Ch. 5 Business

gender bias

Amanda, a client service executive in an advertising company, is unsure if the business relations manager of a potential client is male or female. Therefore, while sending her proposal to the representative, Amanda chooses to address the person by his or her designation. In this scenario, which of the following biases does Amanda avoid?

audience involvement

Before starting his presentation on the benefits of taxi services, Mark engages the spectators by asking them to imagine themselves driving in a drunken state. He goes on to ask them the possible outcomes that they can imagine. This exercise ensures that Mark gets the spectators' complete attention. In the given scenario, Mark uses _____ to open his presentation.

Avoid slang.

Bill, a marketing analyst in Godren Inc., is required to address all employees of the company on their sales targets for the next fiscal quarter. To help employees get a clear understanding of their targets and reduce any pressure on them, Bill decides to use several jokes and innuendos that are not received well by his supervisors. In the given scenario, which of the following communication guidelines does Bill not take into consideration?

"Dear Senior Manager of Human Resources"

Brian has decided to supplement his job application to Wendenlt Corporation with a cover letter to the senior manager of human resources. However, he knows neither the name nor the gender of the senior manager he wishes to address. In this scenario, which of the following is the most appropriate way Brian can address the recipient without displaying gender bias?

organizational barrier

Callie, an assistant supervisor in an automobile company, wants to actively contribute to the growth of the company by suggesting some changes in its administrative policies. However, she does not get the opportunity to do so because of a high power distance in the company. In the given scenario, Callie faces a(n) _____.

language barrier

Fiona, an industrial psychologist, is asked to give a presentation on the benefits of healthy colleague relationships to the employees of a textile company. In her presentation, Fiona uses various technical terms, all related to the subject of psychology, because of which the employees find it difficult to understand her and quickly lose interest in the presentation. In the given scenario, the employees of the textile company face a(n) _____ to communication.

nonverbal communication

In the context of active listening, one of the dos for better listening is the use of

slow down and listen to yourself

In the context of creating and delivering successful verbal presentations, which of the following is a tip for dynamic delivery?

it begins and ends with preparation

In the context of creating and delivering successful verbal presentations, which of the following statements is true of dynamic delivery?

being concise

Kenneth prepares a PowerPoint presentation for the board meeting by adding only the essential information and discarding any unnecessary details that could confuse the board members. He ensures to keep his sentences short but not at the expense of completeness. In the given scenario, which of the following communication guidelines is Jeffrey following?

gender bias

Lawrence wants to pursue a law degree in a renowned law school in her city. She writes an application to the dean of the school. However, she is unsure if the dean is male or female, and therefore, she decides to address the dean by his or her official title. In this scenario, which of the following biases is Lawrence avoiding?

simile

Lucile, the head of a project, starts her presentation on the project by comparing each team member's work to that of a mountaineer climbing the highest peak in the world. In the given scenario, Lucile uses a(n) _____ to open her presentation.

startling statistic

Maurice, the marketing head of a nonprofit organization, always begins his presentation on a project by sharing a lesser-known fact about the issue that the project focuses on. This helps the members of the audience get a better picture of the importance of the issue and makes them more attentive. Given this information, it can be assumed that Maurice uses _____ to open his presentations.

avoiding bias

Maverk, a human resources manager at a multinational company, has to explain the ethical policies of the company to a batch of new employees. To convey that the company has a low power distance, he says, "The manager who loses his temper must apologize." From the given statement, it can be inferred that Maverk does not follow the business communication guideline of _____.

body language barriers

Michael has excellent oratory skills. He is well-spoken and very innovative. However, people are often distracted by his odd mannerisms while speaking, such as his constant foot movement, his slouched posture, and his habit of biting nails. In the given scenario, people get distracted because of _____ to communication.

remind himself that his project unit wants him to succeed

Miguel has an idea for a new project management software application that can enhance the efficiency of his unit's operations. His supervisor has asked him to present his ideas to the entire unit. Miguel is excited about the opportunity, however, he is a little nervous because he has never presented in front of a big audience, such as his project unit. To mitigate his speech anxiety, Miguel should:

age bias

Mixter Prix, a multinational company, wants to hire a new salesperson. It posts a job advertisement in a newspaper that states that the company is looking for an older individual who is creative and has a graduate degree in marketing. In the given scenario, Mixter Prix's advertisement shows

gender bias

Olivia, the CEO of a company, uses words such as "she" and "her" to refer to a manager or an employee in the general sense. She also uses feminine examples in all her emails to the entire company. As a result, the male employees of the company feel excluded. Given this information, it can be concluded that Olivia shows _____.

audiences can only absorb 2-4 main points at a time

Tanya is planning a presentation on the best practices in communication. After much thought, she decides to restrict herself to just three key points. The reason behind Tanya sticking to just a few key points in her presentation is because:

organizational barrier

The employees of Marconium Inc. often feel that they cannot comment on the management of the company even though there is no rule that prevents them from being critical about the management. In the given scenario, the employees of Marconium Inc. are facing a(n) _____.

avoiding bias

The management of Minstrel Magik, an event management company, ensures to use gender-neutral language in its emails to both customers and employees. In the given scenario, it can be inferred that the management follows the business communication guideline of

a cultural barrier

When George, an American, went to represent his company in a global conference that was being held in Germany, he was unaware of the social practices of the host country. While talking to a German representative, he used the "ok" gesture, which created tension and uneasiness between him and the German representative. Which of the following communication barriers did George most likely face in the given scenario?

bulleted list

When writing high-impact messages, a _____ is an invaluable tool that you can use to engage your reader's attention whenever you have more than one of anything in your writing.

telling the audience key points before launching into the presentation

Which of the following practices should ideally be followed when giving a business presentation?

response to emails should be as prompt as possible

Which of the following statements is true of business emails?