General Business Quiz Questions

In its simplest form, communication is defined as ________.

the transmission of information and meaning from a sender to a receiver

The first step of Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process is to conduct research to collect all the needed information. T/F?

true

The following represents a sentence fragment: With a solid idea and careful planning. T/F?

true

There are, there is, and it is are examples of unnecessary opening fillers. T/F?

true

Which of the following scenarios would most likely require a scientific experiment?

A company wants to measure reactions to the price of a new flavored vitamin water product to learn how much consumers would be willing to pay.

When your department head Ms. Westlake arranges chairs informally in a circle during a meeting, what kind of message is she sending?

A nonverbal message that she is encouraging an open, egalitarian exchange of ideas

Which of the following is an example of upward communication in an organization?

A warehouse worker suggests to his boss a way to improve employee morale.

Which of the following is the best wording to avoid racial, ethnic, age, and disability bias?

AARP membership is open to anyone age 50 or over.

________ is the process of creating a message that suits your audience.

Adaptation

Gather any necessary information.

An average of 20 words

Which of the following is an effective way to improve your nonverbal communication skills?

Ask friends and family members to give you feedback on your nonverbal behavior.

Which of the following is an example of a soft skill?

Being able to work well as part of a team

Alexis must proofread a complex business document. What is the best advice you can give her?

Be prepared to find errors.

Which of the following is an invisible sign of culture?

Christopher believes that adults need to be responsible for their actions.

Which of the following statements about team-based management is least accurate?

Companies that use team-based management prefer to train employees in teamwork skills rather than hire new workers who already possess these skills. *Companies prefer to hire employees who already possess the skills necessary to work effectively as part of a team.

Vanessa has written a marketing report for her boss. Before presenting it, she wants to make sure that the report does not contain too many words like extremely, totally, and very. She wants to sound emphatic but businesslike. What is Vanessa checking for?

Conciseness

Emma runs a small business and wants to improve communication among her increasingly diverse staff. Which of the following should she do?

Consider having employees take part in diversity awareness training.

Which of the following is advised for citing numbers when writing to businesspeople in other cultures?

Convert dollar figures into local currency.

An effective meeting agenda should not include a proposed allotment of time for each topic because it can limit the discussion and therefore productivity.​ T/F?

False

The three primary business communication functions are to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. T/F?

False; Business communication functions can be summarized in three simple categories: (a) to inform, (b) to persuade, and/or (c) to promote goodwill.

The term "information worker" refers to an employee who is responsible for creating and maintaining company databases. T/F?

False; more recently, we are hearing the term information worker to describe those who produce and consume information in the workplace. Regardless of the terminology, knowledge and information workers engage in mind work

The final stage of team development is norming. T/F?

False; norming is the third stage of team development, just before performing.

Of the following, the least rich (or leanest) communication media are ________.

Flyers or posters

Which of the following U.S. laws prohibits payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business?

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 *The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which was passed by the U.S. government in 1977, prohibits payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business.

Melanie is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process. What should she do first in this second phase?

Gather any necessary information.

Which of the following statements about headings is least accurate?

Headings are used only in reports.

Which of the following statements about time and space is the most accurate?

How we structure and use time tells observers about our personality and attitudes.

Which of the following sentences uses conversational, middle-level diction?

If we stay positive, we'll win the contract.

What is the most accurate statement about slang and buzzwords?

If you want to sound professional, avoid using slangy expressions and buzzwords in your writing.

A businessperson from the United States was introduced to the president of a company in another country, and the businessperson immediately began treating the president as his equal. The president might be particularly offended if he is from which country?

Japan

Nasim has come to you for advice about conducting a virtual meeting. What is the best advice you can give him?

Keep summarizing to a minimum to save time.

Which of the following is an example of a hard skill?

Knowing how to prepare financial statements

Bert is CEO of an organization with many layers in the chain of command. He is looking for ways to reduce these layers so that he can communicate more directly with the first-line employees. What organizational communication barrier is he trying to overcome?

Long lines of communication

Which of the following statements about numbered and bulleted lists is most accurate?

Make the items in a numbered or bulleted list parallel.

Because of budget cutbacks, you must lay off your receptionist. What is the best way for you to deliver this message?

Meet with her in a face-to-face conversation.

Select the most accurate statement about meetings.

Meetings should be viewed as opportunities to demonstrate leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Which of the following statements about time orientation across cultures is most accurate?

North Americans generally correlate time with productivity, efficiency, and money.

One of the most important tasks in preparing well-organized messages is ________.

One of the most important tasks in preparing well-organized messages is ________.

Which of the following sentences best demonstrates clarity?

Please let your employees know about next Friday's meeting.

Positive nonverbal messages include all but which of the following?

Responding rapidly even though the message may have a few errors

Morgan has just been appointed to a task force and wants to be a positive member. Which of the following is the best advice you can give her?

Share her ideas with other team members, even if they might not be adopted.

Gayle will be traveling to Thailand on business and wants to demonstrate intercultural competence while there. What is the best advice you can give her?

Show supportiveness with head nods, eye contact, facial expressions, and physical proximity.

Francis is starting his first full-time job after graduating from college, and he knows that his written messages will help him develop his professional brand. What is the best advice you can give him?

Strive for an informal, conversational tone in most business messages.

Which sentence best emphasizes the attorney?

The attorney delivered the closing arguments.

For what purpose should the passive voice be used?

To de-emphasize bad news

The Track Changes option, used for suggesting specific editing changes to team members, is located in the ________ tab of MS Word.​

Tools

A method of group decision making where group members bargain and negotiate to reach a middle ground is known as consensus. T/F?

True

According to media richness theory, face-to-face conversations are the richest because they provide more helpful cues and allow for immediate feedback. T/F?

True; The more helpful cues and immediate feedback the medium provides, the richer it is; face-to-face conversations and meetings are, therefore, the richest media.

Awareness of gender differences can help you become a more sensitive and knowledgeable listener. ​ T/F?

True; female listeners tend to be attentive, provide steady eye contact, remain stationary, and nod their heads. Male listeners are less attentive, provide sporadic eye contact, and move around. Of course, such generalizations about gender and communication risk becoming stereotypes as some authors point out. Being aware of these tendencies will make you a more sensitive and knowledgeable listener.

Diverse workforces are more likely to create the products that consumers demand. T/F?

True; teams made up of people with various experiences are more likely to create the products that consumers demand. Customers also want to deal with companies that respect their values.

Which of the following about Twitter is accurate?

Tweets are a form of microblogging, require conciseness, and should adhere to the conventions of spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Elizabeth wants to avoid monotony and add spark to her business messages. What should she do?

Use a variety of sentence types.

Which of the following sentences best controls exuberance?

We are happy to learn that your banquet room is available on December 15.

Which of the following would be the best sentence to include in an e-mail message going to someone from another culture?

We look forward to meeting with you next month. \"We look forward to meeting with you next month" is the best choice for a letter going to someone from another culture because it does not use contractions, abbreviations, slang, or sports references.

Which of the following is an example of an internal organizational communication?

a meeting of all department managers

Alex is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process. What question should he ask while collecting information during this second phase?

all of these

Anthony is part of a virtual team collaborating on a written proposal. Which of the following collaboration tools can help his team work together on this shared document?

all of these; All of these collaboration tools (track changes and other MS Word tools,wikis, and collaboration software), along with e-mail, instant messaging, texting, and web and telephone conferencing, can help Anthony's team work effectively on a shared document.

The best business writing is purposeful, economical, and ________.

audience oriented

Select the least accurate statement about culture.

because cultural norms are so deep-seated, they almost never change.

Khalida is sending an e-mail message to a client. Before sending it, she wants to make sure that she has made her point in the fewest possible words. What is Khalida checking for?

conciseness

Suzanne has just received an e-mail message from a client and is reading it carefully to determine her client's needs. She is involved in the ________ part of the communication process.

decoding

Businesses form teams because teams make better decisions, respond faster, and

demonstrate increased productivity.

Elizabeth spends a lot of time listening to her colleagues during meetings. Because she must remember what they say, she is always careful to identify main ideas and recognize the purpose of their messages. Elizabeth is engaging in

discriminative listening.

Emile was born in Paris and has lived his entire life in France. He is proud of his country and believes that the French are superior to all other cultures. Emile is displaying

ethnocentrism

In asking herself Does this message achieve my purpose?, Nicole is in the ________ stage of the writing process.

evaluating

Because jargon can be confusing, it should never be used in business writing. T/F?

false

Crowdfunding is an online practice that applies only in business-to-business transactions; it is not appropriate to use with family and friends.

false

Diversity positively impacts work teams, but consumers are not impacted by an organization's diversity. T/F?

false

Jessica's team is experiencing considerable conflict and tension as they get used to working with one another. They are most likely in the forming phase of team development. T/F?

false

The focus of a brainstorming session should be on the quality of ideas, not the quantity. T/F?

false

The following sentence is effectively phrased to express the importance of the message: It is absolutely essential that you turn your expense claim in by Friday. T/F?

false

The following sentence represents good business writing: A proficient attorney always defends his client. T/F?

false

The number of foreign-born persons in the United States is decreasing. T/F?

false

Time is a dimension that is perceived the same across cultures. T/F?

false

Valuing length over clarity leads to conciseness in writing. T/F?

false

You are born with the abilities to read, listen, speak, and write effectively. T/F?

false

You will know that you are an effective business writer when you can prepare a perfect document on the first try. T/F?

false

​Nonverbal communication signals do not apply to written messages. T/F?

false

Giving credit to external sources is important only in academic writing; on the job, it is ethical to use print or online sources freely without documenting them. T/F?

false;

Joe follows up with one of his direct reports by phone after sending an email with instructions for completing a project. During the call, he asks if the receiver has any questions about the e-mail. Joe is attempting to ensure successful communication with ________ .

feedback

Organizing information includes two processes: ________ and ________.

grouping; strategizing

The primary purpose of messages that explain procedures, announce meetings, answer questions, and transmit findings is to ________.

inform

The 21st-century economy depends mainly on ________.

information and knowledge *Today's economy is based on information and knowledge. Physical labor, raw materials, and capital are no longer the key ingredients in the creation of wealth.

The sentence I am writing this e-mail message to let you know that we have received your application for the receptionist position contains a ________.

long lead-in

Steven is an analytical, action-oriented person and places great value on business messages that are objective, professional, and efficient. He is most likely part of a(n) ____ culture.

low-context

Select the sentence with an active-voice verb.

many companies now offer wellness programs.

"Around-the clock availability"

means that you may be expected to work long hours without extra compensation and be available practically anytime and anywhere, should a crisis strike at work.

Underscoring, bolding, and italicizing are ________ ways to stress important ideas in writing.

mechanical

Pronouns can help build continuity within a paragraph, but they often need a(n) _________ with them to make their meaning clear.

noun

During Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process, Jamar is correcting his document's grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and mechanics. What is Jamar doing?

proofreading

Which of the following documents would most likely use an introduction, a proposed solution, staffing, a schedule and/or costs, and authorization organization?

proposal

The best way to evaluate your finished written message is by ________.

receiving feedback

Basic fundamentals, exactly identical, and repeat again are all examples of ________.

redundancies

You want to use precise, vigorous words to give your readers more information and keep them interested. Which of the following sentences has the best wording?

reports a 10 percent decrease in expenses for the first quarter of the fiscal year.

Chuck is part of a team identifying ideas to cut expenses. The team has decided to hold a brainstorming session. Which of the following strategies would likely produce the best results?

set an established time limit

Peter was just hired as an accounting assistant and wants to make a good impression in his new position. What should he do when listening to his supervisor?

show his interest by leaning forward and striving for good eye contact.

Favorable trade agreements ​________.

significantly open global markets to imports and exports

So that your needs can better be met in the future, please complete the online survey about your recent flight with Southwest Airlines is an example of ________.

spotlighting audience benefits

Using vivid words, labeling the main idea, and strategically placing the key idea in a sentence are examples of ________ ways to stress important ideas.

stylistic

Persons from many cultures are moving to countries promising to fulfill their dreams. For generations the two most popular destinations have been

the US and canada

Media richness most directly refers to ________.

the amount of helpful cues and immediate feedback a medium provides *The more helpful cues and immediate feedback the medium provides, the richer it is.

Social presence is defined as

the degree of "salience" (being there) between a sender and receiver using a communication medium.

Team writing is especially important for documents that require the expertise or consensus of many people. T/F?

true

For what purpose should the active voice be used?

to strengthen most business writing

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) promotes open trade globally. T/F?

tru

Allan is writing instructions for filing an employee grievance. He should use a numbered list because the order of steps in the process is important. T/F?

true

Conflict is a normal part of every workplace and every team. Confrontation during conflict can be effective as long as it is task oriented. T/F?

true

Encouraging the receiver to respond to your message is an effective way to judge the success of your communication. T/F?

true

Managers can use the grapevine productively by sharing bad news as well as good news. T/F?

true

One advantage of oral communication over written communication is that oral communication can be more easily adjusted to the audience. T/F?

true

A meeting is not an effective choice of communication tool if your sole purpose is to share information.​ T/F?

true; No meeting should be called unless it is important, can't wait, and requires an exchange of ideas. If people are merely being informed, send an e-mail, text message, memo, or letter. Leave a phone or voice mail message, but don't call a costly meeting.

External communication for routine purposes is likely to be handled via e-mail. T/F?

true; both internal and external communication is handled by e-mail in most routine cases.

Covering up incidents, abusing sick days, lying to a supervisor, taking credit for a colleague's ideas, and inflating grades on a résumé are examples of ________.

unethical actions

Conduct a discussion of, give consideration to, and perform an analysis of are all examples of ________.

verbs that have been converted to nouns

A ________ is a website that allows multiple users to create and edit pages collaboratively.​

wiki

You are in charge of preparing a sales brochure and must profile your audience. What question should you ask to profile your primary audience?

you should ask all these questions.

If you send a message to your supervisor and she forwards it to the vice president, the vice president would be considered ________.

your secondary audience

When faced with an intercultural ethical dilemma, you should ask yourself if the action is legal, if you can rule out a better alternative, if a trusted advisor would agree, and ________.​

​if you would do it if you were on the opposite side

Social media are amplifiers, which means that they tend to ________.

​make extroverts more extroverted and introverts more introverted

The expression "cultures are inherently logical" most closely means that ________.

​nearly all serious rules and values originate in deep-seated beliefs