Reference no: EM13920566

1) Tara Houser e-mails a colleague Dan Brothers to suggest that he be the lead writer in preparing a comprehensive business plan for the company. The task will be rather time-consuming. Tara tells Dan that "the president will certainly be impressed with whoever heads up this project", which is persuasive because
A. Dan will gain key leadership experience that will work in his favor when he applies for his promotion.
B. the company will be able to secure additional financing once it has a business plan.
C. the president will be able to use the document to communicate expansion plans to stockholders.
D. Dan can help out his colleague so she does not have to take on this additional responsibility herself.

2) Susan Rojas is applying for a position in the marketing department of a local corporation. Although Greg Ellis is the director of this department, she has been instructed to send her resume and other documents to Jeff Cohen, manager of the human resources department. Jeff screens all applications before sending those of qualified candidates on to appropriate department heads. Jeff is:
A. a watchdog
B. the primary audience
C. a gatekeeper
D. an auxiliary audience

3) Which of the following would NOT be related to a discourse community in a factory?
A. Supervisors have an open-door policy that encourages workers to stop in and chat.
B. Extensive evidence and documentation is required to convince a manager to deviate from a company routine.
C. Certain topics should not be brought up in the presence of upper management.
D. Additional funding has been allocated for the research and development of more energy-efficient manufacturing.

4) A written message is preferable to an oral one for all of the following EXCEPT
A. minimizing undesirable emotions.
B. presenting extensive or complex financial data.
C. discussing many specific details of a law, policy, or procedure.
D. getting an immediate response.

5) Which audience has political, social, or economic power; pays close attention to the transaction between you and the primary audience; and may base future actions on its evaluation of your message?
A. Gatekeeper
B. Auxiliary audience
C. Watchdog audience
D. Secondary audience

6) If a document will be a detailed guide or if it contains instructions, you must do all of the following EXCEPT
A. group steps into five to seven sub-processes if there are many individual steps.
B. check to be sure that all steps are in chronological order.
C. number steps or provide check-off boxes so that readers can easily see which steps they have completed.
D. present all the details in lengthy paragraphs so that the readers get all the information they need.

7) Good writing costs companies money, and those costs increase significantly if the communication is ineffective. Which of the following pairs would NOT be two additional costs to the company if written communication is poor?
A. Computers and software
B. Postage and legal problems
C. Lost goodwill and document cycling
D. Paper and wasted time

8) For which of the following business messages would it be appropriate to approach the subject indirectly by leading up to the main point rather than presenting it first?
A. You are complying with an information request sent to you by the county business license department.
B. You are asking a subordinate to complete an entry that he had overlooked on his expense report.
C. You are letting your staff know that there will be significant downsizing in your department in the upcoming year.
D. You are e-mailing a copy of a sales report to a colleague who had asked for it.

9) Which of the following is NOT a communication strategy that should be used to improve customer satisfaction?
A. Brainstorming more efficient and effective ways to do things
B. Withholding good ideas from others in the company to avoid security leaks
C. Group problem solving to take advantage of various perspectives
D. Listening closely to customer feedback, both verbal and nonverbal

10) Which of the following audiences would receive an internal document?
A. The job candidate you wish to hire
B. The human resources director
C. The CPA who is auditing your company's books
D. Your best customers

11) Which of the following is an ethically sound practice when communicating a business message?
A. Designing documents to encourage readers to miss key points
B. Withholding information to reduce the likelihood of conflict
C. Including input from all parties interested in the development of the message
D. Manipulating the audience to achieve the desired outcome

12) Which of the following groups would be considered an internal audience for a company?
A. State and local agencies that conduct annual health and safety inspections at the company
B. Stockholders who have invested in the company
C. Three large customers that represent 85% of the company's annual sales
D. Managers in the company's Human Resources Department

13) A subordinate comes to you because he is upset with the way he is treated by co-workers. A good first response would be to:
A. Acknowledge his feelings.
B. Tell him about your problems with the same people.
C. Give him some advice on how to handle the situation.
D. Tell him to solve his own problems.

14) Your roommate is always complaining about how much work she has to do and how far behind she is. This is really starting to bother you. You secretly think that things would be a lot better for her if she spent more time studying and less time complaining. Which of the following would be the BEST response when she next tells you how much work she has to do?
A. "I'm really tired of hearing you complain all the time."
B. "It sounds like you have trouble managing your time."
C. "You feel overwhelmed right now, don't you?"
D. "You think that's bad; you should see all that I have to do."

15) Your subordinates tell you that a project will not be completed on time because they are behind schedule. Which of the following is the best response?
A. "If it isn't on my desk by Friday, I'll fire every one of you."
B. "Could you finish it if you had some more help?"
C. "What's wrong with you people? Don't you know what a deadline is?"
D. "You should have told me sooner."

16) Successful intercultural communicators are all of the following EXCEPT
A. flexible and open to change.
B. aware of the values, beliefs, and practices in other cultures.
C. confident that their ways are right and willing to help change the behaviors of others.
D. sensitive to nonverbal behavior that communicates at least as much as words say.

17) Which of the following is NOT related to global business?
A. Firms are increasing international management, and managers often find they need international experience if they want top-level jobs.
B. The last two decades have seen a growing emphasis on diversity, with more and more women and people of color joining the U.S. workforce.
C. Exports are essential both to the success of individual businesses and to a country's economy as a whole.
D. Many companies depend on vendors or operations in other countries.

18) It can be helpful for managers working overseas to have a basic understanding of the religion observed by workers in that company because:
A. an ordinary business day in the United States may be a holiday in another country.
B. most international companies insist that managers adopt all the customs of the host country.
C. a superior should always seem knowledgeable to his or her employees.
D. then the manager knows when to buy gifts for his or her employees.

19) Which of the following people would be MOST likely be considered a leader by the members of the group?
A. A person who is always willing to run the group by giving orders, making demands, and doing all the talking
B. A person who talks a lot, listens effectively, and responds nonverbally to others in the group
C. A person who makes everyone laugh throughout the meeting and doesn't get stressed out if not all the work gets done
D. A person who nods pleasantly throughout the meeting when anyone makes a comment but does not participate

20) The interpersonal dimension of group interaction focuses on:
A. process.
B. people.
C. method.
D. content.

21) Positive roles and actions of individuals that help the group build loyalty, resolve conflicts, and function smoothly include:
A. asking questions and identifying gaps in the group's knowledge.
B. comparing group processes and products to standards and goals.
C. taking every opportunity to be the first to speak and insisting on personally responding to everyone else's comments.
D. demonstrating openness and acceptance.

22) So that readers best understand your writing, do NOT use words that are:
A. accurate
B. appropriate
C. familiar
D. business jargon

23) Which of the following is NOT a consideration when choosing words to communicate an idea?
A. the audience you are addressing
B. the words you have already used
C. the context of the situation
D. the amount of time you have to prepare the message

24) Which of the following sentences that begin a letter is appropriate for contemporary business communication?
A. "Here are the application forms you requested."
B. "Enclosed please find the application forms you requested."
C. "Pursuant to you request, we are forwarding you the application forms you requested."
D. "Your application forms have been enclosed herewith."

25) Which of the following would be considered a planning activity when writing a report?
A. Making an outline
B. Checking for typographical errors
C. Getting feedback from someone else who has read the report
D. Evaluating your work

26) Ben chooses a pattern of organization before he begins a letter. What part of the writing process does this activity represent?
A. Brainstorming
B. Planning
C. Getting feedback
D. Editing

27) Which of the following would NOT be considered a planning activity when writing a report?
A. Evaluating the problem
B. Analyzing the audience
C. Adding, deleting, and rearranging content
D. Defining the purpose

28) A sales brochure includes photos and clipart that is strategically placed within the marketing piece. This is an example of which of Communications Professor Charles Kostelnick's levels of communication design?
A. Extra
B. Intra
C. Inter
D. Supra

29) Which of the following would NOT be considered a violation of a convention?
A. Clipart is included throughout a loan contract.
B. A business letter is hand written.
C. A resume is presented in an electronic format.
D. An attorney's business card is printed in red font on a yellow background.

30) Which is a sound recommendation for creating a professional business document?
A. Analyze your audience before making color choices since connotations of colors can vary.
B. Use color to highlight small points that would otherwise go unnoticed.
C. Use as many highlighting and decorative devises as possible to make the document look busy.
D. Avoid using any highlighting, decorative devices, or color in business documents since they make documents hard to read.

