While using a pattern of organizing messages, one should realize that every message
which uses the basic pattern will have all the elements listed.
Conventions in business communication help people recognize, produce, and interpret
different kinds of communications.
When talking about people with disabilities, one should use people-first language to
focus on the person, instead of the condition.
A job application letter conveys the “you-attitude” if it stresses what the applicant can
do for the company rather than what the company can do for the applicant.
If you have been fired from your previous job, you should be prepared to show during
an interview that you’ve learned from the experience.
One should use terms which suggest that competent people are unusual.
Sans serif fonts have little extensions, called serifs, from the main strokes.
There is a trend that organizations are striving to reduce diversity in workforces to
prevent low productivity and cultural biases.
Students who are native speakers of Korean, may judge direct statements to be least
effective in contrast to native speakers of American English. This is an example of
different native cultures.
It is best to avoid using subjunctive verbs and explicit disclaimers while writing to
superiors.
“Education” and “Experience” always stand as separate categories on a rsum, even if
you only have one item under each of the headings.
One can build credibility by being factual, specific, and reliable.
Dot planning offers a way for large teams to choose priorities quickly.
When asking for an action from people outside an organization, it needs lesser
politeness compared to asking for an action from a subordinate.
Relieving tensions by joking and suggesting breaks help build loyalty, and resolve
conflicts in a team.
Talking about oneself is a good way to demonstrate confidence and you-attitude.
Reasons for a decision and audience benefits in a message are always financial in
nature.
While developing audience benefits, it is important to link the feature of a product to
the audience’s needs and provide details to make the benefit vivid.
Successful teams take time to acknowledge each member during team meetings.
One should organize a persuasive direct request by asking immediately for the
information or service one wants, even if it seems too abrupt.
Spell-checkers eliminate the hassle of proofreading a document manually.
An interview that starts out as an information interview can turn into a referral
interview.
A job application letter will be more effective if it focuses on an applicant’s
accomplishments rather than the person’s job responsibilities.
Corporate security measures include bans on personal electronic devices, using scans of
fingerprints, eyes, or faces to limit and track access to specific computers.
Taking every opportunity to be the first to speak indicates a positive action which helps
a team achieve its task goals.
Stereotypes are generalizations about groups of people that are extremely useful in
predicting how an individual in a different culture will think, act, and feel.
While using humor in a message, one should opt for political or religious humor
because it always helps lighten the audience’s mood.
Telling a story in a message before providing statistics and figures makes it more
persuasive.
While choosing photographs and illustrations, one should ensure that the general
impression suggests that diversity is welcome and normal.
Subheadings should be used only when there are at least two subdivisions under a given
main heading.
How quickly a document can be read is determined by the difficulty of the subject
matter and by the document’s organization and writing style.
In an opener to a presentation, distant events are more effective events in capturing an
audience’s attention in comparison with local events.
A way to ensure that an e-mail gets read is to use important information in the subject
line.
Smiling, frowning, and how long someone keeps a visitor waiting are examples of
non-verbal communication.
Truman has finished giving a presentation on “Exploitation of Forests to Extract Palm
Oil” to a funding agency. The director of the organization has a query on the industry
figures of the palm oil industry, to which Truman does not know the answer. Which of
the following statements should Truman state that will best help him handle the
question?
A. “The palm oil industry is a huge one and knowing the exact figure is quite
difficult."
B. “I am not sure of the industry figures of the palm oil industry. But I could check and
get back to you."
C. “You will find it interesting but these figures will not affect our campaign in any
way."
D. “The palm oil industry is an extensive one but you could check the website of the
forest department for details."
E. “This is a good question. You could refer to the handouts distributed."
Carmen Jenkins has been working as an environmental campaigner for the last eight
years. She recently attended an interview where she was asked to state details about
successes in her career so far and the lessons she learnt from projects which failed. In
addition, she was asked to elaborate on the way she built networks and key decisions
made to achieve project milestones. Which of the following type of interview did
Jenkins most likely undergo?
A. Topgrading interview
B. Focused interview
C. Stress interview
D. Reference interview
E. Situational interview
Which of the following tasks does an informational leader undertake?
A. Check if tasks are carried out on time
B. Check and resolve conflicts
C. Evaluate texts and ideas
D. Maintain coordination
E. Check people’s feelings
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the _____ dichotomy measures the way
an individual prefers to take in information.
A. channeling-formatting
B. thinking-feeling
C. sensing-intuition
D. judging-perceiving
E. extroversion-introversion
Which of the following should be undertaken while using a pattern of organization in a
message?
A. Understand the rationale or logic behind each of the patterns
B. Realize that the pattern cannot be modified or changed when necessary
C. Know that every message with the basic pattern will have all elements listed
D. Understand that one can always present several elements in one paragraph
E. Realize that one can never have several paragraphs for just one element
Loretta recently gave a presentation on “Over-consumerism and its Impacts” at the
University of Phoenix in California. The presentation was a huge success mainly
because it used a lot of nonverbal communication which drew the audience’s attention
and made the presentation interesting. Which of the following did Loretta most likely
use?
A. Anecdotes
B. Narrations
C. Quotations
D. Photographs
E. Chestnuts
Which of the following is a primary purpose of a negative message?
A. To convey a piece of bad news to the audience
B. To maintain a good image of the communicator
C. To reduce further communication on the same subject
D. To retain a good image of the communicator’s organization
E. To establish additional correspondence on the same issue
Loretta Jones, who works as a sales manager in a telecom company, needs to present a
report to the directors at the end of every financial year on the sales generated by the
company. For her upcoming presentation, which of the following statements should she
use for the audience to recall the background on company’s growth presented in her last
report?
A. “As you know, the company had a 25 percent increase in sales last year."
B. “Does anyone remember the sales figures of last year?"
C. “You may not recall but the company’s sales rose by 25 percent last year."
D. “The company’s sales rose by a significant 25 percent last year."
E. “All of you, who remember last year’s sales figures, please raise your hands."
Michelle Ellis has an interview tomorrow for the position of a communication manager
at a travel house. She has done substantial research on the company and is currently
preparing a short speech on why she is right for the job. Which of the following is Ellis
most likely preparing?
A. Vision statement
B. Elevator speech
C. Mission statement
D. Commencement speech
E. Maiden speech
Which of the following is unacceptable when e-mailing a job application letter?
A. Including your name as part of the subject line
B. Putting your name at the end of the message
C. Using line length of 65 characters
D. Including smiley faces and other emoticons
E. Using standard business letter features
The most appropriate situation for a direct request pattern to be used is when:
A. an audience tends to agree easily to a request.
B. an audience’s overall reaction is negative.
C. an audience has major doubts about an issue.
D. an audience demonstrates a closed body language.
Which of the following statements is true of references included on rsums?
A. Rsums no longer include references but mention that they are available on request.
B. At least five, but never more than ten, references are required.
C. Include personal and character references to elaborate on your behavioral traits.
D. Permission is not required to use a person as a reference.
When e-mailing an application letter, ______.
A. prepare the letter in a word-processing program and attach it to the e-mail
B. include your name as part of the subject line
C. omit the salutation and closing that are standard in a printed business letter
D. type important sections in all capital letters
E. put the job number or title for which you’re applying in the last paragraph
_____ are primarily used to motivate the audience to act or believe.
A. Persuasive presentations
B. Employee recognition speeches
C. Goodwill presentations
D. Training sessions
E. Informative presentations
John Connor, a manager at Cyberdyne Systems Corp., asks his customers to voice their
thoughts as they try to assemble one of their units, T850 Model 101. John is using:
A. trial-and-error research methodologies.
B. interruption interviews.
C. think-aloud protocols.
D. discourse-based interviews.
E. personal interviews.
Which of the following is recommended in terms of paragraph length for a job
application letter?
A. Long paragraphs in the body should cover at least two topics each.
B. All paragraphs should be similar in length to show paragraph unity.
C. If a paragraph covers two or more subjects, divide it into two or more paragraphs.
D. The last paragraph should be long since it provides a comprehensive summary.
E. Keep your first and last paragraphs fairly long but not more than eight typed lines.
Joshua Baker, who works for a telecom company, recently prepared a proposal for a
road show in Manhattan. In the proposal, he listed out activities such as production of
banners and props, permission from government officials to host the show on Houston
Street, organizing volunteers to interact with crowds, along with timelines for each
activity to be completed.
Under which of the following sections was this information covered in the proposal?
A. Work schedule
B. Call to action
C. Methods
D. Feasibility
E. Qualifications
Which of the following is true about you-attitude in business communication?
A. The word “we” works well when it does not include the audience.
B. The word “I” demonstrates confidence about oneself or a company.
C. The word “I” works well when it includes an audience or a reader.
D. The word “I” suggests that one is concerned about personal issues.
E. Talking about the audience’s feelings breaks communication barriers.
Which of the following is a good practice when telling stories through visuals?
A. Simplify the data on a selected topic and convert numbers to easy-to-understand
units.
B. Present all of the data collected, discuss what is relevant, and allow the audience to
interpret the rest on their own.
C. Combine the data from several important stories into one visual.
D. Tell all of the stories that a data set allows in order not to waste any information.
E. Focus on all the stories and topics related to the primary topic of research.
The _____ of an interview lasts for about two to five minutes where the interviewer will
tell an interviewee the course of action or what will happen after the interview.
A. opening
B. close
C. introduction
D. body
E. rebuttal
_____ refers to the rising or falling inflection that tells an audience whether a group of
words is a question or a statement.
A. Tone of voice
B. Stress
C. Emphasis
D. Pitch
E. Enunciation
Which of the following guidelines need to be followed while choosing a level of
formality for a document?
A. Using a formal style even if the document is for someone the writer has interacted
with
B. Using contractions if the document is for someone the writer is not familiar with
C. Avoid using abbreviations in e-mails if they are part of a group’s culture
D. Paying particular attention to one’s style of writing when conveying bad news
E. Using personal pronouns and second-person in reports to make it more efficient
Judith Bennett, a student of Carnegie University, recently conducted a survey for a
report, on the use of campus computer labs. However, she was able to conduct the
survey only during the summer months because of which the results were valid only for
summer usage instead of the entire year’s usage. Which of the following sections should
Bennett include this information in?
A. Scope
B. Limitations
C. Assumptions
D. Methods
E. Criteria
Lisa Dunn has been recently designated to work on the Palm Oil Campaign in
Indonesia. She knows the campaign has been spanning over a period of three years and
now needs to write to Barbara Hunt, the communications manager, for updates on the
campaign till date. She has never interacted with Hunt before and understands that she
has to go out of her way to source this information. What are some things Dunn needs
to keep in mind while communicating with Hunt?
Which of the following is the main purpose of using informative presentations?
A. Motivating an audience to act or believe
B. Validating an audience’s commitment to goals
C. Stroking an audience’s egos to help achieve milestones
D. Informing or teaching an audience
E. Pleasing and entertaining an audience
Which of the following does you-attitude focus on?
A. Differentiating between different audience members
B. Emphasizing on the needs of the writer or speaker
C. Stressing on the audience’s point of view
D. Giving more preference to important audience members
E. Using negative emphasis to convey good news
Jennifer Reese needs to write to her client, Mark Lewis, about new requirements for a
project. She has recently got to know that Mr. Lewis’ mother passed away and in her
letter empathizes with the client saying, “I am sorry to hear about your mother’s death.”
What does the sentence indicate?
A. Lacks you-attitude because it begins with the word “I"
B. Lacks you-attitude because it talks about the writer’s emotion
C. Shows good you-attitude because it focuses on the writer’s emotions
D. Shows good you-attitude because it empathizes with the reader
E. Lacks you-attitude because it does not focus on the reader’s needs
The marketing team of You! a fashion house in London, is currently working on a
project which involves a new winter line of clothing. Though their team leader, Lee
Davis has chosen print media as the main mode of launching the product, the team
strongly feels that broadcasting media is a much stronger option. However, they are
unwilling to express their opinion because Davis is known for his autocratic ways and
despises people who express dissent on ideas. Which of the following is the group
suffering from?
A. Collective narcissism
B. Ethnocentricism
C. Groupthink
D. Group serving bias
E. Groupshift
Which of the following guidelines should be followed while using PowerPoint
presentations?
A. Make a minimum of seven points on each slide
B. Use different varied backgrounds to make it look attractive
C. Choose a dark background if lights are turned off during a presentation
D. Use a high contrast between words and backgrounds
E. Ensure the oral presentation has more data than the text on slides
Johanna is about to give a presentation to a client which could get her promotion or end
up in trouble, depending on the performance. She feels jittery and nervous as the time to
give the presentation comes closer. Which of the following should she do to calm
herself?
A. Have an extra cup of coffee to make her more alert
B. Be frank and humorously tell everyone that she is nervous
C. Get rid of the nervousness by having a light alcoholic beverage
D. Avoid analyzing the audience which may increase the anxiety
E. Re-label her nerves and say to herself, “My adrenaline is up."
Which of the following is a difference between good business style and traditional term
paper style of writing?
A. A good business style uses no contractions unlike traditional term paper style of
writing.
B. A good business style uses no first and second-person pronouns like the traditional
term paper style does.
C. A good business style makes no effort to make a document personal like the
traditional term paper style does.
D. A good business style gives importance to visual impact of document unlike the
traditional term paper style.
Brian Welch needs to ensure that the collaborative document that he and his team
created is revised. During the process of revising the document, he notices that though
the document does not meet the conventions of business meeting, it has a good writing
style and is just how he would like it to be. Where does Welch go wrong in the revision
process? What other steps should be taken to ensure that the document is efficiently
revised?
What is the easiest way to make a group presentation? What points should one keep in
mind in such a presentation?
What are some key points one should follow in a group interview?
Joshua who works for a telecom company was recently moved to a new project much
after it started functioning. Joining in the middle of a fully functioning program made
him feel lost and frustrated. Over lunch, Joshua shares his concerns with his colleague,
Larry and states, “I do not know why I was moved into a project when it is so close to
its completion. What is worse, I was not briefed about the details of the project. I do not
know how I can help achieve the projects goals when I cannot understand the processes
well.” What should Larry say that will show that he understands and empathizes with
Joshua’s problem?
People with problems need first of all to know that they are having a rough time. In
active listening, receivers actively demonstrate that they have understood a speaker by
feeding back the literal meaning, the emotional content, or both. Larry could state, “It
seems like getting you to join the project at such a later stage is being difficult for you.”
He could also ask for information or offer to help by stating, “Which processes are you
finding particularly difficult?” or “Is there anything I can do to help?
Describe the etiquette of e-mail job-hunting etiquette.
You’ve been out of the job market for a while after having been laid off. What do you
need to do to prove to a potential employer that you’re up-to-date and motivated?
In times of large layoffs, this is not an overwhelming obstacle. You do not need to point
out the layoff in your application materials; the end date of your last employment will
make the point for you. Instead, use your documents to highlight your strengths. Do be
prepared to be asked about the layoff in an interview. Why were you laid off when other
employees were retained?
What kind of persuasion is best for an organization and its culture?
Explain when is it appropriate to use each of the following types of visuals:
photographs, drawings, maps and Gantt charts.
Oliver Green works for You!, a fashion house in California and needs to submit a report
on ways to market a new line of eco-friendly wear to his marketing manager. What
standard guidelines should he follow which will help him manage his time better while
preparing the report?
Explain how verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and interpersonal
nonverbal signals differ from each other.
Explain how a poor form of writing contributes to wasted time.
When is it appropriate to apologize in a negative message?
What are some ways to make a home page easy to use so that visitors stay long enough
on the page?
Explain how demographic characteristics differ from psychographic features of an
audience.
What are some precautions to be taken while using humor in a message?
Explain with an example, how knowing about the lifestyle of an audience helps in
understanding the audience’s needs.
Explain the different ways of conducting a survey.
Enlist the five techniques that a writer should use to convey you-attitude.
Edward Meyer has recently joined a new project for which he needs to regularly
coordinate with his colleague, Ken Bradley to discuss project activities. He understands
that the content of their communication needs to be confidential and leaves no paper
trail. In addition, through this communication, he wants to establish a good working
relation with Bradley for future projects. What common media should Meyer use to
establish communication efficiently with Bradley?