Ch. 7 - Email and Other Traditional Tools for Business Communication

According to a recent study, nearly all business professionals expect an email response within 1. 4 hours. 2. 2 or 3 days. 3. 1 week. 4. 30 minutes.

1. 4 hours.

Which statements are true of the demands placed upon the recipient of a business email? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. Emails often disrupt other work tasks. 2. Emails add to the amount of work a recipient must do. 3. Emails ease workplace demands. 4. Emails may create a time commitment.

1. Emails often disrupt other work tasks. 2. Emails add to the amount of work a recipient must do. 4. Emails may create a time commitment.

Sam made all the arrangements needed for an important business call. He provided an agenda and checked the quality of his phone. During the call, Sam used the caller's name, gave him a warm greeting, and kept the call on point and within the time limit he had anticipated. Sam said everything he had intended and, although his caller did not say very much, Sam felt the call went well. He later received feedback that the caller did not feel much of a connection to Sam. Which of the following might best explain why? 1. Sam did not share conversation time equally with the caller. 2. The caller was texting during the conversation. 3. The caller felt forced to do most of the talking. 4. Sam did not use enough humor during the call.

1. Sam did not share conversation time equally with the caller.

Which of the following can be accomplished by phone calls, in contrast to other, less-rich channels? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. They help business professionals resolve problems more quickly. 2. They help business professionals reach large numbers of people more effectively and quickly. 3. They help business professionals manage conflict more effectively. 4. They allow business professionals to connect with better understanding.

1. They help business professionals resolve problems more quickly. 3. They help business professionals manage conflict more effectively. 4. They allow business professionals to connect with better understanding.

Which of the following should you do to prepare for less formal phone conversations? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. You should decide on the major points to cover. 2. You should let your conversation partner know the approximate duration of the call. 3. You should plan the purpose of the phone conversation. 4. You should provide a detailed agenda and schedule.

1. You should decide on the major points to cover. 2. You should let your conversation partner know the approximate duration of the call. 3. You should plan the purpose of the phone conversation.

Which of the following is the best way to make a business phone call more personal? 1. You should use your caller's name. 2. You should ask the caller a personal question. 3. You should state your name and position. 4. You should refer to your agenda.

1. You should use your caller's name.

Because business professionals use a large quantity of email for communication, they typically associate emails with which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. email fatigue 2. face-to-face meetings 3. information overload 4. reduced distraction

1. email fatigue 3. information overload

When a business professional writes an email to another business professional, which of the following qualities should be avoided to be respectful of time? Multiple select question. 1. mediocre writing 2. lack of clarity 3. short paragraphs 4. ordered structure

1. mediocre writing 2. lack of clarity

Sending an email to the wrong person can result in which of the following? Multiple select question. 1. negative professional outcomes 2. an increase in professional reputation 3. disclosure of confidential business plans 4. release of private information

1. negative professional outcomes 3. disclosure of confidential business plans 4. release of private information

According to the neutrality effect, when senders of a business message impart a positive emotion to a message, recipients have a tendency to interpret the message as having ______ emotion. Multiple choice question. 1. neutral 2. positive 3. too much 4. negative

1. neutral

Email is suitable for which of the following types of messages in business? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. routine work information 2. terminating employment 3. stating holiday work hours 4. the sharing of facts

1. routine work information 3. stating holiday work hours 4. the sharing of facts

During business phone calls, conversation time should be 1. shared equally between the two callers. 2. dominated by the person who arranged the phone call. 3. dominated by the person who was invited to the phone call. 4. handled in a question-and-answer format.

1. shared equally between the two callers.

hat qualities are valued for email by business managers who believe that emails should express no emotion? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. task-based messages 2. straightforwardness 3. humor 4. cyber silence

1. task-based messages 2. straightforwardness

Which of the following are reasons why you should take such actions such as smiling, using hand gestures, and sitting up straight during business phone calls even though the other caller cannot see you? Multiple select question. 1. Having things to do other than just talking will distract you from being nervous. 2. Acting like you would if you were talking in person can carry through in a pleasant, clear voice. 3. Your nonverbal behaviors can be reflected in your voice. 4. People may be watching you through your computer camera so you want to seem normal.

2. Acting like you would if you were talking in person can carry through in a pleasant, clear voice. 3. Your nonverbal behaviors can be reflected in your voice.

Douglas is a business professional in sales. He has a new product to promote, and he believes the product will be very popular and in demand. Douglas knows that a number of companies would benefit from offering the product. To build connections with these companies, which approach should Douglas first take? 1. Douglas should contact the companies on Facebook. 2. Douglas should try to reach the companies by phone. 3. Douglas should send text messages to people in the company. 4. Douglas should email as many contact people in the companies as he can find.

2. Douglas should try to reach the companies by phone.

Nancy was both nervous and excited about her phone call with a client. Her enthusiasm was manifested in the phone call by fast and seemingly rushed talking. Which of the following is the most likely reaction from the client? 1. The client thought Nancy was overly prepared. 2. The client believed Nancy wanted to move on to other things. 3. The client felt Nancy was enthusiastic about the phone call. 4. The client believed Nancy was not being truthful.

2. The client believed Nancy wanted to move on to other things.

Is it important to follow up in writing on decisions made during business phone calls? 1. No, because professionals will usually follow through on verbal commitments. 2. Yes, because a written follow-up improves the likelihood that you will accomplish your shared goals. 3. No, because professionals take verbal commitments very seriously. 4. Yes, because a written follow-up releases you from insincere commitments made on the phone.

2. Yes, because a written follow-up improves the likelihood that you will accomplish your shared goals.

Which of the following should you do during business phone calls to get the most out of them? (Choose every correct answer.) (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. You should check your email. 2. You should make the call your entire focus. 3. You should avoid multitasking. 4. You should have your calls scheduled back-to-back.

2. You should make the call your entire focus. 3. You should avoid multitasking.

_____ business professionals are the group most likely to expect an immediate response to an email. 1. Older 2. Younger 3. Retired 4. Middle-aged

2. Younger

To ensure the best-quality audio for business phone calls, which of the following is the best choice? 1. a flip phone 2. a landline connection if available 3. a smart phone 4. a laptop on Wi-Fi

2. a landline connection if available

In a business environment, potentially serious errors in emails include Multiple select question. 1. using a subject line that reveals too much about content. 2. accidentally releasing confidential data. 3. unknowingly sending sensitive information. 4. addressing emails to the wrong recipients.

2. accidentally releasing confidential data. 3. unknowingly sending sensitive information. 4. addressing emails to the wrong recipients.

The general name for the medium through which a message is transmitted is the 1. task-messaging system. 2. communication channel. 3. electronic network. 4. mobile communication device.

2. communication channel.

Currently, the primary form of written business communication is 1. Facebook. 2. email. 3. Twitter. 4. the typed letter.

2. email.

Which of the following are examples of communication channels? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. tablet computers 2. emails 3. phone conversations 4. face-to-face dialogue

2. emails 3. phone conversations 4. face-to-face dialogue

Which of the following contribute to cyber incivility? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. injecting humor into your emails 2. the lack of face-to-face contact online 3. the normal lag in email response time 4. the quick pace of online interaction

2. the lack of face-to-face contact online 4. the quick pace of online interaction

Which of the following is an example of the best way to begin a business phone call? 1. "I will do my best to stay on point." 2. "Hi. It's really great to talk with you today." 3. "Hello, Jacob. Thank you so much for speaking with me today." 4. "I really appreciate you taking this call."

3. "Hello, Jacob. Thank you so much for speaking with me today."

Candace makes a lot of phone calls for her job. She has received feedback indicating that she speaks in a monotone and does not sound very engaged. Which of the following can she do to speak more enthusiastically and pleasantly? Multiple select question. 1. Candace should close her eyes during phone calls and focus all her energy on the call and her words. 2. During phone calls, Candace should make sure she stays still and concentrates on increasing the volume of her voice. 3. Candace should listen to her recorded voice to get ideas about changes she should make. 4. Candace should engage in nonverbal behaviors, such as smiling, sitting up straight, and gesturing, during phone calls.

3. Candace should listen to her recorded voice to get ideas about changes she should make. 4. Candace should engage in nonverbal behaviors, such as smiling, sitting up straight, and gesturing, during phone calls.

Which of the following are reasons email is not considered a rich channel for communication? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. Email needs to be thought out well. 2. Email is not well suited for task-oriented messages. 3. Email does not have nonverbal cues. 4. Email is deficient in verbal cues.

3. Email does not have nonverbal cues. 4. Email is deficient in verbal cues.

When writing a business email, maintaining a high standard of writing is key for which of the following reasons? 1. A casual tone offends all business recipients. 2. Formality is not necessary in a business environment. 3. The number of people who might see the message is high. 4. A friendly tone is not effective in business writing.

3. The number of people who might see the message is high.

Tim, a supervisor, and Sue, his supervisee, just concluded a phone call during which many decisions were made, including how tasks would be delegated to specific team members. Which of the following should Tim do to make certain the agreements are accomplished? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. Tim should expect Sue to remember everything they agreed upon and to follow through. 2. Tim should assume Sue understood that the agreements were hypothetical ideas. 3. Tim should send a reminder message to Sue within a few hours after the call. 4. Tim should document the agreements of the conversation so that there is a record.

3. Tim should send a reminder message to Sue within a few hours after the call. 4. Tim should document the agreements of the conversation so that there is a record.

Which of the following should be done at the beginning of a business phone call? Multiple choice question. 1. You should immediately list the topics you wish to discuss. 2. You should spend 15 minutes asking the caller questions about his family and hobbies. 3. You should make a few light comments to get the conversation started. 4. You should use the caller's name only once.

3. You should make a few light comments to get the conversation started.

Cyber incivility can be defined as showing ______ online. 1. kindness 2. courtesy 3. disrespect 4. neutrality

3. disrespect

For the next few years, which of the following is expected to be the most commonly used tool for written business communication? 1. handwritten letters 2. social networking platforms 3. emails 4. phone calls

3. emails

Work phone conversations are similar to ______, so you should consider sending an invitation with an agenda to your conversation partner. 1. annual reviews 2. speeches 3. meetings 4. job interviews

3. meetings

Out of respect for message recipients, business professionals should ensure that all emails they send are which of the following? (Choose every correct answer.) Multiple select question. 1. require action 2. noncommittal 3. needed 4. pertinent

3. needed 4. pertinent

Because of e-interruptions, the average business professional loses around how many hours of productivity per day? 1. less than half an hour 2. one hour 3. several hours 4. two hours

3. several hours

When you experience cyber incivility, your primary goal should be 1. to back down by admitting that, whatever the rationale, the incivility was justified. 2. to confront the sender in person as soon as possible. 3. to ensure that the situation does not get worse. 4. to use the same medium to retaliate against the sender.

3. to ensure that the situation does not get worse.

Most effective business calls get to the point 1. when the conversation partner steers the call to the issues at hand. 2. immediately. 3. within one to two minutes. 4. after about ten minutes of small talk.

3. within one to two minutes.

Which of the following should you do at the end of a business phone call? Multiple select question. 1. make small talk 2. check text messages 3. wrap up important points 4. summarize next steps

3. wrap up important points 4. summarize next steps

Hannah had a productive phone call with her colleague during which a number of decisions were made. After hanging up, Hannah could not remember many of the decisions. Which of the following best explains what she should have done? 1. Hannah should have checked her email. 2. Hannah should have checked the audio quality of her phone before the meeting. 3. Hannah should have followed the agenda. 4. Hannah should have taken some notes during the call.

4. Hannah should have taken some notes during the call.

Suzanne has an important phone call with a new client. She has prepared carefully for the call, providing an invitation and detailed agenda to the client. She needs to make the call from a new location different from where she usually works. Which of the following should she also do to make sure she has a successful phone call? 1. She should remember to take her laptop. 2. She should text the client to remind him of the call time. 3. She should make sure she is dressed professionally. 4. She should test the audio quality of her phone from the new location.

4. She should test the audio quality of her phone from the new location.

E-interruptions are defined as interruptions caused by 1. telephone calls. 2. word processing software. 3. rich communication forms. 4. electronic messages.

4. electronic messages.

Because of the neutrality effect, a business email recipient may incorrectly interpret the sender's 1. directions. 2. email address. 3. feeler status. 4. emotional intent.

4. emotional intent.

Because of the neutrality effect, a business email recipient may incorrectly interpret the sender's 1. directions. 2. feeler status. 3. email address. 4. emotional intent.

4. emotional intent.

You should end business phone calls 1. with a joke. 2. by going over the agenda. 3. rapidly. 4. with an expression of appreciation.

4. with an expression of appreciation.

True or false: In a business setting, emails will always get read, even if they are hard to read. True false question. True False

False

True or false: True task-based business emails allow the sender to easily avoid any emotion. True false question. True False

False

Ideally, business email writers should favor a(n) ______ tone. 1. reserved and academic 2. urgent and commanding 3. balance between a formal and a friendly 4. spontaneous and casually friendly

balance between a formal and a friendly