Chapters 1-5 - Business Communications
How many people need to test a document to reveal 85% of its flaws?
5
Which of the following is a desirable tone for business writing?
confident
The primary purpose of document design in business communications is to
project a desired image or brand.
Which of the following is a recommended strategy for creating white space?
Use bullets or numbering to list items.
The Grand Banquet Hotel is a business hotel for corporate clients looking for a premium place to host product launches, press releases, and shareholder meetings. Which of the following audience benefits should the hotel's advertisements stress to effectively appeal to its target customer?
large conference room that accommodates more than 300 people
Which of the following sentences is a simple sentence?
Her desk has been moved to a corner at the other end of the floor.
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the __________ dichotomy measures how individuals orient themselves to the external world.
Judging-Perceiving
Which of the following statements is true of headings?
They enable readers to turn quickly to sections of special interest.
Which of the following is true of readability formulas?
They rely heavily on word length and sentence length.
The phrase "on the other hand" is typically used in business writing to
contrast ideas.
Which activity in the composing process makes surface-level changes that make a document grammatically correct?
editing
In an email to his manager, Raphael declines an offer to relocate to another city. Raphael writes "I appreciate the offer; __________, I am not able to accept it for personal reasons." Which of the following transitional words is suited to complete the given sentence?
however
Which of the following questions will help analyze an organization's discourse community?
What kind of and how much evidence is needed to be convincing?
In which of the following situations is it considered insensitive to use positive emphasis?
when terminating an employee's employment
Arnold's manager fits the sensing type in Myers-Briggs typology. Which of the following communication strategies will be most effective when Arnold is presenting his decision to his manager?
Arnold should present his reasoning step by step
Mia has planned a meeting with Khaled, her subordinate. Which of the following words spoken by Mia to Khaled indicates the lowest level of politeness?
Attend the meeting tomorrow.
Which of the following questions asked by a writer during the revision process indicates a focus on the style and tone of the message?
Does the message use you-attitude and positive emphasis?
Which of the following is an example of a sentence using passive voice?
The task was completed by the sales manager.
The process of drafting, getting feedback, revising, and getting more feedback is known as
cycling
In which of the following business situations would you typically need to be most polite?
if you are asking for something that will inconvenience the audience
The best way to tell a story with infographics is to
include a detailed title to frame the story.
For an oral presentation, a meeting, or a document with lots of visuals, try creating a __________, with a rectangle representing each page or unit.
storyboard
Which of the following best helps apply you-attitude on a sentence level?
using "you" more often than "I" in positive situations
Lian Chang is the owner of Blaze, a fashion business in Manhattan. She received an email from her client requesting price details on her eco-friendly line of clothing. Now, she needs to write a letter to him with the requested details. Which of the following is Lian likely to produce in response to the customer email?
quotation
Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?
I was given an option to transfer, but I chose to stay.
The transition word "consequently" is typically used to
show cause and effect.
Lens Flare is a graphic design firm that enables its employees to exercise while working by connecting some employees' workstations to treadmills. Lens Flare believes that this environment facilitates employee motivation and creativity. This scenario best illustrates Lens Flare's
corporate culture.
Which of the following statements about the costs of communication is true?
email storage contributes a significant part of the cost of communication
A memo of congratulations is written to
employees who have won awards or been promoted
In official communication, when addressing a woman you don't know well, it is better to
use "Ms." as the courtesy title
What is the difference between accessible and inclusive design?
Accessibility improves the experience for certain groups, while inclusivity improves the experience for all users.
Fancy Pants is a luxury apparel store that sells designer wear to its member clients, who are mostly movie stars and music artists. When selling merchandise, which of the following audience benefits is Fancy Pants most likely to stress?
The collection is exclusive, and each outfit can be further personalized to suit the client's taste.
A manager has to inform her subordinates that their performances are not up to the mark. To maintain positive emphasis, which of the following is the best way for her to communicate the bad news to them?
To ensure that employee performance is good this year, we are changing the productivity guidelines.
The __________ dichotomy in Myers-Briggs typology measures how individuals prefer to focus their attention and derive energy.
Extraversion-Introversion
Carla, a manager, is required to inform her subordinate that he will not be receiving a promotion based on his annual performance review. Which of the following is the best way for Carla to give her subordinate this information using you-attitude?
No basis for a promotion was found in the annual performance review.
A sentence reads, "Plans for the new project are being made by the productivity breakthrough team." Which of the following statements correctly illustrates the active voice version of this sentence?
The productivity breakthrough team is making plans for the new project.
To make language nonracist and nonageist,
refer to a group by the term it prefers
When designing a brochure, one should place content so that
the reader encounters important information on each spread.
According to Jakob Nielsen, who among the following should be used to test a document?
very old or young readers
Which of the following describes clustering as a technique for generating ideas?
writing a topic in the middle of the page and trying to create a pattern of ideas around it
According to Jakob Nielsen, which of the following elements should be avoided when designing a webpage?
fixed font sizes
Which of the following best demonstrates you-attitude?
protecting the audience's ego
While writing a quarterly shareholder report, Toshi decides to use a bar graph to indicate the sales in different areas. Toshi's choice belongs to Charles Kostelnick's __________ of design.
extra-level
Ramon is the customer service manager at Greenfield Communications, an Internet service provider. He is writing an email in response to a complaint the company received from a new customer, Deborah Hayes. As Ramon does not know Deborah on a personal basis, which of the following salutations should he use in his response?
Dear Ms. Hayes
Which of the following is a way to ensure that a reader stays long enough on a home page?
Make clear what readers will get if they click on a certain link.
The marketing director of an apparel company has to promote a person to the post of senior brand manager. There are three candidates in the running—David, Martina, and Nicki—and the marketing director has to ensure that the person she selects succeeds at the job. David has good product knowledge but poor communication skills. Martina is an average communicator but has excellent creative insight. Nicki possesses great communication skills but has average product knowledge. Keeping this scenario in mind, which of the following statements is true?
Nicki is most likely to succeed at the job because of her good communication skills.
In the context of the four dichotomies in Myers-Briggs typology, which of the following statements is true?
Perceiving types prefer to live in a flexible, spontaneous way, enjoying possibilities.
Which of the following is recommended while revising your draft to create a friendly and businesslike style?
Read your message as if you were in your audience's shoes.
Kiara is writing a project report that will eventually be viewed by her company's board of directors, project engineers, marketing executives, and clients. She knows that the needs of all the people who are going to view the document are different. Keeping this in mind, which of the following practices should Kiara adopt in writing the document?
She should use a more formal style to write the report.
Which of the following is a useful guideline to follow to manage time efficiently when writing a document?
Spend one-third of your time writing the document.
Which of the following guidelines should be followed while editing a document?
The editing process should ensure that there is subject-verb and noun-pronoun agreement.
Which of the following statements is true of conventions?
They are not static and tend to change with time.
The store manager at Cult Culture Inc., a department store, wants all the sales personnel to work for six days a week instead of five during the summer sale season. The manager knows that the sales team will find it both physically and psychologically taxing to work over weekends. Which of the following statements will most likely help inspire the sales team to agree to the store manager's request?
Those who work six days a week will receive a higher commission percentage on sales.
Keeping in mind tone, power, and politeness in business messages, which of the following statements about trust is true?
Trust is enhanced by delivering what you promised.
Which of the following types of technology is most often used to resolve customer complaints quickly?
Mateo works as a customer service representative at Asphalt Autos. He writes a letter to a customer who has recently become a member of the lifetime service club. Which of the following introductory statements written by Mateo best illustrates you-attitude?
You are now a lifetime service club member at Asphalt Autos!
Which of the following illustrates the psychographic profiling of customers?
an electric car designed for those who value eco-friendly products
Ada is writing a memo of congratulations to Enrique, who has been promoted to the post of assistant manager. Keeping in mind organizational documents, the most likely purpose of Ada's memo is to
build goodwill
Corporate greed, international pacts, and philanthropic deeds are best included within the category of
business ethics
A sentence from a travel agent to a customer reads, "I hope this is the vacation package you are looking for." This sentence lacks positive emphasis primarily because it
contains a hidden negative
According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a person of the perceiving type is most likely to
gather lots of additional information when making decisions
Which of the following actions is most likely to emphasize the negative information in a message?
giving the negative information a lot of space on the page
Lola is a sales manager at a bank. She recently received an email from a team member, Dario, requesting leave during Christmas. Though the mail was framed well, she felt as though Dario was shouting at her. Which of the following is most likely the reason for Lola's reaction?
important sentences in all capitals
In business communication, the main purpose of a 10-K report is to
inform
Monique was recently hired as a marketing consulting in a foreign country and was able to adapt to the culture very quickly. When her colleagues asked her how she had managed to adapt so quickly, Monique said that she made an effort to understand the company's conventions. Which of the following would have been the best way for Monique to understand the company's conventions?
observing the actions of other employees
Relative to oral messages, a written message makes it easier to
present many specific details
Jana is the head of a department and is in charge of supervising 30 employees. Most discussions related to her department take place orally in departmental meetings. However, Jana should deliver the message in a written form when she wants to
present specific details or complex data about a particular project.
When organizing your information to fit your audience, your purpose, and the situation, you should
present the good news first
A website that was created with mobile-first design will
provide a functional experience no matter which type of device used to access it.
The management at a start-up company decides to hire retired employees from banks, colleges, and other major companies to mentor its employees. This way, the company can gain a workforce that is both experienced and proficient at a lower cost. However, the average age of the employees in the company is only 32. Which of the following practices will make the new, older employees comfortable in the organization?
providing clearly defined roles
While designing a document that is meant to serve as a detailed guide for assembling a product, it is effective to
put any warnings at the beginning of the document.
Which of the following is most likely to reduce the cost of communication?
reducing document cycling
Fatima, a marketing planner for Power Pop Cosmetics, needs to give a presentation to her superiors about the launch plan for a new line of organic lipsticks. Once she receives an approval for it, she will be sharing details of the launch with distributors, clients, and retailers. She will also be presenting the plan to the press to spread word about the new lipstick line. Who among the following would be included in Fatima's internal audience?
superiors
Mena, a new business owner, is giving a presentation to a client on how she plans to help them better market themselves. She makes sure that the information in her presentation is clear, complete, and accurate, and that it presents a positive image of her and her organization. She uses long paragraphs to present the information on the slides. Which of the following modifications should Mena make to her presentation for it to be more effective?
She should use visuals to present information to save the audience's time in understanding and reading the information.
Which of the following transition words in business writing is suited to introduce an example?
specifically
Which of the following is the best technique for usability testing of a website according to Jakob Nielsen?
Observe people using the site at various stages of design.
Which of the following correctly differentiates between editing and revising?
Editing focuses on changes in the surface of writing; revision focuses on the changes in meaning
Which of the following is a difference between formal and informal corporate cultures?
Formal corporate cultures are characterized by hierarchical lines of command; informal corporate cultures are not.
Which of the following is an effective guideline to follow while focusing on sentence length and structure?
Group the words in long and medium-length sentences into easy-to-process chunks.
Eduardo, the owner of a bakery, plans to write a letter to all his customers about a change in the location of his store. The bakery is moving to a location that is not at the heart of the city, which may not be convenient for many customers. Which of the following is recommended for Eduardo while he writes the letter?
He should mention the benefits for the customers.
Which of the following statements is true of the brainstorming stage of solving a business communication problem?
It assumes that there are usually several possible solutions to a problem.
Which of the following defines cycling?
It is the process of drafting, getting feedback, revising, and getting more feedback.
Carla, a web designer, created a new website for a local jewelry designer. She made the website unique, including a custom interface that was very different from most other websites. The links were very clear, and navigation bars were present vertically at the left of the screen. She used small graphics and a white background. There was no music or sound effects. Although, the website had so many distinctive features, users did not like it. Which of the following is likely to be the reason for the failure of the website?
It was too different from other sites.
Qing needs to write an email to all his customers promoting a new loyalty program. From his experience, he has realized that most customers do not view promotional emails as important and tend to ignore them. Which of the following practices should Qing implement so that the audience does not take his message to be unimportant?
Make the message in the email clear and concise.
In business writing, neglecting to quote and document material written by people outside the organization is
Plagiarism
Which of the following statements about reports is true?
Reports are more formal than letters or memos.
Which of the following half-truths about business writing should you follow?
Use big words correctly; otherwise, they may distance you from your audience.
Carmen is the head of the product development team. She has called the marketing team to a meeting to give them an overview of a new product they will need to promote soon. During the meeting, she will have to provide some technical information that is new to the audience. Which of the following practices should Carmen implement in order to effectively deliver the new information to the audience?
Use examples to explain concepts and terms.
Saki's boss is of the intuitive type in Myers-Briggs typology. Considering this, which of the following will it be advisable for Saki to do when making and presenting decisions to her boss?
Use metaphors and analogies in explanations.
Vera owns an online retail store that sells wearable electronic devices. A new customer has just placed an order for a very expensive smart watch. Which of the following best illustrates a confirmation of the order using you-attitude?
Your order #2867 has been confirmed.
"Pound" means a unit of weight. This meaning represents the __________ of the word.
denotation
A good way to condense sentences while reviewing is to
eliminate words that add no meaning to the sentences.
Bernardo is writing a newsletter and decides to place the page number at the top right corner of the page. His choice belongs to Charles Kostelnick's __________ of design.
supra-level
While creating its ethical code of conduct, an organization's management asks itself, "Do the words balance the organization's right to present its best case with its responsibility to present its message honestly?" In this case, which aspect of ethical issues in business communication is the management focusing on?
the manner of conveying the message
Which of the following sentences in an advertisement for MegaWatt lightbulbs correctly applies positive emphasis?
MegaWatt lightbulbs offer a five-year warranty.
Maureen is attending a fundraiser for her nonprofit and is excited about being introduced to Anna Corbin, a renowned philanthropist. Since Maureen has not interacted with Anna before, Maureen should address Anna as
Ms. Corbin
In the context of the four dichotomies in Myers-Briggs typology, which of the following statements is true?
Sensing types trust their own experience more than someone else's account.
Which of the following is an example of an external business document?
annual report
A web designer needs to ensure that the font he chooses will have equal spaces for every letter. In which of the following fonts would the letters "l" and "m" take the same amount of space?
courier
Which of the following is an example of a nonsexist job title?
flight attendant
Revisions for you-attitude often __________ because the revision is more specific and has more information.
increase the length of sentences
Which of the following documents is used for performance appraisals, salaries, and hiring?
job description
Which of the following is the most effective way to make a sentence nonsexist?
omitting the pronouns
When analyzing the rhetorical situation, you should consider your
purpose, medium, and audience.
Sofia, an analyst at a major print media company, is preparing a document on the problems faced by the industry during a recent period. In the report, she explains that increased competition from more agile digital competitors and declining advertising revenues pose major challenges for the future. Which of the following documents is Sofia preparing in this scenario?
quarterly report
To reduce bias in communication, when you are addressing a reader whose name or gender you do not know, you should
replace the salutation with a subject line.
Yu-Tung is a sales executive at company that manufactures copy machines. She is working on convincing a large corporate client to use her company's copiers. Although she knows that the task at hand is challenging, she is determined to achieve her objective. Which of the following is responsible for extrinsically motivating Yu-Tung to convince the client?
the prospect of getting a commission
The venture capitalist for a small company is attending a sales presentation made by one of the employees to an important client. Though the venture capitalist does not have the power to stop the message or act on it directly, he will carefully evaluate the interaction between the employee and the client. Based on the results of the presentation, he will decide whether to invest further in the company. Which of the following audiences does the venture capitalist represent?
the watchdog audience
Which of the following is an example of an internal business document?
transmittal
Poor business communication is characterized by
writing that obscures ideas and results in drawn-out decisions.
Which of the following is a recommended method of creating ethical infographics?
Cite data sources at the bottom of the infographic.
Coral Dawn, a chain of luxury spas, specializes in Thai massages, Ayurveda remedies, and acupressure treatments. Its target customers are those who enjoy weekend spa treatments after a stressful week at work. When advertising, which of the following statements would most likely help Coral Dawn link the features of its services to the needs of its audience?
If you need to de-stress, try our wide range of relaxing massages.
Jervase is a fact checker at a publishing company. He writes an email explaining the new schedule he and his team members will use to check chapters of a textbook. Which of the following individuals is the gatekeeper in this scenario?
Jervase's manager, who will decide if the new schedule should be presented to the editorial manager or not
Phillipe has designed a brochure for a new product. He needs to test the brochure before printing several copies and distributing it. Which of the following is the best way to test the brochure?
Phillipe has designed a brochure for a new product. He needs to test the brochure before printing several copies and distributing it. Which of the following is the best way to test the brochure?
James is a student with visual impairment who regularly accesses his university website. Which of the following steps should the designer of this website undertake to make it useful for viewers with visual impairment like James?
Provide alternative text or "ALT tag" for all applets.
Morgan is Brian's manager. She has to inform Brian that she will not be able to approve his annual raise because of upcoming budget cuts. Which of the following is the best way for Morgan to convey this bad news using you-attitude?
The team will not receive raises this year due to budget cuts.
Angie is designing a brochure for an upcoming career fair that she hopes will help attract a more diverse set of job candidates to her company, which currently employs only 20% women and 10% people of color. When selecting visuals for the brochure, which of the following strategies should she use?
Use a photo featuring 40% women and people of color to maintain authenticity while reflecting the company's hiring goals.
Which of the following should you do while organizing information that builds goodwill?
Use headings and lists so readers can find key points quickly
Rita, the founder of a commercial real estate company, is planning to announce several renovations to make the company office building more accommodating to employees with visual, hearing, mobility, or cognitive impairments. Which of the following announcements made by Rita is bias-free?
We are installing new accommodations for all employees with disabilities.
From a design perspective, when drafting text for a business communication, it is important to consider how the text is tethered to
accompanying graphic content
An example of an intrinsic motivator for a sales representative would be
experiencing pleasure in helping the company grow.
Ali works in the customer service department of Pronto Mobile. He has to reply to a customer's request for reimbursement for a faulty product. Ali is likely to reply to the request via a
claims adjustment
Which of the following is the best text to use on an ordering link so that a website remains accessible for vision-impaired users?
click to order
Gabriel is drafting an annual report for his company. After completing the report, he sends it to all the department heads in the firm so that they can check the content and add information regarding their departments' achievements. After Gabriel receives and makes the requested changes, he sends the revised report to the CEO for a final check. The CEO checks the report and sends Gabriel the corrections that need to be incorporated. This process is commonly known as __________.
document cycling
Which of the following job titles is regarded as sexist in business communication?
foreman
Miyu is writing a report on the strategies she recommends for marketing her company's new line of shoes. In order to generate ideas, Miyu spends ten minutes jotting down all the points she can think of and then stops to underline points that may work. She continues this process two more times, at the end of which she manages to collect five good ideas to market the new line. Miyu is most likely using the technique of
freewriting
The top management of an organization called all the departmental heads for a meeting to discuss the strategies the company could adopt to stabilize its market value during a recession. After the meeting, the departmental heads informed the employees that they needed to work for an extra hour each day and that all other perks would be limited. However, the heads held back the information that the top management had also decided to downsize the workforce if conditions did not stabilize. In this scenario, the departmental heads represent the
gatekeepers
People who write when they are feeling under stress tend to
have a more indirect style of writing.
Lena is preparing a PowerPoint presentation for a meeting with her clients. While preparing the presentation, she decides to list the services provided by her company using bullets. According to the four levels of design proposed by Charles Kostelnick, this decision by Lena is an example of __________ choices.
inter-level
Dominic is designing a brochure. He has to decide between Arial and Calibri fonts for the body of the brochure. According to Charles Kostelnick's four levels of design, Dominic's choice belongs to the
intra-level
The transition word "moreover" is typically used in business writing to
introduce another important item.
Violating design conventions is risky because
it may signal that the author or designer is unreliable or unknowledgeable.
A sentence reads, "To increase the skin cleansing you obtain from the product, we have added a special chemical to it, which has increased the price of the product." Which aspect of maintaining positive emphasis does this sentence best indicate?
linking a negative element to a benefit by placing the benefit first
When deciding how much and what information to include in a presentation, you should
make a list of the points that must be included.
Which of the following is an effective practice when requesting an action from the audience that is time-consuming, complicated, or psychologically challenging?
making the action as easy as possible
Which of the following activities in the composing process typically involves adding, deleting, or rearranging information?
revising
Catalina, a team lead at a company, has decided to change the work process of her team to improve quality. First, she has to get the approval of the company's operations head before she can present her proposal to the departmental head. Once she receives the head of operation's approval, she will make a presentation to the departmental head, who will then decide if the new process should be implemented or not. If the proposal is approved, the employees working under Catalina will have to implement the new process. In this scenario, the employees will be categorized as a(n)
secondary audience
The design of a document should be used to control and optimize
the audience's experience
Which of the following sentences is in active voice?
the board of directors will make their decision by the end of next week
With regard to biased language, which of the statements below is true about the following job titles: executive, accountant, inspector, pilot, and secretary?
they are all neutral
Which of the following audiences of organizational messages are people who have political, social, or economic power but do not have the power to stop a message or directly act on it?
watchdog audience
Who is most likely to be able to identify design flaws in a document?
people who are most likely to have trouble reading the document
Which branch of psychology studies how to help people thrive?
positive