Poor writing may need to be rewritten and frequently brought to other people for help.
Answer:
Though technical jargon should be used as much as possible in business writing, a job
application letter is one of the few occasions when technical jargon is undesirable.
Answer:
Good writers of progress reports spend less space explaining the value of their work for
the organization and more space writing about the details of what they have done so
far.
Answer:
In an interview, it is important to present your work portfolio, even if the interviewer
does not call for it.
Answer:
A message requires benefits when presenting only factual information.
Answer:
Personality and aptitude tests can find all of your strengths and tell you exactly what job
best suits you.
Answer:
It is important to schedule controversial items toward the end of a meeting, because it
helps manage time better.
Answer:
Cultural preferences are important in written documents.
Answer:
A leadership team has been unable to reach consensus about a decision regarding a
training program. According to Bob Frisch, to gain consensus, the team leader should
allow the team members to make their decisions confidentially.
Answer:
While creating messages regarding layoffs and firings, it is good to state the reasons in
a way that is clear, but does not expose the organization to legal liabilities.
Answer:
Abbreviations are inappropriate in business-related e-mail messages even if they are
part of the group’s culture.
Answer:
Well-designed visuals in PowerPoint slides give presentations a professional image and
serve as an outline for a talk.
Answer:
The secret to successful networking is reciprocity, a two-way relationship.
Answer:
Karen is a writer for a magazine. Whenever she is unable to come up with an idea for
an article, she writes without stopping for ten minutes or so, even if the writing is
irrelevant to what she needs. She repeats this process at least three times. In this
scenario, Karen is relying on the process of clustering to generate ideas.
Answer:
Oral communication style uses more personal pronouns, less varied vocabulary, and
more repetition than written communication styles.
Answer:
To manage deadlines and simple tasks, you can use Microsoft Outlook, but for more
complex assignments you may require something such as Google’s calendar, which can
organize calendars, assignments, communications, and documents.
Answer:
The primary purpose of a goodwill presentation is to motivate an audience to act or to
believe.
Answer:
The best way to get offered more money during the interview process is to show that
you can do what the competition can’t.
Answer:
Before sending out an application letter, Fergie ensures that she checks the company
website to learn the name and address of the specific individual in the company who
will be receiving her letter. This is an effective technique to use while writing a job
application letter.
Answer:
While analyzing data, it is vital that you are suspicious of all data, even those from
reputable sources.
Answer:
Multitasking as a time management technique is particularly effective when long-term
learning or communication tasks are involved.
Answer:
Andrew receives an e-mail from an unknown sender informing him that he has won
$15,000 in a lucky draw. The sender asks for Andrew’s account information to transfer
the prize money. This is most likely a phishing e-mail.
Answer:
An informative message has the secondary purpose of reducing or eliminating future
messages on the same subject.
Answer:
Oral messages are better than written messages when presenting several specific details
of a law, procedure, or policy.
Answer:
In case you were laid off from your previous job, you need to point out the layoff in
your application materials.
Answer:
Goodwill endings should focus on the reader’s hobbies, family, or personal life.
Answer:
Sales proposals, particularly for complicated systems costing millions of dollars, are
often short and crisp.
Answer:
It is unethical to omit a low GPA on your résumé.
Answer:
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.
Answer:
You should begin a proposal with a brief, but strong, summary of the major benefits of
having you do the work.
Answer:
According to the Myers-Briggs typology, sensing types are good at facts and expect
others to be good at them as well.
Answer:
The _____ of an interview is a brief period of time for you to highlight your
qualifications and expect questions that give you an opportunity to showcase your
strong points.
A. opening
B. conclusion
C. body
D. closing
E. introduction
Answer:
Which of the following is the best example of a goodwill ending in a positive business
e-mail?
A. Have a good day!
B. Wish you a happy weekend!
C. Convey my regards to your family.
D. If you have any questions please feel free to call.
E. I am looking forward to receiving more orders from you.
Answer:
Sheeba is a recent college graduate. She is writing a solicited job application letter in
response to an advertisement in a job portal. Which of the following should Sheeba do
while organizing her letter?
A. She should ask someone else to write her letter.
B. She should describe her cultural preferences, since they are important in a healthy
work environment.
C. She should avoid asking for an interview, as this is obvious from her letter.
D. She should include some personal stories that reveal more about her values.
E. She should relate her achievements to the work she’d be doing in the new job.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is true about roles in teams?
A. An individual can only play one role in a team.
B. An individual’s role can change during the team’s work.
C. The most important role in a team is that of a leader.
D. Roles on teams are always positive.
E. Negative roles and actions in a team help the team resolve conflicts.
Answer:
In which of the following scenarios would a bar chart be most effective?
A. To depict the amount of cotton grown in different geographical regions of a country
B. To show a company’s growth in net sales over time
C. To identify the contribution of each division of a company to its total revenue
D. To show the dimensions of a proposed product design
E. To depict the step-by-step process of using a new software program
Answer:
Which of the following ways is the right way to deal with criticism?
A. Focus more on your response than the criticism.
B. Listen carefully even if you don’t value the person.
C. Defend yourself, but do not express anger.
D. Accept the criticism without asking questions.
E. Consider it as a misunderstanding if it cannot be clarified and let it go.
Answer:
Which of the following is a secondary purpose of a persuasive message?
A. To distance the communicator from the communicator’s organization
B. To make the audience change or alter beliefs
C. To build a good image of the communicator
D. To threaten the audience into acting just the way you want
E. To necessitate future communication with the audience on the same subject
Answer:
Selena’s flight back to her hometown was delayed by two days, and she was very upset
about having to pay for two additional nights at her hotel. While writing a complaint to
the airline, which of the following should Selena follow?
A. She should ask for reimbursement of her accommodation expenses for those two
days.
B. She should write in length explaining her predicament.
C. She should threaten to never fly with the airlines again.
D. She should begin the letter with a buffer.
E. She should ask the airlines to pay her for her entire trip’s accommodation.
Answer:
When talking about people with disabilities, use language that:
A. detracts from the person.
B. focuses on the condition.
C. names the person first.
D. defines the person in terms of the condition.
E. demonstrates positive emphasis but not you-attitude.
Answer:
A(n) _____ evaluates two or more alternatives before suggesting one among them, and
usually consists of the decision to be made, a listing of the alternatives, and an
explanation of the criteria.
A. recommendation report
B. interim report
C. closure report
D. credit report
E. payback report
Answer:
In an application letter as a new graduate, including specifics about what you’ve done
will present you in a positive light, most likely because:
A. it will show that you have researched the company before applying for the job.
B. it will be a useful exaggeration of your strengths.
C. it will show that you have comprehensive knowledge in your field.
D. it will show that you remember the job responsibilities you had in your previous
job.
E. it will make your claims more believable and ground them in reality.
Answer:
The main purpose of _____ is to entertain and validate an audience.
A. persuasive presentations
B. informative presentations
C. goodwill presentations
D. technical meetings
E. training sessions
Answer:
Which of the following is true about negotiating salary and benefits?
A. Discuss all details about your salary during the screening interview.
B. Avoid research about salary details because it may cloud your decisions.
C. State that you received a higher package in the previous company.
D. Negotiate salary details after you have the job offer in hand.
E. Mention a specific salary and that you cannot expect anything less.
Answer:
Jane recently attended an interview at Breaking Paths Inc., a respected media house.
Prior to the interview, she prepared well for her position and was able to answer all the
questions asked during the interview. However, the interviewers mentioned that she
came across as impolite during the interview. Which of the following behaviors did
Jane most likely display during the interview?
A. She used lengthy monologues to share her knowledge about the company and
herself.
B. She practiced active listening by rephrasing and clarifying what the interviewers
said.
C. She used a handshake that was neither limp nor aggressive.
D. She did not criticize her previous employers even though they were not pleasant to
her.
E. She asked interviewers if they required further details about her work experience.
Answer:
Every year in the month of April, Rowland and Co. files a report to the Securities and
Exchange Commission of the U.S.A. The report consists of details about their audited
financial statements, executive compensation, and equities. Which of the following
documents is being mentioned in this scenario?
A. Annual report
B. Quarterly Report
C. Claims adjustment
D. 10-K report
E. Quotation
Answer:
Which of the following is a typical communication strategy in low-context cultures?
A. Allowing a lot of room for ambiguity and indirectness
B. Relying very little on words and verbal communications
C. Placing very little importance to building relationships
D. Attaching very little importance to the written words
E. Giving very little attention to detail
Answer:
In the United States, which of the following is considered inappropriate to mention on a
résumé?
A. Sex
B. Self-employment
C. Entry-level positions
D. Social Security number
E. Educational background
Answer:
Keeping in mind the cultural differences between audiences, which of the following
visuals is likely to be most effective?
A. A visual that organizes information according to the reading customs of the
audience
B. A visual that uses punctuation marks consistently
C. A visual that always organizes information from left to right
D. A visual that uses periods to indicate decimal points
E. A visual that uses symbols consistently
Answer:
While using lists to create white space, it is important to:
A. ensure all paragraphs comprise of not more than two lines.
B. make the first paragraph as lengthy as possible.
C. use bullets when sequence of items is exact.
D. make all items non-parallel for better understanding.
E. use tabs or indents to align items vertically.
Answer:
_____ are ploys from identity thieves seeking your personal information.
A. Viruses
B. Phishing ads
C. Trojans
D. Pop-ups
E. Ponzi schemes
Answer:
Estefani, a design executive, is preparing a design report for the industrial cooler to be
manufactured by her department. In her report, she combines a few graphs with
different scales, but avoids all three-dimensional (3D) graphs. She includes breaks in
the bars while using truncated scales and ensures that she differentiates between
estimated and actual values. She also uses as little color as possible and limits the use of
chartjunk in the visuals. Which of the following is most likely a fault in Estefani’s
report?
A. The lack of 3D graphs
B. The limited use of color and chartjunk
C. The combination of graphs with different scales
D. The use of breaks in the bars while using truncated scales
E. The differentiation between the estimated and actual values
Answer:
Which of the following makes an application letter look unprofessional?
A. Creating your letter in a word-processing program
B. Addressing your letter to a specific person
C. Printing on the same paper you used for your résumé
D. Using a computer to print the envelope address
E. Adding personal information and relatives’ names
Answer:
Cynthia is a literature graduate who is applying for a job at a major publishing house.
Which of the following statements contains appropriate jargon for her application
letter?
A. I will be able to commence work any time after April 4.
B. This position will allow me to utilize my analytical abilities and experience.
C. I am applying for the advertised post of literary agent in your company.
D. Based on what transpires in the next few days, I will give you my decision soon.
E. I have been active in campus activities and have enjoyed good relations with my
classmates and professors.
Answer:
Informational dimensions of teams focus on _____.
A. the cooperation between team members
B. the promotion of team loyalty
C. possible solutions to problems
D. method and process
E. the decision-making process
Answer:
Adele, a customer executive at a travel agency, is writing a report titled “Creative
Strategies to Increase Client Base.” She has gathered the information she needs and has
compiled the information in her own words into a different format. She has also shared
her report with a colleague and has asked him for suggestions. Now, Adele is ensuring
that her report does not have any typographical or formatting errors. On which activity
of the composing process is Adele currently focusing?
A. Writing
B. Planning
C. Freewriting
D. Brainstorming
E. Proofreading
Answer:
Judith recently designed a brochure on “Conservation of Water” for students at the
University of Michigan. The brochure received a good response from all members of
the audience and the community. Which of the following design principles did Judith
most likely use?
