Upgrade to remove ads
Only $35.99/year

Business Communication Chapters 1-5

Terms in this set (71)

The marketing director of an apparel company has to promote a person to the post of senior brand manager. There are three candidates in the running—David, Martina, and Nicki—and the marketing director has to ensure that the person she selects succeeds at the job. David has good product knowledge but poor communication skills. Martina is an average communicator but has excellent creative insight. Nicki possesses great communication skills but has average product knowledge. Keeping this scenario in mind, which of the following statements is true?
a. David is most likely to succeed at the job because of his technical knowledge.
b. All the candidates are equally likely to succeed at the job.
c. Martina is most likely to succeed at the job because of her creative potential.
d. The marketing director is most likely to do the job herself.
e. Nicki is most likely to succeed at the job because of her good communication skills.
e.
Which of the following is an example of an internal business document?
a. quotation
b. transmittal
c. 10-k report
d. thank-you letter
e. claims adjustment
b.
Which of the following is an example of an external business document?
a. transmittal
b. annual report
c. monthly report
d. memo of congratulations
e. policy and procedure bulletin
b.
Ada is writing a memo of congratulations to Enrique, who has been promoted to the post of assistant manager. Keeping in mind organizational documents, the most likely purpose of Ada's memo is to...
a. inform
b. persuade
c. request information
d. build goodwill
e. maintain a record
d.
Ali works in the customer service department of Pronto Mobile. He has to reply to a customer's request for reimbursement for a faulty product. Ali is likely to reply to the request via a...
a. transmittal
b. thank-you letter
c. procedure bulletin
d. claims adjustment
e. statement of company policy
d.
In business communication, the main purpose of a 10-K report is to...
a. inform
b. persuade
c. build goodwill
d. build an image
e. maintain a record
a.
Which of the following is most likely to reduce the cost of communication?
a. reducing document cycling
b. using emails with attachments
c. increasing the size of the emails
d. administering and maintaining archives
e. using paper documents instead of electronic communications
a.
Poor business communication is characterized by...
a. writing that takes less time to read and understand.
b. writing that involves minimal cycling of documents.
c. writing that does not need to be rewritten.
d. writing that prevents a reader from guessing information.
e. writing that obscures ideas and results in drawn-out decisions.
e.
Eduardo, the owner of a bakery, plans to write a letter to all his customers about a change in the location of his store. The bakery is moving to a location that is not at the heart of the city, which may not be convenient for many customers. Which of the following is recommended for Eduardo while he writes the letter?
a. He should place the main point in the middle of the first paragraph.
b. He should mention the benefits for the customers.
c. He should write it from his point of view.
d. He should use legalistic language.
e. He should use stiff language.
b.
Mena, a new business owner, is giving a presentation to a client on how she plans to help them better market themselves. She makes sure that the information in her presentation is clear, complete, and accurate, and that it presents a positive image of her and her organization. She uses long paragraphs to present the information on the slides. Which of the following modifications should Mena make to her presentation for it to be more effective?
a. She should use data that might not be accurate to present a rough picture of certain concepts.
b. She should present incomplete information to test the audience's knowledge in certain concepts.
c. She should present the information as it is, without worrying about the image of her or her organization.
d. She should use visuals to present information to save the audience's time in understanding and reading the information.
e. She should use very little information in her presentation and let the audience guide the direction of the presentation.
d.
Which of the following statements is true of conventions?
a. They are not static and tend to change with time.
b. They do not need to fit a particular context or purpose.
c. They are not present in common business communications.
d. They should not be adjusted according to the audience.
e. They are encountered rarely, if at all.
a.
Monique was recently hired as a marketing consulting in a foreign country and was able to adapt to the culture very quickly. When her colleagues asked her how she had managed to adapt so quickly, Monique said that she made an effort to understand the company's conventions. Which of the following would have been the best way for Monique to understand the company's conventions?
a. reading guidelines on office decorum
b. having a formal talk with her manager
c. observing the actions of other employees
d. browsing the company's website
e. researching the Internet on how to adapt to conventions
c.
Corporate greed, international pacts, and philanthropic deeds are best included within the category of...
a. corporate law.
b. business ethics.
c. strategic planning.
d. community service.
e. nonverbal communication.
b.
While creating its ethical code of conduct, an organization's management asks itself, "Do the words balance the organization's right to present its best case with its responsibility to present its message honestly?" In this case, which aspect of ethical issues in business communication is the management focusing on?
a. the quality of the message
b. the larger organizational context
c. the organization's corporate culture
d. the manner of conveying the message
e. the medium in which the message is conveyed
d.
Lens Flare is a graphic design firm that enables its employees to exercise while working by connecting some employees' workstations to treadmills. Lens Flare believes that this environment facilitates employee motivation and creativity. This scenario best illustrates Lens Flare's...
a. ethical code.
b. corporate culture.
c. data security plan.
d. spatial arrangement.
e. time management matrix.
b.
Which of the following is a difference between formal and informal corporate cultures?
a. Formal corporate cultures are characterized by casual attire; informal corporate cultures are not.
b. Formal corporate cultures are characterized by open office spaces; informal corporate cultures are not.
c. Formal corporate cultures are characterized by flexible work arrangements; informal corporate cultures are not.
d. Formal corporate cultures are characterized by hierarchical lines of command; informal corporate cultures are not.
e. Formal corporate cultures are characterized by individually empowered workers; informal corporate cultures are not.
d.
Which of the following statements is true of the brainstorming stage of solving a business communication problem?
a. It emphasizes that the first solution is always the best solution.
b. It is the last stage of the problem-solving process.
c. It assumes that there are usually several possible solutions to a problem.
d. It states that the solution should be measured against the audience and not the purpose.
e. It is a stage that usually begins with distributing knowledge.
c.
When deciding how much and what information to include in a presentation, you should...
a. consider the issue primarily from your point of view.
b. place the information in the middle of a paragraph to emphasize it.
c. document the main points and present them as briefly as possible.
d. make a list of the points that must be included.
e. identify multiple audience benefits.
d.
When organizing your information to fit your audience, your purpose, and the situation, you should...
a. put the main point at the end.
b. identify multiple audience benefits.
c. present the good news first.
d. never try to persuade a reluctant audience.
e. end the message with the main question.
c.
Which of the following is recommended while revising your draft to create a friendly and businesslike style?
a. Read your message as if you were in your audience's shoes.
b. Maintain a businesslike tone while communicating and avoid being friendly.
c. Do not convey overconfidence or an expectation of success.
d. Do not mention limitations, drawbacks, or other negatives.
e. Focus on what is impossible not what is possible.
a.
Which of the following audiences of organizational messages are people who have political, social, or economic power but do not have the power to stop a message or directly act on it?
a. primary audience
b. watchdog audience
c. virtual audience
d. auxiliary audience
e. secondary audience
b.
Catalina, a team lead at a company, has decided to change the work process of her team to improve quality. First, she has to get the approval of the company's operations head before she can present her proposal to the departmental head. Once she receives the head of operation's approval, she will make a presentation to the departmental head, who will then decide if the new process should be implemented or not. If the proposal is approved, the employees working under Catalina will have to implement the new process. In this scenario, the employees will be categorized as a(n)
a. virtual audience.
b. primary audience.
c. secondary audience.
d. watchdog audience.
e. auxiliary audience.
c.
Jervase is a fact checker at a publishing company. He writes an email explaining the new schedule he and his team members will use to check chapters of a textbook. Which of the following individuals is the gatekeeper in this scenario?
a. Jervase's manager, who will decide if the new schedule should be presented to the editorial manager or not
b. the editorial manager, who will accept or reject the new schedule
c. the coworkers who will go through the new schedule to see if it is doable
d. the other fact checkers working with Jervase, who will have to implement the new schedule, if approved
e. the board of directors who do not have the power to stop the message or act directly on it
a.
The venture capitalist for a small company is attending a sales presentation made by one of the employees to an important client. Though the venture capitalist does not have the power to stop the message or act on it directly, he will carefully evaluate the interaction between the employee and the client. Based on the results of the presentation, he will decide whether to invest further in the company. Which of the following audiences does the venture capitalist represent?
a. the primary audience
b. the secondary audience
c. gatekeepers
d. the watchdog audience
e. category captains
d.
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the __________ dichotomy measures how individuals orient themselves to the external world.
a. Sensing-Intuition
b. Extraversion-Introversion
c. Thinking-Feeling
d. Judging-Perceiving
e. Gathering-Selecting
d.
In the context of the four dichotomies in Myers-Briggs typology, which of the following statements is true?
a. Extraversion types get their energy from within.
b. Sensing types gather information by focusing on the relationships between facts.
c. Perceiving types prefer to live in a flexible, spontaneous way, enjoying possibilities.
d. Feeling types consider the logical consequences of a choice or action in decision making.
e. Intuitive types prefer what is real and tangible.
c.
In the context of the four dichotomies in Myers-Briggs typology, which of the following statements is true?
a. Sensing types trust their own experience more than someone else's account.
b. Thinking types are extremely comfortable with emotion or personal revelations.
c. Judging types are eager to make decisions, so they seek out additional information.
d. Extraverted types prefer written messages because it gives them time to respond.
e. Intuitive types prefer details, routine, and repetition.
a.
Saki's boss is of the intuitive type in Myers-Briggs typology. Considering this, which of the following will it be advisable for Saki to do when making and presenting decisions to her boss?
a. Present her reasoning step by step.
b. Stress practicalities.
c. Present all of the needed facts in detail and get them right.
d. Use metaphors and analogies in explanations.
e. Underplay her creativity and innovativeness.
d.
Which of the following illustrates the psychographic profiling of customers?
a. an advertisement created to attract customers between the ages 18-24
b. a range of body care products developed for men
c. an electric car designed for those who value eco-friendly products
d. a holiday package designed for a family of five
e. an insurance policy for women
c.
The management at a start-up company decides to hire retired employees from banks, colleges, and other major companies to mentor its employees. This way, the company can gain a workforce that is both experienced and proficient at a lower cost. However, the average age of the employees in the company is only 32. Which of the following practices will make the new, older employees comfortable in the organization?
a. promoting the organization as a fun place to work
b. keeping the communication channels highly informal
c. providing clearly defined roles
d. permitting flexible work timings and bending rules
e. motivating them to perform tasks for their own personal gains
c.
Which of the following questions will help analyze an organization's discourse community?
a. What is the annual revenue generated by the organization?
b. What kind of and how much evidence is needed to be convincing?
c. Who are the competitors of the company?
d. What is the market share of the company?
e. How long has the organization existed in the industry?
b.
Jana is the head of a department and is in charge of supervising 30 employees. Most discussions related to her department take place orally in departmental meetings. However, Jana should deliver the message in a written form when she wants to
a. resolve conflicts between the members of her department.
b. present specific details or complex data about a particular project.
c. get immediate action or response from her coworkers.
d. use emotion to help persuade the audience.
e. build consensus or modify plans.
b.
Qing needs to write an email to all his customers promoting a new loyalty program. From his experience, he has realized that most customers do not view promotional emails as important and tend to ignore them. Which of the following practices should Qing implement so that the audience does not take his message to be unimportant?
a. Use a generic subject line in the email.
b. Make the purchase action complicated.
c. Use the last paragraph to show the reader that the message is important.
d. Suggest an unrealistic deadline for the promotional offer.
e. Make the message in the email clear and concise.
e.
Carmen is the head of the product development team. She has called the marketing team to a meeting to give them an overview of a new product they will need to promote soon. During the meeting, she will have to provide some technical information that is new to the audience. Which of the following practices should Carmen implement in order to effectively deliver the new information to the audience?
a. Use acronyms to keep the new information brief.
b. Use examples to explain concepts and terms.
c. Present new information without linking it to old information that the audience already knows.
d. Avoid using headings because they interrupt the flow of the information.
e. Test the draft of the prepared material with a friend who works in her department.
b.
Which of the following is an effective practice when requesting an action from the audience that is time-consuming, complicated, or psychologically challenging?
a. making the action as easy as possible
b. oversimplifying the action to hide how complex it is
c. showing that the request is different from anything the audience is familiar with
d. ignoring the benefits the audience will receive when the action is completed
e. convincing the audience that the request is the perfect solution
a.
While designing a document that is meant to serve as a detailed guide for assembling a product, it is effective to
a. put all the steps in order of importance.
b. summarize each step.
c. group the steps into one category.
d. make the document large to emphasize its importance.
e. put any warnings at the beginning of the document.
e.
Fancy Pants is a luxury apparel store that sells designer wear to its member clients, who are mostly movie stars and music artists. When selling merchandise, which of the following audience benefits is Fancy Pants most likely to stress?
a. The previous spring summer collection is offered at 30 percent discount.
b. The prices in the store are lower than those of its competitors.
c. The collection is exclusive, and each outfit can be further personalized to suit the client's taste.
d. The brand is opening a new line of clothing and accessories for the middle-income group.
e. The company sources its cotton and silk from less-developed nations.
c.
An example of an intrinsic motivator for a sales representative would be
a. receiving a monetary reward for attracting a new customer.
b. receiving a positive performance appraisal.
c. experiencing pleasure in helping the company grow.
d. winning an award for contribution toward the company.
e. receiving a high rate of commission.
c.
The Grand Banquet Hotel is a business hotel for corporate clients looking for a premium place to host product launches, press releases, and shareholder meetings. Which of the following audience benefits should the hotel's advertisements stress to effectively appeal to its target customer?
a. large children's play area
b. ambience suitable for couples who desire privacy
c. environmental friendly, organic interiors
d. vegan food for all guests
e. large conference room that accommodates more than 300 people
e.
Kiara is writing a project report that will eventually be viewed by her company's board of directors, project engineers, marketing executives, and clients. She knows that the needs of all the people who are going to view the document are different. Keeping this in mind, which of the following practices should Kiara adopt in writing the document?
a. She should use a more formal style to write the report.
b. She should use personal pronouns actively throughout the report.
c. She should present background and explanatory information under the same heading.
d. She should include the information that the decision makers may not need in the body of the report.
e. She should organize the information based on the attitude of the auxiliary audience toward the message.
a.
Which of the following best demonstrates you-attitude?
a. talking about yourself
b. using "you" more than "I" in all situations
c. protecting the audience's ego
d. using active verbs while assigning blame
e. avoiding offering congratulations or sympathy
c.
Which of the following best helps apply you-attitude on a sentence level?
a. talking about your own feelings when referring to a customer's situation
b. using sentences that are wordy when communicating with customers
c. using active verbs and personal expressions to avoid assigning blame
d. talking about you and your company instead of commenting on the audience
e. using "you" more often than "I" in positive situations
e.
Carla, a manager, is required to inform her subordinate that he will not be receiving a promotion based on his annual performance review. Which of the following is the best way for Carla to give her subordinate this information using you-attitude?
a. You will not be receiving a promotion this year.
b. Your annual appraisal was not good enough for me to give you a promotion.
c. No basis for a promotion was found in the annual performance review.
d. I regret to inform you that you will not be receiving a promotion this year.
e. After careful consideration of your performance this year, I have decided not to give you a promotion.
c.
Morgan is Brian's manager. She has to inform Brian that she will not be able to approve his annual raise because of upcoming budget cuts. Which of the following is the best way for Morgan to convey this bad news using you-attitude?
a. The team will not receive raises this year due to budget cuts.
b. Your raise has been canceled.
c. Your raise has been canceled because of budget cuts.
d. I am extremely sorry to inform you that your raise has not been approved.
e. I hope you know how sorry I am that your raise has been canceled.
a.
Vera owns an online retail store that sells wearable electronic devices. A new customer has just placed an order for a very expensive smart watch. Which of the following best illustrates a confirmation of the order using you-attitude?
a. I am happy to inform you that your order has been confirmed.
b. You'll be happy to hear that your order has been confirmed.
c. Your order #2867 has been confirmed.
d. Your order has been confirmed.
e. I have confirmed your order.
c.
A manager has to inform her subordinates that their performances are not up to the mark. To maintain positive emphasis, which of the following is the best way for her to communicate the bad news to them?
a. I am afraid to inform you that I am dissatisfied with your performance.
b. You all have failed to achieve the expected targets and will have to improve substantially.
c. I was keen to give you all good performance ratings; however, your performances are not up to the mark.
d. You all are not allowed to take any breaks since your performance has been so bad.
e. To ensure that employee performance is good this year, we are changing the productivity guidelines.
e.
Which of the following sentences in an advertisement for MegaWatt lightbulbs correctly applies positive emphasis?
a. MegaWatt lightbulbs are not guaranteed for life.
b. MegaWatt lightbulbs offer a five-year warranty.
c. You will not be able to operate your MegaWatt lightbulbs for more than five years.
d. The lightbulbs at MegaWatt offer no more than a five-year warranty.
e. We hope your MegaWatt lightbulbs will last longer than five years.
b.
A sentence from a travel agent to a customer reads, "I hope this is the vacation package you are looking for." This sentence lacks positive emphasis primarily because it
a. is not appropriate.
b. contains double negatives.
c. contains a hidden negative.
d. is insensitive.
e. sounds arrogant and pushy.
c.
A sentence reads, "To increase the skin cleansing you obtain from the product, we have added a special chemical to it, which has increased the price of the product." Which aspect of maintaining positive emphasis does this sentence best indicate?
a. linking a negative element to a benefit by placing the benefit first
b. using double negatives instead of words with negative connotations
c. focusing on the limitations of a situation
d. implementing the use of hidden negatives to reinforce a message
e. avoiding the use of negative words with negative connotations
a.
Which of the following actions is most likely to emphasize the negative information in a message?
a. placing the negative information in the middle of the message
b. placing the negative information only once in the message
c. avoiding the use of negative words and hidden negatives
d. giving the negative information a lot of space on the page
e. avoiding listing the negative information with bulleted and numbered lists
d.
In which of the following situations is it considered insensitive to use positive emphasis?
a. when informing employees that they are being transferred to a different department
b. when terminating an employee's employment
c. when increasing an employee's salary
d. when changing an employee's job responsibilities
e. when informing employees that their management is changing
b.
Which branch of psychology studies how to help people thrive?
a. personality
b. positive
c. existential
d. evolutionary
e. psychodynamic
b.
Maureen is attending a fundraiser for her nonprofit and is excited about being introduced to Anna Corbin, a renowned philanthropist. Since Maureen has not interacted with Anna before, Maureen should address Anna as
a. Mrs. Anna Corbin.
b. Mrs. Corbin.
c. Anna.
d. Ms. Corbin.
e. Corbin.
d.
Mia has planned a meeting with Khaled, her subordinate. Which of the following words spoken by Mia to Khaled indicates the lowest level of politeness?
a. Would you be able to attend the meeting tomorrow?
b. Please try to attend the meeting tomorrow.
c. Would you be free to attend the meeting tomorrow?
d. Attend the meeting tomorrow.
e. Kindly attend the meeting tomorrow.
d.
In which of the following business situations would you typically need to be most polite?
a. if you are asking for something that will inconvenience the audience
b. if you are asking for something that will help the audience more than it will help you
c. if you are asking for something routine
d. if you are speaking to a subordinate
e. if you are requesting information
a.
Keeping in mind tone, power, and politeness in business messages, which of the following statements about trust is true?
a. Trust is unrelated to the skills associated with you-attitude.
b. Trust is necessary at the personal level but not at the corporate level.
c. Trust is enhanced by delivering what you promised.
d. Trust is exclusively brought about by honesty and ethics.
e. Trust is not related to goodwill.
c.
