Open questions:

1) How to apply the three-step writing process to negative messages?

Delivering of negative information consist of three steps. These steps are:

1. Plan negative messages. You need to consider who are your people and what is your purpose. You also
need to get all information, then you need to choose right media and channel. Finally, to start with the
best approach. There are are two types of approach: direct and indirect

2. Write negative messages. You need consider clarity and sensivity of your message with the clarifying
of your qualifications. Don't forget about observing communication etiquette and remember always
choose positive, productive words.

3. Complete negative messages. In this steps there are some actions that need to be done: Prepare
professional documents, revise your contact, deliver messages promptly and proofread your work
carefully. Be sure that you deliver messages promptly!

2) Describe an effective process for conducting business research, explain hot to evaluate the credibility
on an information source and identify the five ways to use research results.

Research is an investi gati on or experimentati on aimed at the discovery and interpretati on of

facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practi cal applicati on
of such new or revised theories or laws. There are several processes to do the research:

1. Plan your research. It consists of developing a problem statement and identifing essential
information, it also includes research questions.

2. Locate the data and information you need. The research plan tells you what to look for; your
next step is to figure out where the data and information are and how to access them. There are
2 types of researches: secondary(books, magazines,public websites) and primary(surveys,
interviews, observations and experiments). You also need to check the reputation and credibility
of source.

3. Process the data and information you’ve located. The data and information you find probably
won’t be in a form you can use immediately and will require some processing, which might
involve anything from statistical analysis to resolving the differences between two or more
expert opinions.

4. Apply your findings. You can apply your research findings in three ways: summarizing
information for someone else’s benefit, drawing conclusions based on what you’ve learned, or
developing recommendations.

5. Manage information efficiently. Many companies today are trying to maximize the return on
the time and money they invest in business research by collecting and sharing research results in
a variety of computer-based systems, known generally as knowledge management (KM)
systems.

Chapter 3 Communication Challenges in a Diverse, Global Marketplace

1) "All the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals" is the definition of
B) diversity.
Answer: B

2) Intercultural communication can challenge supervisors in all of the following ways except
C) getting a limited range of views and ideas from diverse employees.

3) Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose
cultural backgrounds
C) could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently.

4) Of the top 10 export markets for U.S. products, ________ percent have English as an official language.
A) 2

5) The key to cross-cultural and global business is

E) effective communication.

6) Within three decades, the majority of the U.S. population will be made up of
E) minorities.

7) In today's global business world, communication and culture

B) are so closely related that separating the two is virtually impossible.

8) As businesses become more global, the workforce increasingly consists of employees with ________
national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
C) diverse

9) Many difficulties in intercultural communication occur because people in different cultures have
different
B) assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate.

10) Every attempt to send or receive a message is influenced by

E) culture.

11) Local markets and national borders are no longer impassable barriers to business, thanks in part to
C) transportation technologies.

12) Nearly 90 percent of executives claim profit and revenue would increase with improvements in
B) international communication skills.

13) The competitive advantage of a diverse workforce includes

D) better identify with diverse markets.

14) Culture influences how messages are sent and received in the workplace.
Answer: TRUE

15) As it applies to the contemporary workplace, the idea of diversity is limited to issues of race and
ethnicity.
Answer: FALSE
16) How does intercultural communication affect cross-cultural and global business?
Answer: Chances are good that you'll be working across international borders sometime in your career.
Thanks to communication and transportation technologies, natural boundaries and national borders are
no longer the impassable barriers they once were. Local markets are opening to worldwide competition
as businesses of all sizes look for new growth opportunities outside their own countries. Not surprisingly,
effective communication is key to cross-cultural and global business. In a recent survey, nearly 90
percent of executives said their companies' profit, revenue, and market share would all improve with
better international communication skills. In addition, half of these executives said communication or
collaboration breakdowns had affected major international business efforts in their companies. The good
news here is that improving your cultural communication skills could make you a more valuable job
candidate at every stage of your career.

17) How does increased diversity present challenges for the workplace?
Answer: Today's increasingly diverse workforce encompasses a wide range of skills, traditions,
backgrounds, experiences, outlooks, and attitudes toward work–all of which can affect communication in
the workplace. Supervisors face the challenge of connecting with these diverse employees, motivating
them, and fostering cooperation and harmony among them. Teams face the challenge of working
together closely, and companies are challenged to coexist peacefully with business partners and with the
community as a whole. Elements of human diversity can affect communication at every stage of the
communication process.

18) The term ________ includes an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and
the ability to adjust one's style when communicating across cultures.
C) cultural competency

19) How can one learn to show respect for others and to communicate effectively in business?
E) Adapt your communication style to that of the new cultures you encounter.

20) When you react ethnocentrically, you

A) assume that your culture is superior to others.

21) Xenophobia is the fear of

C) foreigners.

22) The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms is known as
B) cultural pluralism.

23) Ethnocentrism can be overcome in part by

A) avoiding assumptions.

24) ________ involves the practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms.
D) Cultural pluralism

25) ________ is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for
behavior.
B) Culture

26) ________ is the practice of assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to an individual based on
his or her membership in a particular culture or social group.
C) Stereotyping

27) When culture is fairly logical and consistent when viewed from the inside is said to be
E) coherent.
28) Cultural competency refers to
A) the ability to adjust one's communication style to accommodate cultural differences.

29) Most people belong to

C) several different cultures.

30) Members of a well-established culture tend to view their culture as complete, which can dull or even
suppress curiosity about other cultures.
Answer: TRUE

31) Studies have shown that people often have cultural biases of which they're not even consciously
aware.
Answer: TRUE

32) What is ethnocentrism, and how can it be overcome?

Answer: Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to one's own group's
standards, behaviors, and customs and to see all other groups as inferior by comparison. You can
overcome ethnocentrism by acknowledging distinctions, avoiding assumptions and avoiding judgments.

33) What is culture? How does culture affect communication?

Answer: Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for
behavior. A person's cultural background influences what's important in life and appropriate in a given
situation; furthermore, culture establishes his or her rules of behavior. As a result, communication is
largely automatic; the person rarely stops to think about the communication rules that he or she may be
following. In addition to being automatic, culture tends to be coherent; that is, a culture appears to be
fairly logical and consistent when viewed from the inside. Even though certain norms within a culture
may not make sense to an outsider, they probably make sense to those inside that culture. Such
coherence generally expedites internal communication, but it can create disharmony between cultures
that don't view the world in the same way. Finally, cultures tend to be complete; that is, they provide
their members with most of the answers to life's big questions. This idea of completeness can dull or
even suppresses curiosity about life in other cultures. Not surprisingly, such completeness can
complicate communication with other cultures.

34) How does the idea of coherency affect culture internally and externally to the organization?
Answer: In addition to being automatic, culture tends to be coherent; that is, a culture appears to be
fairly logical and consistent when viewed from the inside. Certain norms within a culture may not make
sense to someone outside the culture, but they probably make sense to those inside. Such coherence
generally helps a culture function more smoothly internally, but it can create disharmony between
cultures that don't view the world in the same way.

35) How can you adapt your communication style to that of a new culture you are encountering?
Answer: Avoid assumptions. Don't assume that others will act the same way you do, use language and
symbols the same way you do, or even operate from the same values and beliefs. For instance, in a
comparison of the 10 most important values in three cultures, people from the United States had no
values in common with people from Japanese or Arab cultures. Avoid judgments. When people act
differently, don't conclude that they are in error or that their way is invalid or inferior. Acknowledge
distinctions. Don't ignore the differences between another person's culture and your own.

36) By emphasizing principles of ________, a designer can make a website more accessible to people
whose vision is limited.
A) web accessibility
37) Cultural differences appear in a number of important areas, including
E) all of the above.

38) Every attempt at communication between two people occurs within a

A) cultural context.

39) Disabled employees can use ________ to pursue a greater range of career paths, thereby giving
employers access to a broader base of talent.
C) assistive technologies

40) Nonverbal communication can be a reliable guide to determining the meaning of a message
D) only if the sender and receiver assign the same meaning to nonverbal signals.

41) In high-context cultures,

A) people rely more on nonverbal circumstances and cues to convey meaning.

42) To convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany, people rely more on
D) explicit verbal communication.

43) The social media and technological skills of ________ are helping to change business communication
practices.
C) Generation Y

44) All of the following except ________ can promote ethical choices across cultures.
C) capturing the moral high ground

45) Because of the low context culture, when it comes to decision-making customs, North American
executives
A) tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face.

46) Compared to low-context cultures, high-context cultures tend to take a ________ approach
regarding the meaning of business contracts.
C) more flexible

47) Women executives who travel abroad

C) may not be taken seriously as businesspeople, depending on the culture.

48) Meeting a deadline is generally less important than building a relationship for businesspeople in
C) high-context cultures.

49) Associating youth with strength, and age with declining powers, is
C) common in the United States, but not in many Asian societies.

50) The ratio of men and women in entry-level professional positions is ________; however, moving up
the corporate ladder, the percentage of management roles held by men ________.
B) roughly equal; increases steadily

51) In a given culture, prevailing customs and attitudes that pertain to roles and status will influence the
B) expectations for who communicates with whom, what they communicate, and in what way.
52) A company that emphasizes ________ will encourage short-term sacrifices for the promise of better
outcomes in the long term.
C) an orientation toward the future

53) Differences in ________, including hand gestures or eye contact, are a major source of
misunderstanding during intercultural communications.
B) nonverbal signals

54) People in the United States generally

A) view hard-earned material comfort as a worthy goal.

55) Compared to younger employees, older workers

C) can offer broader experience and high degrees of "practical intelligence."

56) Ability differences among employees and customers

A) have led many companies to make websites more accommodating to persons with disabilities.

57) Openness and inclusiveness

A) are not characteristics of many cultures, whose members display a general unwillingness to
accommodate outsiders.

58) As a rule, your colleagues and customers around the world will use the same communication tools
that you use.
Answer: FALSE

59) Cultural context refers to the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit
understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture.
Answer: TRUE

60) Today's workplace includes the members of four generations: the Radio Generation, Baby Boomers,
Generation X, and Generation Y. What challenges does the composition of the contemporary workforce
pose for on-the-job communication?
Answer: Dramatically different world events, social trends, and technological advances have shaped the
four generations. Therefore, each generation brings its own perspective into the workplace. Since people
tend to resist change, they often assume that the way they're doing something must be the best way to
do it. Moreover, diverse generations sometimes feel competitive pressures for resources, influence,
control, and jobs. The result can be tension, mistrust, conflict, and communication breakdowns. The
multiple generations in the workplace present another dimension of diversity—different communication
habits. For instance, Generation Y workers often prefer to communicate via short electronic messages;
however, Baby Boomers and Generation Xers may find these brief messages abrupt and impersonal.

61) Since cultures do not always share the same perspectives on ethical issues, how can you keep
messages ethical during intercultural communication?
Answer: Not all cultures share the same perspective on ethical issues. During intercultural
communication, it's important to seek mutual ground by being flexible and not insisting that everything
happen in terms of one culture or another. Sending and receiving messages without judgment is also
vital: Both parties must recognize that values vary among cultures and that trust is essential. In addition,
messages should be honest. Both parties have to recognize their own cultural biases. Finally, for ethical
intercultural communication to occur, the stakeholders must show respect for cultural differences.
Avoiding ethnocentrism allows both parties to understand and acknowledge each other's needs and
preserve mutual dignity.
62) While working in a country with a high-context culture, you schedule a meeting with a vendor who
lives there. When he shows up 20 minutes after the meeting was supposed to begin, should you take it
as a sign of incompetence or disrespect? Explain.
Answer: This behavior should not be regarded as a sign of incompetence or disrespect. It simply reflects
cultural differences in the treatment of time. Executives in low-context cultures view time as a limited
resource and tend to focus on one task during each scheduled period of the day. In high-context
cultures, however, time is treated with more flexibility. Building business relationships is more important
than meeting deadlines and being punctual. The workday is not expected to follow a rigid, preset
schedule. If you respond with frustration or anger to the vendor's late arrival, it could unnecessarily
erode your relationship.

63) List at least three types of nonverbal differences might you encounter when working with
businesspeople from other cultures. Provide at least one example of how these differences might cause
misunderstandings in communication.
Answer: Nonverbal differences among cultures are particularly evident in terms of how people greet
one another, the amount of personal space people expect when conversing, and attitudes toward
touching (for example, do people touch each other on the arm to emphasize a point or refrain from
touching altogether?). Notable differences can also appear in how facial expressions are interpreted and
attitudes toward eye contact, posture, and formality.

64) Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture, and provide at least
one example of each difference.
Answer: In high-context cultures, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of
nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. In low-context cultures, people rely
more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning.

65) When adapting to other cultures, the "Golden Rule" is

B) less effective than treating others the way they want to be treated.

66) Successful intercultural communication requires an ability to understand the other party's culture in
addition to
E) understanding how your own culture shapes the way you communicate.

67) To help improve cultural competency, organizations should

A) be respectful of core principles of any country, organization or culture.

68) In the United States, companies most often reward and promote an employee based on
C) individualism.

69) In the United States, businesses value time and schedules that promote
B) meetings starting and ending at designated times.

70) In the United States, the communication style tends to be

E) focused on content and transaction.

71) Business communicators can improve their cultural competency by

A) becoming aware of their own biases.

72) When adapting to business cultures, a sense of humor

B) can help people move past awkward and embarrassing moments.
73) When communicating with people from other cultures, it is best to apologize when you make a
mistake.
Answer: TRUE

74) How can one adapt to a new business culture?

Answer: Become aware of your own biases. Successful intercultural communication requires more than
just an understanding of the other party's culture; you need to understand your own culture and the way
it shapes your communication habits. Be careful about applying the "Golden Rule." The problem with
the Golden Rule is that other people don't always want to be treated the same way you want to be
treated, particularly across cultural boundaries. The best approach: Treat people the way they want to
be treated. Exercise tolerance, flexibility, and respect. Practice patience and maintain a sense of humor.
A sense of humor is a helpful asset as well, allowing people to move past awkward and embarrassing
moments. When you make a mistake, simply apologize and, if appropriate, ask the other person to
explain the accepted way; then move on.

75) Learning about an unfamiliar culture

C) is a worthy undertaking, even if you learn only a small amount.

76) If you will be living in another country where English is not the official language and you will be doing
business in English, you
C) can show respect by making an effort to learn the language.

77) Written messages from Japanese businesspeople tend to be ________ than those written in the
United States.
B) less direct

78) In general, business correspondence in other countries is often ________ than that written used by
U.S. businesspeople.
B) more formal

79) When writing for multicultural audiences, it's important to

A) be brief.

80) When writing to businesspeople in other countries, you should

D) make generous use of transitional words and phrases.

81) When preparing a message to someone from another culture, you should
D) be careful to express numbers and dates in the format used in that person's culture.

82) When writing to audiences whose first language is not English, using humor is generally
A) a bad idea, since jokes usually depend on culture-specific information.

83) Which of the following sentences contains an idiomatic expression?

C) Making our monthly sales quota will be a piece of cake.

84) To English-speaking U.S. listeners, routine Arabic speech may sound

A) excited or angry.

85) When speaking in English to people who use English as a second language, the best approach is to
C) speak slowly and clearly.

86) During conversations with non-native English speakers, you should

A) immediately rephrase statements they don't seem to understand.

87) When speaking with someone from another culture, avoid

A) talking down to the other person.

88) If you translate a written message from English into another language, it is a good idea to
B) have it back-translated.

89) As used in everyday language, ________ mean more than the sum of their literal parts, so they
cannot be taken literally.
C) idiomatic phrases

90) The phrase ________ refers to dedicated software and online services that offer various forms of
automated translation.
D) computerized translation tools

91) In conversations with a nonnative English speaker with whom you have a longstanding business
relationship, you notice that he consistently makes language mistakes that could hurt his credibility. In
response, you should
C) politely offer advice on the appropriate words and phrases to use.

92) In conversations with others whose first language is not English, you should
A) not interrupt, even if you do not understand or need to correct a misconception.

93) When writing to audiences whose first language is not English, using plenty of transitions
A) will help your readers follow your train of thought.

94) Citing numbers and dates

D) should be done carefully when communicating with audiences from other cultures.

95) Mobile devices can help you learn another language or communicate with someone who doesn't
speak your language.
Answer: TRUE

96) Because high-quality translation software is now widely available, the demand for multilingual
communicators continues to decrease.
Answer: FALSE

97) In intercultural conversations, speaking slowly is usually regarded as a sign of disrespect.

Answer: FALSE

98) Briefly describe at least three strategies for writing effective multicultural messages.
Answer: Strategies for writing multicultural messages include using simple, clear English; being brief;
using transitional elements; addressing international correspondence properly; and citing numbers and
dates carefully. It is also important to avoid slang, idioms, and humor.

99) A new employee who speaks English as a second language has just joined the design team you lead.
You notice that she often looks confused during conversations. Describe at least three useful strategies
for this situation.
Answer: Strategies you can use include (1) speak slowly and clearly, (2) don't rephrase until it's obviously
necessary, (3) look for and ask for feedback, (4) don't talk down to the other person, and (5) at the end
of the conversation, verify what has been said and decided.
100) When doing business in other cultures, what are some strategies you can use to promote effective
intercultural communication?
Answer: One strategy is to understand social customs regarding issues such as common ways of greeting
others: Should you bow or shake hands? It is also helpful to learn about clothing and food preferences
that characterize the culture in which you'll work. Doing so requires finding out (among other things)
which occasions require special clothing, how many times a day people eat, and so forth. Other
strategies include assessing political patterns, understanding religious and folk beliefs, learning about
business institutions, and appraising the nature of ethics, values, and laws.

Excellence in Business Communication, 12e (Thill/Bovee)

Chapter 4 Planning Business Messages

1) The three primary steps involved in preparing a business message are

A) planning, writing, and completing.

2) Which one of the following is an element of the completing phase of the three-step writing process?
C) proofreading the message

3) Which of the following are elements in the writing phase of the three-step writing process?
B) adapting to the audience

4) Planning is essential when writing business messages because it

E) all of the above

5) In order to optimize your writing time, reserve about ________ of that time for revising, producing,
proofreading, and distributing your message.
C) 25 percent

6) Inexperienced communicators may be tempted to

C) dive directly into writing the message without taking sufficient time to plan.

7) The goal of the three-step writing process is to help a writer develop messages that are
E) effective and efficient.

8) During the planning phase of the writing process,

B) determine scope.

9) Completing the business message includes

A) producing the message, including design and layout decisions.

10) How does careful planning of a business message save time?

C) Planning reduces rework.

11) 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: FALSE

12) When developing a business message, the message should be adapted to your specific audience
after planning the message.
Answer: TRUE
13) What are the four tasks involved in planning business messages?
Answer: Planning business messages involves four tasks: (1) analyzing the situation by defining your
purpose and developing a profile of your audience; (2) gathering information that will meet your
audience's needs; (3) selecting the right medium to deliver your message; and (4) organizing the
information by defining your main idea, limiting your scope, selecting a direct or an indirect approach,
and outlining your content.

14) Explain each phase of the three-step writing process.

Answer: The three-step writing process includes planning, writing, and completing the business
message. Planning involves analyzing the situation, gathering information, selecting the right medium for
your message, and organizing the information. Writing the message involves adapting to your audience
and composing your message. Completing a business message includes revising, producing,
proofreading, and distributing it.

15) Which of the following is a general category common to business communication?

A) to inform

16) An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be

B) to inform employees about the new vacation policy.
purpose and profile your audience before writing a message.

17) Most messages should not be sent unless they will

A) bring about a change.

18) In most cases, a message should be deferred or canceled if

D) the time is wrong.

19) The primary audience for your message should always include
B) the key decision makers in the audience.

20) In general, for internal communication, the higher up your message goes, the
B) fewer details people want to see.

21) Messages should contain more supporting detail and background information when
B) you and your audience do not share the same general background.

22) Forecasting your audience's reaction to your message is

B) vital, because potential audience reaction affects message organization.

23) You're writing a proposal to give permission to some employees at your company to telecommute.
You know management will be skeptical, so you should
D) build your case carefully, stating clear reasons for each conclusion you draw and recommendation you
make.

24) When determining what you hope to accomplish with a message, you must consider the
E) specific purpose.

25) By forecasting the audience's probably reaction, a writer can better determine
B) when to state conclusions and recommendations.

26) Even if nothing will change because of your message, you should send it if you believe it is important.
Answer: FALSE
27) When analyzing your audience, you should ignore everyone except the key decision makers.
Answer: FALSE

28) Describe at least three of the tasks involved in developing an audience profile.
Answer: Developing an audience profile involves identifying your primary audience and determining its
size, geographic distribution, and composition. It also requires gauging your audience's level of
understanding, considering their expectations and preferences, and forecasting their probable reaction
to your message.

29) List at least three helpful questions to ask in evaluating the purpose of a message.
Answer: Once you have determined the specific purpose of a business message, you can decide
whether that purpose merits the time and effort required for you to prepare and send the message. In
order to test the purpose of a message, one should ask (1) Will anything change as a result of this
message? (2) Is my purpose realistic? (3) Is the timing right? (4) Is the purpose acceptable to my
organization?

30) A knowledge-management system

C) is a centralized database of experiences and insights of employees throughout an organization.

31) Informal techniques for gathering insights and focusing your research efforts do not include
C) distributing questionnaires and surveys.

32) When gathering information for a business message, keep in mind that audiences respond best to
information that
C) has been filtered and prioritized according to their needs.

33) When meeting your audience's informational needs, you should emphasize ideas
A) that will be of greatest interest to the audience.

34) A good way to test the thoroughness of your business message is to check it for
C) the who, what, when, where, why, and how.

35) After sending project cost estimates to a longtime client, you realize you failed to include information
on some discount options. The best thing to do is
C) contact the primary audience immediately and correct the error.

36) A good way to test the thoroughness of your message is to use the ________ to ask whether the
message answers who, what, when, where, why, and how.
B) journalistic approach

37) When gathering information based on reports and company documents, a ________ is useful.
E) knowledge management system
Answer: E

38) When determining what an audience needs in order to move forward with a recommendation, a
writer is
A) considering the audience's perspective.
39) The idea of free writing can be used as a(n) ________ during the planning phase of the writing
process.
B) discovery technique

40) One effective informal method for learning more about your audience's information needs is to ask
them directly for input.
Answer: TRUE

41) Messages can be unethical simply because certain details have not been included.
Answer: TRUE

42) You've been asked to prepare a report on whether your company should consider other health
insurance providers. List four informal techniques for gathering information to include in your report.
Answer: Informal strategies for gathering information include (1) considering other viewpoints; (2)
reading reports and other company documents; (3) talking with supervisors, colleagues, or customers;
and (4) asking your audience for input.

43) How can the journalistic approach help you include all required information in your business
messages?
Answer: The journalistic approach enables you to check the thoroughness of your message by seeing
whether it answers who, what, when, where, why, and how. By using this method, you can quickly tell
whether a message fails to deliver.

44) Briefly describe how to meet an unfamiliar audience's informational needs.

Answer: When you don't know your audience, use common sense to identify points of particular
interest. You can get clues from audience factors such as age, job, location, income, and education.

45) List at least three strategies to help ensure the accuracy of information you include in business
messages.
Answer: You can minimize mistakes by double-checking every piece of information you collect. If you are
consulting sources outside the organization, ask yourself whether they are current and reliable. Be
particularly careful when using sources you find on the Internet. Be sure to review any mathematical or
financial calculations. Check all dates and schedules, and examine your own assumptions and
conclusions to be certain they are valid.

46) How can your audience's level of understanding help you determine the appropriate amount of
information to include in a business message?
Answer: If audience members do not share your general background, your message will likely need to
include an element of education. You should try to include only enough information to accomplish the
specific purpose of your message. If the members of your audience have various levels of understanding,
gear your coverage to your primary audience (the key decision makers).

47) Choosing the right medium for your message

D) can make an important difference in how your message is perceived.

48) Which one of the following is the "leanest" communication medium?

B) text messaging

49) Despite your numerous emails and voicemail messages, a normally dependable vendor has not
responded to your important question. Which of the following would be a sensible next step?
A) Consider sending a printed message.

50) Phone calls are

C) capable of offering the give-and-take of in-person conversations.

51) Which of the following media would be best for sending a brief message (requiring no response from
your audience) about an upcoming software update?
B) email

52) The ________ is the form a message takes, and the ________ is the system used to deliver a
message.
B) medium; channel

53) According to the concept of media richness, the richness of a medium depends on its ability to
E) establish personal focus.

54) A ________ is the richest communication medium.

D) face-to-face conversation

55) A key advantage of oral communication is

D) the opportunity to get immediate feedback.

56) As a new supervisor, you need to introduce yourself to your team of ten employees. The best
medium for this type of non-routine message would be
A) a face-to-face meeting.

57) Which of the following are advantages inherent in using a written digital channel to deliver a
business message?
B) delivering messages quickly

58) Of the following media, which is the richest?

B) a social media site that invites users' opinions and feedback on relevant topics

59) In high-context cultures, ________ media are often more effective than ________ ones.
B) oral; written

60) According to your textbook, all of the following except ________ are factors you must consider when
choosing a medium for a persuasive business message.
C) your personal preferences

61) A manager is using the ________ when he or she "walks-around" to chat with employees face-to-
face, seek input, answer questions, and interpret important business events and trends.
D) oral medium, in-person channel

62) A disadvantage of a written, printed message is that it

A) limits opportunities for timely feedback.

63) When you have to enter data on a mobile device, using ________ in public areas or shared offices
can expose private message content and annoy anyone within earshot.
C) voice recognition software

64) Messages that combine powerful visuals with supporting text

A) can be effective because visuals lower communication barriers for multilingual audiences.
65) As a classic form of written business communication, ________ are brief written messages sent to
customers and other recipients outside the organization.
A) letters

66) When sending a video to someone who will view it on a smartphone, ________ may be a key
concern for the mobile carrier and the customers alike.
B) data usage and operational costs

67) A key distinction of the oral medium, in-person channel is ________ because it enables the nuances
of nonverbal communication more than any other media-channel combination.
A) being in the same physical space

68) In the workplace of today, most business communication efforts will involve the ________
combination.
C) written medium, digital channel

69) When it comes to writing messages in today's business environment,

B) printed messages are still preferred for formal correspondence or a court of law.

70) One of the disadvantages of using an oral medium with an in-person channel is
E) reduced control over the message by the communicator.

71) The term visual media signifies any format in which one or more visual elements play a central role in
conveying the content of a message.
Answer: TRUE

72) As long as your message is clear and interesting, the medium you choose doesn't really matter.
Answer: FALSE

73) An effective communicator knows how to select the best combination of media and channels to
reach his or her target audience. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of written medium with a
digital channel.
Answer: The advantages include all the advantages of written printed documents plus fast delivery, the
ability to reach a geographically dispersed audience, and a flexibility of multiple formats and channels.
Additionally there is an ability to line related and more in-depth information, an increased accessibility
through broader sharing and more audience interaction through social media features. The digital
channel can be limited in terms of reach and capability, and require Internet or mobile phone
connectivity. There is also vulnerability to security and privacy. It is easy to overuse digital
communication, and there may be productivity concerns with frequent interruptions and nonbusiness
usage.

74) Briefly define media richness and provide at least one example each of a rich medium and a lean
medium.
Answer: Media richness is the value of a communication medium in a given situation. Richness depends
on a medium's ability to convey a message via more than one informational cue, to facilitate feedback,
and to establish personal focus. Face-to-face conversation is the richest medium, while unaddressed
documents such as posters and signs are the leanest.

75) People use mobile phones and tablets to create and consume a wide variety of written, oral, and
visual media. Identify and discuss four factors that you must consider if you're planning to create
messages that will be viewed on mobile devices.
Answer: The four factors involve constraints caused by screen size and resolution, input technologies,
bandwidth and connectivity, and operational costs. Screen size and resolution: While screen resolution
of phones and tablets has improved, screen-size limitations can inhibit readability because messages are
often larger than the screens on mobile devices. This dilemma can be particularly troublesome for team
members who are collaborating on projects and reviewing documents or slides. Input technologies:
Typing on mobile keyboards is challenging. Voice recognition input runs the risk of sharing private
message content and annoying anyone within earshot. Selecting items on a touchscreen can be difficult,
even with a stylus. Bandwidth, speed, and connectivity: The speed and quality of mobile connectivity
varies widely by device, carrier, geographic location, and service plan. Therefore, don't assume that
mobile recipients will be using a fast, reliable network. Data usage and operational costs: Many mobile
users don't have unlimited data-usage plans. Some carriers offer unlimited data plans, but such plans can
come with data-usage restrictions that reduce the speed of a user's connection. Given these factors, be
careful about expecting or requiring mobile users to consume data-intensive content.

76) Briefly describe at least three factors to consider when choosing media for business messages.
Answer: A number of factors can help you to determine the best medium for a business message. One is
media richness, which is a medium's ability to convey a message through more than one informational
cue, facilitate feedback, and establish personal focus. Another is formality, since your media choice
governs the style and tone of your message. It is also important to consider media limitations, making
sure that you've chosen the right medium for your audience and purpose. Urgency and cost are other
important factors. Finally, consider audience preferences when deciding which medium to use for a
message.

77) The ________ of a message is its overall subject, while the ________ is a specific statement about
that overall subject.
B) topic; main idea

78) In general, audiences are likely to

B) draw inaccurate conclusions from poorly organized messages.

79) When you want to confirm, illuminate, or expand on the supporting points in a business message,
use ________ if you believe that dramatic tension will stimulate your audience's interest.
B) narration or storytelling

80) Use the ________ to organize a message if you believe your audience will be receptive to what you
have to say.
A) direct approach

81) The scope of a business message pertains to

B) the range of information you present to support your main idea.

82) If your audience will be skeptical of or resistant to your message,

B) start with the evidence and build your case before presenting your main idea.

83) As it applies to business communication, presenting information in a well-organized manner

A) helps your readers understand the message.

84) Which of the following is an example of a message topic?

C) "Funding for research and development"

85) Whatever the length of your message, you should limit the number of major support points to
roughly
C) six.

86) Narrative techniques are

C) an effective way to organize messages in a variety of business communication scenarios.

87) In a business message, the range of information you present, the overall length, and the level of
detail is known as your
E) scope.

88) The ________ of a business message summarizes what you want your audience members to do or
think and why they should do so.
D) main idea

89) Use ________ when you need to help your audience grasp key points about sets of data or visualize
connections between ideas.
C) visual aids

90) The scope of a message will generally be longer when

A) the audience is unfamiliar with your topic.

91) Taking the time to outline your points as you prepare business messages
A) will save you time in the long run and lead to better results.

92) To bolster a case while adding variety and credibility, ________ to back up your major supporting
points.
E) reference an authority respected by the audience

93) A well-developed message will include a main idea that will identify what the audience should do or
think and
C) tell the audience why they should do so.

94) To present major points and supporting detail in the most logical and effective way,
E) create an outline for key points.

95) The ________ begins by explaining evidence and builds up to the main idea.
E) indirect approach

96) To help generate creative ideas, ________ starts with the main idea and allows the writer to branch
out and connect other related ideas.
A) mind mapping

97) The ideal length of a message depends on your topic, your audience members' familiarity with the
material, their receptivity to your conclusions, and your credibility.
Answer: TRUE

98) Poorly organized messages are unlikely to be effective, regardless of their content.
Answer: TRUE

99) Briefly distinguish between the direct and indirect approaches to organizing business messages.
Answer: Messages organized with the direct approach begin with the main idea and then provide
supporting evidence. The direct approach works best with audiences who are receptive or neutral to
what you have to say. Messages organized with the indirect approach build a case with supporting
evidence before presenting the main idea. The indirect approach works best with audiences who are
resistant to or skeptical of what you have to say.

100) Explain the advantages of thinking about the organization of a message before sending it out.
Answer: Organization can make the difference between success and failure. Good organization helps
your readers or listeners in three key ways. First, it helps them understand your message. In a well-
organized message, you make the main point clear at the outset, present additional points to support
that main idea, and satisfy all the information needs of the audience. But if your message is poorly
organized, your meaning can be obscured, and your audiences may form inaccurate conclusions about
what you've written or said. Second, good organization helps receivers accept your message. If your
writing appears confused and disorganized, people will likely conclude that the thinking behind the
writing is also confused and disorganized. Third, good organization saves your audience time. Well-
organized messages are efficient. They contain only relevant ideas, and they are brief. Moreover, each
piece of information is located in a logical place in the overall flow; each section builds on the one before
to create a coherent whole, without forcing people to look for missing pieces.

Chapter 5 Writing Business Messages

1) Which of the following statements that would appear in a business message best reflects the
"you" attitude?
D) You will have your merchandise by July 15 if you send us your check for $25 today.

2) The best way to convey the "you" attitude is to express your message in terms of
D) the needs and interests of your audience.

3) Use ________ to avoid categorizing or stigmatizing people based on their gender, race,
ethnicity, age, level of ability, or other personal characteristics.
C) bias-free language

4) Select the sentence with the best "you" attitude.

D) Once your application is complete, you should receive a response within two weeks.
5) It is best to limit your use of the word "you" in business messages if
D) it will make your message sound overly authoritative or accusing.

6) Written and most forms of digital communication require ________ than oral communication.
C) more tact

7) Select the sentence with the most positive emphasis.

B) We hope to complete the process audit by Friday.

8) When you are criticizing or correcting, it is best to

A) focus on what the audience members can do to improve.

9) A euphemism is a word or phrase that is

D) a milder term for one with negative connotations.

10) To improve your audience sensitivity,

E) maintain good standards of etiquette.
11) Bob N. Zing, the Director of Human Resources at CAP Co, Inc., has to write an internal
message to announce impending layoffs across the company. Rather than addressing the layoffs
directly, Bob decides to refer to them as restructuring operations and eliminating redundancies.
In this case, these euphemisms
D) fail to meet the "you" attitude test and ethical information standards.

12) Replacing harsh, unpleasant terms with ________ can help you state your message without
using words that may hurt or offend your audience.
B) euphemisms
13) Whether consciously or not, most readers in the workplace greet incoming messages by
D) asking the question, "What's in this for me?"

14) Using good standards of etiquette, emphasizing the positive, and using bias-free language are
examples of incorporating ________ into a message.
B) the "you" attitude

15) To help foster a more successful environment for communication, use ________ to
incorporate high standards of etiquette.
E) words that trigger negative emotional reactions

16) Regarding the use of the "you" attitude in business communication,

B) it is important to recognize and accommodate cultural differences.

17) Adopting a "you" attitude in business writing is simply a matter of using the pronoun "you"
as much as possible.
Answer: FALSE

18) Using the word "young" to describe an employee can have negative implications.
Answer: TRUE

19) List three strategies to become more sensitive to your audience's needs.
Answer: You should adopt the "you" attitude, maintain good standards of etiquette, emphasize
the positive, and use bias-free language.

20) Define bias-free language.

Answer: Bias-free language avoids words and phrases that unfairly and even unethically
categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability. For
example, rather than using female-gender words (e.g., actress or stewardess) use gender neutral
words, such as actor or flight attendant.

21) What is the difference between delivering negative news and being negative?
Answer: Sensitive communicators understand the difference between delivering negative news
and being negative. Without hiding the negative news, they look for ways to emphasize positive
aspects. When offering criticism or advice, for example, they don't focus on a person's
shortcomings; instead, they focus on what he or she can do to improve. In persuasive situations,
they help audiences see the benefits of taking specific actions. Finally, they use euphemisms
carefully and ethically to soften the impact of negative news and avoid words that carry negative
or unpleasant connotations.

22) To establish credibility with your audience, you should

C) show that you are confident and that you believe in yourself and in your message.
23) In business messages, using terms such as "if," "hope," and "trust" is
A) usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writer's credibility.

24) To build, maintain, or repair your credibility, emphasize

E) sincerity by pointing out specific qualities that warrant praise.
25) Audience responses to your messages depend heavily on your ________, a measure of your
believability based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke in others.
C) credibility

26) You can build credibility by letting your audience know that you believe in yourself and your
message.
Answer: TRUE

27) List at least three personal characteristics that can help establish credibility with your
audience.
Answer: Audiences assign credibility to individuals who display (1) honesty, (2) objectivity, (3)
awareness of audience needs, (4) credentials, knowledge, and expertise, (5) endorsements, (6)
performance, and (7) sincerity.

28) The acronyms and shortcuts used in texting and IM are

A) incompatible with professional business writing.

29) Why should writers avoid phrases such as, "attached please find" and "we are in receipt of"?
C) They are stale and pompous.

30) Most business communication should aim for a ________ tone.

C) conversational

31) Using humor in business messages is

B) usually not effective, and is always inappropriate for formal and intercultural messages.

32) Plain language is a style of writing

B) designed to make complex materials more understandable to the audience.
33) Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording?
B) We need to cut the operating budget by 12 percent or profits will decrease.

34) Identify the voice in the following sentence: "Based on negative client feedback, the
marketing department abandoned the campaign."
A) active
35) Using the passive voice makes sense when
A) you want to be diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error.

36) Using the active voice is helpful when you

C) want to make your writing more direct, livelier, and easier to read.
37) The term ________ refers to the overall impression of your messages.
A) tone

38) A sentence is in the active voice when

C) the subject performs the action and the object receives it.

39) In workplace writing, doing all of the following except ________ will help you achieve a
tone that is conversational yet still businesslike.
A) using text messaging acronyms throughout the message

40) A conversational tone is not appropriate for most business messages.

