Which of the following is true concerning the use of graphics in business documents?
a. Understanding and retention are enhanced by the use of graphics.
b. Graphics should be selected that are appropriate for the data and audience.
c. Visually presented data can be easily distorted leading the reader to form incorrect
assumptions about the information.
d. All of the above are true.
Answer:
The BEST graphic device to represent the sales of DVR devices over the last five years,
with proportionate sales reflected for four age categories each year would be a
a. segmented bar chart.
b. table.
c. line chart.
d. horizontal bar chart.
Answer:
Which of the following is FALSE concerning the providing of supporting evidence in a
sales message?
a. Few people will believe general statements without the support of factual evidence.
b. Since research facts and figures can be boring, general remarks about superior
durability and appearance are more effective.
c. Evidence presented must not only be authentic; it must sound authentic, too.
d. Not only do you have an obligation to give information, you should interpret it if
necessary and point out how the information will benefit the receiver.
Answer:
Which of the following is recommended advice when writing an appreciation message?
a. Time the message to arrive two to three weeks following the action or event.
b. Use slight overstatements to communicate your favorable attitude.
c. Avoid specific remarks about the receiver’s performance or achievement.
d. Consider sending a copy of the appreciation message to the individual’s supervisor.
Answer:
Which of the following provides the BEST opening line in a persuasive memo asking
the company president to provide extra funds for advertising a new cat food line?
a. The purpose of this memo is to request that additional moneys be allocated to continue
to advertise the new SmartCat product line.
b. If SmartCat has the chance to build awareness, it will help the company exceed this
year’s sales goals.
c. We all can agree that additional advertising funds will help a business grow.
d. SmartCat can help you exceed this year’s sales goals by 10 percent.
Answer:
Which statement effectively uses specific language to help the receiver understand the
message?
a. Please send the information at your earliest convenience.
b. Please send the price estimate ASAP before our next meeting.
c. Please send the cost estimate for the chairs to the following address by June 1.
d. Thank you in advance for sending the estimate.
Answer:
Shelby, a customer service representative, often delivers messages to clients in which
she must convey negative news. Which of the following techniques could Shelby use to
soften the impact of the bad news?
a. Active voice and abstract nouns as the subjects of sentences.
b. Passive voice and the placement of the negative message in a dependent clause.
c. Active voice and positive language.
d. Active voice and placement of the negative message in an independent clause.
Answer:
As indicated by Maslow’s need hierarchy, people may respond favorably to
a. persuasive appeals that focus on promises of best price and the need to find a bargain.
b. persuasive appeals that fulfill physiological, security, and safety needs.
c. persuasive appeals that fulfill social, ego, and self-actualization needs.
d. both b and c.
Answer:
If you wanted to research the Internet for articles on outsourcing to India, which of the
following key phrases would result in the narrowest search?
a. Outsourcing
b. “Outsourcing”
c. Outsourcing to India
d. “Outsourcing to India”
Answer:
You are preparing a report on professional ethics in which you quote the author of a
current issue of Journal of Business Ethics. If you are using APA style, the citation for
the direct quote in the text includes
a. author’s name and page number
b. author’s name and date
c. author’s name, date, and page number
d. article title, date, and page number
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT an acceptable design guideline that will help a viewer
understand a graphic?
a. Write meaningful titles.
b. Develop a consistent design.
c. Incorporate a wide selection of typefaces and colors.
d. All of the above are acceptable design guidelines.
Answer:
Which of the following statements represents the BEST advice for inclusion of personal
information on a résumé?
a. Include height, weight, and a personal photograph to make your appear real to the
employer and not just a paper “cutout.”
b. Reveal ethnic background and marital status to assess whether the employer illegally
discriminates.
c. Include interests and hobbies to convey that you are interesting and well-rounded.
d. Include social security number and mailing address as they are needed for personnel
records.
Answer:
Studies show that communication is an important managerial activity, with managers
typically spending
a. a small but important portion of their time communicating.
b. about half of their time communicating.
c. most of their time communicating.
d. all of their time communicating.
Answer:
In writing a routine claim,
a. the message should begin with a request for action.
b. the message should begin with the details and explanation.
c. the message should begin with an expression of appreciation of the business
relationship.
d. none of the above.
Answer:
The United States is comprised largely of immigrants, some of whom work to retain
their traditional customs and language while still sharing in the common culture. Which
of the following terms best fits the above description?
a. Melting pot
b. Internationalization
c. Mosaic
d. Globalization
Answer:
Which statement is most accurate as describing discrimination in employment?
a. Discrimination on the bases of race, gender, age, etc. has been illegal for nearly 50
years and need no longer be a major concern for job candidates.
b. Although discrimination on the bases of race, gender, age, etc. is illegal, it still
occurs; thus, the responsible job candidate will take reasonable steps to eliminate
personal information and behaviors that could lead to discrimination.
c. Discrimination on the bases of race, gender, age, etc. can never be eliminated; job
candidates can expect it to be an inherent part of the employment process.
d. Discrimination on the bases of race, gender, age, etc. has never been a concern if the
candidate is qualified.
Answer:
Which of the following sentences is punctuated correctly?
a. The following three factors influenced our decision; an expanded market, a source of
raw materials, and a source of labor.
b. The following three factors influenced our decision: an expanded market, a source of
raw materials, and a source of labor.
c. The following three factors influenced our decision. An expanded market, a source of
raw materials and a source of labor.
d. The following three factors, influenced our decision: an expanded market, a source of
raw materials and a source of labor.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is MOST accurate concerning information overload?
a. Information overload has been falsely blamed for various problems, such as memory
loss.
b. Information architects help organizations organize information for more effective
communication.
c. Information overload is a problem that affects less than half of all American workers.
d. Information overload is really not a problem at all, since more information is always
a good thing.
Answer:
Which of the following is the BEST example of providing supporting evidence?
a. Only Strayhorn tools will give you the added power you will need for those extra tough
jobs.
b. I’m certain you will be proud of your new Strayhorn tools as I use them myself.
c. The newly patented ratchet makes the Strayhorn wrench a unique and powerful tool for
quick car repairs.
d. You’ll make quicker car repairs with your new, unique Strayhorn tools.
Answer:
The United States is comprised largely of immigrants who have worked intently at
retaining their traditional customs and language while still sharing in the common
culture. Which of the following terms LEAST fits the above description?
a. Melting pot
b. Internationalization
c. Mosaic
d. Globalization
Answer:
Which of the following statements about Internet resources is correct?
a. Resources must be reliable and credible to appear on the Internet.
b. Internet resources may be used without concern for copyright, since materials must
be cleared for posting before appearing on the Internet.
c. Because of the vast material available on the Internet, the technologically capable
business researcher no longer needs to rely on traditional library research.
d. Partial text of articles and documents are often available via the Internet, while full
texts may only be available in published form.
Answer:
Which of the following is NOT included in a reference to an electronic source?
a. Author
b. Date you retrieved or accessed the article
c. Date of publication
d. All of the above are included
Answer:
What is the correct order for the inductive writing sequence?
a. Buffer, reasons, bad news, counterproposal, and desire to continue the relationship
b. Reasons, neutral idea, bad news, and desire to continue the relationship
c. Bad news, reasons, counterproposal, and desire to continue the relationship
d. Buffer, bad news, reasons, counterproposal, and desire to continue the relationship
Answer:
What proofreading procedure should Anthony use when proofreading a technical
support manual?
a. Proofread only once, thoroughly checking for errors of various types.
b. Proofread twice, concentrating in the first pass on content errors and in the second
pass on format errors.
c. Proofread three times, concentrating on content, organization, and style in the first
pass, on mechanical errors in the second pass, and reading from right to left on the third
pass.
d. Allow the computer to do the proofreading, as it is more thorough and accurate.
Answer:
In formatting a report, you discover than an entire table will not fit on the bottom of a
page; the best formatting decision would be to
a. place the table prior to the text reference to it if that placement will allow the entire
table to appear on the page.
b. begin the table, allow an adequate margin at the bottom of the page, and begin the
next page with the continuation of the table.
c. introduce the table, continue the graphic interpretation to the bottom of the page, and
begin the next page with the table.
d. end the page with the introduction to the table, regardless of the space on the page.
Answer:
Which of the following sentences avoids the use of an outdated expression or cliché?
a. Enclosed please find a copy of my progress report.
b. Per your request, enclosed is my progress report.
c. Please be informed that you should review the enclosed report at your earliest
convenience.
d. All include an outdated expression or cliché.
Answer:
Exceptions to the use of inductive approach for bad-news messages include
a. messages addressing a very small, insignificant matter.
b. memos sent within the company.
c. oral presentations.
d. all of the above
Answer:
The most effective means for delivering an unpleasant or highly emotional message to a
single employee is to
a. meet with the employee face to face.
b. leave the message on the employee’s voice mail.
c. send a memo addressed to the specific employee.
d. place a message on the company’s website.
Answer:
Which of the following statements about employment interviews is FALSE?
a. Preparation for the interview includes researching the organization.
b. A self-analysis of your own strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, and challenges
should be undertaken prior to interviewing.
c. You should go to the interview prepared to both answer and ask questions.
d. Most questions asked in interviews can be answered from the résumé.
Answer:
Knowing the audience for your business presentation does NOT include
a. personally introducing yourself to each member of the audience prior to your
presentation.
b. attempting to mentally identify their ages, incomes, occupations, and gender.
c. selecting audience participants according to the their perspective on the topic you
will present.
d. any of the above.
Answer:
After earning a scholarship for your superior grades in school, you receive a
congratulatory letter from the dean. This communication interaction would be
considered
a. a negative stroke.
b. a positive stroke.
c. a Theory X incentive.
d. a directive behavior.
Answer:
An effective outline for a message helps ensure that all ideas will appear in equally
emphatic positions.
Answer:
The following sentence is grammatically correct: I except your offer to fill the sales
associate position.
Answer:
Will Frazier has written you to inquire about the features of your company’s new
netbook; you should begin your reply with an attention-getting sentence to build
interest in owning a netbook.
Answer:
A subject line may be typed with or without all caps.
Answer:
Like other messages that convey unpleasant news, job-refusal letters are written
inductively.
Answer:
Stakeholders are those affected by decisions and can include people inside and outside
the organization.
Answer:
Gerome has planned a distance presentation for new employees in his company’s six
locations. Since he has not previously met the participants in person, he should schedule
a conference call with the participants to establish rapport prior to the distance
presentation.
Answer:
Scholarly journals in the social sciences tend to use the APA referencing method, while
MLA is commonly used in the humanities.
Answer:
In order for survey research to be credible, the selected sample must be representative
of the population.
Answer:
Illustrate and explain four ethical dimensions of business behavior; give two examples
of behaviors that fit each dimension.
Answer:
Team members who are not currently speaking during the presentation should maintain
eye contact with the audience or look at their own notes.
Answer:
The best time to find out general information about an organization is during the job
interview.
Answer:
Email is very beneficial in business communication when it used correctly. Give four
guidelines for formatting professional email messages.
Answer:
Presentation Media that Match the Audience
A speaker must choose the appropriate medium or combination of media to accomplish
the purpose of a presentation and to meet the needs of a specific audience. Caleb is
developing a two-hour supervisory workshop on effective techniques for conducting
performance appraisals. The previous trainer relied solely on providing information
through use of a PowerPoint presentation. Caleb wants to integrate several presentation
visuals to effectively provide the training information and maintain the interest of the
audience.
Required:
Discuss the appropriate presentation visuals for Caleb’s supervisory workshop on
performance appraisals that will best achieve his purpose with the audience.
Answer:
While the sender of a message is responsible for effective encoding and the receiver for
effective decoding, both have responsibility for addressing interferences.
Answer:
Both MLA and APA styles support the use of in-text citations.
Answer:
What questions should you ask yourself in order to determine an appropriate
communication channel for a particular message?
Answer:
The purpose of a stress interview is to observe how an interviewee performs in an
anxiety-producing situation.
Answer:
When a consultant proposes a program to a client, the most suitable report form is a
memorandum report.
Answer: