Which of the following is the best practice for a group when it begins a meeting?
a. Wait until all participants arrive.
b. Give a quick recap to anyone who arrives late.
c. Establish ground rules.
d. Start voting on items prior to holding any discussion.
Answer:
Ben Franklin stated this opinion about business messages: To be good, it ought to have
a tendency to benefit the reader. His opinion reflects the importance of analyzing the
purpose of the message.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
A work plan for a formal report should
a. be written after conducting primary or secondary research.
b. define terminology to be used in the report.
c. include a clear problem statement, a purpose statement, and a description of the
research methods to be used.
d. identify the credentials of the report writer.
Answer:
Even though you will likely receive and accept your job offer via telephone, you should
send the employer a letter or e-mail to document your acceptance of the job.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Regardless of the documentation format used, sources should be alphabetized in the
bibliographic section of a report.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Persuasive techniques today are subtler and more misleading than of the past.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
A wiki is a website with journal entries on any imaginable topic usually written by one
person.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
When you have a conversation with someone from another culture, you can reduce
misunderstandings if you
a. speak in short sentences.
b. accept a yes or a nod to affirm comprehension.
c. wait until you finish a long explanation to request feedback.
d. use lots of slang to demonstrate your knowledge of your culture’s language.
Answer:
Business writers who use words such as interrogate, remuneration, and terminate are
using language many readers would consider
a. slang.
b. conversational.
c. jargon.
d. unfamiliar.
Answer:
If an interviewer says Why do you want to work for us?, you should
a. briefly summarize problems at your current job that require you to change employers.
b. show what you know about the interviewer’s company and how your goals match the
company and its culture.
c. explain that as a recent graduate you want to work for any company needing a person
with your skills and background.
d. 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:
Headings are an effective tool for highlighting information.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
A negative-news message that is organized indirectly should begin with a buffer.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
When answering interview questions, always aim your responses at the key
characteristics interviewers seek.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
E-mail has made telephone use obsolete in the corporate world.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
When speaking on a cell phone, speak more loudly so that the receiver can hear you and
your ideas.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
What advice should you follow when using down-editing to reply to an e-mail
message?
a. Do not include a courteous opening with your reply message.
b. Avoid the use of different colors when inserting your comments.
c. Delete the sender’s message header, signature, and all unnecessary parts.
d. Add a comment after every sentence in the original message.
Answer:
When using either a bulleted or numbered list, capitalize the initial word of each line
and always follow each idea with end punctuation.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Paragraphs should
a. focus on at least three ideas.
b. avoid the repetition of key or similar words.
c. contain long, solid chunks of print.
d. contain eight or fewer printed lines.
Answer:
The sentence You must submit your application by Friday is a more effective business
message than Please submit your application by Friday.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Instant messaging and texting
a. provide “presence functionality,” allowing coworkers to locate each other online,
which saves time tracking someone down who is out of the office.
b. are delayed; a user has time to recall sent messages if he or she decides the message
should not have been delivered.
c. prevent multitasking and encourage employees to focus on one job at a time.
d. allow in-depth analysis of data, including charts and graphs, and lengthy
conversation of the chosen topics.
Answer:
No matter what kind of audience you will have, you must plan your presentation to
focus on audience benefits.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
One goal of an adjustment message is to promote future business.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Persuasive claim or complaint messages may involve damaged products, mistaken
billing, inaccurate shipments, warranty problems, limited return policies, insurance
snafus, or faulty merchandise.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
News professionals, educators, and corporate trainers create digital audio or video files;
and receivers can download the files to a computer or a smartphone to view or hear the
file contents. What are these digital audio or video files called?
a. Blogs
b. Podcasts
c. Wikis
d. Web forums
Answer:
What is the best advice to follow when using texting or instant messaging (IM) in the
workplace?
a. Keep a single contact list of personal and professional contacts for efficiency.
b. Even if you are completing a project or trying to meet a deadline, answer all texts or
instant messages immediately.
c. Feel free to send sensitive or confidential messages to people you know.
d. Check with your supervisor to learn about your organization’s messaging policies.
Answer:
The most important dimension of culture is
a. time orientation.
b. context.
c. individualism.
d. power distance.
Answer:
In the norming phase of team development, teams discuss alternatives, evaluate
outcomes, apply criteria, and prioritize alternatives.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Businesses use podcasting for sending audio and video messages that do not require a
live presence yet offer a friendly human face.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
An awareness of courtesy and etiquette
a. will ensure one’s popularity in an office setting.
b. is not important to hiring managers.
c. is needed for only high-level business executives.
d. can improve an individual’s chances of being hired and promoted.
Answer:
Developing a diverse staff that can work together cooperatively is one of the biggest
challenges facing business organizations today.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
You can improve your listening skills if you follow tips for active listening, including
a. keeping an open mind, establishing a receptive mind-set, and listening between the
lines.
b. establishing a receptive mind-set, concentrating on appearance and delivery, and
sifting information through biases.
c. capitalizing on lag time, concentrating on your next comment, and taking as many
notes as possible.
d. asking questions immediately, focusing on the speaker’s face, and concentrating on
the details presented in the message.
Answer: