E) is helpful only if you have fewer than 10 slides.
Answer:
In a business message, the range of information you present, the overall length, and the
level of detail is known as your
A) coverage.
B) inclusion.
C) scope.
D) depth.
E) furtherance.
Answer:
What is wrong with the following sentence? “Having sat on them for two days, the
figures Marcy provided were already too late to help.”
A) It lacks parallelism.
B) It contains a dangling modifier.
C) It contains an awkward pointer.
D) It contains hedging.
E) Nothing—it is grammatically correct as written.
Answer:
When adapting to other cultures, the “Golden Rule” is
A) a helpful principle to follow.
B) less effective than treating others the way they want to be treated.
C) helpful, but only in Asian countries.
D) helpful only when dealing with others in their “golden” years.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
If a supervisor approaches a worker who consistently arrives late by saying, “I know
you don’t want to have your pay docked,” the supervisor is addressing the worker’s need
for
A) safety and security.
B) acceptance.
C) status and esteem.
D) self-actualization.
E) power and control.
Answer:
Many businesses now use blogs to
A) keep project teams up to date.
B) replace email in many cases.
C) inform employees about general business matters.
D) do none of the above.
E) do all of the above.
Answer:
The close of a report should
A) emphasize the main points of the message.
B) summarize reader benefits if the document suggests a change.
C) bring all action items together and give details about who should do what, when,
where, and how.
D) achieve all of the above.
E) do none of the above.
Answer:
Distributing reports and proposals via a web-based content management system,
intranet, or extranet
A) has become completely obsolete now that email is so widespread and easy to use.
B) is impossible without special training and expensive software.
C) requires verifying that your document displays correctly after you have uploaded it.
D) is far more expensive than delivering printed copies.
E) should be avoided at all costs—even when the audience requests it.
Answer:
Which of the following would be the most effective headline for a new posting on a
business blog?
A) You Might Already Know It, But …
B) Random Thoughts From My Addled Brain
C) Things We Thought You Needed to Know
D) Seven Reasons To Switch Your Smartphone Carrier
E) Our New Products: A Brief Overview
Answer:
The best way to persuade an audience to do something is to
A) convince them that their existing motivations are unreasonable.
B) change their motivation by suggesting that they are unsophisticated.
C) align your message with their existing motivation.
D) use scare tactics to describe the consequences of failing to do what you have asked.
E) shame them into doing what you want.
Answer:
In business messages, varying the length of your sentences
A) confuses readers and makes documents less interesting.
B) helps you control the emphasis given to major and minor points.
C) makes you look like an amateur.
D) makes the revision process much more difficult.
E) is a waste of time unless your document is highly technical.
Answer:
Compared to traditional letters of recommendation, social networking recommendations
A) require the same amount of detail.
B) pose less of a risk to your professional reputation.
C) offer more flexibility, and can contain as much or as little detail as you want to
share.
D) are always more difficult to write.
E) are none of the above.
Answer:
Ethnocentrism can be overcome in part by
A) avoiding assumptions.
B) judging other groups according to your own standards.
C) ignoring the distinctions among cultures.
D) remembering that people from other cultures communicate in ways that are inferior
to your own.
E) asserting the superiority of your own culture.
Answer:
To help establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior, many companies provide
employees a written
A) ethics audit.
B) ethical dilemma.
C) ethical lapse.
D) code of ethics.
E) ethics contract.
Answer:
The title chairman
A) is now obsolete, and should always be replaced with chairperson.
B) is sometimes used to refer to a woman who heads a board of directors.
C) should be used only when referring to a man, and chairwoman when referring to a
woman.
D) is acceptable when referring to men, but chairlady is preferable for women.
E) is best when referring to a man or to a married woman, but chairwoman is best for
single women.
Answer:
In the introduction to your presentation, it is important to
A) discuss the three or four main points on your outline.
B) establish credibility.
C) ask for audience input.
D) boast about your qualifications.
E) make it clear that you won’t have time for questions.
Answer:
In business messages, errors in grammar and usage
A) can be annoying, but are only a concern for external audience members.
B) are expected since everyone is busy.
C) cause you to lose credibility with your audience.
D) are no longer an issue thanks to the spelling and grammar checking features of word
processing software.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
The two most common primary research methods are
A) not appropriate for test marketing.
B) experiments and observations.
C) surveys and interviews.
D) test panels.
E) reports and memos.
Answer:
When responding to questions during a job interview, you should
A) stick to neutral topics such as the weather.
B) look for opportunities to frame your answers as brief stories rather than simple
declarative answers.
C) limit yourself to yes or no answers only.
D) not be afraid to ask, “Could we move on?” if the employer asks a question you don’t
like.
E) do none of the above.
Answer:
Which of the following is a closed-ended question?
A) Do you think the proposed expansion plan is feasible?
B) What do you see as the primary benefit of the proposal?
C) What corporate goals does the expansion help achieve?
D) How will the expansion affect day-to-day operations?
E) What advantages do you see in this course of action?
Answer:
Problem factoring is the process of
A) looking at a problem from many different angles.
B) considering how to divide responsibility for a problem.
C) creating problems instead of solving them.
D) breaking a problem down into a series of logical, connected questions.
E) listing all the factors that created the problem.
Answer:
Customers who are dissatisfied with a company’s product or service make a(n)
________, or formal complaint.
Answer:
When planning a presentation, what does it mean to “analyze the situation”? Briefly
explain each of the tasks involved.
Answer:
Persuasive messages often follow a specialized four-phase format called the ________
model.
Answer:
A new employee who speaks English as a second language has just joined the design
team you lead. You notice that she often looks confused during conversations. Describe
at least three useful strategies for this situation.
Answer:
Explain the characteristics of an effective letter rejecting a job applicant.
Answer:
Briefly define Business Communication 2.0, and explain how it differs from a more
traditional approach to business communication.
Answer:
What advantages does instant messaging offer compared to email?
Answer:
In researching a proposal to expand your division, you find evidence that does not
support your line of reasoning. Should you include it in your report? Why or why not?
Answer:
Groups affected in some way by a company’s actions are referred to as ________.
Answer:
Describe at least five strategies for establishing credibility when preparing persuasive
messages.
Answer:
List at least three types of visuals commonly used in business presentations.
Answer:
When evaluating employees, why is it important to document performance problems
carefully?
Answer:
Describe the characteristics of effective links in online content.
Answer:
What is networking etiquette?
Answer:
Differentiate among the three primary types of listening.
Answer:
Explain how to balance emotional appeals and logical appeals in persuasive business
messages.
Answer:
You’re tired of wasting hours making design changes to one slide at a time in your
electronic presentations. What software feature (common in presentation software such
as PowerPoint) would be helpful in this situation, and what is its function?
Answer: