People in the United States are generally accustomed to having less privacy at work
than their counterparts in other cultures.
Answer:
At the close of an interview, you should impress the interviewer with your assertiveness
by pressing for an immediate decision.
Answer:
Enlivening business messages with humor will always please your readers, especially if
they don’t know you very well.
Answer:
In line charts showing trends, the vertical axis indicates time or quantity, and the
horizontal axis indicates amount.
Answer:
The middle section of a message has the greatest impact on the audience.
Answer:
Conclusions differ from recommendations in that conclusions suggest what ought to be
done about the facts.
Answer:
During the question-and-answer phase of an interview, try to keep your answers short;
usually just a yes or no will do.
Answer:
In positive recommendation letters, it’s important to back up your general points with
specific examples of the candidate’s fitness for the job.
Answer:
Screencasting software lets you show the audience everything you do on screen and is
effective for demonstrating software programs.
Answer:
In conducting research on General Electric, you should not use any information from
www.ge.com because (like all information companies post online) it is bound to be
biased.
Answer:
When allocating your time among the three stages of the writing process, you should
use about a fourth of the time for planning, half the time for writing, and a quarter of
the time for completing.
Answer:
No one has time to plan messages anymore, so when you need to create one it is best to
simply dive right in and begin writing.
Answer:
The direct approach is always best when denying a request for information.
Answer:
A major advantage of electronic presentations is the ability to make changes easily at
the last minute.
Answer:
A linking verb is always followed by a noun, pronoun, or adjective.
Answer:
The plural of ‘son-in-law” is ‘sons-in-law,” but the possessive is ‘son-in-law’s.”
Answer:
An index is necessary only if your report is going to be published.
Answer:
If a proposal is unsolicited, the letter of transmittal should follow the format for
persuasive messages.
Answer:
If you have 10 minutes or less to deliver your presentation, you should organize it much
as you would a brief written message.
Answer:
If you must give an employee a negative performance review, it is best to avoid any
positive comments since they might distract attention from all of the problems.
Answer:
If you are preparing form letters, mail merge enables you to personalize each letter by
automatically inserting names and addresses from the database.
Answer:
The speaking outline is not an appropriate place to include notes about the visual aids
you plan to use.
Answer:
Unsolicited application letters are those sent in response to want ads for job openings.
Answer:
When communicating with people from other cultures, it is best to apologize when you
make a mistake.
Answer:
Although employers expect résumés to be carefully written, most are understanding if
candidates fail to correct a few typos.
Answer:
To preserve your company’s reputation, messages granting customer requests for
adjustment should always imply that the customer was at fault.
Answer:
The three general purposes of business messages are to inform, to persuade, and to
collaborate.
Answer:
One advantage of justified type is that it makes a message look more personalized and
less like a form letter.
Answer:
Because the first thing that readers will notice about your message is its appearance,
you should pay special attention to design and page layout.
Answer:
Senior citizen is a euphemism that provides a more respectful alternative to old person.
Answer:
A functional résumé is organized around a list of accomplishments and focuses on the
person’s areas of competence.
Answer:
It is potentially illegal for an interviewer to ask about your religious affiliation or
marital status.
Answer:
Having someone else (such as a master of ceremonies) introduce you can help establish
your credibility as a speaker.
Answer:
An analytical report often ends by presenting a recommendation.
Answer:
Because they fall at the beginning of a report, the prefatory parts are usually written
first.
Answer:
If you can’t be sure which medium will be best to convey your persuasive message to a
diverse audience, you should
A) choose the one that is most economical.
B) select the one that is easiest to use (such as email).
C) use two or more, such as following up an email campaign with printed letters.
D) choose one at random and see how well it works.
E) not send the message.
Answer:
Using FedEx or UPS to deliver a formal report or proposal
A) is a waste of money—first-class mail is almost always preferable.
B) is necessary only when sending the document overseas.
C) will, in most cases, make you appear desperate.
D) will not provide the kind of online tracking service offered by the U.S. Postal
Service.
E) allows you to track the report and ensure that it is delivered on time.
Answer:
The vast majority of all job openings in the U.S. are
A) advertised the old-fashioned way—in the newspaper.
B) posted on Craigslist or Monster.
C) never advertised to the general public.
D) senior positions that require years of experience.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
When delivering bad news, wording such as “We must turn down,” “I am unable to,”
and “We cannot afford to”
A) softens the blow by drawing attention away from the reader and onto the sender.
B) will impress the reader as being straightforward and forceful.
C) is likely to cause pain and anger in the reader.
D) is unavoidable.
E) displays your professionalism.
Answer:
The key to a productive meeting is careful planning that addresses
A) its purpose.
B) its participants.
C) its location and agenda.
D) none of the above.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
When working in teams, getting your point across
A) is simply a matter of making a strong argument.
B) should always be abandoned if you think it might offend someone else on the team.
C) must be your primary goal, even if it means holding up team progress.
D) is easier when you wait until others are ready to hear your arguments.
E) should be done aggressively, since it’s important to let everyone know you’re in
charge.
Answer:
An effective ending for a persuasive message would be:
A) Simply take the enclosed coupon to any of our service centers by June 15 for your
free oil and filter change.
B) Please respond as soon as possible.
C) Wouldn’t you like to save some money?
D) Be sure to tell all your friends about this exciting offer.
E) Well, I guess that’s it.
Answer:
If you have a great deal of detailed, specific information to present, the best visual to
use would be a
A) table.
B) pie chart.
C) diagram.
D) Gantt chart.
E) bar chart.
Answer:
An ethical persuasive argument
A) is a contradiction in terms.
B) focuses on how the audience’s actions will benefit the sender.
C) includes any evidence the sender can come up with, whether or not it’s relevant.
D) influences audience members by providing information that allows them freedom to
choose.
E) requires admitting up front that you stand to gain a lot if the audience complies.
Answer:
Expressing an idea in words or images is known as the ________ step of the
communication process.
A) articulating
B) crystallizing
C) generating
D) inscribing
E) encoding
Answer:
The primary difference between a standard wiki and an enterprise wiki system is
A) standard wikis offer superior control of information and confidentiality.
B) enterprise wiki systems are available free of charge.
C) standard wikis do not have a ‘sandbox” feature.
D) enterprise wiki systems offer additional features for business use.
E) standard wikis offer change monitoring alerts, but enterprise wiki systems do not.
Answer:
Xenophobia is the fear of
A) crises.
B) working in unfamiliar environments.
C) strangers and foreigners.
D) change.
E) large cities.
Answer:
In a complex formal report, it is often helpful to include
A) a table of contents that lists every level of heading in the report plus all illustration
and table titles.
B) two tables of contents: a high-level table that shows only major headings, followed
by a detailed table that includes all headings and subheadings.
C) everything but prefatory parts in the table of contents.
D) everything but supplementary parts in the table of contents.
E) asterisks beside the titles of all key parts in the table of contents.
Answer:
To gain credibility with your audience in business reports, do all of the following
except
A) research all sides of your topic.
B) make the report longer than it really needs to be.
C) avoid setting unrealistic expectations.
D) document your findings with credible sources.
E) All of the above will increase your credibility.
Answer:
Which of the following is not a way teams help organizations to succeed?
A) Increase information and knowledge
B) Increase groupthink among members
C) Increase performance levels
D) Increase diversity of views
E) Increase acceptance of a solution.
Answer:
A report focused on recommendations should
A) first establish or verify the need for action.
B) not include conclusions.
C) avoid mentioning any potential risks.
D) outline costs, but not in detail.
E) always combine the direct and indirect approaches.
Answer:
The interactions and processes that take place among the members of a team are known
as
A) group norms.
B) groupthink.
C) group dynamics.
D) groupware.
E) group functionality.
Answer:
Using “teasers” in electronic media as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or
other document
A) is unethical and should always be avoided.
B) is appropriate only when large purchases are not involved.
C) is acceptable, as long as the payoff is valuable and legitimate.
D) is never appropriate for microblogging sites.
E) was once an effective technique, but not any longer due to an Internet-savvy public.
Answer:
At the beginning of a research project, you need to
A) develop a formal outline that you plan to stick to throughout your researching and
writing.
B) familiarize yourself with the subject.
C) just jump in by finding resources on the Internet and taking notes from them.
D) develop the conclusion you want to reach and start looking for evidence that
supports that conclusion.
E) try Google to see if it provides enough information, and if not proceed to databases
and other sources.
Answer:
Select the sentence with the best “you” attitude:
A) Because your application was poorly written, we cannot accept it.
B) Your application failed to meet our requirements.
C) When we receive an application that is professional, we can act on your request.
D) Once your application is complete, you should receive a response within two weeks.
E) How can you expect us to understand this sloppy application?
Answer:
Which of the following is the least clear statement of purpose?
A) “The purpose of this report to determine which of four alternative investments will
have the highest return.”
B) “The purpose of this report is to analyze four potential investments.”
C) “The purpose of this report is to answer the question, ‘Which of four investments
will provide the highest return?'”
D) “The goal of this report is to evaluate the return on four investments.”
E) “The primary purpose of this report is to evaluate the return on four investments.”
Answer:
When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to
A) focus on what the audience members can do to improve.
B) emphasize the audience’s mistakes so that they will not make the same ones again.
C) be honest and call attention to the audience’s failures or shortcomings.