31) Which would NOT be a consideration when choosing a medium for a superior delivering bad news to subordinates?
A. the relationship between the superior and subordinates
B. the severity of the message
C. the complexity of the explanation
D. the superior's desire not to have to deal with the situation

32) Is "I am sure that you will agree with our decision" appropriate in a letter to a client in which you refuse a request?
A. No, because the client will then feel silly for having made the request
B. Yes, as long as you had no choice about the decision you made
C. Yes, because it will prevent psychological reactance
D. No, because you should not assume that you know how the reader feels

33) Is the following sentence an appropriate ending for a credit rejection? "If we can assist you in the future, please contact us."
A. No, because it is too wordy
B. Yes, because it ends on a positive note
C. Yes, because it offers an alternative
D. No, because offering to help a reader whom you have just rejected is clearly insincere

34) Is the subject line "Improving Customer Service" appropriate in a message to superiors?
A. No, because the boss is likely to think that you caused the problem
B. Yes, because it focuses on solving the problem
C. No, because the word "service" makes the subject line seem negative
D. Yes, because it makes it look like you "bought into" the goals of the organization

35) When you are writing subject lines for negative messages to a superior, use a subject line that:
A. asks the superior to handle the problem.
B. claims you have solved the problem.
C. focuses on solving the problem.
D. avoids mentioning the problem altogether.

36) When you are writing subject lines for negative messages to peers and subordinates,
A. do not include the topic in the subject line.
B. put the topic, but not your action on it, in the subject line.
C. put the topic, including your action on it, in the subject line.
D. describe how the problem happened.

37) In a bad-news message to a superior, you should describe what led to the problem:
A. so he or she will have adequate information to determine if the solution you are going to propose is appropriate.
B. so your superior can see that the problem is not your fault.
C. to show that the problem is really your boss's fault because you have not been given adequate resources.
D. to pad the message so it does not upset the superior too much.

38) Which of the following should NOT be included in a bad-news memo to your superior?
A. A buffer in the opening paragraph
B. The underlying factors that led to this specific problem
C. The advantages and disadvantages of all the options if one is not clearly the best
D. A request for approval for the solution you want to implement

39) Which is an appropriate way for a subordinate to begin a message to her supervisor letting him know that the company has been fined due to safety violations in their department?
A. "Our department has come so far this past year and there are only a few things left that we need to work on."
B. "We received notice today that we are being fined $1,500 for being out of compliance with safety standards."
C. "I think we ought to start taking measures to make our department safer."
D. "Something horrible has happened!"

40) An oral message is preferable to a written one when one of the goals is to:
A. get immediate action or response.
B. present extensive or complex financial data.
C. report many specific details of a law, policy, or procedure.
D. minimize undesirable emotions.

41) You must explain to a group of employees the different pension funds they can now choose. You expect the group to have many questions because many of them will be retiring within ten years and want to maximize their retirement income. You should probably:
A. send them a package of self-explanatory written material and cover different material at the presentation.
B. give an oral presentation with lots of visuals.
C. give them written material to look at ahead of time and go over that material as part of your presentation.
D. send them each a written package of material and ask them to call if they have questions.

42) Which of the following purposes of an oral presentation is specific in its purpose?
A. "This presentation will explain how to forecast materials needs, estimate costs, and prepare a comprehensive cost budget."
B. "This presentation will show that some departments are not managing their budgets properly."
C. "This presentation will explain the budgeting process since it is so important to the success of the company."
D. "This presentation will cover budget issues."

43) In a comparison-contrast report, it is best to:
A. focus on alternatives when the criteria are easy to separate.
B. focus on alternatives when one alternative is clearly much better than the others.
C. focus on criteria when the reader will intuitively grasp the alternative as a whole rather than the sum of its parts.
D. focus on alternatives when the superiority of one alternative over another depends largely upon which criteria are most important to the reader.

44) If after completing your research you cannot prove the claim you originally hoped to make, which of the following is NOT an acceptable way to deal with the results?
A. Remember that negative results are not always disappointing to the reader.
B. Summarize your negative findings in progress reports to let readers down gradually.
C. Don't mention the negative data in the report.
D. In the final report identify changes that might yield a different result.

45) Which of the following patterns of organization is characterized by a movement from the problem as it affects the organization to a discussion of the parts of the problem and solutions to each of these parts?
A. Eliminating alternatives
B. General to particular
C. Problem-solving
D. Particular to