Which of the following job titles is regarded as sexist in business communication?
a. server
b. foreman
c. manager
d. lawyer
e. banker
b.
With regard to biased language, which of the statements below is true about the following job titles: executive, accountant, inspector, pilot, and secretary?
a. They are all neutral.
b. They are all sexist.
c. They are all ageist.
d. They are all discriminatory.
e. They are all racist.
a.
To reduce bias in communication, when you are addressing a reader whose name or gender you do not know, you should
a. avoid using a general group to which your reader belongs.
b. leave a blank for the reader to fill in his or her name.
c. omit the reader's position or job title.
d. replace the salutation with a subject line.
e. omit the salutation and the subject line.
d.
Which of the following is the most effective way to make a sentence nonsexist?
a. replacing articles with pronouns
b. mixing singular and plural nouns
c. using singular pronouns only
d. omitting the use of pronoun pairs
e. omitting the pronouns
e.
Which of the following activities in the composing process typically involves adding, deleting, or rearranging information?
a. revising
b. proofreading
c. editing
d. writing
e. planning
a.
Which of the following describes clustering as a technique for generating ideas?
a. thinking about the content, layout, and structure of your document
b. making yourself write without stopping for 10 minutes or so, and identifying the best point in the draft
c. talking to audiences to gain better insight into their needs and wants
d. coming up with all the ideas you can, without judging them
e. writing a topic in the middle of the page and trying to create a pattern of ideas around it
e.
For an oral presentation, a meeting, or a document with lots of visuals, try creating a __________, with a rectangle representing each page or unit.
a. diagram
b. storyboard
c. blueprint
d. cluster
e. boilerplate
b.
Which of the following statements about reports is true?
a. Reports are more formal than letters or memos.
b. Reports tend to use contractions.
c. Reports tend to use personal pronouns.
d. Reports use second person.
e. Reports are typically not read more than once.
a.
People who write when they are feeling under stress tend to
a. rely on verbs rather than on nouns.
b. liven up their style of writing.
c. have a more indirect style of writing.
d. demonstrate false confidence in their writing.
e. write more bluntly.
c.
Which of the following half-truths about business writing should you follow?
a. Use a colloquial style of writing in the final draft of your document.
b. Use "I" as much as possible to show that you are confident about the document.
c. Use "you" if the audience members are unfamiliar and you want to connect with them.
d. Use prepositions to end your sentences in a report to make the writing more professional.
e. Use big words correctly; otherwise, they may distance you from your audience.
e.
Which of the following is an example of a sentence using passive voice?
a. The task was completed by the sales manager.
b. I sent an email with the minutes of the meeting.
c. She asked him to read the guidelines document.
d. The CEO gave us a speech on business ethics.
e. Our team leader received the employee-of-the-quarter award.
a.
A sentence reads, "Plans for the new project are being made by the productivity breakthrough team." Which of the following statements correctly illustrates the active voice version of this sentence?
a. The new project is influenced by the plans the productivity breakthrough team made.
b. The new project plans are being made by the team responsible for productivity breakthroughs.
c. The productivity breakthrough team is making plans for the new project.
d. The productivity breakthrough team is being assigned the new project.
e. The new project is helped by the productivity breakthrough team's plans.
c.
Which of the following sentences is a simple sentence?
a. Her desk has been moved to a corner at the other end of the floor.
b. You can call him tomorrow, and he will explain it to you then.
c. She had explained her situation in detail, but they were not convinced.
d. Nick addressed the meeting while Stacy wrote down the minutes.
e. Our productivity levels were high, yet targets were not met.
a.
Which activity in the composing process makes surface-level changes that make a document grammatically correct?
a. planning
b. freewriting
c. revising
d. writing
e. editing
e.
Dominic is designing a brochure. He has to decide between Arial and Calibri fonts for the body of the brochure. According to Charles Kostelnick's four levels of design, Dominic's choice belongs to the
a. inter-level.
b. intra-level.
c. extra-level.
d. outer-level.
e. supra-level.
b.
Students also viewed