A. Identifying several selling points instead of one central selling point
B. Avoiding placing main selling point on cover since it makes an audience biased
C. Using fixed fonts instead of proportional fonts to place more information
D. Using italics to highlight the text and make it easier to read and browse
E. Creating contrast between a larger font for headings and a smaller one for text
Answer:
Which of the following is appropriate behavior for a candidate during a site visit that
involves a meal or a semi-social occasion?
A. Order something substantial, so that the interviewer knows you have a healthy
appetite.
B. Eat a heavy lunch, so that you’ll be alert during the afternoon.
C. Let your guard down by drinking a glass of wine with lunch.
D. Remember that silverware is used from the outside in.
E. Sit up straight and keep your arms on the table.
Answer:
Which of the following is important while planning a collaborative writing project?
A. Make the analysis of the problem, audience, and context vague.
B. Plan the format and style of the document after people have submitted their writing.
C. Ensure that each member complies with one generic style of working.
D. Decide how you will give constructive feedback on each person’s work.
E. Avoid building leeway into your deadlines.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is true of using humor in business communications?
A. There should be no restraints while using humor to convey informative messages.
B. It should be completely avoided, as it always makes a message seem less important.
C. Sexual and religious humor should be avoided, but political humor can be used.
D. It can be directed at specific people if they never get to see the message.
E. It can help increase the chances that a message is read or heard.
Answer:
Nevaeh, who works for Animal Aid Foundation, is writing a progress report on efforts
to rescue elephants, tigers, and monkeys from circuses. Which of the following would
most likely be the best subject line for her report?
A. Circus Animals-What we have done so far
B. Animal Cruelty should be banned by you and me
C. Efforts undertaken by us to save animals
D. Efforts by Animal Aid Foundation to rescue circus animals
E. Show that you careStand up against animal cruelty in your city
Answer:
On which of the following should your job application letter focus?
A. Points that separate you from other applicants
B. Controversial material about job changes or breaks in your career
C. A chronological and detailed display of your qualifications
D. Your personal life and how it motivates you to seek the job
E. Questions about the organization you are applying to
Answer:
Shlomo needs to give a presentation to the campaign manager of his project in order to
convince him that Internet media is the best medium to promote the upcoming
campaign on Child Rights. Explain what type of presentation he should be giving and
give your rationale for the choice.
Answer:
Diane was excited about the prospects of working with the multinational company,
Freedom Inc. After attending all the interviews and receiving good nonverbal feedback
from the interviewers, she was not selected for the job. How should Diane deal with this
rejection?
Answer:
Palmer Industries has developed alliances with companies in Japan. The company
anticipates that there will be extensive written communication between their,
particularly via e-mail. In addition, face-to-face meetings will be conducted via video
conferencing. Abigail Corinno, the Vice President for Palmer Industries, feels it would
be a good idea to implement a communications program to make employees aware of
the cultural differences. She asks the communications manager to compile a list of
topics that should be included in the program. What major points should this list
contain?
Answer:
Explain the 1-2-3 pattern of organizing information with the help of an example.
Answer:
What is the best way to organize a cover letter for a long sales proposal?
Answer:
List the questions to ask yourself that will help you evaluate your strengths and
interests, as a step in helping you decide what you really want to do as a career.
Answer:
How should you handle questions when delivering an oral presentation? What are the
key points to keep in mind?
Answer:
What do the terms “organizational culture” and “discourse community mean”? Describe
each one.
Answer:
Explain what task progress reports are.
Answer:
Explain passive verbs, impersonal expressions and when each should be used in a
message.
Answer:
David Mason is a sales manager at a telecom company and recently reviewed the sales
report of one of the company’s outlets. He is disappointed to see the low sale of mobile
connections and now needs to convey the message to his subordinates. What kind of an
organization should he follow while conveying his message?
Answer:
Explain the four different ways employers use résumés.
Answer:
How do writers with good writing skills differ from those with poor writing skills in
composing documents?
Answer:
List the order in which a transmittal should be organized.
Answer:
Why is tone tricky in business communication?
Answer:
What is the purpose of checking for inferences when handling criticisms?
Answer:
Define active voice and passive voice and explain how they differ.
Answer: