Business Communication Midterm

All of the above Sensitive news Bad news Ideas that require persuasion News that is likely going to be unpleasant to the reader

"Indirect" business messages work well with what kind of news?

The assertion and reason are both correct, but the logic is invalid.

Assertion: The indirect strategy works well with a written report when the audience is hostile towards the proposal. Because (Logic) Reason: The direct strategy emphasizes facts and findings.

All of the above are true Provide up to date company information to the press and public. Do market research and get consumer feedback. Develop an online community following.

Companies use blogs in order to...

Metaphor Analogy

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech uses many effective public speaking strategies. Which strategies does Dr. King use in the following paragraph? Answer all that apply. In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

our perception of appropriate use of social space and privacy.

Edward Hall's four zones of social interaction refer to...

High context cultures value relationships and preserving one another's "face." It is likely they will take Eva out to dinner to get to know her. The Japanese business executives may hint at their point of view rather than state it outright.

Eva is a mid-level American business executive working for a tea-company based in the United States. She visits Japan, a high context culture. What does she need to know most?

Friendly tone Intended for internal reports or announcements

Figure 9.3 compares formal and informal writing styles. Which of the following characterizes the informal style? Select all that apply.

2

How many commas are needed in the following paragraph to make this grammatically correct? "For communicating with members of your team face-to-face communication is best. Communication that has significant content should be done in person and communication that is purely informational can be delivered over text or email."

5

How many total spelling and punctuation errors are in the following paragraph? "Our company has recently purchased the mineral rites to several large tracks of land in Wyoming for oil and gas exploration. We hope to set our operation at one farmers' property along I-25. We have completed the the environmental impact assessment, and it showed that drilling will have no affect on the local wildlife."

Comma Splice

Identify the grammar error in the following sentence. "Andy and Elizabeth are real estate managers who work for an international company, they manage both personal and commercial properties."

Run-on Sentence

Identify the grammar error in the following sentence. "Richard Deans, the CEO of the company, decided the firm should file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy this allowed the company to reorganize its debts and continue operating."

Passive Voice

Identify the grammar error in the following sentence. "The analysis will be finished by Tuesday night, and the report will be on your desk by Wednesday morning."

Prepositional Phrase Comma Error

Identify the grammar error in the following sentence. "When John puts the financial statements on my desk I will file the report immediately."

To conceal the doer of an action

In general, active voice is preferred, however, which of the following is an instance when passive voice works well?

Specify the purpose and nature of the project at the beginning. Describe the work completed so far. Describe the current and anticipated problems. Discuss future plans and completion dates in the closing.

Which of the following is recommended when writing a progress report? Select all that apply.

Please review the following changes to the HR structure and email us by September 12

Which of the following is the best "Opening" for a non-sensitive email?

All of the above are unprofessional. LOL!!! I totally get it. BTW... Hey sweetheart, I owe you one! What about the old man? I can't believe Johnny could be such an idiot. He's f'*#*'d up again, hasn't he?

Which of the following is unprofessional and should never appear in email/memos/face-to-face communication at work?

A business representative came to the house last night.

Which of the following reflects bias free language?

Because he left early for lunch, the memo did not reach John's desk until 5pm.

Which of the following represents a dangling modifier?

Increased need for intercultural awareness.

Which of the following represents the information age workplace?

The client was extremely upset to realize that he was not definitely entitled to a refund.

Which of the following sentences is the worst in terms of using "excessive exuberance"?

Business people spend on average 2 hours/day writing and responding to emails. The typical worker is overloaded with email, receiving more than 10,000 emails per year on average.

Which of the following statements are true about email. Select all that apply.

Pie Chart: to visualize a whole unit and its parts Organizational Chart: to illustrate a hierarchy of elements Photo: to create authenticity

It is important to use the appropriate graphic to meet your report's objective. Which of the following are accurate summaries of when to use which graphic? Select all that are correct.

True

T/F The best strategy for submitting a claim or complaint is to write the document with a clearly described desired action, provide evidence for why this claim is justified, and end pleasantly with a goodwill statement.

False

T/F The five principles for writing goodwill messages include being selfless, sincere, specific, short, and solemn.

True

T/F The phrases "true facts" and "absolutely essential" are examples of redundancy because they say the same thing twice.

True

T/F The problem statement or purpose part of a report limit and define what the task or scope of the report is. In other words, this part of the report says what is and is not going to be analyzed.

False

T/F The text describes three phases of written communication: writing, revising, and finalizing.

False

T/F Today, email is as secure a mode of communication as snail mail (hard copy letters sent via post).

False

T/F When crafting presentation slideshows, you should use full sentences to boost your credibility.

False

T/F When the bad news involves one person or a small group nearby, emailing or texting is the best strategy because the digital communications allows the group time to save face and gather their emotions.

False

T/F When writing an adjustment letter, apologies should be straightforward, and business writing experts recommend apologies for maintaining satisfied customers.

False

T/F When writing an email or memo, it is not necessary to describe the benefits of your initiative to your reader/audience.

False

T/F When writing instructions or instructional messages, use numbered action verbs for clarity and use the subjunctive mood.

False

T/F When you build a presentation or report, you cannot legally copy graphs or photos from a hard-copy book. However, if you find these materials on a search engine like Google, they are in the public domain and you can use them freely.

True

T/F With report writing, the scope and purpose define the problem(s) that will be analyzed.

False

T/F Writing is important in fields like English, humanities, and marketing but not in technical fields like finance and engineering.

False

T/F Yardstick reports compare alternatives using different criteria so you can save time and money.

Pathos

The following argument uses what kind of proof/evidence? [John: "In my last job, we worked on a case that was just like this. We decided to raise the interest rates, and half our clients bailed on us."]

Run-on

The following sentence represents what kind of sentence error? "One job candidate arrived at the gate on time the other two were over thirty minutes late. Suffice it to say the first candidate made a better impression."

Fragment

The following sentence represents what kind of sentence error? "When George came to the door. Then I answered it. He was dressed in a black suit."

Mastery

The four major purposes of persuasive presentations include all of the following except...

Put a startling or interesting fact at the end of the message to help readers' remember your message.

The recommendation for crafting effective sales messages includes all of the following except...

Apostrophe Use

The sentence below contains which of the following grammar errors? "Several major airline CEO's held a meeting to discuss new airport security measures, and they all agreed to follow new guidelines."

Simple Compound

The text recommends using a combination of 4 types of sentences for clarity with business messages. Which of the following is not one of these types?

Friendly: this type of audience likes you and your topic. You can use any pattern. Be sure to be warm and positive. Use humor and personal experiences. Hostile: they want to take charge or ridicule the speaker. They may also be defensive or emotional. Use a noncontroversial pattern such as chronological, and be calm and controlled. Avoid humor.

The textbook mentions several strategies for approaching different audience types. Which of the following statements is completely correct? Select all that apply.

Explain the cause of the bad news before disclosing the actual bad news. If sincere, cite reader benefits, such as the fact that someone or something else benefited. Try to show that the evidence was considered fairly and seriously.

The textbook talks about how providing the reasons for negative news is important. Which of the following are strategies the book recommends? Select all that apply.

Letter formats are useful for short informal reports, typically 8 or fewer pages. Longer, more formal reports should be in the manuscript format. These begin with a title followed by a systematic arrangement of headings and subheadings.

The textbook talks about typical report formats. Which of the following statements is accurate? Select all that apply.

False

T/F Revision is a good practice for beginners. Once you have become a better writer, it is not as useful.

Dictionary

According to Garner's Hierarchy of Sources, which of the following is the least credible source?

3

According to our "Most Common Grammar Mistakes" handout, how many run-on sentences are in the following paragraph? "If you are adding a new dependent to coverage, you will be required to submit verification within 30 days please contact your local HR/Benefits office. If documentation is not provided, dependent coverage will be removed, individuals claiming more than one dependent must supply multiple documents at one time. Please login to the online portal to view and alter your coverage and you need to also check with your HR officer to ensure all materials have been received."

Use moderate nonverbal tone

According to the text, people who send effective persuasive messages...

More than 50% of our work time is spent listening. Immediately following a 10 minute presentation, people only recall about 50% of what they heard. Some researchers suggest we only listen at about 25-50% efficiency.

According to the text, which of the following is true about listening?

Minimizes negative reactions for unwilling audiences

All of the following are advantages of writing business messages in the "Direct Strategy" format except...

Silencing competing sounds

All of the following are barriers to listening except....

Content, Structure, Memo

All of the following are components of informal proposals except...

Geography/Conventional Grouping

All of the following are organizational strategies except...

Place the main idea in a dependent clause.

All of the following are techniques for improving your writing clarity through emphasis except one. Which is not true?

Commenting anonymously protects you from subpoenas.

All of the following are true about how you should post a review online except...

Value group membership

All of the following are true about low context cultures except...

Texting a client when you believe a phone call would bother others.

All of the following behaviors are unprofessional except...

Convenience.

All of the following reflect actual considerations when choosing the communication channel. Which is the least important factor when deciding how to contact someone?

Email is often the best way to resolve conflict because you can save face.

All of the following statements are true about email except....

Include freebies or coupons. Wish the person goodwill moving forward. Talk about future relations or business interactions.

Closing pleasantly is an important part of delivering bad news in a sensitive way. Which of the following are strategies for promoting goodwill? Select all that apply.

They are indirect

Persuasive requests are generally more effective when...

Many companies are emphasizing soft skills training.

Please read the following paragraph and identify the best topic sentence for this paragraph. "One engineering company spent $100,000 on soft skills training. Likewise, an accounting firm also spent 58% of their training budget on soft skills training for their employees. One bank spent $1.5 million dollars nationally to help their employees develop soft skills competencies."

Run-on sentence

Read the following sentence and identify the type of grammatical error. "Companies that purchase investment property on borrowed money must make sure their income from that property exceeds the loan amount and they also must verify that the property does not have any liens."

False

T/F Phrases like "fill the bill" and "good to go" should be added to your writing because they are expressions that people understand.

False

T/F Reports that present the data without studying the facts or making recommendations are primarily analytical.

True

T/F Revising a written document takes a considerable amount of time.

Include a verb

Subject lines should ideally...

True

T/F "Be" verbs such as "there is"/"there are" often can be cut to improve sentence efficiency.

False

T/F A peer-reviewed journal article is a top quality primary source.

True

T/F Apologizing is a good strategy because it helps convey empathy and sensitivity, assuming it will not prompt a lawsuit.

True

T/F At the heart of biased-free language is the idea that we need to focus on a person's merits and not their age, gender, or race.

True

T/F Both informal reports and analytical reports can be successful if arranged in the direct strategy mode.

True

T/F Business writing should be purposeful, persuasive, concise, and should vary in tone depending on who is to receive the message.

True

T/F Communication experts suggest that presenters should tell a story rather than simply outline bullet points.

False

T/F Effective speakers build rapport with the audience. Rapport is a type of informational presentation.

True

T/F Feasibility reports are intended to examine the practicality or advisability of a particular course of action.

False

T/F Formal business phrases like "as per your request, "Please do not hesitate to," and "every effort will be made" should be used because they are professional in tone.

False

T/F Imagine you are writing a rejection letter. You come to the reasons section. Here, it is important that you use strong words like denied, impossible, and regret to get your point across.

True

T/F In certain situations, hard-copy letters are still the preferred channel of communication for delivering messages outside an organization.

True

T/F Long lead-ins refer to unnecessary words in the introductory part of a sentence. Long lead-ins should be condensed.

Fear appeal

What best describes the type of evidence the argument below uses? ["If we don't buy out this company immediately we will reap the consequences. Our sales will plummet, hit rock bottom, and we none of us will be able to put food on the table."

Subject-Verb Agreement

What grammar error exists in the sentence below? "The numbers on the large billboard indicates that Microsoft stock have decreased 6%. This suggests, as many have predicted, that the company is having poor earnings for the quarter."

Interest

When crafting persuasive sales messages, professional marketers and salespeople follow AIDA. The step where you try to show how your product or idea benefits the customer is called...

Use block formatting Use ragged edges

When formatting business letters, which of the following is advisable? Select all that apply.

Google search

When gathering research for a project, which of the following requires the most work in terms of evaluating the credibility of the source?

Respond in a friendly and upbeat tone and avoid blaming or arguing with others. Point users to valuable information on your website and try to be helpful. Own up to problems and mistakes, and inform customers when and how you will improve the situation.

When responding to customers online, which of the following does our text suggest? Select all that apply.

When the bad news is not damaging. In other words, the bad news is not significant. When you think the receiver may overlook the bad news. This includes policy changes or legal announcements. When the recipient or organization prefers directness. Some audiences simply want to be communicated with in a direct manner.

When should you use the direct strategy to convey negative news? Select all that apply.

When the bad news is personally upsetting. When the bad news threatens the customer relationship. When the bad news is unexpected.

When should you use the indirect strategy for communicating bad news? Select all that apply.

Organize the message using the direct strategy Include action info or deadlines in the closing

When writing nonsensitive emails, which of the following are suggested best practices?

Buffer, reasons, bad news, closing

Which is the correct order of the four-part strategy for delivering bad news?

Tells how the report was authorized May close with follow-up actions Uses the direct strategy

Which of the following accurately describes a Letter or Memo Transmittal? Select all that apply.

One goal is to make readers understand and accept the bad news. You should use language that respects the receiver but also attempts to reduce bad feelings. Do everything you can to show that a decision was fair, impartial, and rational. Demonstrate your desire to maintain a positive and pleasant relationship.

Which of the following are best practices for delivering bad news? Select all that apply.

If you receive an email but don't have time to respond immediately, send a quick note telling the sender when you plan to respond. Check your email at set times to decrease email's distracting effect. Consider the two minute rule: if you can respond to a message within two minutes, then take care of it immediately.

Which of the following are best practices for time management with regard to sending emails? Select all that apply.

Avoid apologizing to the audience, and instead, focus on the presentation. Summarize your message and reiterate your main points at the end.

Which of the following are effective to do during your presentation? Select all that apply.

Observation Personal interviews

Which of the following are examples of primary sources? Select all that apply.

All of the Above Soft Skills, Professionalism, Appreciation of diversity, Writing Skills

Which of the following are skills employers want in new hires?

Request a lectern. Having a high desk or lectern creates a sense of security for the speaker. Preparing thoroughly is one of the most effective strategies for reducing stage fright.

Which of the following are tips the book suggests for preparing for your presentation? Select all that apply.

White space is important for increasing readability. Readability and skimming can be increased by the use of headings and bulleted or numbered lists.

Which of the following are true about increasing the readability (or skim value) of a written document? Select all that apply.

The date of the web page. Information about sponsoring organizations. Spelling, grammar, and evidence of bias.

Which of the following does the textbook say can help you assess the credibility of a web source? Select all that apply.

Establish your credibility Outline your main points Talk about your knowledge, expertise, and qualifications Identify with the audience

Which of the following does the textbook suggest are ways to capture an audience's attention? Select all that apply.

Persuasive messages today are subtle and appeal to emotions by using techniques such as flattery and empathy. In the United States today, persuasive messages are complex because consumers are very diverse and require different marketing appeals. The volume and reach of persuasive messages has increased with the advent of TV, radio, and the Internet. This means more people around the globe are exposed to American media and persuasive messages.

Which of the following statements are true about persuasive messages in today's digital age? Select all that apply.

Texting is beneficial because it allows people to get quick, unobtrusive answers to questions. If an employee is texting while driving for work, this creates a legal liability. Text messages and IM can become evidence in lawsuits and legal cases.

Which of the following statements are true about texting and instant messaging (IM)? Select all that apply.

Conversational and professional.

Which statement best characterizes an effective business tone.

With texting, you should not always expect an instant reply because you don't know when the recipient will read the message. It is not good business etiquette to text or answer a text while you are having a face-to-face conversation with someone else.

Work texting etiquette: which of the following are correct? Select all that are true.

Need

You are working for Energy Clean, an imaginary company that specializes in oil monitoring systems. You have a meeting with the BP Oil Company, and you are trying to convince them to invest in your new oil monitoring system that alerts executives if a dramatic loss in oil is leaking places it shouldn't (the ocean). You remind them about the devastation of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico caused by BP's inability to monitor leaks. According to the Monroe's Motivated Sequence, the part of the argument above that is underlined is demonstrating...

Nonverbal

You arrive to a meeting 10 minutes late. You walk into the room in the middle of a presentation you were suppose to take notes on. You have sent what kind of negative message?