Answer: FALSE

41) What is the difference between tone and style in business writing?
Answer: Your communication style involves the choices you make to express yourself: the
words you select, the manner in which you use those words in sentences, and the way you use
individual sentences to build paragraphs. Your style creates a certain tone, or overall impression,
when you write. The right tone depends on the nature of your message and your relationship with
the reader.

42) List at least three guidelines to follow if you want to achieve a conversational tone in
business messages.
Answer: (1) Understand the difference between texting and writing; (2) Avoid obsolete and
pompous language such as "in due course" or "we are in receipt of"; (3) avoid preaching and
bragging; (4) be careful with intimacy—don't be overly friendly or chatty; and (5) be careful
with humor.

43) Briefly explain the difference between the active voice and the passive voice. Include an
example of each one.
Answer: You are using the active voice when the subject performs the action, and the object
receives the action: "John rented the office." You are using the passive voice when the subject
receives the action: "The office was rented by John."

44) List three situations in which the passive voice can help you demonstrate the "you" attitude.
Answer: The passive voice can be helpful when you need to shift emphasis away from the
person who is the subject of your message. These situations include (1) when you need to be
diplomatic in pointing out a problem or error, (2) when you want to point out what's being done
without taking or attributing either the credit or the blame, and (3) when you want to avoid
personal pronouns in order to create an objective tone.
45) If your workplace writing contains grammar errors and word choice mistakes, your readers
will
B) question your professionalism.

46) The connotative meaning of a word is

C) all the associations and feelings the word evokes.
47) When choosing words to convey a message, successful writers pay attention to
B) correctness and effectiveness.

48) The ________ of a word is its literal or dictionary meaning.

B) denotative meaning

49) As you create and refine your messages, evaluate your writing at all of the following levels
except
D) multimedia enhancements.

50) Some terms and phrases called ________ have become so common that they have lost some
of their power to communicate, and ________ are newly coined terms often associated with
technology, business, or cultural changes.
B) clichés; buzzwords

51) Most ________ express a concept, quality, or characteristic. Most ________ represent
something you can see, touch, or visualize.
A) abstract words; concrete words

52) Which of the following words are the most abstract?

D) productivity, excellence, motivation

53) The ________ meaning of a word is its literal, dictionary meaning; the ________ meaning
includes all the associations and feelings it evokes.
C) denotative; connotative

54) When you begin to write your first draft of a message,

E) be as creative as possible.

55) When choosing words that communicate well with the audience, a writer should focus on
using
E) precise words.

56) When communicating with members of the same, specialized field, the use of ________ can
be an efficient way to convey complex ideas quickly.
D) jargon

57) In business communication, it is best to use words that are low in connotative meaning.
Answer: TRUE

58) How is the denotative meaning of a word different from its connotative meaning?
Answer: The denotative meaning is the literal, or dictionary, meaning of a word. The
connotative meaning includes all the associations and feelings evoked by the word.
59) Explain what it means to choose "words that communicate well," then list four techniques for
selecting the best words when writing business messages.
Answer: Choosing words that communicate means finding the most powerful words for each
situation. Selecting the best words in business messages involves (1) choosing powerful words—
verbs and nouns are better than adjectives and adverbs; (2) choosing familiar words—terms that
are familiar to both you and your readers; (3) avoiding clichés and buzzwords; and (4) using
jargon carefully.

60) Discuss the difference between connotative and denotative words, and when each might be
appropriate to use in business writing.
Answer: In addition to using words correctly, successful writers and speakers take care to use
the most effective words and phrases. Selecting and using words effectively is often more
challenging than using words correctly because doing so is a matter of judgment and experience.
The denotative meaning is the literal, or dictionary, meaning. The connotative meaning includes
all the associations and feelings evoked by the word. When you compose your business
messages, think carefully to find the most powerful words for each situation. Choose words that
express your thoughts clearly, specifically, and dynamically, most often denotative words.

61) "Although our servers are stable, the telephone system is a serious concern" is a
C) complex sentence.

62) "Insurance premiums have increased, and cost-of-living raises have not kept up" is a
B) compound sentence.

63) Which of the following is a compound sentence?

A) Interest rates are low, and now is an excellent time to buy a home.

64) A complex sentence consists of

D) one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts.

65) You can emphasize key points by

E) giving the most important points the most space.
66) To downplay a dependent clause in a complex sentence, you should
C) place it in the middle of the sentence.

67) Consider the following sentence: "Employee turnover has decreased significantly this
quarter, so even though you may question Sam's training methods, you'll have to admit that his
results are impressive." What type of sentence does it represent?
D) compound-complex

68) ________ sentences express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal
importance, usually joined by a coordinating conjunction.
B) Compound

69) ________ sentences express one main thought and one or more subordinate thoughts related
to it.
A) Complex

70) To emphasize a dependent clause, it is better to place it at the end of a sentence rather than in
the middle.
Answer: TRUE
71) Identify and define the four basic varieties of sentences.
Answer: Sentences come in four basic varieties: simple, compound, complex, and compound-
complex. A simple sentence has one main clause (a single subject and a single predicate),
although it may be expanded by nouns and pronouns that serve as objects of the action and by
modifying phrases. A compound sentence has two main clauses that express two or more
independent but related thoughts of equal importance, usually joined by or, but, or and. A
complex sentence expresses one main thought (the independent clause) and one or more
subordinate, related thoughts (dependent clauses that cannot stand alone as valid sentences). A
compound-complex sentence has two main clauses, at least one of which contains a subordinate
clause.

72) A typical paragraph contains the three basic elements of

A) a topic sentence, support sentences, and transitional words and phrases.

73) Words such as "nevertheless," "however," "but," and "therefore"

D) are useful for making transitions.

74) Skillful writers use transitional elements to

D) connect ideas and show the relationships between them.

75) In business writing, the topic sentence of a paragraph is

B) generally explicit and is often the first sentence in the paragraph.

76) In ________ paragraph, a writer analyzes the reasons for and/or the consequences of an
action, an event, or a decision.
C) a cause and effect

77) When you want to develop a paragraph by showing how a general idea is broken into
specific categories, which of these methods would you use?
D) classification
78) Effective paragraphs are both ________ (focused on a single idea) and ________ (organized
logically).
C) unified; coherent

79) In which of the following situations are transitional elements useful?

C) linking major sections or chapters in a long report

80) If a writer focuses on the similarities and differences of a topic to compose a paragraph, then
he or she is using the ________ approach.
C) comparison or contrast

81) A(n) ________ is a cluster of sentences related to the same general topic.
C) paragraph

82) Skillful writers use transitional elements to

E) connect ideas and show the relationships between them.

83) A paragraph that is developed using a cause and effect relationship will
C) focus on the reasons for something.

84) Breaking ideas down into specific categories uses ________ to develop a paragraph.
E) classification
85) Transitions connect ideas by showing how one thought is related to another.
Answer: TRUE

86) When developing paragraphs, you should use only one method within each paragraph and
throughout a document.
Answer: FALSE

87) Identify and describe the elements of an effective paragraph.

Answer: Paragraphs vary widely in length and form, but a typical paragraph contains three basic
elements: a topic sentence, support sentences that develop the topic, and transitional words and
phrases. An effective paragraph deals with a single topic, and the sentence that introduces that
topic is called the topic sentence. In most paragraphs, the topic sentence needs to be explained,
justified, or extended with one or more support sentences. These related sentences must all have
a bearing on the general subject and must provide enough specific details to make the topic clear.
Transitions connect ideas by showing how one thought is related to another. They also help alert
the reader to what lies ahead so that shifts and changes don't cause confusion. In addition to
helping readers understand the connections you're trying to make, transitions give your writing a
smooth, even flow.

88) As a rule, keep subject lines and headlines to around ________ when writing messages for
smartphone users.
E) 25 characters

89) All of the following except ________ will help you compose effective mobile messages.
C) saving space by presenting the message in one long paragraph
90) When you're writing for mobile devices, use ________ to present the most important
information first and provide successive layers of detail that readers can consume, if they want
to.
B) an inverted pyramid style

91) All of the following except ________ will help you write effective messages for mobile
device users.
D) including longer paragraphs92) When developing your message for mobile technology and
different user interface features, ________ must be adapted.
E) the design and layout of the message.

93) How does user comprehension of information change when using a mobile device?
B) User comprehension decreases because users tend to scroll past important information.

94) When developing a message for a mobile device, how should a message be organized?
D) with a linear flow from the top to the bottom

95) Using an inverted pyramid for message development on a small screen requires the writer to
A) put the most important information first.

96) When a writer needs to send a long document that might be accessed by the receiver on a
mobile device, the writer should

B) send a short executive summary that can be read on a mobile device, with the longer
document accessible on a PC.
97) When you're writing for mobile devices, using a linear organization will make your messages
easier to read on small mobile screens.
Answer: TRUE

98) If you intend for your message to reach users of mobile devices, present the content in short
paragraphs.
Answer: TRUE

99) What are the five most common techniques for developing paragraphs?
Answer: There are several common techniques for developing paragraphs. Illustration involves
giving examples to demonstrate the general idea. Comparison and contrast both involve using
similarities or differences to develop the topic. Cause and effect requires focusing on the reasons
for something. Classification involves showing how a general idea is broken into specific
categories. Finally, problem and solution requires presenting a problem and then discussing the
solution.

100) Describe five techniques you can use to compose effective messages for mobile devices.
Answer: Use these five techniques to make your mobile messages more effective: (1) Use a
linear organization. With small mobile device screens, a complicated organization requires
readers to zoom in and out and pan around to see the message. To simplify reading, organize
with a linear flow from the top to the bottom of the message or article. (2) Prioritize information.
Small screens make it difficult for readers to scan the page to find the information they want. Use
the inverted pyramid style to reveal the most important information briefly at first and then
provide successive layers of detail that readers can consume if they want. (3) Write shorter and
more-focused messages and documents. Mobile users often lack the patience or opportunity to
read lengthy messages or documents, so keep it short. (4) Use shorter subject lines and headings.
Mobile devices can't display as many characters in a single line of text as the typical computer
screen can. As a rule, keep subject lines and headlines to around 25 characters. (5) Use shorter
paragraphs. Shorter paragraphs are less intimidating and let readers take frequent "micro rests" as
they move through a document.

Chapter 6 Completing Business Messages

1) Regarding the three-step writing process, all of the following except ________ are important
elements of the completing step.
C) forecasting the message

2) When you begin the ________, focus your attention on content, organization, style, and tone.
C) revision process

3) In business communication, the ________ of a message usually have the greatest impact on
the readers.
D) beginning and ending sections

4) When you need to revise a long, complex document,

D) try to put your draft aside for a couple of days before you start.
5) When reviewing your document for content, you should be concerned with
C) the accuracy and relevance of the information.

6) When evaluating the work of others, you should

A) make sure you understand the writer's intent before you begin suggesting or making changes.

7) The first draft a document is often

C) improvable.

8) Messages with spelling and grammar errors create an impression of

E) poor quality thinking.

9) When evaluating for content, organization, style, and tone, the conclusion of the message
should
E) summarize the main idea and create a positive impression.

10) Before revising someone else's work,

C) identify the writer's intent of the message.

11) After you have completed the first draft of your business message, the next step is to make a
final, quick pass through it to check for typos and spelling errors.
Answer: FALSE

12) Revising your message is important because readers are likely to equate the quality of your
writing with the quality of your thinking.
Answer: TRUE

13) Briefly explain what the opening of a document should accomplish.

Answer: The opening of any document should be relevant, interesting, and geared to the reader's
probable reaction. For longer messages, the first few paragraphs should also establish the
subject, purpose, and organization of the material.

14) For general business messages, gear your writing toward

C) readers at the eighth-grade to eleventh-grade level.

15) Readability indexes measure ________, so they offer a useful reference point for improving
your writing.
B) sentence length

16) Using short paragraphs will help you improve the readability of your business messages
because
B) they can help you emphasize key ideas.

17) Business writers use bulleted and numbered lists to

D) add decorative elements to their messages.

18) When you're writing a business message, use headings and subheadings to
E) group related paragraphs together.

19) Which of the following is not a technique for helping readers who skim your document?
B) keeping all sentences the same length
20) Skilled business writers
C) vary the length of their sentences.

21) When it comes to paragraph length,

D) use one-sentence paragraphs only occasionally, for emphasis.

22) When creating a list for a business document,

C) be sure to introduce it clearly.

23) Skillful writers use informative headings and subheadings to

B) guide readers to think a certain way about the topics covered.

24) The ________ assesses the readability of a document by ranking it on a 100-point scale.
C) Flesch Reading Ease score

25) ________ headings identify a topic but do little more; ________ headings guide readers to
think in certain ways about a topic.
C) Descriptive; informative

26) When incorporating lists into a document, they should all use the same grammatical pattern,
referred to as
E) parallelism.

27) To guide readers to think a certain way about a topic, incorporate

D) informative headings.

28) Although you should vary the length of paragraphs in your business messages, in general you
should strive for short paragraphs.
Answer: TRUE

29) Readers can get a more out of a document just by reading its descriptive headings than by
reading its informative headings.
Answer: FALSE

30) Briefly describe at least three advantages of using lists in business documents.
Answer: Lists can show the sequence of your ideas, heighten their impact visually, and help
readers find your key points. They also provide readers with clues, simplify complex subjects,
highlight the main point, break up the page visually, ease the skimming process, and give readers
a breather.

31) What three functions do effective headings serve in business documents? Explain each one.
Answer: Headings contribute to the document's organization by showing the reader at a glance
how the document is organized. They act as labels to group related paragraphs and organize
material into short sections. Headings also control the reader's attention, making the text easier to
read and helping the audience find the parts they need to read—or skip. Finally, headings help
readers make connections between subordinate ideas and main ones.

32) Briefly explain the difference between descriptive headings and informative headings.
Answer: Whereas descriptive headings do little more than identify a topic, informative headings
guide readers to think in certain ways about the topic of your message. Well-written informative
headings are self-contained, which means a reader can read just the headings and subheadings
and understand them without reading the rest of the document.
33) Readability indexes are useful when determining
E) number of syllables.

34) To best convey complex ideas, use a

E) long sentence.

35) When you're editing a document for conciseness,

E) eliminate awkward references.

36) Which of the following is an example of a hedging sentence?

A) The employee's performance appears to be less than satisfactory.

37) What is wrong with the following sentence? "To waste time and missing deadlines are bad
habits."
A) Similar ideas are not parallel.

38) What is wrong with the following sentence? "Having stalled for two days, the assignment
was now late."

B) It contains a dangling modifier.

39) When ________ are strung together as modifiers, they should be replaced with a single well-
chosen word to make the sentence easier to read.
D) nouns.

40) Word endings such as -ion, -ing, and -ment often change verbs into nouns and are referred to
as
C) camouflaged verbs.

41) "The above-mentioned book" is an example of

D) an awkward reference.

42) Which of the following sentences is the most concisely worded?

D) The project manager must give the engineers the revised specifications before the project
starts.

43) "Visible to the eye" is an example of

B) a redundancy.

44) Starting a sentence with "It is" or "There are" is

A) usually a sign that the sentence could be shorter and more active.

45) Because mobile users consume information one screen at a time, you should ________ when
you're writing to them.
C) divide your message into independent, easy-to-consume bites

46) A ________ uses words such as may and seems to avoid stating a judgment or fact directly.
A) hedging sentence
47) When you have two or more similar ideas to express in writing, use parallelism to
A) show that the ideas are related.

48) A ________ is a verb that has been changed into a noun or an adjective.
D) camouflaged verb

49) Word combinations such as basic fundamentals, anonymous stranger, and future plans are
examples of
B) redundancies.

50) Which of the following will best improve the message's readability?
C) using headings and subheadings

51) Many changes made to improve clarity will also improve

E) conciseness.

52) To edit for conciseness,

A) eliminate wordy phrases.

53) You can improve the clarity of your messages if you break up overly long sentences into
shorter sentences.
Answer: TRUE

54) When you're using digital media to write a message, you don't need to worry about grammar,
spelling, or clarity.
Answer: FALSE

55) Briefly describe two strategies for clarifying sentence structure.

Answer: Keep the subject and predicate of a sentence as close together as possible, and keep
adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases as close as possible to the words they modify.

56) Explain the steps involved in editing documents for clarity.

Answer: Editing for clarity involves breaking up overly long sentences and rewriting sentences
that contain hedging (words such as may and seems). It also requires imposing parallelism, or
using the same grammatical pattern to express two or more similar ideas. Correcting dangling
modifiers is another necessary step, along with rewording long noun sequences. Improving the
clarity of a document also involves eliminating camouflaged verbs, clarifying sentence structure
and awkward sentences, and moderating your enthusiasm.

57) Explain why editing for conciseness is important, then list the four steps it involves.
Answer: Editing business documents for conciseness is important because readers appreciate it
and are more likely to read your documents if you have a reputation for efficient writing.
Improving the conciseness of a message involves removing unnecessary words and phrases,
shortening long words and phrases, and eliminating redundancies. It also requires shortening
sentences that begin with indefinite pronouns such as it and there.

58) Rewrite the following sentence to improve clarity and avoid the long noun sequence: "The
financial estimates and accounting consulting firm will be closed next week."
Answer: The consulting firm that provides financial estimates and accounting services will be
closed next week.
59) Rewrite the following sentence to avoid camouflaged verbs: "The customer will ultimately
make a determination about whether a purchase will occur."
Answer: The customer will ultimately decide whether to purchase.

60) Rewrite the following sentence to eliminate the unnecessary phrases: "In view of the fact that
the customer service department is closed, we do not have the capability of offering refunds until
such a time as they reopen."
Answer: We can offer refunds as soon as the customer service department opens.

61) Rewrite the following sentence to eliminate redundancies: "The engineers collaborated
together in order to produce the uniquely original final outcomes of their research."
Answer: The engineers collaborated to produce original research.

62) To make your messages mobile friendly,

B) divide the message into easy to consume bites.

63) Businesspeople who compose messages for mobile devices should

A) keep formats simple.

64) Like the tone of your language, ________ can be too formal, just right, or too informal for a
given message.
A) spacing

65) The ________ of a message involves the total effect of elements such as page or screen
design, typography, and graphics.
C) production quality

66) The term type style refers to

B) any modification that lends contrast or emphasis to type.

67) For effective document design in business communication, you should

C) let "simpler" and "fewer" be your guiding concepts.

68) Using white space in a document

D) provides visual contrast.

69) According to your textbook, lines of text that are justified are
A) set flush or aligned vertically on both the right and left.

70) Centered type is commonly used for

C) headings and subheadings.

71) For most printed business messages, use a type size of ________ for regular text and
________ for headings and subheadings.
B) 10 to 12 points; 12 to 18 points

72) Which one of the following is usually included in a typical memo format?
C) a subject line

73) When selecting typefaces for most business documents, you should
A) generally avoid using more than two typefaces on a page.
74) Any space in a message that doesn't contain text or artwork, both in print and online, is
considered to be
D) white space.

75) The term ________ refers to the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text
characters.
C) typeface

76) ________ such as Times New Roman and Garamond have small cross lines at the ends of
each letter stroke.
B) Serif typefaces

77) To achieve an effective design, pay careful attention to

B) consistency, restraint, and detail.

78) The ________ of a message sends a nonverbal message to the reader that may influence their
perception of the communication.
E) visual design

79) White space provides ________ for the reader.

A) resting points

80) When producing a document for mobile technology, the preferred typeface is ________
because screens have lower resolution than printed text.
B) sans serif

81) Think in "small chunks" of information when writing for someone who'll read your message
on a smartphone.
Answer: TRUE

82) 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: TRUE

83) To make your message more interesting and accessible, you should use as many design
elements and decorative touches as possible.
Answer: FALSE

84) To draw attention to important points or terms italic type is more effective than boldface.
Answer: FALSE

85) Why is it important to select the right typeface for a business message?
Answer: Typeface refers to the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters.
Typeface influences the tone of your message, making it look authoritative or friendly,
businesslike or casual, classic or modern, and so on. Be sure to choose fonts that are appropriate
for your message; many of the fonts on your computer are not appropriate for business use.

86) Identify and discuss four techniques you can to make the content of a message "mobile
friendly."
Answer: The following techniques will help you format content for mobile devices: Think in
small chunks. Mobile users consume information one screen at a time; so divide your message
into independent, easy-to-consume bites. Use plenty of white space. Keep paragraphs short (4-6
lines) and separate them with blank lines so the reader's eyes can easily jump from one point to
the next. Keep formats simple. Avoid anything that can interfere with fast, easy reading: e.g.,
busy typefaces, complex graphics, and complicated layouts. Consider horizontal and vertical
layouts. Most mobile devices allow users to rotate their screen content from horizontal to
vertical. A layout that doesn't work well with the narrow vertical perspective might be acceptable
at the wider horizontal perspective.

87) When you're proofreading a workplace document, treat the process as a

C) methodical procedure in which you look for specific problems that may occur.

88) Which of the following techniques can help you proofread more effectively?
A) Read each page backward, from the bottom to the top.

89) During the proofreading process, if you plan to focus on writing errors, look at
A) grammar errors.

90) According to professional proofreaders, ________ will help to ensure high-quality results.
B) concentrating on what you're doing

91) In order to do an effective job at proofreading a document,

B) go through the document several times.

92) According to your textbook, proofreading is

B) the quality inspection stage for a document.

93) When proofreading a document, design and format errors include

D) problems with page numbers and page breaks.

94) Explain the importance and process of proofreading.

Answer: Proofreading is important because it is your last chance to make sure that your
document is ready to carry your message – and your reputation – to the intended audience. When
proofreading, you should check the document for errors from the writing, design, and layout
stages, and mistakes that crept in during production. More specifically, you should be on the
lookout for writing errors (such as typographical mistakes and misspelled words), missing
elements (text sections and visual aids), and design and formatting errors (such as incorrect font
selections and page numbers).

95) When considering the cost of distributing a message, be sure to consider

A) the nonverbal message you send.

96) The amount of work involved in receiving a message is an aspect of

B) convenience.

97) Because of security concerns, files should be sent

C) as PDF files.

98) When sending large files, use ________ to shrink the size of the email attachment.
E) recordable media

99) When determining the best way to distribute a message, which of the following should be
considered?
E) all of the above100) Describe four important issues to consider when distributing business
messages.
Answer: The first issue is cost. Although it won't be a concern for most messages, it may well be
for lengthy reports or multimedia productions. It's vital to invest wisely depending on the
importance of your message. Another issue is convenience: how much work is involved for you
and your audience? The simplest distribution method is not always best, since what's convenient
for you may come across as unprofessional to your audience. Time is also important to take into
consideration: how soon does the message need to reach the audience? The distribution method
you choose should reflect your audience's preferences and needs. Finally, security and privacy
are key considerations. The convenience offered by IM and other technologies needs to be
weighed against security and privacy concerns. To minimize potential risks associated with
virus-prone email attachments, you can convert your documents to PDF files using Adobe
Acrobat or an equivalent product.

Excellence in Business Communication, 12e (Thill/Bovee)

Chapter 7 Crafting Messages for Digital Channels

1) Marketers can use ________ to link the virtual world of online social networking with the
physical world of retail stores.
B) location-based social networking

2) When it comes to writing messages in today's business environment,

B) printed messages are still preferred for formal correspondence or a court of law.

3) Training content on a mobile device that is provided as workers are learning tasks is referred
to as
E) augmented reality.

4) Using "teasers" in electronic media as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or other
document
C) is acceptable, as long as the payoff is valuable and legitimate.

5) When you're posting comments on social media,

D) provide short "chunks" of information that can help others who visit the site.

6) The term ________ represents the use of game thinking in mobile apps and web services to
engage audiences.
A) gamification

7) The use of ________ represents a fundamental shift in business communication.

C) social media

8) Consuming large amounts of small pieces of information instead of reviewing a larger

document is referred to as
C) content snacking.

9) Social media has the ability to increase ________, allowing stakeholders to better monitor
business activities.
E) transparency

10) When writing for social media, one should

B) write informally, but carefully.
11) When a summary appears at the beginning of an article or webpage,
E) it acts as a miniature version of the document.

12) Marketers use microblogging systems to send ________ that withhold key information, in
order to attract the attention of current and prospective customers.
A) teasers

13) A ________ is the online equivalent of recorded radio or video broadcasts.

A) podcast

14) Twitter-ready bites of information, extracted from a blog post or other message, are called
B) tweetables.

15) ________ for electronic media include conversations, comments and critiques, orientations,
summaries, and narratives.
B) Compositional modes

16) Because each electronic medium has unique requirements, basic communication skills do not
usually transfer from one system to another.
Answer: FALSE

17) Smartphones and tablets are ideal for mobile blogging.

Answer: TRUE
Explanation: Smartphones and tablets are ideal for mobile blogs or moblogs. The mobile
capability is great for workers whose jobs keep them on the move and for special-event coverage
such as live-blogging trade shows and industry conventions.

18) Gamification links the virtual world of online social networking with the physical world of
retail stores and other locations.
Answer: FALSE

19) Discuss how differentiating between various digital media tools can get complicated as
systems and people use those tools in new and creative ways.
Answer: The lines that differentiate digital media communication tools (e.g., instant messaging,
texting, microblogging, and podcasting) often get blurry as systems expand their capabilities or
people use them in new ways. For example, Facebook Messages integrates IM, text messages,
and email capabilities, in addition to being a social networking system. Moreover, the mobile
variants of digital technologies add another layer of challenges and opportunities for business
communicators. For example, the ability to scan coded labels such as barcodes or the similar
Quick Response (QR) codes attached to printed materials, products, or store windows (or the
ability to pick up radio signals from near-field communication tags) gives smartphone users a
way to get more information—from the companies themselves and from other consumers
providing reviews on social websites.

20) List at least three general situations in which you would send a printed version of a business
message instead of using an electronic medium.
Answer: A printed message is especially appropriate (1) when you want to make a formal
impression, (2) when you are legally required to provide information in printed form, (3) when
you want to stand out from the flood of electronic messages your audience receives, and
(4) when you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record.
21) Identify the nine compositional modes that apply to electronic media in the workplace.
Answer: Communicating successfully with electronic media requires a wide range of writing
approaches. Fortunately, you can write successful messages in virtually all electronic media by
using one of the following compositional modes: conversations, comments and critiques,
orientations, summaries, reference materials, narratives, teasers, status updates and
announcements, and tutorials.

22) What is location-based social networking? Why is it important to business communication?

Answer: Location-based social networking links the virtual world of online social networking
with the physical world of retail stores and other locations. As mobile web use in general
continues to grow, location-based networking promises to become an important business
communication medium because mobile consumers are a significant economic force – through
the purchases they make directly and through their ability to influence other consumers

23) Online services that help people and organizations form connections and share information
are generally referred to as
D) social networks.

24) Networks that focus on a particular function or audience are known as

B) public, specialized networks.

25) In an organization, the ________ is the social media interface between a company and its
external stakeholders.
D) community manager

26) Social networks are used for many business communication needs because the networks can
A) integrate the company work force.

27) People who engage in similar work, even though they might be geographically dispersed, are
known as
C) communities of practice.

28) A community of interest that forms around a specific product is sometimes called a
D) brand community.

29) The measure of how effectively a company engages with online stakeholders is
A) brand socialization.

30) ________ involves using social networks and social media to give customers a convenient
way to get help from a company.
C) Social customer service

31) Providing free information that is valuable to the audience but also helps a company build
closer ties with customers is called
E) content marketing.

32) To make it easier for people to find and follow an organization, all social media from the
organization should be organized in a central hub, a
C) web presence that anchors the online presence.

33) One strategy an organization should use to build its social network is to
E) maintain a persistent online personality.
34) Social networks are a natural tool for bringing together ________, people who engage in
similar work, and ________, people who share enthusiasm for a particular product or activity.
C) communities of practice; communities of interest

35) Companies can use a research technique called ________ to track social networks and other
media to (1) take the pulse of public opinion and (2) identify opinion makers.
B) sentiment analysis

36) 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

37) The practice of content marketing involves ________, in order to build closer ties with
current and potential online customers.
D) offering free information that's valuable to community members

38) Explain the role of a community manager at the workplace.

Answer: With the rise in social media over the past few years and its transformative effect on
business, community manager is one of the hottest new jobs in business. In the narrowest sense,
a community manager is the social media interface between a company and its external
stakeholders. More broadly, some community managers also plan and manage corporate events
and oversee customer support operations. In smaller firms, the community manager might be the
sole voice in a company's social media presence (running its Twitter account and Facebook
pages, for example). In larger firms, the job often entails supervising a team of people who carry
out a broad range of audience-engagement activities.

39) How can internal social networks foster collaboration and build communities within the
organization?
Answer: Just as public networks can bring friends and family together, internal social networks
can help companies grow closer, including helping new employees navigate their way through
the organization, finding experts, mentors, and other important contacts; encouraging workforces
to "jell" after reorganizations or mergers; and overcoming structural barriers in communication
channels, bypassing the formal communication system to deliver information where it is needed
in a timely fashion. Networks can play a major role in collaboration by identifying the best
people, both inside the company and in other companies, to collaborate on projects; finding
pockets of knowledge and expertise within the organization; giving meeting or seminar
participants a way to meet before an event and to maintain relationships after an event;
accelerating the development of teams by helping members get to know one another and to
identify individual areas of expertise; and sharing information throughout the organization.

40) When using social networking for personal branding and company communication, why is it
important to anchor your presence in a central hub?
Answer: Although it's important to join those conversations and be visible where your
stakeholders are active, it's equally important to anchor your presence at your own central hub–a
web presence you own and control. This can be a combination of a conventional website, a blog,
and a company-sponsored online community, for example. Use the hub to connect the various
pieces of your online "self" (as an individual or a company) to make it easier for people to find
and follow you. For example, you can link to your blog from your LinkedIn profile or
automatically post your blog entries into the Notes tab on your Facebook page.

41) A ________ is a social media site where users, not owners, contribute most of the content.
B) user-generated content site

42) Community Q&A sites offer opportunities for building your personal brand. When you're
responding to an individual's question, keep in mind that
E) you're responding in advance to anyone who has the same question and visits the site.

43) RSS feeds can benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from websites or to
aggregate feeds from many sites. However, a drawback to RSS feeds involves the "fire-hose
effect" of
C) getting so many feeds so fast that it's impossible to manage them.

44) 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.
B) content curation

45) YouTube, Wikipedia, and Twitter are popular examples of

B) user-generated content sites.

46) Starbucks Coffee, Animal Planet, and Turner Classic Movies offer videos to their followers
via their ________ on YouTube.
C) branded channels

47) Many companies have formal email policies that include restrictions on sending
E) all of the above.

48) Which of the following will help you write effective email messages?
B) avoid sending long, complex messages

49) Email messages

B) should be written with the assumption that they will be stored forever.

50) The subject line of an email message

B) helps recipients decide whether to read the message.

51) Because many email programs display the first few words or lines of incoming messages,
you should
C) treat the first sentence of the message as an extension of your subject line.

52) When you're writing email messages in the workplace, remember that business emails
A) require a higher level of quality than personal emails.

53) Which one of the following is a planning step in creating effective email messages?
A) following company email guidelines and policies

54) A(n) ________ includes items such as your name, title, company, and contact information at
the end of your email messages.
B) email signature

55) Some email users employ ________ to express emotional nuances in casual or informal
email messages.
A) emoticons
56) The ________ of an email is important because it helps readers decide whether to read the
message or delete it.
A) subject line

57) Email hygiene refers to

C) all the efforts companies make to keep email clean and safe.

58) In business communication, email is often replaced by other tools that provide better support
for instant communication and real-time collaboration.
Answer: TRUE

59) In a court of law, email messages and other electronic documents can have the same weight
as printed documents.
Answer: TRUE

60) An effective email subject line is very short and describes only the general topic of the
message.
Answer: FALSE

61) Spelling, punctuation, and grammar don't matter in email; getting your message out quickly
should be your only concern.
Answer: FALSE

62) Explain how inappropriate use of email at work can lead to legal problems.
Answer: The consequences of bad writing or poor judgment in email can be serious. For
example, email messages and other electronic documents have the same legal weight as printed
documents, and they are often used as evidence in lawsuits and criminal investigations.

63) What are emoticons? Why are they controversial in business communication?
Answer: Email is a lean medium, so expressing emotional nuances in an email message will
challenge even experienced communicators. Therefore, users of email (IM and texting too) have
developed emoticons to express emotions in casual communication. Over the years, using
emoticons in business communication has been widely regarded as unprofessional. Recently,
though, more professionals seem to be using them, particularly for communication with close
colleagues, even as other professionals still view them as evidence of lazy or immature writing.
Given these conflicting perspectives, think carefully before including an emoticon in a
workplace email. As a rule, avoid emoticons for all types of external communication and for
formal internal communication, and avoid those bright yellow graphical emoticons in all
business communication.

64) Which of the following is a compelling advantage of IM in the workplace?

B) IM closely resembles one-on-one conversations.

65) Compared to email, instant messaging (IM)

D) offers greater speed.

66) When using IM to communicate with clients and vendors, your greatest concern is likely to
be
A) incompatibility between your company's IM system and the systems your vendors and clients
use.
67) Advantages of using IM rather than email include
C) its ability to hold real-time text conversations.

68) An unsolicited IM from a company informing you of their great rates on vacations in Hawaii
is an example of
C) spim.

69) You can plan for important business exchanges via IM by viewing them as
B) conversations with specific goals in mind.

70) In order to use instant messaging (IM) productively in the workplace,

C) treat IM as a professional communication medium.

71) As it pertains to instant messaging, ________ involves making sure that online
correspondents are really who they appear to be.
D) user authentication

72) The ________ feature of instant messaging enables users to see which people are at their
desks and available to IM.
B) presence awareness

73) In an organization, the use of ________ would be most effective when updating employees
at remote locations during a time of emergency.
B) text messages

74) What are the characteristics of an effective email subject line?

Answer: An effective subject line is both informative and compelling, and captures the
audience's attention. It does more than just describe or classify message content. It also builds
interest with key words, quotations, directions, or questions.

75) List at least three drawbacks of using instant messaging in business.

Answer: Potential disadvantages of using IM in business include (1) security problems such as
computer viruses, network infiltration, and intercepted messages; (2) the need for user
authentication; (3) the challenge of logging messages for later review and archiving; and (4)
spim (unsolicited commercial messages, similar to email spam).

76) Explain how to apply the three-step writing process to instant messages.
Answer: Although instant messages are often conceived, written, and sent within a matter of
seconds, the principles of the three-step process still apply. In planning instant messages, view
every IM exchange as a conversation and take a moment to plan the overall exchange. Think
through the specific needs of your audience, and try to deliver information in a coherent,
complete way that minimizes the number of individual messages required. When writing instant
messages, remember that the appropriate writing style for business IM is more formal than the
style you may be accustomed to with personal IM or text messaging. Avoid IM acronyms except
when communicating with close colleagues. The completing phase is easy when it comes to IM.
Once you've selected some basic font settings that apply to all your messages, you generally
don't need to do anything in terms of producing each message, and distributing is as simple as
clicking the "send" button. However, don't skip over the revising and proofreading tasks, and
make sure your message contains all the necessary information.

77) What opportunities and challenges are associated with the use of instant messaging in the
workplace?
Answer: The benefits of using IM in the workplace include rapid response to urgent messages,
lower cost than phone calls, ability to mimic conversation more closely than email, and
availability on a wide range of devices and systems. In addition, because it resembles one-on-one
conversation, IM's harder to misuse as a one-to-many broadcast method. However, IM is not
without its drawbacks. IT departments that maintain IM platforms are challenged by security
issues, user authentication, logging and archiving messages, incompatible IM platforms, and
spim. Finally, because IM is a lean medium, it lacks nonverbal cues, which increases the chances
of miscommunication.

78) The ability to update content quickly and easily makes ________ a natural medium when
communicators want to get messages out in a hurry.
C) blogs and microblogs

79) Which of the following is important when you're completing messages for your blog?
B) evaluating the content and readability of your message

80) Many companies are now using ________ to replace or supplement some conference calls,
training courses, and other communication activities.
E) podcasts

81) When you're applying the three-step writing process to blogging, the planning step will
include
B) targeting the audience that you intend to reach.

82) Many businesses now use blogs to

A) keep project teams up to date.

83) If you do not have a constant supply of new information to post on a business blog,
C) you should create a traditional website instead.

84) When you're creating a blog, include one or more ________ so that your audience can
receive headlines and blog-post summaries automatically.
B) newsfeed options

85) If a customer uses the comment feature to criticize the content of your business blog,
A) you should respond promptly and honestly.

86) When you're blogging for business,

B) apply the three-step writing process as you would for any other business message.

87) Which of the following would be the most effective headline for a new posting on a business
blog?
D) Seven Reasons To Switch Your Smartphone Carrier

88) Twitter users consider ________ to be the most valuable kind of tweets.
C) engaging messages, such as asking followers for advice

89) Retweeting is the practice of forwarding messages from other Twitter users. It is the
microblogging equivalent of
B) using content curation to share content from other bloggers.

90) Writing "teasers" on microblogging sites can be effective, as long as the payoffs to which
they lead are valuable and legitimate.
Answer: TRUE

91) Compared to blogs, podcasts are

B) more difficult to edit.

92) One of the greatest drawbacks to using podcasts in business is

C) the challenge listeners face when trying to find specific parts of the message.

93) When organizing content for a podcast, steering devices such as ________ are especially
important.
D) transitions

94) In terms of the three-step writing process, podcasts differ mostly from written messages in
the ________ step.
C) completing

95) A ________ offers regular podcasts on a consistent theme, designed for a public audience.
C) podcasting channel

96) One of the biggest attractions of podcasting is

E) the conversations, person-to-person feel of the recording.

97) Always read from a prepared script when creating podcasts for business.
Answer: FALSE

98) The completing step is where podcasting differs most dramatically from written
communication.
Answer: TRUE

99) Give at least three examples of how podcasts could replace more traditional message formats
in business.
Answer: (Answers may vary.) Real estate agents could record audio podcasts that potential
homebuyers could listen to while walking through homes. Marketing departments could replace
expensive printed brochures with video podcasts that demonstrate new products in action.
Human resource departments could use podcasts to offer video tours of their companies to entice
new recruits.

100) When creating podcasts for business, should you script them entirely and read them word-
for-word? Briefly explain your answer.
Answer: In podcasts, it is generally best to speak from an outline and notes rather than from a
script. One of the attractions of podcasting is the conversational, person-to-person feel of the
recordings. A scripted performance can reduce or eliminate these characteristics.

Chapter 9 Writing Negative Messages

1) During the process of composing a negative message, you should try to

B) gain the reader's acceptance of the bad news.

2) When you're planning a negative message, ________ in order to minimize the damage to
business relationships and encourage acceptance of your message.
A) analyze the situation carefully

3) If you must deliver bad news, determine ________ to help you choose the direct or indirect
approach for delivering the message.
B) how important the news is to the reader

4) Consider the following statements. Which one of them is phrased in a negative way?
C) Your payment is late.

5) When you're writing a negative message, use ________ to take some of the sting out of the
bad news and to help your reader accept the message and move forward.
B) clarity and sensitivity

6) One of the primary goals of a negative message is to

D) gain acceptance for the bad news.

7) Use the ________ to deliver bad news, if you have to get the reader's attention immediately.
C) direct approach

8) When composing negative messages, don't use language that

D) pinpoints the reader's shortcomings.

9) Use the ________ when you must deliver bad news, if your audience has an emotional
investment in the situation.
D) indirect approach

10) Use the ________ if you must deliver bad news that will shock or surprise your audience.
A) indirect approach

11) When you need to maintain a close working relationship with someone to whom you are
sending a negative message, you should generally
B) analyze the situation carefully.

12) Using the direct approach for negative messages

A) makes a shorter message possible.

13) Which of the following is not a goal when communicating negative information?
C) to minimize damage to goodwill as much as possible

14) To avoid awkward situations, it is best to deliver bad news for employees in writing
whenever possible.
Answer: FALSE

15) You can help establish the right tone in a negative message by using positive words rather
than negative, counterproductive ones.
Answer: TRUE

16) What are your five main goals when delivering bad news?
Answer: In any negative message, your main goals are to (1) convey the bad news, (2) gain
acceptance for it, (3) maintain as much goodwill as possible, (4) maintain a good image for your
organization, and (5) (if appropriate) reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence on
the matter.
17) Rewrite the following negative message using positive words rather than negative ones:
"Since you failed to send payment, we cannot ship your order."
Answer: By sending payment promptly, you can receive your order within 5 business days.

18) If you're using the direct approach to deliver a negative message,

B) state the bad news at the beginning.

19) When you deliver negative messages, you

C) should use language that conveys respect.

20) If you choose to apologize in a negative message, you should

C) be sincere and make it a true apology.

21) Explaining negative news in the body of your message

E) is often helpful when you're writing to an important customer.

22) When it comes to apologizing for corporate mistakes, judges, juries, and plaintiffs tend to
C) be more forgiving of companies that apologize.

23) When you're closing a message about an error that your company made, explaining the steps
being taken to avoid similar mistakes in the future
D) can underscore the sincerity of an apology.

24) Use the direct approach for negative messages, if the message will have a relatively minor
impact on the audience.
Answer: TRUE

25) An advantage of the direct approach for communicating bad news is that it keeps the
message short.
Answer: TRUE

26) What are the two benefits of stating the bad news at the beginning of a negative message?
Answer: Stating the bad news at the beginning makes a shorter message possible and requires
less time for the audience to reach the main idea of the message.

27) Briefly describe the elements of a negative message that uses the direct approach.
Answer: The opening should start with a clear statement of the bad news. The body should give
the reasons for the bad news, and the closing should end with a positive statement aimed at
maintaining a good relationship with the audience.

28) Instead of announcing the bad news up front, you can open with a ________ to establish
common ground with the reader.
B) buffer statement
29) You can use an agreement strategy to write an effective buffer statement if you
D) discover a point on which you and the reader share similar views.

30) The buffer of a negative message

A) should be neutral and noncontroversial.

31) A well-written buffer can

D) indicate empathy with the audience.

32) One important goal of a buffer is to

B) establish common ground with your reader.

33) In the reasons section of a negative message, you should

A) prepare the reader for the negative news.

34) One way to be tactful when giving your reasons for bad news is to
B) focus on facts and imply the bad news.
35) According to the indirect approach for delivering bad news, you should place the negative
news
C) immediately after the reasons.

36) According to your textbook, which of the following techniques is a best practice for
delivering bad news?
D) Deemphasize it visually and grammatically.

37) If you ________, you can close a negative message in a positive way.
C) repeat the bad news

38) In a negative message, the explanation section should

C) lead readers to your conclusion before you state it.

39) With the exception of ________, all of the following guidelines can help you close a
negative message on a respectful note.
D) promising an optimistic future outcome

40) Consider the following statement: "Our profits, which have been disappointing, are only part
of the total picture." This statement uses a ________ to deliver negative news.
B) parenthetical expression

41) When delivering bad news, wording such as "We must turn down," "I am unable to," and
"We cannot afford to"
C) is likely to cause pain and anger in the reader.

42) When rejecting a request because of company policy, you should

C) explain the policy so the audience can try to meet the requirements later.

43) Encouraging additional communication in the close of a negative message

B) should be avoided unless you are truly willing to discuss the matter further.

44) When the bad news appears to be a logical outcome of the reasons that precede it, the reader
is more prepared to accept it.
Answer: TRUE
45) You can deemphasize bad news by minimizing the space or time devoted to it.
Answer: TRUE

46) Briefly describe the elements of a negative message that uses the indirect approach.
Answer: Begin with a buffer (a neutral statement that sets the stage for the bad news). Follow
with the reasons for the bad news, then state the bad news as diplomatically as possible.
Emphasize any good news and de-emphasize the bad. End with a positive, forward-looking
statement that is helpful and friendly and tries to preserve goodwill.

47) List three techniques for deemphasizing bad news.

Answer: Three methods for deemphasizing bad news are (1) minimize the space or time you
devote to the bad news, (2) subordinate your bad news in a complex or compound sentence, and
(3) embed bad news mid-paragraph or use parenthetical expressions.

48) You are faced with informing 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: (1) Will the bad news come as a shock to my audience? (2) Does the audience prefer
short messages that get right to the point? (3) How important is this news to my audience? (4)
Do I need to maintain a close working relationship with the audience? (5) Do I need to get the
audience's attention? (6) What is my organization's preferred style for delivering bad news?

49) What four guidelines should you follow in writing effective closings to negative messages?
Answer: (1) Avoid a negative or uncertain conclusion—there's no need to refer to, repeat, or
apologize for the bad news. (2) Manage future correspondence. Don't encourage additional
communication unless you're willing to discuss your decision in more detail. (3) Be optimistic
about the future instead of anticipating problems with statements such as, "Should you have any
further problems, please let me know." (4) Be sincere, avoiding meaningless clichés.

50) Employees who observe illegal or unethical behavior in the workplace may resort to
________, if they're unable to resolve the problems through normal channels.
C) whistleblowing

51) When you must deliver bad news in the workplace, remember that
C) delaying, downplaying, or distorting the news may be unethical or illegal.

52) When you must deliver negative messages in the workplace, strive to maintain high
standards of ethics and etiquette because
A) laws and regulations dictate content and delivery of many business messages.

53) Employees who engage in whistleblowing

C) are, in many cases, providing vital information to their employers.
54) In most cases, withholding or delaying negative information in the workplace
C) may be unethical or illegal.

55) When considering sharing bad news within an organization, managers must commit to
E) listening when employees have negative information to share.

56) When the audience is aware of the possibility of negative news, the writer should
B) consider how emotionally involved the reader will be with the message.

57) When providing reasons and additional information for the bad news, the writer should
E) adjust the amount of detail to fit the audience and the situation.

58) Rewrite the following sentence using more respectful wording: "You shouldn't have put the
blender into the dishwasher."
Answer: This type of blender should not be cleaned in the dishwasher.

59) When you are refusing a routine request from someone in an established relationship, you
A) should use the indirect approach.

60) Do all of the following except ________ if you must refuse a claim.
B) argue heatedly for your point of view

61) Your communication goals should include ________ if you're sending bad news about
transactions.
A) modifying the customer's expectations

62) If the stakes are high for you or your receiver, use a(n) ________ to deliver negative
information.
C) indirect approach

63) Negative messages about business transactions are designed to

B) explain how you plan to resolve the situation.

64) Whether or not you should apologize when delivering bad news about transactions depends
mainly on
E) if you didn't meet agreed upon expectations.

65) A woman returns a formal dress to your store, asking for a refund. The bodice is stained and
the hemline is torn, but she says she is returning it unworn because it doesn't fit. Which of the
following would be the best way to refuse her request for a refund?
B) Restate her complaint to let her know you understand it, explain as positively as possible that
you are unable to accept the return of damaged merchandise, and recommend a tailor who can
fix the tear and alter the dress for her.

66) To avoid being accused of defamation, you should

C) avoid any kind of behavior that could be considered abusive.

67) In refusing a customer's request for an adjustment, you become concerned about possible
defamation charges. What should you do?
C) Consult your company's legal advisors.

68) When making negative announcements about routine business matters,

B) the indirect approach is best in most cases.

69) Offering discounts on future purchases, free merchandise, or other considerations in negative
messages about business transactions
E) can go a long way to rebuilding a customer's confidence in your company.

70) When you deliver bad news about business transactions (such as a delayed order shipment),
you should always apologize to the audience.
Answer: FALSE

71) One way to avoid being accused of defamation is to stick to the facts when communicating
with customers.
Answer: TRUE

72) List at least three guidelines that can help you avoid being accused of defamation.
Answer: (1) Refrain from using any kind of abusive language; (2) Provide accurate information
and stick to the facts; (3) Never let anger or malice motivate your messages; (4) Consult your
company's legal advisers whenever you think a message might have legal consequences;
(5) Communicate honestly; (6) Emphasize a desire for a good relationship in the future.

73) When you need to inform employees that a benefit or privilege will be eliminated,
B) minimize the impact of the bad news by presenting it in as positive a light as possible.

74) Social media and other communication technologies have created a major new challenge:
E) responding to online rumors and attacks on a company's reputation.

75) When responding to rumors and countering negative information in a social media
environment, a company should not
C) rely on its reputation to protect it.

76) A crisis management plan should

A) define operational procedures and outline communication tasks and responsibilities.

77) When a crisis hits, corporate communicators should

C) get top management involved immediately.

78) As soon as a crisis hits, companies should set up a news center for company representatives
and the media. Best practices for the news center will include all of the following except
A) releasing contact information for everyone involved.

79) With the increase in the use of social media, it is important to ________ those who don't
follow the rules of ethical communication.
C) diligently guard and defend against

80) When preparing to respond to negative messages, it is important to consider

B) the source, tone and content.

81) Proactive companies use social media to engage with their stakeholders as a long-term
strategy.
Answer: TRUE
82) Provide at least five guidelines to observe when making negative organizational
announcements.
Answer: (1) Match your approach to the situation—if the news is relatively minor, the direct
approach may be best. If it will come as a shock, use the indirect approach. (2) Consider the
unique needs of each group—not everyone needs the same information. (3) Give each audience
enough time to react as needed. If a plant is closing, for example, employees may need months to
find new jobs. (4) Give yourself enough time to plan and manage a response. Complaints and
questions are likely to follow your announcement. (5) Look for positive angles but don't exude
false optimism. (6) Minimize the element of surprise whenever possible. (7) Seek expert advice
if you're not sure how to handle all aspects of the announcement.

83) When rejecting a job applicant, you can soften the blow by
A) expressing appreciation for his or her application.

84) Which of the following is the most effective close for a letter rejecting a job applicant?
D) I wish you the best in your job search. I am confident you will find a match for your skills
and interests.

85) Which of the following can help you handle requests for recommendations in a social
networking environment?
C) writing as much or as little as you're comfortable with sharing about the person

86) As a member of an online social network, the recommendations you write

C) become part of your online brand.

87) A letter rejecting a job applicant should

A) avoid explaining why he or she was not selected.

88) If you must give an employee a negative performance review,

B) support your claims with careful documentation.

89) When writing an employment termination letter, you should

B) clearly present the reasons for the action.

90) Performance reviews in the workplace are designed to

C) promote personal action plans for improving performance.

91) When you're appraising employee performance, ________ to support any decisions that need
to be made about pay, promotions, or termination.
B) document performance problems

92) Which one of the following is not an essential element of writing termination messages in the
workplace?
D) personal allegations

93) When terminating an employee,

E) make sure reasons are objectively verifiable.

94) Writing an effective performance review requires

A) evaluating all employees consistently.
95) To avoid a negative surprise during a performance evaluation, managers should
E) provide regular feedback and coaching throughout the year.

96) When responding to social networking recommendation requests, a single sentence that
focuses on one positive aspect is often all that is necessary.
Answer: TRUE

97) Define and discuss performance reviews.

Answer: Performance reviews clarify job requirements, give employees feedback on their
performance relative to those requirements, and establish a personal plan of action to ensure
continued performance in the future. Performance reviews also help companies set
organizational standards and communicate organizational values. In addition, they document
evidence of performance in the event that disciplinary action is needed or an employee later
disputes management decisions regarding pay or promotions.

98) Suppose you're a manager who has to write performance reviews. What can you do to help
you prepare for writing a review that includes negative information?
Answer: If you need to write a review that includes negative information, keep the following
points in mind: Document performance problems. You will need this information in order to
write an effective appraisal and to support any decisions about pay, promotions, or termination.
Evaluate all employees consistently. Doing so is fair. It also helps protect the company from
claims of discriminatory practices. Write in a calm, objective voice. The employee is not likely to
welcome your negative assessment, but you can manage the emotions of the situation by
maintaining professional reserve in your writing. Focus on opportunities for improvement. This
information can serve as the foundation for an improvement plan for the coming year. Keep job
descriptions up to date. If a job evolves over time in response to changes in the business, the
employees' current activities may no longer match an outdated job description.

99) What are some viable options for refusing social networking recommendation requests?
Answer: The situation with recommendations in a social networking environment is more
complicated than with a traditional recommendation because the recommendations become part
of your online profile. Fortunately, social networks provide more flexibility when it comes to
responding to recommendation requests. You can simply ignore or delete the requests, or you can
(as many people do) make it a personal policy to ignore requests from networkers they don't
know. Another option is to refrain from making recommendations at all, and just letting people
know this when they ask.

100) Explain the characteristics of an effective letter rejecting a job applicant.

Answer: Rejecting job applicants requires choosing your approach carefully—experts disagree
on how much information to include in a rejection message, but the safest strategy is to avoid
any explanations for the company's decision and to avoid making or implying any promises of
future consideration. When writing a rejection message, be sure to personalize it by using the
recipient's name, and then open with a courteous expression of appreciation for being considered.
Convey the bad news politely and concisely, and avoid explaining why the applicant was
rejected or why other applicants were chosen instead. Don't state or imply that the application
will be reviewed later, and close with positive wishes for the applicant's career success.

Chapter 10 Writing Persuasive Messages

1) In general, the best persuasive messages ________ the audience's motivations.
C) openly address
2) Marketers use quantifiable characteristics known as ________ and psychological
characteristics known as ________ to help them understand the needs of an audience.
B) demographics; psychographics

3) As a human need that affects motivation, self-actualization involves the need to

C) reach one's full potential as a human being.

4) When you're writing a persuasive message, you can encourage a positive response by
C) understanding and respecting cultural differences.

5) Which of the following is an example of psychographic information?

C) lifestyle

6) Personality, lifestyle, and attitudes are assessed through

B) psychographic studies.

7) If you can't be sure which medium will be best to convey your persuasive message to a
diverse audience, you should
C) use two or more media at the same time.

8) If a supervisor tells a worker who consistently arrives late, "I know you don't want to have
your pay docked," the supervisor is addressing the worker's need for
A) safety and security.

9) Business professionals know that ________ is the attempt to change an audience's attitudes,
beliefs, or actions.
C) persuasion

10) ________ information includes age, gender, occupation, income, and education.
A) Demographic

11) ________ data provides information about an individual's personality, attitudes, lifestyle, and
other psychological characteristics.
C) Psychographic

12) The direct approach for persuasion

B) is effective for a receptive audience.

13) The best way to persuade an audience to do something is to

C) align your message with their existing motivation.

14) In persuasive messages, limiting your scope

C) is critical if your audience is to understand and accept your position.

15) Using polite language in persuasive messages

A) enhances the effectiveness of your arguments.

16) Suggesting that readers have made poor choices in the past
D) can inadvertently insult your audience, reducing the effectiveness of your persuasive
message.
17) Differences in organizational culture
B) can profoundly affect the success of a persuasive message.

18) Establishing credibility in persuasive messages

E) is essential when you are trying to persuade a hostile or skeptical audience.

19) Using simple language in persuasive messages

A) helps avoid suspicions of fantastic claims and emotional manipulation.

20) The attempt to change an attitude, belief, or action is known as

E) persuasion.

21) When using persuasion to sell a product or idea, the goal is

C) to present your offering in the best possible light.

22) When you're completing a persuasive message,

E) all of the above

23) Successful professionals understand that persuasion is the attempt to get your audience to
make the choices you want them to make—even if those choices are not in their best interest.
Answer: FALSE

24) Most persuasive business messages involve requests for action.

Answer: TRUE

25) In preparing to write persuasive messages, what two categories of information are vital to
understanding the needs of your audience?
Answer: Demographics (the age, gender, occupation, income, education, and other quantifiable
characteristics of your audience) are very important. Psychographics (the personality, attitudes,
lifestyle, and other psychological characteristics of your audience) are also vital to consider in
customizing your message for your audience.

26) When is it a good idea to use the direct approach for persuasive messages?
Answer: Using the direct approach for persuasive messages can be effective when your audience
is ready to hear your proposal or when you've been building your case through several indirect
messages, and now it's time to make your request. In some cases, your request will be
anticipated, so the direct approach is fine. When you have a close relationship with your
audience and the message is welcome or at least neutral, the direct approach can be effective.

27) Describe at least five strategies for establishing credibility when preparing persuasive
messages.
Answer: (1) Use simple language. Your audience is likely to be cautious, watching for fantastic
claims, insupportable descriptions, and emotional manipulation. (2) Support your message with
facts. The more specific and relevant your evidence, the better. (3) Identify your sources. Tell
your audience where your information comes from and who agrees with you. (4) Be an expert.
Know your subject area thoroughly. (5) Establish common ground—help your audience identify
with you by appealing to shared beliefs, attitudes, and background experiences. (6) Be objective.
Your ability to acknowledge all sides of an issue will help you present fair and logical arguments.
(7) Display your good intentions. Your willingness to keep your audience's best interests at heart
will help you create ethical persuasive messages.
28) Most persuasive messages combine
C) logical and emotional factors.

29) With regards to persuasive messages in social media, the AIDA approach is limited because
it
B) focuses on one-time events.

30) Circular reasoning is a logical fallacy that involves

C) trying to support a claim by restating it in different words.

31) When you're composing a persuasive message, all of the following except ________ are
common mistakes that you need to avoid.
B) promoting compromise

32) In a ________, your goal may be nothing more than convincing your audience to re-examine
long-help opinions or admit the possibility of new ways of thinking.
B) persuasive presentation of ideas

33) When it comes to persuasive messages, the direct approach

B) is often preferable with an audience with whom you have a close relationship.

34) AIDA stands for

D) attention, interest, desire, action.

35) When using the AIDA approach to persuasion, which of the following would be the best
opening to your message?
C) Are you spending way too much on prescription drugs?

36) The purpose of the interest section of a persuasive message is to

B) prompt the audience to imagine how the solution might benefit them.

37) When using the AIDA approach to persuasion, the closing should
A) urge the audience to take the action you are requesting.

38) 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.

39) The key to a successful action phase in the AIDA model is

C) making the action you propose simple and easy.

40) The AIDA approach for persuasive messages is ideal when used with
B) the indirect approach.

41) An advertisement stating that a new product offers "freedom and comfort along with $20
savings per month" is using
D) both logical and emotional appeals.

42) An analogy lets you

A) reason from one specific piece of evidence to another specific piece of evidence.
43) Which of the following uses a deductive approach to persuasion?
A) Because the stock market has been falling lately, share prices of our company stock will
probably also decline.

44) When writing persuasive messages, one way to avoid faulty logic is to
D) avoid hasty generalizations.

45) One way to overcome audience resistance to your message is to

B) address possible concerns that your audience has.

46) When preparing a persuasive request for action, it is vital to

A) show you understand the audience's concerns.

47) When writing a persuasive request for action, you should

B) demonstrate that helping you will solve a significant problem.

48) When writing a persuasive letter for claims or adjustments, you should
B) use a confident and positive tone.

49) Persuasive messages often follow a specialized four-phase format called the
B) AIDA model.

50) The process of ________ works from a generalization to a specific conclusion.

B) deductive reasoning

51) Addressing alternative positions in a persuasive message

A) enhances your credibility and can strengthen your argument.

52) In persuasive messages, suggesting that the action you want readers to take
B) encourages them to do what you have asked.

53) Emotional appeals

B) can help audiences care enough to respond positively to your persuasive message.

54) Cause and effect

A) are not the same, and confusing the two in persuasive messages can lead to faulty logic.

55) Most persuasive messages take the direct approach.

Answer: FALSE

56) Using simple language in persuasive messages usually increases your credibility with a
skeptical audience.
Answer: TRUE

57) One of the best ways to gain credibility for your message is to support it with objective
evidence.
Answer: TRUE

58) The AIDA model can be used with both the direct and indirect approaches for persuasive
messages.
Answer: TRUE
59) When your AIDA message uses an indirect approach and is delivered by email, what are two
goals to keep in mind as you write the subject line?
Answer: One challenge in this situation is to make the subject line interesting and relevant
enough to capture reader attention. At the same time, however, you have to capture attention
without revealing your main idea.

60) What are three methods of reasoning you can use when making a logical appeal, and how do
they differ?
Answer: Logical appeals can take place through analogy, induction, or deduction. With analogy,
you reason from specific evidence to specific evidence, in effect "borrowing" from something
familiar to explain something unfamiliar. With inductive reasoning, you work from specific
evidence to a general conclusion. With deductive reasoning, you work from a generalization to a
specific conclusion.

61) List three categories of common persuasive business messages.

Answer: Most persuasive business messages fall into one of three categories: (1) persuasive
requests for action, (2) persuasive presentation of ideas, and (3) persuasive claims and requests
for adjustment.

62) Describe each of the four phases of the AIDA model for persuasive messages.
Answer: (1) Attention: Make your audience want to hear about your idea. Find some common
ground on which to build your case. (2) Interest: Explain the relevance of your message to your
audience. (3) Desire: Make readers want to change by explaining how the change will benefit
them. Answer in advance questions that your audience might have, and back up your claims with
relevant evidence. (4) Action: Ask your audience to take the specific action you suggest.

63) Explain how to balance emotional appeals and logical appeals to persuade an audience.
Answer: Generally speaking, persuasive business messages rely more heavily on logical appeals
than emotional appeals, since the main idea is to save money, improve quality, and so on. It is
important, however, to avoid the assumption that business decisions are purely logical and
therefore ignore the emotional component. For example, you might be able to build a strong
logical case for acquiring another company, based on projected financial return and other
objective factors. However, managers making the decision will experience a range of emotions,
such as fear of making a wrong move that could be career-threatening. To find the optimum
balance between emotional appeals and logical appeals, consider four factors: (1) the actions you
hope to motivate, (2) your reader's expectations, (3) the degree of resistance you need to
overcome, and (4) how far you feel empowered to go to sell your point of view.

64) All of the following except ________ will help to boost a company's marketing efforts on
social media.
B) using a "we talk, you listen" approach

65) In marketing and sales messages, what is the primary difference between selling points and
benefits?
C) Selling points focus on the product rather than the user.

66) A ________ helps a potential buyer move through the purchasing process without having to
make an immediate decision; a ________ encourages a potential buyer to make a purchase
decision immediately.
D) marketing message; sales message
67) When you're writing promotional messages for social media, use ________ to initiate and
facilitate discussions in your networked community.
C) conversation marketing

68) Whereas ________ focus on what the product does, ________ focus on what the user
experiences or gains.
B) selling points; benefits

69) If you're marketing a new security system to an audience of wealthy professionals, the
consumer benefit you would most want to emphasize is
A) protection of the consumer's property.

70) In marketing and sales messages, the best way to handle potential objections is to
B) identify them up front and try to address as many as you can.

71) Successful marketing and sales messages begin with

A) an understanding of audience needs.

72) If price is one of your strong selling points, you should

D) give the price a place of prominence in the message.

73) Which of the following would not be an effective technique for gaining audience attention in
sales messages?
B) encouraging people to place an order

74) The desire phase of a conventional marketing or sales message should

C) expand on your explanation of how the product or service will benefit them.

75) ________ are the most common form of content marketing in the mobile arena.
D) Mobile-optimized videos

76) Conventional marketing or sales messages begin with an effort to gain the audience's
A) attention.

77) ________ take(s) potential customers through the purchasing process without asking for an
immediate purchase decision.
A) Marketing messages

78) According to your textbook, ________ are the most attractive features of a product.
D) selling points

79) ________ are the particular advantages that readers will realize from the features of a
product.
A) Benefits

80) The benefits of a product can be

C) both practical and emotional.

81) In social-media marketing, ________ are enthusiastic fans of your company and its products.
B) champions
82) Unlike more traditional promotional messages, those written for social media
B) enable companies to engage in conversations about their products and services.

83) Using the AIDA approach with social media

C) requires a different, more interactive approach.

84) Promotional messages developed for mobile devices need to

E) be fast and straightforward.

85) Because using a mobile device is so convenient, most mobile users aren't pressed for time;
so, they enjoy receiving intricate promotional messages.
Answer: FALSE

86) Successful marketing and sales messages match the product's selling points to the audience's
primary needs or emotional concerns.
Answer: TRUE

87) If you're called upon to create marketing or sales messages for mobile commerce, what two
things should you keep in mind?
Answer: If you are involved with creating mobile marketing or sales messages, keep two
essential points in mind. First, like all mobile messages, promotional messages need to be short
and simple. Second, the mobile experience needs to be fast and straightforward. Mobile users are
often time-constrained, and they will quickly abandon websites that don't load quickly or are
confusing to navigate.

88) Compare and contrast marketing messages and sales messages.

Answer: Marketing and sales messages use the same basic techniques as other persuasive
messages, with the added emphasis of encouraging someone to participate in a commercial
transaction. Although many people use the terms marketing message and sales message
interchangeably, there is an important difference: Marketing messages usher potential buyers
through the purchasing process without asking them to make an immediate decision. Sales
messages take over at that point, encouraging potential buyers to make a purchase decision then
and there. Marketing messages focus on such tasks as introducing new brands to the public and
encouraging customers to visit websites for more information, whereas sales messages make an
explicit request for people to buy a specific product or service.

89) Briefly explain the difference between selling points and benefits, and then give an example
of each.
Answer: Selling points are the most attractive features of an idea or product. Benefits are the
particular advantages that readers will realize from those features. The fact that a mobile phone
comes with a Bluetooth headset is a selling point, but the convenience the buyer will enjoy
because of the headset is a benefit.

90) If potential customers are likely to object to the price of your product or service, what can
you do?
Answer: If price is a likely objection, look for ways to increase the perceived value of the
purchase and decrease the perception of high cost. For example, if you're marketing exercise
equipment for the home, you could say that its total cost is less than a year's worth of health club
dues.
91) Marketers use ________ to track the online behavior of website visitors and serve up ads
based on what their interests appear to be.
D) behavioral targeting

92) An ethical persuasive argument

D) focuses on being both truthful and nondeceptive.

93) In the practice of ________, behaviorally targeted ads from one website follow an online
shopper when he or she moves on to other websites.
B) remarketing

94) Ethical businesspeople often use ________ as a positive force to align their interests with
what is best for their audience.
D) persuasion

95) According to the FTC, marketing and sales messages must

E) be free of implied claims.

96) Because promotional messages are not legally binding contracts in most states, it is usually
acceptable to imply offers or promises you cannot deliver.
Answer: FALSE

97) You usually do not need permission to use a person's name or photograph in a marketing or
sales message.
Answer: FALSE

98) What role does conversation marketing play in promotional messages for social media?
Answer: In the social media landscape, consumers often look to other consumers for product
information instead of the companies that market those products. Consequently, companies are
using conversation marketing, rather than traditional promotion, to facilitate conversations in
network communities of customers, journalists, bloggers, and other interested parties.

99) Why is it especially important in marketing and sales messages to avoid implying offers or
promises you cannot fulfill?
Answer: In many states, marketing and sales messages are binding contracts. Therefore,
dishonesty in a sales message can lead to unfavorable legal action. For ethical reasons, it is
always vital to avoid making promises you and your organization cannot keep.

100) Briefly explain several guidelines for adapting marketing and sales messages for social
media.
Answer: Use the following guidelines to adapt promotional messages for social media:
(1) Facilitate community building. Make sure customers and other audiences can connect with
your company and each other. (2) Listen at least as much as you talk. Listening is just as
essential for online conversations as it is for face-to-face conversations. (3) Initiate and respond
to conversations within the community. Provide the information customers need to evaluate your
products and services. (4) Provide information that people want. Content marketing helps you
build relationships by demonstrating that you understand and care about meeting potential
customers' needs. (5) Identify and support your champions. They can help spread your message,
defend you against detractors, and help other customers use your products. (6) Be real. Trying to
fool the public is unethical and likely to backfire. (7) Integrate conventional marketing and sales
strategies at the right time and in the right places. Don't abandon AIDA and other similar tools
for specific tasks, such as conventional advertising.
Chapter 11 Planning Reports and Proposals
1) The ________ for a report describes what you plan to accomplish and outlines the boundaries
of your work.
B) statement of purpose

2) The basic purpose of informational reports is

C) to present data, facts, feedback, and other types of information, without analysis or
recommendations.

3) In addition to offering information and analysis, ________ can also include recommendations.
B) analytical reports

4) When you're outlining your report, using ________ requires you to really think through the
content, whereas using ________ simply requires you to identify topic areas.
C) informative headings; descriptive headings

5) When you're preparing a formal work plan, include a ________ to clarify the problem you
face and a ________ to describe what you plan to accomplish.
B) problem statement; purpose statement

6) The best way to phrase the purpose statement of a report is with

B) an infinitive phrase.

7) All of the following except ________ are elements in the planning phase of the three-step
writing process.
B) adapting to your audience

8) When selecting the right medium for a report,

C) your decisions should reflect your audience's expectations.

9) When outlining the content of your report,

A) it is preferable to use informative headings as opposed to descriptive ones.

10) Which of the following is a useful strategy in preparing business reports?

A) Understand and meet audience expectations.

11) An employee who describes the data she collected from six different plant managers without
drawing any conclusions is preparing
B) an informational report.

12) Whereas ________ reports focus on facts, ________ reports offer interpretation and can also
include recommendations.
D) informational; analytical

13) The direct approach and the indirect approach ________; therefore, businesspeople
________.
C) both have merit; often combine them

14) When preparing content for mobile devices, a(n) ________ will help leadership easily locate
key variables and other report content.
E) executive dashboard
15) Internal reports are more likely to be misinterpreted than external reports.
Answer: FALSE

16) The statement of purpose for analytical reports will usually need to be more comprehensive
than one for informational reports.
Answer: TRUE

17) An executive dashboard is a customized online presentation of highly summarized business

information.
Answer: TRUE

18) The direct approach is the most popular strategy for business reports.
Answer: TRUE

19) In business reports, it is never appropriate to combine the direct and indirect approaches by
revealing conclusions and recommendations as you go along.
Answer: FALSE

20) Briefly explain the primary function of a statement of purpose, and then indicate the most
useful way to phrase one.
Answer: A statement of purpose defines why you are preparing your report. The best way to
phrase a purpose statement is to begin with an infinitive phrase, such as "to analyze."

21) How do executives utilize an executive dashboard?

Answer: Executives in many corporations now expect to review reports via their in-house
intranets, sometimes in conjunction with an executive dashboard, a customized online
presentation of key operating variables such as revenue, profits, quality, customer satisfaction,
and project progress. Executive dashboards are particularly helpful for accessing report content
on mobile devices.

22) Describe several benefits and one potential drawback of organizing business reports using
the direct approach.
Answer: The direct approach is used often for reports because it is efficient and easy to follow.
When an audience is likely to be receptive or at least open minded, use the direct approach. The
direct approach is the most popular and convenient format for business reports because it saves
time and makes the report easy to follow. It produces a more forceful report, and you sound sure
of yourself when you state your conclusions confidently at the outset. In some cases, however,
that confidence may be misconstrued as arrogance. Depending on your relationship with your
audience and on their probable reaction to your report, the indirect approach may be more
appropriate.

23) At the beginning of a research project, you need to

B) familiarize yourself with the subject.

24) Sources of secondary information include

C) newspapers and periodicals.

25) Which of these documents would not qualify as primary research?

B) The most recent issue of a trade magazine in your industry

26) When evaluating material you've gathered for a report, you should
C) check the material for currency.

27) Unlike a summary, a paraphrase

A) restates the original material in your own words and with your own sentence structures.

28) One task in effective paraphrasing is to

B) check your version against the original to make sure that you didn't alter the meaning.

29) A(n) ________ is a set of technologies, policies, and procedures that a company can use to
capture and share information throughout the organization.
E) knowledge management system

30) The ________ will define the purpose of your research.

C) problem statement

31) When evaluating sources for quality, consider

D) the potential bias of the source.

32) When analyzing data, looking at ________ will indicate patterns taking place over time.
E) trends

33) A cause-and-effect relationship between factors that can be easy to assume but difficult to
prove is called
C) causation.

34) When using information from sources, ________ helps you maintain a consistent tone while
using vocabulary familiar to your audience.
A) paraphrasing

35) A ________ is a logical interpretation of the facts and a ________ suggests an action in
response to the facts.
D) conclusion; recommendation

36) When creating a work plan, it's important to begin by developing a problem statement.
Answer: TRUE

37) A writer who wants to use a ________ to build an informational report can choose from a
number of arrangement patterns, such as geography, sequence, chronology, category, or
importance.
B) topical pattern of organization

38) A web directory differs from a search engine in that

C) it relies on human editors to evaluate and select content.

39) A metasearch engine is

D) a special type of engine that searches several search engines at once.

40) Unlike Internet search engines, online databases can often be more reliable search engines
because they
B) often provide access to various parts of the hidden Internet.

41) To conduct an effective database search,

B) read instructions and pay attention to details.

42) You would not need to cite a source if you

D) used it to gather common knowledge about your topic.

43) A powerful search tool that searches all the files on a company's network is a(n)
B) enterprise search engine.

44) In reports focused on recommendations, it is best to avoid the direct approach.

Answer: FALSE

45) Describe how smartphones and tablets have changed the way we collect information for
business reports and other communication purposes.
Answer: Tablets with interactive software can replace the clipboards long used by researchers
for "mall intercept" surveys and other efforts to collect data from shoppers.
Collaborative apps such as Pearltrees make it easy to collect online information and organize it
across multiple devices, then connect with relevant information collected by other users.
Evernote, OneNote, and other note-taking apps simplify the process of compiling notes,
webpages, photos, and other pieces of research. Sometimes a simple picture is more powerful
than words or photos. With touchscreen apps on phones and tablets, researchers can quickly
sketch maps, process diagrams, and other visuals on the spot. Whether it's snapping images of
street scenes for a report on potential store locations or recording test subjects using a new
product prototype, the audiovisual capabilities of today's mobile devices give researchers a host
of new tools. Scanning apps let researchers record and organize images of documents that can't
be removed from their storage locations. Asking survey subjects to record information on their
mobile devices while they are observing store displays or making purchase decisions, for
example, promises to enhance some classic research methods. With the old methods, shoppers
would answer survey questions about the choices they made well after the fact, leaving the
accuracy of their answers up to the quality of the memories. With their mobile phones in hand,
shoppers who've agreed to participate in research can describe their impressions and decisions on
the spot and even take photos of displays that caught their eye.

46) The two most common primary research methods are

C) surveys and interviews.

47) When you're selecting people to participate in a survey, it is critical to get a ________ of the
population you want to survey.
E) representative sample

48) An online survey is vulnerable to ________ because it captures only the opinions of those
who visit the site and choose to participate.
A) sampling bias

49) One of the best ways to track the behavior of a test subject is through
B) observation.

50) A survey is ________ if it produces identical results when repeated under similar conditions.
E) reliable

51) When developing a survey questionnaire,

C) make the survey adaptive.
52) When conducting primary research by using interviews, which of the following will have the
least effect on responses?
A) the ability to adapt the question set based on response

53) To solicit opinions, insights, and information, use

B) open-ended questions.

54) The CEO of a pharmaceutical company asks you assess the company's adherence to laws
governing television ads for prescription drugs. The CEO has requested a(n)
C) compliance report.

55) Compliance reports are generally required by

C) government agencies.

56) A contractor submitting a weekly report on work done to date would be providing the client
with
A) a progress report.

57) A public corporation filing a quarterly tax report would be providing

B) a compliance report.

58) All of the following except ________ are categories of informational reports.
D) reports to assess opportunities

59) When you're writing a business plan, the ________ section explains the purpose of your
business and what you hope to accomplish.
A) mission and objectives

60) Topical organization strategies for informational reports include all of the following except
A) complexity.

61) As a monitor-and-control mechanism, a business plan

D) is sometimes prepared after a company is up and running.

62) A ________ outlines an organization's official position on issues that affect its success.
B) position paper

63) As it relates to a formal business plan, the ________ defines how the company will generate
revenue and produce a profit.
B) business model

64) When a business plan is written after a company is up and running, it tends to
D) function as a monitor-and-control mechanism.

65) All ________ are written in response to regulations of one sort or another.
A) compliance reports

66) A ________ is written to validate a decision that has already been made.
D) justification report

67) Some start-up investors do not believe a business plan is beneficial in the early stages
because
E) it is difficult to anticipate circumstances and obstacles that will be encountered.

68) Company websites often function as

A) informational reports.

69) Many businesses optimize their website to incorporate a

B) mobile-first strategy.

70) The structure and navigational flow of all parts of a website is the
C) information architecture.

71) List three types of reports commonly used to monitor and control operations in business.
Answer: (1) Plans, (2) operating reports, and (3) personal activity reports.
72) How does the term topical organization pertain to informational reports?

Answer: Most informational reports use a topical organization, arranging material by topic in
one of the following ways: comparison, importance, sequence, chronology, geography, or
category.

73) What are the four general categories of informational reports?

Answer: Informational reports can be grouped into four categories: (1) reports to monitor and
control operations, (2) reports to implement policies and procedures, (3) reports to demonstrate
compliance, and (4) reports to document progress.

74) Describe the elements of a formal business plan.

Answer: At a minimum, a formal business plan should describe the basic concept of the business
and outline its specific goals, objectives, and resource requirements. A plan to be submitted to
banks or investors should include a summary of the business concept (including your product or
service and its market potential). It also explains the mission and objectives of the business and
provides full background information on the origins and structure of your venture.

75) When defining the problems you need to address in an analytical report, ask yourself:
B) Why is this issue important?

76) The 2 + 2 = 4 approach

B) convinces the reader by demonstrating that everything adds up.

77) Because of its natural feel and versatility, the ________ approach is generally the most
persuasive way to develop an analytical report for skeptical readers.
A) 2 + 2 = 4

78) One drawback of using the yardstick approach to structure business reports is that
A) the audience must agree with your criteria for analysis.

79) A ________ studies events that happened in the past, with the hope of learning how to avoid
similar failures in the future.
C) failure analysis report

80) When you speculate about the cause of a problem, you are forming a ________, a potential
explanation that needs to be tested.
A) hypothesis

81) If you expect your audience to disagree with you, use the 2 + 2 = 4 approach or the yardstick
approach to focus on
A) logical arguments.

82) Unlike proposals, justification reports

A) are designed to affirm decisions after they have been made.

83) Analytical reports for skeptical audiences should generally follow the ________ approach.
B) indirect

84) If your readers will want to know what they should do in a given situation, then your report
should focus on
C) your recommendations.
85) Unlike reports focused on conclusions or recommendations, reports focusing on logical
arguments
A) use an indirect approach.

86) The problem-factoring process involves

D) dividing a complex problem into a series of logical, connected questions.

87) An analytical report always ends by presenting recommendations.

Answer: FALSE
88) Whereas troubleshooting reports deal with problems as they occur, failure analysis reports
seek to prevent problems before they happen.
Answer: FALSE

89) What is the primary difference between a feasibility report and a justification report?
Answer: Whereas a feasibility report studies proposed options, a justification report is written
after an action, to justify what was done.

90) Why is writing analytical reports more challenging than writing informational reports?
Answer: Writing analytical reports presents a greater challenge than writing informational
reports, for three reasons. First, you're doing more than simply delivering information; you're
also analyzing a problem or an opportunity and presenting your conclusions. The best writing in
the world can't compensate for flawed analysis. Second, when your analysis is complete, you
need to present your thinking in a credible manner. Third, analytical reports often convince other
people to make significant financial and personnel decisions, so your reports carry the added
responsibility of the consequences of these decisions.

91) Briefly explain problem factoring.

Answer: Problem factoring helps report writers identify cause and effect by breaking down the
defined problem into a series of logical, connected questions.

92) List the three most common strategies for structuring analytical reports.
Answer: (1) Focusing on conclusions (direct), (2) focusing on recommendations (direct),
(3) focusing on logical argument (indirect).

93) Explain the three basic categories of analytical business reports and provide at least one
example of each type.
Answer: The first category includes reports written to assess opportunities. One example of this
type is the market analysis report, which judges the likelihood of success for new products or
sales initiatives by suggesting potential opportunities in a given market and identifying
competitive threats and other risks. Due diligence reports, which examine the financial aspects of
a proposed decision, are also in this category. The second category includes reports written to
solve problems. Examples are troubleshooting reports (which managers assign when they need to
understand why something isn't working properly) and failure analysis reports (which study past
failures in an effort to avoid similar ones in the future). The third category of analytical business
reports includes reports written to support decisions. Feasibility reports are one type in this
category. They are called for when managers need to explore the ramifications of a decision
they're about to make. Justification reports (written to justify decisions that have already been
made) also fall into this group.

94) Briefly describe the circumstances in which the yardstick approach would be particularly
useful for organizing your proposal, and provide an example of a report that would benefit from
this organizational approach.
Answer: The yardstick approach is useful when you need to use a number of criteria to evaluate
one or more possible solutions. It is also tailor-made for situations in which the audience has
provided a list of criteria the solution must meet. One example would be a bid on a building
project for the government. (Answers will vary.)

95) A(n) ________ suggests an individualized solution for a potential customer and requests a
purchase decision.
B) sales proposal

96) If you're writing an unsolicited proposal, you may have to

A) convince readers that a problem exists that must be addressed.

97) Whereas ________ proposals are used to request decisions from managers within an
organization, ________ proposals are directed to parties outside the organization.
B) internal; external

98) ________ are initiated by a company that is trying to obtain business or funding on its own,
without a specific request from a client.
C) Unsolicited proposals

99) In the workplace, a formal invitation to bid on a contract is called a

B) request for proposal.

100) The primary purpose of an internal proposal is either to request funds and management
support for new projects or to obtain permission to take action on specific projects.
Answer: TRUE

101) What is the difference between a solicited and an unsolicited proposal?

Answer: The most significant factor in planning any proposal is whether the intended recipient
has asked you to submit a proposal. Solicited proposals are generally prepared at the request of
external parties that require a product or a service, but they may also be requested by such
internal sources as management or the board of directors. Unsolicited proposals are created by
organizations attempting to obtain business or funding without a specific invitation from a
potential client. Employees or managers who want to convince company insiders to adopt a
program, a policy, or an idea may also initiate such proposals. In other words, with an unsolicited
proposal, the writer makes the first move.

Chapter 12 Writing Reports and Proposals

1) To gain credibility with your audience in business reports, verifying facts and references will
help to ensure
B) accuracy.

2) Writing for audiences of another culture usually requires

A) a more formal style.
3) The writing style for a report should be more formal if
C) the subject is controversial or complex.

4) Effective report writers use ________ to introduce sections that include important or complex
topics and ________ to help readers absorb the information they just read.
E) preview sections; review sections

5) When writing business reports for outsiders (such as customers or suppliers), it is best to
A) use a more formal tone than you would for an internal audience.

6) When you're writing a report, you can adapt to your intended audience by
E) being sensitive to the audience's needs.

7) The introduction (or opening) of a business report or proposal should always

D) indicate why the subject of the report is important.

8) The detailed evidence needed to support your conclusions and recommendations should
appear in the ________ of your report.

9) The close of a report should

C) bring all action items together and give details about who should do what, when, where, and
how.

10) In the introduction to a report on how to establish a paperless office, explaining the historical
conditions or factors that led up to the report
A) enables readers to understand how the opportunity developed.

11) Any terms in the report that are unfamiliar to the audience should be defined in the
A) introduction.

12) A report's close should

C) make sure your readers understand exactly what's expected of them and when it's expected.

13) If you end up with multiple conclusions, recommendations, or actions in your report, it is
best to
C) number and list them.

14) Generally speaking, an effective proposal can

A) follow the AIDA model.

15) The introduction of a solicited proposal

B) should refer specifically to the RFP that initiated it.

16) Which section of the introduction identifies what is, and isn't, covered in the report?
C) scope

17) The solution section in a proposal

A) explains how your proposal will help readers meet their business objectives.

18) In the body of a proposal, you should describe

D) the organization's experience in this area.
19) The work plan section of a formal proposal
B) is contractually binding if the proposal is accepted.

20) In a proposal, the statement of qualifications

C) describes your company's experience, personnel, and facilities.

21) The closing section of a proposal should

A) ask for a decision from the reader.

22) When developing a document electronically, it should be

B) sent as a PDF.

23) Including transitions and other directional aids is important

B) to help the audience understand how one thought is related to another.

24) Effective transitions in business reports

C) may be as long as a paragraph.

25) Which of the following would be the most effective preview in a formal report?
C) The next section discusses the advantages of advertising on the Internet.

26) When preparing review sections in a report,

B) use multiple review sections if the report is long and complex.

27) The general purpose of any ________ is to persuade the audience to do something.
A) proposal

28) In an online report regarding your region's potential for market growth, the best way to
include a spreadsheet containing last year's sales figures would be to
A) embed the spreadsheet in your report.

29) Within the context of preparing formal reports and proposals, the term limitations refers to
C) factors beyond your control that have affected the report's outcome.

30) An ________ is important when a letter of transmittal is not included in a formal report.
C) authorization of the report

31) The introduction of a business report should

D) help readers understand the context of the report.

32) Don't ________ in the closing section of a business report.

B) introduce new material to expand the scope

33) In order to help your readers make informed decisions,

A) tell them what they need to know—no more, no less.

34) Which one of the following is not an element of a work plan in the body of an unsolicited
proposal?
B) persuasive material to convince readers that a problem or an opportunity exists

35) When writing a proposal, an indication of pricing and financial concerns should be addressed
in the
D) body of the proposal.

36) When you're responding to a solicited proposal, ignore any stipulations in the RFP that could
diminish your chances of winning the contract.
Answer: FALSE

37) Linking a spreadsheet to your report will help ensure that readers are always seeing the most
up-to-date information.
Answer: TRUE

38) When would you increase the formality of business reports?

Answer: Compared to less formal documents, formal reports generally include sentences that
are longer and more rigorous, as well as objective, dispassionate, and precise language. They
also avoid humor and idiomatic language. A more formal tone is appropriate for longer reports,
especially those that deal with controversial or complex information. You also need a more
formal tone when your report will be sent to other parts of the organization or to outsiders, such
as customers, suppliers, or members of the community.

39) What is the purpose of each of the three main sections of a business report?
Answer: A business report contains three sections: the introduction (or opening), the body, and
the close. The introduction puts the report in context for the reader, introduces the subject,
previews main ideas, and establishes the tone. The body presents, analyzes, and interprets the
information gathered. The close summarizes and reviews the key points.

40) List three functions of the close in a business report.

Answer: The close of a report (1) emphasizes the main points of the message, (2) summarizes
the benefits to the reader if the message proposes a change or course of action, and (3) brings all
the action items together in one place and gives the details about who should do what, when,
where, and how.

41) In a business report, where should you define terms that might be unfamiliar to your
audience?
Answer: Important terms used in the report should be defined in the introduction.
Defining terms in the introduction of a report ensures that your audience becomes familiar with
the terms you use in your report. Defining the terms later on may lead to confusion or
miscommunication.

42) In what forms can transitions be written in a business report?

Answer: Transitions are words or phrases that tie ideas together and show how one thought
relates to another. In long reports, an entire paragraph might highlight transitions from one
section to the next.

43) List and briefly explain five characteristics of effective report content.
Answer: Effective report content is accurate (factually correct and error-free). It's also complete,
in that it provides readers with all the information they need to understand the situation, problem,
or proposal and then make a decision. Effective content is balanced. It represents all sides of the
issue fairly and equitably. It also includes all essential information, even if some of it doesn't
support the author's line of reasoning. Furthermore, effective content is clear and logical–written
in uncluttered sentences and well organized. Finally, effective content is documented properly,
giving credit to all sources of information on which the report draws.
44) Describe six strategies (in addition to using the AIDA format) for strengthening your
argument in business proposals.
Answer: Six strategies for making proposals more effective are (1) Demonstrate your
knowledge in order to convince your audience that you have the knowledge and experience to
solve the problem or address the opportunity outlined in your proposal. (2) Provide concrete,
quantifiable information and examples instead of vague, unsupported generalizations. Spell out
your plan and give details on how the job will be done. (3) Research the competition using trade
publications and the Internet to become familiar with the products, services, and prices of other
companies offering similar products or services. (4) Prove that your proposal is appropriate and
feasible for your audience. (5) Relate your product, service, or personnel to the reader's exact
needs. (6) Package your proposal attractively, insuring that it is letter perfect, inviting, and
readable. Readers will prejudge the quality of your products or services by the proposal you
submit.

45) What elements are normally included in the body of a formal proposal?
Answer: The body of a formal proposal can contain any or all of the following elements: facts
and evidence to support your conclusions, the proposed solution (what you have to offer), the
work plan, a statement of qualifications, and a breakdown of costs.

46) When drafting content for online reports, it is helpful to use the inverted pyramid style of
organization in which you
A) cover the most important information first and then gradually reveal more detail.

47) When preparing electronic forms for a report that is recurring, the use of ________ will save
time overall.
B) form tools

48) One of the benefits of using proposal-writing software when developing proposals is its
ability to
D) ensure proper structure.

49) The primary value of a wiki stems from

C) the collective insight of all its contributors.

50) When you're drafting website content, ________ will help visitors find what they want fast
and encourage them to return to your site for more information.
A) adding effective links

51) Using templates in preparing reports

C) ensures new content matches the rest of the wiki.

52) In an online report, headings

B) can be used as links to other sections of the report.

53) When writing content to post on the web, keep in mind that careful readers tend to be
C) skeptical of online content.

54) When you're using a direct approach to present a report, use ________; however, ________
will be more effective, if you're using an indirect approach to present a report.
C) informative headings; descriptive headings

55) If you're creating a wiki, don't worry about a long-term purpose. Instead, just let your
creativity flow.
Answer: FALSE

56) What can you do to improve the readability of online content?

Answer: You can improve the readability of your online content by making sure that readers can
"skim" it for the information they need. Begin by using the inverted pyramid style of writing;
that is, cover the most important information briefly at first and then gradually reveal successive
layers of detail. That way, readers can choose to see those additional layers if they want to. Next,
use lists, color and boldface, informative headings, and helpful summaries to present your
information in a concise, skimmable format. Finally, label all hyperlinks clearly and concisely to
support site navigation and content skimming.

57) Describe the characteristics of effective links in online content.

Answer: Links in your material should serve for both site navigation and content skimming.
Clearly identify where a link will take readers. Don't rely on cute wordplay that obscures the
content, and don't force readers to click through and try to figure out where they're going.
Links should be used to enhance the information being presented. They can be helpful if they're
labeled clearly and used sparingly.

58) Briefly explain how a wiki can help teams and other groups, and describe at least three
points wiki contributors should keep in mind to increase their effectiveness.
Answer: Using wikis is a great way for teams and other groups to collaborate on writing
projects, from brief articles to long reports and reference works. The benefits of wikis are
compelling, but they require a unique approach to writing. To be a valuable wiki contributor,
writers must let go of traditional expectations of authorship, including individual recognition and
control—the value of a wiki stems from the collective insight of all its contributors. Often, team
members will need to be encouraged to edit and improve each other's work. Writers should use
page templates and other formatting options to make sure the content is consistent with the rest
of the wiki. It is also important to recognize that many wikis provide both editing and
commenting capabilities, and participants should use the appropriate tool for each. Finally, new
users should take advantage of the "sandbox," if available, which is a "safe," non-published
section of the wiki where contributors can practice editing and writing.
Wikis are valuable because of the collaboration that they make possible. Ease of communication
is crucial in creating an effective wiki. Effective wiki collaborators let go of traditional
authorship expectations, encourage team editing, use templates and other formatting options,
separate editing and discussion capabilities, and use the sandbox.

59) Data and other information presented in the report

D) must be factually correct.

60) Clip art cluttering a bar chart is an example of

B) chartjunk.

61) If you have a great deal of detailed, specific information to present, the best visual to use
would be a
A) table.

62) The best type of visual aid for showing that annual consumer spending has decreased over
the past ten years would be
C) a line chart.

63) The best visual for illustrating a manufacturer's quality control process would be a
B) flowchart.

64) A surface chart

B) shows a cumulative effect.

65) A bar chart would be particularly useful for

B) comparing market shares of three breakfast cereals from 2011 to 2012.

66) To illustrate how your department's budget will be distributed by percentage and type of
expense, you should use
C) a pie chart.

67) Flowcharts are used to

D) illustrate processes and procedures.

68) Use the concept of ________ to help you design visuals that are consistent from one page of
a document to the next.
B) visual parallelism

69) To avoid ethical problems with visual support in a message,

C) group data carefully.

70) Use a ________ to show frequency or distribution of parts in a whole.

E) pie chart

71) When you need to show processes, transformations, and other activities, the most effective
visual choice would be
C) animations and videos.

72) If you're planning to create a table for online use, ________ to make sure that the table is
easy to read.
A) reduce the number of columns and rows

73) A special class of diagrams called ________ contains enough visual and textual information
to function as standalone documents.
D) infographics

74) If you find a photograph online that you want to use in a document,
C) if it is not specifically offered free, assume that someone owns it and is entitled to credit
and/or payment.

75) The advantage of incorporating visuals is

D) the reader is more likely to be drawn more deeply into the message.

76) Many design elements have ________, and their connotative meanings can evolve over time
to mean different things in different cultures.
C) visual symbolism

77) The ability of the sender to create effective images that are correctly interpreted by the
receiver is
D) visual literacy.
78) To emphasize different quantities or ideas, use visual choices that
C) are simple.

79) A massive collection of data from a variety of sources is referred to as

B) big data.

80) When creating visuals for massive data sets, complex quantities, or dynamic data, use
C) data visualization.

81) Visual images have connotative meanings that are consistent across cultures.
Answer: FALSE

82) The term visual literacy refers to a person's abilities to create effective images and interpret
visual messages correctly.
Answer: TRUE

83) The more decorative elements you can add to a graphic, the more interesting and useful it
will be to the audience.
Answer: FALSE

84) Tables presented in printed documents must contain fewer columns and rows than tables
presented online.
Answer: FALSE

85) Data visualization focuses on extracting broad meaning from data (rather than on clarifying
individual data points).
Answer: TRUE

86) One potential disadvantage of using a photograph to help explain a repair procedure is that it
shows so much detail.
Answer: TRUE

87) In researching a proposal to expand your division, you find evidence that does not support
your line of reasoning. Should you include it in your report? Why or why not?
Answer: Yes, you should include it. Although you want to be as brief as possible, your readers
need a minimum amount of information before they can grasp the issue being presented.
Omitting relevant information or facts can bias your report.
Present all sides of the issue fairly and equitably and include all the essential information, even if
some of the information doesn't support your line of reasoning. Omitting relevant information or
facts can bias your report.

88) List at least five types of visual aids commonly used to present data in business documents.
Provide an example of a specific task for which one type would be especially useful.
Answer: Common visual aids include tables, line charts, surface charts, bar charts, pictograms,
scatter diagrams, flowcharts, diagrams, drawings, photographs, videos, and pie charts. A bar
chart would be helpful for comparing the retail cost of several hybrid automobiles. (Answers will
vary).Tables can display extensive amounts of data. Line charts illustrate trends over time or plot
the relationship of two variables. A surface chart, also called an area chart, is a form of line chart
that shows a cumulative effect; all the lines add up to the top line, which represents the total. Bar
charts are useful for showing quantities over time. Pictograms are informational signs that
convey ideas. Gantt charts expedite project management. Scatter and bubble diagrams are used
to represent data points. Pie charts can show the frequency or distribution of parts of a whole.
89) In a line chart, what do the vertical and horizontal axes normally illustrate?
Answer: Normally, the vertical axis shows an amount. The horizontal axis illustrates time or
some other quantity against which the amount is being measured.
Line charts are commonly used to show trends over time or the relationship between two
variables.

90) Discuss six principles to keep in mind when designing visuals regarding the aesthetic and
symbolic aspects of graphic art.
Answer: Even if you have no formal training, keeping the following principles in mind will help
you become a more effective visual communicator: (1) Consistency: Readers view a series of
visuals as a whole, assuming that design elements will be consistent from one page to the next.
(2) Contrast: Visual distinctions should match verbal ones. To emphasize differences, depict
items in contrasting colors, such as red and blue, or black and white. To emphasize similarities,
make color difference more subtle. (3) Balance: Images that appear to be out of balance can be as
unsettling as a building that looks like it's about to tip over. Balance can be formal, in which the
elements in the images are arranged symmetrically around a central point or axis. Balance can
also be informal, in which elements are not distributed evenly but stronger and weaker elements
are arranged in such a way that achieves an overall effect of balance.
(4) Emphasis: The most important point should receive the greatest visual emphasis, so present
the key item on the chart in the most prominent way–through color, position, size, or whatever.
Visually downplay less important items. (5) Convention: Visual communication is governed by a
variety of generally accepted (and deeply ingrained) rules. Flouting those conventions can be
effective, but must be done carefully in order to avoid breakdowns in communications.
(6) Simplicity: Limit the number of colors and design elements you use, and take care to avoid
chartjunk.

91) In computer graphics, a template

B) helps ensure an effective design and saves you the time of making numerous decisions every
time you create a chart or graphic.

92) A ________ identifies the topic of an illustration; however, an ________ calls attention to the
conclusion that should be drawn by the data in the illustration.
A) descriptive title; informative title

93) The ideal balance between the visual and the verbal should depend on
A) the needs of your audience.

94) The primary difference between titles and captions of visuals is that
C) captions offer discussion of the visual's content.

95) Which of the following is an example of a descriptive title for a visual aid?
A) How CamCo Reduces Costs

96) To ensure that the visual is ________, look for mistakes such as undocumented symbols and
misaligned elements, and check to be sure that the message is accurately delivered.
A) accurate

97) When integrating a visual into the text,

D) refer to the visuals in the text.

98) Ideally, all visuals should

C) be as close to the text referring to it as possible.

99) A(n) ________ helps readers understand the various design elements used in a visual.
C) legend

100) In a workplace report, refer to each visual before readers see it in a document or onscreen.
Answer: TRUE

Chapter 16 Applying and Interviewing for Employment

1) The best approach for an application letter depends on
D) whether you are sending a solicited letter or an unsolicited letter.

2) When you're writing an application letter to accompany your résumé,

D) treat it with same care that you took with your résumé.

3) Unsolicited application letters to prospective employers

A) require more research than solicited letters.

4) Compared to writing a solicited application letter, composing an unsolicited application letter

is
B) much more difficult.

5) You'll impress prospective employers with your application letter if you

B) show that you know something about the company and its marketplace.

6) The best salutation for an application letter is

C) one that addresses a specific individual by name.

7) When it comes to length, an application letter should

D) be short—no more than three paragraphs.

8) Because application letters are ________ messages, the AIDA approach is ideally suited for
them.
C) persuasive

9) Which of the following would be the best opening sentence for a solicited application letter?
D) "Based on your company's remarkable growth over the past three years, I can appreciate your
need for highly qualified and experienced sales personnel."

10) In the opening paragraph of an application letter, it is vital to

C) explain how you can help the company meets its needs.

11) In the middle section of a job application letter, you should

A) present your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the organization.

12) In the Interest and Desire sections of a solicited application letter, discussing each
requirement specified in the job ad
E) helps demonstrate your understanding of the employer's needs.

13) In the final paragraph of your application letter you should

C) request an interview and provide contact information.
14) If your application letter and résumé fail to bring a response within a week or so after the
position close date,
B) follow up by email or telephone.

15) After sending your application letter and résumé in response to a job posting that lists a close
date, you should
C) avoid following up with the employer before that date.

16) Accompany your résumé with a ________ when you're responding to an advertised job
opening.
D) solicited application message

17) When you're preparing an application letter, remember that ________ must clearly state your
reason for writing and give the recipient a compelling reason to keep reading.
B) the opening paragraph

18) An unsolicited job application letter should begin with a statement designed to get the
reader's attention.
Answer: TRUE

19) In the middle part of an application letter, you should indicate your salary range and potential
benefits to your employer.
Answer: FALSE

20) Briefly explain the primary differences between solicited application letters and unsolicited
application letters.
Answer: Whereas a solicited application letter is written in response to an announced job
opening, an unsolicited letter is sent to an organization that has not announced an opening.
Writing unsolicited letters is more challenging because you don't have a position announcement
from which to work.
An unsolicited application letter is more challenging because you must identify the qualities the
company would likely be looking for in the position you would like to get, so you need to tailor
your approach accordingly. Either way, it is a good habit to include an application letter with
every résumé you send out.

21) Explain the function of each phase of an application letter written in the AIDA format.
Answer: (1) Getting attention: The opening paragraph of your application letter has two
important jobs to do: clearly stating your reason for writing and giving the recipient a reason to
keep reading. (2) Building interest and increasing desire: The middle section of the application
letter presents your strongest selling points in terms of their potential benefit to the organization,
thereby building interest in you and creating a desire to interview you. (3) Motivating action: The
final paragraph of your application letter has two important functions: to ask the reader for a
specific action and to facilitate a reply. In almost all cases, the action you request is an interview.

22) Most employers interview an applicant ________ before deciding to make a job offer.
B) multiple times

23) Employers use preliminary screening interviews to

C) filter out applicants who're not a good fit for the job.

24) During a screening interview, your best approach is to

B) keep your answers short, but offer key points that set you apart from other candidates.

25) The employer's goal in the initial screening interview is to

B) filter out applicants who are not a good fit for the position.

26) The second stage of interviews (following screening) is the ________ stage.
E) selection

27) In the selection stage of an interview, your best approach is to

B) relate your training and experience to the organization's needs.

28) If you are asked back for a final job interview, you should expect the interviewer to focus on
B) selling you on the advantages of joining the organization.

29) 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.
E) open-ended

30) In a(n) ________, the candidate meets with several interviewers at once.
A) panel interview

31) ________ interviews allow one or more interviewers to meet with several candidates
simultaneously and to observe how the candidates interact with potential peers.
B) Group

32) Interviews in which job candidates are asked how they would respond to various
hypothetical situations on the job are known as ________ interviews.
D) situational

33) Questions such as, "What is one job-related achievement that best illustrates your work
ethic?" are likely to be asked during a ________ interview.
C) behavioral

34) In a working interview,

E) the candidate actually performs a job-related activity during the interview.

35) Which type of interview would be likely to include a question such as, "You seem wholly
unqualified for this job, and your answers have been terrible so far. Why should we continue
with this?"
A) Stress

36) When you're participating in a video interview with a prospective employer,

A) make eye contact with the camera.

37) Employers use structured questionnaires, tests, and sophisticated job simulations during
interviews because these tools
D) can closely mimic actual job skills.

38) In general, employers are looking for two things: proof that a candidate can handle the
responsibilities of the position and
C) evidence that the person will fit in with the organization.
39) If you're asked to submit to alcohol testing and drug screening during the hiring process,
remember that
B) a majority of companies require them of all applicants.

40) Employers use ________ tests to measure a variety of attributes involved in acquiring,
processing, analyzing, using, and remembering information.
E) cognitive

41) Your goal during the interview process should be

B) to find the right match for your goals and capabilities.

42) An employment interview is

C) a formal meeting during which you and the interviewer ask questions and exchange
information.

43) During a behavioral interview, you'll be asked to

D) relate specific incidents or experiences from your past.

44) During ________, the interviewer will adapt the line of questioning according to the answers
you give and the questions you ask.
D) an open-ended interview

45) During the selection stage of the interview processes, you should
E) relate your skills and experience to the organization's needs.

46) Most employers interview an applicant once before deciding whether to offer a person a job.
Answer: FALSE

47) One challenge in a screening interview is to keep your answers short while distinguishing
yourself from other candidates.
Answer: TRUE

48) You should prepare for a video interview in much the same way you would prepare for an in-
person interview.
Answer: TRUE

49) When you're applying for jobs, assume that potential employers will search online to learn
more about you.
Answer: TRUE

50) Explain the dual purposes of employment interviews.

Answer: The organization is trying to find the best person available for the job, while the
applicant is trying to find the best job for his or her goals and capabilities.
Because the organization with the position opening has a need, you will maximize your chances
of landing the job if you focus on indicating how you can address and fulfill that need as an
employee.

51) What are the two primary goals of screening interviews?

Answer: Screening interviews, such as those on college campuses, are a means of eliminating
unqualified applicants and identifying promising candidates.
The interview process for many companies can involve multiple stages, including a screening
stage, a selection stage, and a final stage. Screening interviews can occur in multiple forms, from
in-person interviews to telephone calls, Skype calls, or computer-based screening systems.

52) What should a job candidate strive to achieve during a selection interview?
Answer: Show keen interest in the job, relate your skills and experience to the organization's
needs, listen attentively, and ask insightful questions to show that you've done your research.
Make sure to emphasize how your skills and abilities will be a valuable addition to the company
during the selection stage of the interview process.

53) Briefly explain the difference between a structured interview and an open-ended interview.
Answer: In structured interviews, the employer asks a series of prepared questions in a set order.
In less formal open-ended interviews, the employer asks broad questions, encouraging the
applicant to talk freely.
You can prepare for both types of interviews by considering commonly asked interview
questions and developing brief answers as well as examples that illustrate your skills and
abilities.

54) Briefly explain what job candidates should expect in behavioral interviews and situational
interviews.
Answer: In a behavioral interview, candidates are asked to describe how they handled actual
situations from their past. In a situational interview, candidates are asked to explain how they
would handle various hypothetical situations.

55) What two essential questions do employers seek to answer about each candidate in
interviews?
Answer: Employers seek to answer two questions: Can the candidate handle the responsibilities
of the position? Will he or she be a good fit with the organization?

56) What is the typical employment-interview sequence? What is the purpose of each type of
interview?
Answer: Typical employment interviews include the screening stage, the selection stage, and the
final stage. Screening stage interviews focus on screening out unqualified applicants. Selection
stage interviews allow the organization to identify top candidates, who may receive job offers or
be invited to attend a final stage interview. Final stage interviews usually involve a higher-
ranking executive who can make a hiring decision and negotiate the terms of an offer.

57) Searching LinkedIn to learn about the managers you will meet with in an upcoming
interview
D) can make it easier for you to build rapport with your interviewers.

58) When responding to questions during a job interview, you should

B) look for opportunities to frame your answers as brief stories rather than simple declarative
answers.

59) For most interviews, asking your own questions is

C) just as important as answering the employer's questions effectively.

60) When you're responding to questions during an interview, you're more likely to answer them
successfully if you
C) pause for a moment before answering each question.

61) When choosing the clothing you'll wear for a workplace interview, the best policy is to
D) dress conservatively and professionally.
62) A recent survey of hiring professionals revealed that
C) answering mobile phone calls or texting in the middle of an interview is the most common
mistake candidates make during their interviews.

63) When going to a job interview

A) take along samples of your work; recruiters are impressed by tangible evidence of job-related
accomplishments.

64) Researching an organization before an interview

C) will show you understand the importance of investigation and analysis.

65) One of the best ways to learn about the managers you will be interviewing with is through
D) LinkedIn.

66) One way to increase your confidence before the start of the interview is
E) realize you have value to the employer because they think highly enough of you to invite you
for an interview.

67) The foundation of your interview should be

A) confidence and competence.

68) When you're staging mock interviews to polish your interview style, pay attention to
E) poise, manners and good judgement.

69) Part of preparing for a job interview involves anticipating the questions that an interviewer
will ask and rehearsing answers to each one.
Answer: TRUE

70) The appropriate clothing for most job interviews is something conservative, such as a dark
blue suit.
Answer: TRUE

71) What six tasks do you need to complete to prepare for a successful job interview?
Answer: When you're preparing for a job interview, do all of the following: (1) Learn about the
organization and your interviewers. (2) Think ahead about questions. (3) Bolster your
confidence. (4) Polish your interview style. (5) Present a professional image. (6) Be ready when
you arrive. To increase your chances of landing the position to which you are applying, make
sure you prepare adequately for the interview by researching, prepping answers, and putting
forth the most professional version of yourself.

72) What should you focus on when you (and your interview partner) are evaluating your
performance in mock interviews?
Answer: Critique the quality and length of your answers, your nonverbal behavior and speaking
voice, and your use of filler words (such as "uh" and "um"). In addition, determine whether you
pause to formulate coherent responses before answering.
Practicing your interview techniques with another person can help you identify any undesirable
habits you might have so that you can work to control them.

73) List three guidelines to follow when deciding what to wear for an employment interview.
Answer: (1) Dress conservatively. (2) Wear limited jewelry (men should wear especially little
jewelry). (3) Wear stylish but professional looking shoes. (3) Avoid flamboyant styles, colors,
and prints even in companies where interviewers may dress casually. (Answers may vary.)

74) Many interviewers begin making a decision about the applicant

A) within the first 20 seconds of the interview.

75) The longest phase of a job interview is usually

B) the question-and-answer stage.

76) The employer can legally ask you questions about

E) your legal right to work in the United States.

77) If your interviewer asks you a potentially unlawful question,

C) you have several options, including trying to answer "the question behind the question."

78) When a job interviewer indicates the interview is coming to a close, you should
C) prepare to leave but (if possible) try to pin down what will happen next.

79) On your second or third visit to an organization, if you haven't been offered the job, you
should
C) ask tactfully when you can expect to learn of the decision.

80) When you discuss salary requirements with a prospective employer, you should
A) let the interviewer raise the topic first.

81) During the warm-up phase of the interview, ________ is crucial in projecting confidence and
professionalism.
A) body language

82) During which phase of the interview process are you most likely to be asked specific
questions about how you handled particular situations in previous jobs?
B) the question-and-answer stage

83) During the interview, a candidate should ask questions about

C) what the company is looking for in a new employee.

84) During the close of the interview, be sure to

D) emphasize your value to the organization.

85) During the question-and-answer stage of an interview,

B) let the interviewer lead the conversation.

86) One advantage to maintaining interview notes is

D) to have you decide which company is the right fit for you when you are considering various
job offers.

87) Which of the following would best support your ability to negotiate a starting salary?
C) market demand for your skill set

88) During the question-and-answer phase of an interview, try to keep your answers short;
usually just a yes or no will do.
Answer: FALSE
89) Describe each of the three stages of a successful employment interview.
Answer: (1) The warm-up: This is the most important stage. Interviewers will make important
decisions about you based on their first impression. Sell yourself nonverbally. Offer a firm but
gentle handshake; use the interviewer's name; smile. Let the interviewer begin the discussion.
(2) The question-and-answer stage: Let the interviewer lead the conversation. Try to tailor your
answers to make a favorable impression. Be sure to ask questions of your own about the job and
the company. Explain how you will be able to help the company meet its needs. (3) The close:
Pay attention to the interviewer's signals that the interview is ending. Thank the interviewer and
express your enthusiasm for the job and the organization.

90) Within two days after an employment interview, you should

C) follow up with a short note of thanks, using a tone that's positive while reinforcing why you
are a good fit.

91) You could send a ________ after an interview if you haven't received the interviewer's
decision by the promised date or within two weeks.
C) message of inquiry

92) Use the model for direct messages when you write a
B) letter of acceptance.

93) Staying in contact with a prospective employer after an interview

E) shows that you really want the job.

94) Writing a thank you note shortly after the interview, even an interview that went poorly,
D) provides a chance to modify an answer given during the interview.

95) Job offers and the acceptance of the offer

C) are legally binding contracts.

96) If you write a letter to decline the offer of a job,

B) use an indirect format.

97) When terminating the job with a current employer, your letter of resignation
A) should include at least two weeks' notice.

98) You've just finished a job interview, and you know that you're not going to get the job. So,
don't worry about following up with a "thank-you" message to the interviewer.
Answer: FALSE

99) Why is it advantageous for candidates to stay in contact with prospective employers after an
interview? Provide at least three reasons.
Answer: Staying in contact with a prospective employer after an interview shows that you really
want the job and are determined to get it. Doing so also gives you another chance to demonstrate
your communication skills and sense of business etiquette. Following up reminds the interviewer
that you're a serious candidate who's looking for employment, and that you're waiting for the
decision.
A good way to stay in touch with prospective employers is by sending follow-up (thank-you)
notes within two days of each interview. You'll be practicing good business etiquette and
showing that you're willing to go the extra mile.

100) If a job candidate receives a job offer while other interviews are still pending, how should
he or she ask the employer for a time extension?
Answer: A message requesting a time extension should open with a strong statement of your
continued interest in the job, and then ask for more time to consider the offer, provide specific
reasons for the request, and assure the reader that you will respond by a specific date.