D) single out the guilty audience members as an example for everyone else to learn
from.
E) enlist a partner to echo and affirm your negative comments.
Answer:
A spell checker
A) cannot automatically correct misspelled words as you type.
B) highlights words it doesn’t recognize.
C) suggests synonyms.
D) has eliminated the need for proofreading.
E) is always more effective than a human editor.
Answer:
When you need to maintain a close working relationship with someone to whom you
are sending a negative message, you should generally
A) use the direct approach.
B) use the indirect approach.
C) have someone else deliver the message.
D) combine the direct and indirect approaches.
E) delay the message as long as possible.
Answer:
What is wrong with the following sentence? “To waste time and missing deadlines are
bad habits.”
A) Similar ideas are not parallel.
B) It contains a dangling modifier.
C) It contains a split infinitive.
D) It contains a camouflaged verb.
E) Nothing—it is grammatically correct as written.
Answer:
Using words, images, and designs that are familiar to your audience will generally
A) mean fewer people will pay any attention to your messages.
B) frustrate customers who will confuse your company with others.
C) increase the chances that your messages will get noticed.
D) be viewed negatively by current and prospective clients.
E) prevent your messages from standing out.
Answer:
All of the following are examples of unethical communication except
A) using jargon.
B) selective misquoting.
C) distorting visuals.
D) plagiarism.
E) omitting vital information because it does not support your argument.
Answer:
Putting your first draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process
A) is a waste of valuable time.
B) generally makes it more difficult to revise effectively.
C) is often helpful, especially with more complex messages.
D) is unnecessary unless you are an unskilled writer.
E) can be helpful, but not for electronic documents.
Answer:
Which of the following is not a characteristic of ethical communication?
A) It includes all relevant information.
B) It is designed to hide some negative information.
C) It is true in every sense.
D) It is not deceptive in any way.
E) It is vital for formal communication, but less important for informal.
Answer:
When writing a persuasive request for action, you should
A) use the direct approach.
B) demonstrate that helping you will indeed solve a significant problem.
C) ask for more than you actually want so that you’ll have a cushion for negotiation.
D) avoid flattery.
E) make fantastic claims about the benefits of complying, since no one is likely to
follow up.
Answer:
________ communication flows between departments to help employees share
information, coordinate tasks, and solve complex problems.
A) Upward
B) Downward
C) Horizontal
D) Diagonal
E) Circular
Answer:
The employer should not ask you questions about
A) your marital status.
B) your ethnicity.
C) your religion.
D) the composition of your family.
E) any of the above.
Answer:
When it comes to nonverbal communication,
A) culture does not influence how signals are interpreted.
B) the sender—rather than the receiver—gets to determine what signals mean.
C) it pays to be careful, since others might interpret things very differently than you
intended.
D) eye contact is a universal symbol of respect.
E) one rule of thumb is that you can never smile too much.
Answer:
Diversity in the workplace can be based on differences in
A) ethnic heritage.
B) religion.
C) age.
D) gender.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
If a customer requesting an adjustment is at fault for the problem, the best response is
often to
A) refuse the claim without any explanation.
B) refuse the claim, but assertively point out the customer’s mistake.
C) honor the claim but do so grudgingly.
D) honor the claim but diplomatically explain that your firm was not entirely at fault.
E) tell the customer he or she is lucky you’re not pursuing legal action.
Answer:
When should you include a separate list of illustrations with your report?
Answer:
In the ________ phase of team evolution, team members reach a decision and find a
solution that is acceptable enough for all members to support (even if they have
reservations).
Answer:
Provide at least five examples of topical organization strategies for business reports.
Answer:
What is viral marketing?
Answer:
With so many opportunities to apply for jobs online, is it still worthwhile to prepare a
traditional paper résumé? Why or why not?
Answer:
What four topics are commonly covered in the introduction to a business proposal?
Briefly explain each one.
Answer:
Media ________ is the ability of a medium to convey a message using more than one
informational cue, facilitate feedback, and establish personal focus.
Answer:
What two essential questions do employers seek to answer about each candidate in
interviews?
Answer:
The process of sending and receiving messages between people of different cultures is
called ________ ________.
Answer:
List at least three advantages of using blogs in business.
Answer:
Briefly explain how reputation analysts can help companies obtain important
information about clients.
Answer:
Describe several ways you can de-emphasize price in sales messages.
Answer:
What is ethnocentrism, and how can it be overcome?
Answer:
In a formal proposal, how do you determine the organizational approach to use in the
letter of transmittal?
Answer:
Briefly explain the nature and importance of the final phase in the communication
process.
Answer:
List the three general purposes of business messages.
Answer:
How do panel interviews differ from group interviews?
Answer: