You should use the direct approach for negative messages when the message has a
relatively minor impact on the audience.
Answer:
It’s best to back up all claims and requests for adjustments with invoices, sales receipts,
and so on and to send copies to the company and keep the originals.
Answer:
Although input from colleagues can be helpful, many effective writers find it helpful
never to show the first draft of a document to anyone.
Answer:
When making direct requests, you should avoid such polite words and phrases as please
and I would appreciate.
Answer:
Most interviewers will make allowances for applicants to be a few minutes late for their
appointment.
Answer:
Part of preparing for a job interview involves anticipating the questions that an
interviewer will ask and rehearsing answers to each one.
Answer:
In the United States, businesses always use letterhead on all pages of a letter.
Answer:
In the work experience section of your résumé, you should leave out any jobs that do
not relate directly to your career objective.
Answer:
When writing negative messages, you should begin with a buffer to make the reader
think that good news will follow.
Answer:
The Library of Congress is archiving every public tweet from every Twitter user.
Answer:
“The evaluator noted several shortcomings” is written in the active voice.
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:
Conclusions differ from recommendations in that conclusions suggest what ought to be
done about the facts.
Answer:
An up-front hard-sell approach is usually the most successful to deliver a persuasive
message.
Answer:
Messages can be unethical simply because certain details have not been included.
Answer:
When traveling to another country to conduct business, you can assume that making
frequent eye contact during your conversations will show that you’re open and honest.
Answer:
As long as your message is clear, the size of your audience should not affect your
approach.
Answer:
When a third party is at fault in a claim, the best approach is always to refer the
customer to that party to resolve the problem.
Answer:
The table of contents (TOC) should always include all levels of headings for the report.
Answer:
The more decorative elements you can add to a graphic, the more interesting and useful
it will be to the audience.
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:
The ‘slide sorter view” in presentation software allows you to see a batch of slides,
either all at once or in significant portions.
Answer:
To avoid awkward situations, it is always best to deliver bad news for employees in
writing.
Answer:
Paraphrases do not require documentation of sources.
Answer:
“Do you think the new employee benefit package is adequate?” is an example of an
open-ended question.
Answer:
Blogs are useful tools for crisis communication.
Answer:
In the simplified letter format, commas follow both the salutation and the
complimentary close.
Answer:
People in the United States are generally accustomed to having less privacy at work
than their counterparts in other cultures.
Answer:
There are no important differences between instant messaging and text messaging.
Answer:
Making a presentation with the help of an outline or notes is the most effective and
easiest delivery mode.
Answer:
It’s a good idea to take extra copies of your résumé with you to an interview.
Answer:
In an online report, headings
A) should rarely be used.
B) can be used as links to other sections of the report.
C) are considered trendy and should usually be avoided.
D) complicate the organization of your report by enabling readers to jump from section
to section.
E) should never be longer than one word.
Answer:
Writing for websites often involves the use of ________, which organize and control
content and support teamwork.
A) microblogging tools
B) shared workspaces
C) commenting tools
D) semantic modulators
E) content management systems
Answer:
YouTube, Wikipedia, and Twitter are popular examples of
A) general-purpose social networks.
B) user-generated content sites.
C) community macromedia outlets.
D) private-label social networks.
E) personalized synchronous networks.
Answer:
Applicant tracking systems help employers by
A) charting each applicant’s progress through the hiring process.
B) mapping out promising career paths for each applicant.
C) sifting through the hundreds or thousands of résumés they receive each year.
D) tracking down promising applicants by searching social media sites.
E) doing all of the above.
Answer:
Why should writers avoid phrases such as, “attached please find” and “we are in receipt
of”?
A) They are rude.
B) They are too intimate.
C) They are stale and pompous.
D) They involve preaching and bragging.
E) They are too conversational.
Answer:
Interviews in which the interviewer adapts his or her line of questioning based on the
answers you give and any questions you ask are known as ________ interviews.
A) free-flowing
B) creative
C) screening
D) unhindered
E) open-ended
Answer:
When it comes to business communication, YouTube
A) is helpful for consumer-to-consumer interaction, but not for companies seeking to
communicate with consumers.
B) is not regarded as a viable medium, since anyone can post anything.
C) has caught on only as a venue for dissatisfied customers to air their complaints.
D) has quickly become an important medium for a variety of messages.
E) is so risky that smart companies tend to avoid it.
Answer:
One drawback of using the ________ for business reports is that comparing a number
of options against multiple criteria can get boring.
A) yardstick approach
B) topical approach
C) mission-critical approach
D) consensus-building approach
E) 2 + 2 = 4 approach
Answer:
The final step in the communication process is
A) receiving the message.
B) sending the message.
C) the audience providing feedback to the sender.
D) interpreting the message.
E) decoding the message.
Answer:
Using your résumé to tell employers you are detail oriented, a team player, and a hard
worker
A) is an effective strategy, since all employers appreciate these characteristics.
B) is generally not helpful unless you also include concrete proof and evidence to
support your claims.
C) is often effective as long as you repeat the claims in your application letter.
D) often results in a higher starting salary.
E) should be avoided unless you are applying for an executive position.
Answer:
As an alternative to newsfeeds, ________ involves aggregating (gathering) and curating
(sorting, categorizing, and presenting) information on a particular topic in a way that
makes it convenient for targeted readers.
A) blog rolling
B) content curation
C) sentiment analysis
D) hub syndication
E) virtual categorization
Answer:
The purpose of a résumé is to
A) induce the reader to hire you.
B) list all your skills and abilities.
C) get you an interview.
D) take the place of an application letter.
E) exaggerate your qualifications and impress potential employers.
Answer:
When you must deliver bad news in the workplace, remember that
A) you should deemphasize the news at all costs.
B) the feelings of those who receive the message are irrelevant.
C) delaying, downplaying, or distorting the news may be unethical or illegal.
D) internal and external audiences will react to the news in the same way.
E) none of the above.
Answer:
When you’re writing a report, you can adapt to your intended audience by
A) focusing on the “you” attitude.
B) being sensitive to the audience’s needs.
C) building strong relationships with the audience.
D) controlling your style and tone.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
In the closing section of a routine request, ________ would be out of place.
A) asking a series of questions
B) requesting some specific action
C) expressing your goodwill and appreciation
D) providing your contact information
E) all of the above
Answer:
In a proposal, the statement of qualifications
A) presents the concept, product, or service you’re proposing.
B) delineates the costs involved in your proposed solution.
C) describes your company’s experience, personnel, and facilities.
D) asks a decision-maker to authorize your proposed solution.
E) orients readers to the information that the proposal will include.
Answer:
The two most common primary research methods are
A) not appropriate for test marketing.
B) experiments and observations.
C) surveys and interviews.
D) test panels and experiments.
E) reports and memos.
Answer:
If you choose to apologize in a negative message, you should
A) phrase the apology in a conditional manner (“If I have offended anyone …”).
B) imply that not all of the blame lies with you or your company.
C) be sincere and make it a true apology.
D) always demonstrate sincerity, but never accept blame.
E) always urge the reader against taking legal action.
Answer:
The three primary steps involved in preparing a business message are
A) planning, writing, and completing.
B) informing, persuading, and collaborating.
C) defining the purpose, the main idea, and the topic.
D) satisfying the audience’s informational, motivational, and practical needs.
E) outlining, presenting, and following up.
Answer:
In addition to offering information and analysis, ________ can also include
recommendations.
A) indirect reports
B) analytical reports
C) multipartite reports
D) cross-functional reports
E) socioeconomic reports
Answer:
With the availability of telepresence and other sophisticated meeting technologies,
face-to-face meetings
A) are still valuable in many situations.
B) are wasteful and unnecessary.
C) should happen only when the topic is highly controversial.
D) offer nothing that technology cannot replicate.
E) should be avoided, even when participants work in close proximity.
Answer:
Speaking from notes or an outline is often effective because
A) you can look at the notes instead of at your audience.
B) you can maintain a natural speaking flow.
C) it reduces the likelihood that you will improvise.
D) it enables you to read the presentation word-for-word.
E) it takes far less time to prepare than writing out the entire presentation.
Answer:
________ conveys information that is part of your message; ________ simply enhances
the look of your slides.
A) Decorative artwork; functional artwork
B) Background artwork; foreground artwork
C) Functional artwork; decorative artwork
D) Digital artwork; symbolic artwork
E) None of the above
Answer:
Which of the following is not a useful strategy in preparing business reports?
A) Clarify the problem or opportunity at hand.
B) Use the same format for reports, regardless of length.
C) Develop a work plan.
D) Consider delivering reports through multiple media.
E) All of the above are useful strategies.
Answer:
If you are preparing to conduct business with others from a different culture,
A) anything less than a year’s worth of research and practice will not make a difference.
B) you shouldn’t waste time trying to learn about the unfamiliar culturejust do what
comes naturally.
C) unless you can immerse yourself completely in the unfamiliar culture, your efforts
will not pay off.
D) even a small amount of research and practice will help you get through most
business situations.
E) you should expect them to set aside their expectations and accommodate yours.
Answer:
Suggesting that readers have made poor choices in the past
A) is helpful in sales messages, but not other persuasive messages.
B) is effective in persuasive messages, as long as you are subtle.
C) works well if you are trying to convince someone to make a large purchase.
D) can inadvertently insult your audience, reducing the effectiveness of your persuasive
message.
E) makes them more likely to accept your argument, as long as you are blunt and
forceful.
Answer:
In recommendation letters, comparing the candidate’s potential to that of his or her
peers
A) should be avoided, since it opens the door to legal action.
B) is unprofessional because it distracts attention from the candidate you are
recommending.
C) helps the recipient evaluate the candidate more effectively.
D) is a good idea, even if you have only a “gut feeling” about how the candidate stacks
up.
E) almost always reduces the candidate’s chances of landing the job.
Answer:
A company can use ________ as a measure of how effectively it is engaging its various
online stakeholders in a mutually beneficial exchange of information.
A) brand socialization
B) brand standardization
C) brand management
D) brand equilibrium
E) brand exploration
Answer:
Stakeholders affected by the quality of business communication include
A) customers.
B) employees.
C) suppliers.
D) shareholders.
E) all of the above.
Answer:
In a ________, the candidate meets with several interviewers at once.
A) panel interview
B) group interview
C) team interview
D) collaborative interview
E) relational interview
Answer:
Which of the following is an example of a message topic?
A) “To get the board of directors to increase the research and development budget”
B) “Competitors spend more than our company does on research and development.”
C) “Funding for research and development”
D) “The research and development budget is inadequate in our competitive
marketplace.”
E) Any of the above
Answer:
Because application letters are ________ messages, the AIDA approach is ideally suited
for them.
A) positive
B) negative
C) persuasive
D) routine
E) personal
Answer:
Learning which keywords will be most effective on your résumé
A) is easy when you access leading business publications, blogs, and other sources.
B) is impossible unless you already have a job in the industry you wish to work in.
C) can only be accomplished by calling potential employers and asking them.
D) is unnecessary, since most employers no longer pay much attention to them.
E) none of the above
Answer:
A(n) ________ communication climate is one that promotes candor, honesty, and the
sharing of negative information.
A) free-flowing
B) liberal
C) virtual
D) open
E) none of the above
Answer:
When you’re evaluating a functional résumé as a way to present your qualifications,
don’t forget that many employers
A) are suspicious of them.
B) strongly prefer them to chronological résumés.
C) view them as a sign of strong communication skills.
D) are unfamiliar with the functional résumé format.
E) require them from applicants for management positions.
Answer:
Suppose that you have to inform your supervisor about massive production delays.
Company policy dictates that you must provide this information in writing. What
questions should you consider when deciding between the direct and indirect
approaches for your message?
Answer:
Describe several benefits and one potential drawback of organizing business reports
using the direct approach.
Answer:
In what ways does a scannable résumé differ from the traditional format?
Answer:
In preparing a solicited proposal, how should you handle the RFP?
Answer:
What can you do to improve the readability of online content?
Answer:
Rewrite the following sentence to eliminate redundancies: “The engineers collaborated
together in order to produce the uniquely original final outcomes of their research.”
Answer:
What are the three categories of social networks used by businesses and professionals?
Answer:
Explain the characteristics of an effective letter rejecting a job applicant.
Answer:
How does a social media release differ from a traditional press release?
Answer:
List three guidelines to follow in order to avoid ethical lapses when conducting
research.
Answer:
Describe each of the four phases of the AIDA model for persuasive messages.
Answer:
When planning a presentation, what does it mean to “analyze the situation”? Briefly
explain each of the tasks involved.
Answer:
How is the denotative meaning of a word different from its connotative meaning?
Answer:
Briefly define social commerce.
Answer:
Give three reasons that writing analytical reports presents a greater challenge than
writing informational reports.
Answer: