Business Communications Semester Review
(T or F) Good writers can expect to spend most of their time revising their messages.
T
(T or F) You will sound more professional and sincere if you include a sentence such as Thank you for your cooperation in the closing paragraph of an information request letter.
F
(T or F) Most of the workplace messages you write will likely deal with routine matters that require straightforward answers using the indirect method.
F
(T or F) Most people are good listeners because listening is automatic.
F
(T or F) Only formal reports or proposals need to be revised and proofread.
F
(T or F) Open most e-mails and memos indirectly to show respect for readers.
F
(T or F) Twitter is very popular for personal use with employees under age 35, but businesses have not yet found positive business applications for this digital communication tool.
F
(T or F) "Every mechanic must submit his timesheet by Friday" is a well-written sentence.
F
(T or F) "I am sending this message to let you know that" is a concise and direct message opener.
F
(T or F) "Please give consideration to our latest offer" is an effectively written sentence for a business message.
F
(T or F) If you must provide large amounts of data or answer many questions in your direct reply letter, make your letter more readable with graphic devices such as lists, tables, headings, boldface, or italics.
T
(T or F) Like requests and responses, instruction messages follow a straightforward, direct approach.
T
(T or F) Long reports and complex business problems generally require the use of some formal research methods.
T
(T or F) One risk of e-mail is that even though you erase an e-mail message, it can remain on multiple servers that are backed up by companies or Internet service providers.
T
(T or F) PDF documents guarantee that the reader receives a message that looks exactly as the writer intended.
T
(T or F) Podcasting has experienced large growth and has spread among various user groups online.
T
Although businesses prefer to deliver bad news to employees personally, when bad news must be given to large groups of employees, businesses are most likely to use which of the following? a. Newspaper advertisements b. Traditional interoffice memos c. Tweets (Twitter messages) d. Blog
b
Although you may worry about using the indirect strategy to communicate bad news, one benefit it has is a. creating hard feelings and pain. b. ensuring that your reasoning will be read while the receiver is still receptive. c. disguising the bad news. d. placing the bad news before the explanation.
b
Which of the following statements about the ethics of delivering bad news is most accurate? a. Delaying the bad news in a letter is manipulative. b. The indirect strategy is unethical only if the writer intends to deceive the reader. c. Using the indirect method is a way to hide the bad news from the reader. d. Delivering bad news is a fact of life; consequently, you need not worry about ethics.
b
The indirect strategy can ethically be used to a. disguise a false statement. b. break bad news bluntly in the opening. c. provide a setting in which to announce bad news. d. present a misleading claim to counter another charge.
c
Which of the following is the goal of the communicator using the indirect strategy for a bad-news message? a. Promote himself or herself as a business ambassador. b. Mislead and deceive the reader. c. Hide or "bury" the bad news. d. Be a compassionate, yet effective communicator.
d
(T or F) Active-voice verbs are preferred in business writing.
T
The direct pattern, with the bad news first, would be appropriate when you are a. canceling your weekly sales meeting. b. informing employees of a major increase in their health insurance premiums. c. turning down a request for a charitable contribution. d. denying a customer's request for a credit increase but wanting to continue business with the customer.
a
The technological revolution of the last 25 years has resulted in a. shortened workweeks for lucky i-workers (information workers). b. amazing productivity gains. c. fewer workers telecommuting than expected. d. increasing worker freedom from workplace communications.
b
What is the best advice for presenting the bad-news portion of your negative message to employees? a. Strive to sugarcoat the message to ease the employees' pain. b. Place the bad news in the first sentence of a paragraph. c. Position the bad news so that it does not stand out. d. Use subjective language.
c
How should the following idea be classified? Melissa completed her undergraduate studies in May, she is now pursuing a master's degree in business administration. a. Complete sentence b. Fused or run-on sentence c. Fragment d. Comma Splice
d
(T or F) Before you write any business message, you should begin by researching your topic.
F
(T or F) Claims made by telephone or e-mail are just as effective as claims made in writing.
F
(T or F) Highly developed technical or "hard" skills are the most sought-after employment skills demanded by employers.
F
(T or F) Including a subject line in your e-mail message or memo is optional because the message is usually short.
F
(T or F) Use the indirect approach and place your request in the body of an information request letter because stating the request in the opening is bad manners.
F
(T or F) When developing instructions for the workplace, use an intimidating tone and assign blame because these methods will help you to achieve employee cooperation and participation.
F
(T or F) When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict, receivers put more faith in the verbal cues.
F
(T or F) Although companies send routine letters to suppliers, government agencies, and other businesses, the most important letters go to customers.
T
(T or F) Avoid emphasizing negative words such as error, trouble, and inconvenience in the body of an adjustment letter.
T
(T or F) Careful writers avoid slang such as getting burned or blowing the budget because these expressions are arbitrary and may be misunderstood.
T
(T or F) Communicators in high-context cultures (such as those in China, Japan, and Arab countries) tend to be intuitive, contemplative, and group oriented.
T
(T or F) E-mail has replaced letters for many messages inside organizations and for some messages to external audiences.
T
(T or F) E-mail messages have benefits and risks; some risks occur because email messages travel, intentionally or unintentionally, long distances.
T
(T or F) Effective e-mail messages and memos generally discuss only one topic.
T
(T or F) The central objective of communication is the transmission of meaning.
T
(T or F) The channel of choice for today's business communicators is email.
T
(T or F) To identify the appropriate tone, language, and communication channel for your message, you should profile your audience.
T
(T or F) Trina's letter will respond to a customer inquiry. Her letter should not only answer the questions but also promote her business and its products and services.
T
(T or F) Use the indirect pattern when your audience may be uninterested, hostile, or displeased.
T
(T or F) You are more likely to find errors in a document if you proofread it from a hard copy.
T
(T or F) You can build coherence in your writing by including transitional expressions such as for example, additionally, and consequently.
T
(T or F) You need not close messages to coworkers with goodwill statements such as those found in letters to customers or clients.
T
(T or F) You should strive to write paragraphs with eight or fewer printed lines and sentences with about 20 or fewer words.
T
A bad-news message, whether delivered in person or in writing, is usually better received when you a. give the reasons before the bad news. b. immediately share the bad news. c. provide the reasons and explanations but conceal the bad news. d. combine the buffer and bad news.
a
Choosing an appropriate communication channel for your business message depends on many factors. Which of the following is a factor you should consider? a. Necessity of a permanent record b. Your competitor's channel choice c. Amount of research to be included within the message d. Sender's preference
a
Every business person will need to write a negative business message that may disappoint, irritate, or anger the receiver; these messages must be written a. thoughtfully. b. by top-level management only. c. by any department with legal department final approval. d. deceitfully.
a
Most e-mail messages and memos a. have nonsensitive topics and begin directly. b. require persuasion. c. are indirect and begin with an explanation. d. need not be carefully organized because they are informal.
a
Personally delivering bad news is sometimes recommended, but written messages are important to establish a record of the incident, to formally confirm follow-up procedures, and a. to promote good relations. b. to denote your leadership rank. c. to persuade the receiver to follow your recommendations. d. to allow you to identify your organization and position.
a
Revising means a. improving the content and sentence structure of your message. b. correcting the grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, and mechanics of your message. c. selecting the appropriate pattern for good- or bad-news messages. d. searching for graphics and photos to include in your message.
a
The body of a routine request letter presents a. details explaining your request. b.action responses from the receiver. c. deadlines and approvals from government agencies. d. cost-to-benefit ratio analyses.
a
The first sentence of a direct request is usually a(n) a.question or polite command. b. bulleted item. c. explanation or justification. d. statement acknowledging the company's long-standing commitment to customers.
a
When you have a conversation with someone from another culture, you can reduce misunderstandings if you a. speak in short sentences. b. accept a yes or a nod to affirm comprehension. c. wait until you finish a long explanation to request feedback. d. use lots of slang to demonstrate your knowledge of your culture's language.
a
Which of the following bad-news letters is best suited to a direct strategy? a. An announcement of changes in business services b. A layoff notice for a long-time employee c. A denial of benefits on an insurance claim to an angry customer d. A notice of an unexpected plant closure to the city council and mayor
a
Which of the following sentences best demonstrates the "you" view? a. You will receive a complimentary printer with your purchase of a Dell laptop computer. b. Dell offers free printers with the purchase of any Dell laptop computer. c. We can't provide a free printer with your purchase of a PDA. d. The offer for a free printer expired on September 30; you should have checked the advertisement before ordering.
a
Which of these is the most accurate statement about communication skills in today's workplace? a. Communication skills are critical to effective job placement, performance, career advancement, and organizational success. b. Strong communication skills are essential only for managers. c. Writing skills are less important on the job today because people are writing fewer messages. d. Very few companies use instant messaging, texting, blogs, wikis, or social media sites to communicate with customers.
a
Which of these patterns is typical for bad-news messages presented in the indirect strategy? a. Buffer, reasons, bad news, and goodwill closing b. Buffer, bad news, and goodwill closing c. Explanation, bad news, buffer, and closing d. Bad news, explanation, and goodwill closing
a
Business messages should be a. writer oriented b. purposeful c. interesting d. lengthy
b
In writing messages that deliver instructions, what advice should you follow? a. Use an autocratic tone to establish the importance of the instructions. b. Assume that employees want to contribute to the success of the organization. c. Focus on the steps in the procedure and let the tone take care of itself. d. Criticize the person(s) responsible for trouble with previous procedures and then praise the person(s) responsible for the new procedure.
b
Marcus has five questions to ask his reader in a routine information request letter. What is the best way to present these questions? a. As a separate enclosure b. In a bulleted or numbered list in the body of his letter c. In paragraph form in the body of his letter d. In a follow-up e-mail
b
Most companies receiving a claim letter tend to a. ignore the first phone call, e-mail, or letter. b. respond only to letters containing complaints that could result in lawsuits or financial harm. c. respond promptly because customers can sue for harm. d. wait two to six weeks to establish a "cooling-off period" prior to responding.
b
One of the first steps you will take before delivering negative news is a. checking for sensitive language. b. analyzing how your receiver will react to this news. c. drafting your message. d. identifying who is to blame for the problem.
b
Refusing credit is a unique bad-news message because The Fair Credit Reporting and Equal Credit Opportunity Acts require businesses to a. present the bad-news message in the direct strategy or in the news-before-reasons approach. b. send a notice that they are declining the customer credit. c. include the customer's credit score in the message denying credit. d. conduct a credit check on all loan applicants before denying credit.
b
Shipping Clerk Christina included this sentence in her message to a customer "Pertaining to your returns, we must verify the shipping numbers and lot codes of all outstanding merchandise prior to issuance of a refund." This sentence is an example of a. an unprofessional tone. b. overly formal language. c. a conversational style. d. plain English.
b
Waiting for his interview, sweat formed on Rich is an example of a. passive voice b. a misplaced modifier c. a long lead-in d. strong business writing
b
Which is the most accurate statement about today's workplace? a. Because of uncertain economic conditions, American companies are concentrating on only domestic markets. b. Businesses today are often run by cross-functional teams of peers. c. To better compete and to reduce expenses, businesses are expanding levels of management. d. Fewer employees are telecommuting.
b
Which of the following contains a dependent clause? a. Following the recent budget proposal, many businesses will seek funding for expansion through federal grants. b. After we closed our Dallas office, nearly 300 employees were relocated to offices in Denver, Chicago, or Atlanta. c. The restructuring plan will save money over the course of the next ten years. d. We will accept RFPs for the new expansion on January 1.
b
Which of the following messages is appropriate to send via e-mail? a. An announcement of a major benefit reduction for all employees b. An announcement of a change in a meeting date c. A quarterly performance appraisal of an employee d. Notification of company layoff plans for the next quarter
b
Which of the following sentences demonstrates parallel structure? a. Marian will interview all candidates, Dale will train new employees, and annual reviews will be conducted by Paul. b. The proposal affected all students, educators, and administrators. c. The committee plans to review all proposals, interview contractors, and then it must select a certified vendor. d. Successful job candidates must demonstrate leadership, team work, and they must possess strong communication skills.
b
Why do some employers forbid employees to use instant messaging (IM)? a. Instant messaging is more expensive to use than faxes or phone calls. b. Employers consider IM yet another distraction in addition to the interruptions caused by telephones and e-mails. c. Delivery of instant messages takes longer than e-mail message delivery. d.Many companies forbid instant messaging use for all these reasons.
b
You must communicate up-to-date information immediately to customers who are digitally connected. Which of these is the best communication channel to offer you this always-on connectedness for your business message? a. E-mail b. Twitter c. Podcast d. Blog
b
75. Which of the following is not a guide word used in e-mail messages and memos? a. TO: b. FROM: c. RESPONSE: d. DATE:
c
76. If a coworker is using company computers to communicate with family members, what is the best advice? a. Send e-mail to family or friends if you wish because the employer can't monitor non- business e-mail anyway. b. Use company computers for e-mail and shopping, but don't visit any gambling sites. c. Don't use company computers for personal matters. d. Be certain to complete all personal communication during break time.
c
Business communicators have many goals in conveying negative news. Some of these goals include making the receiver understand the bad news, helping the receiver accept the bad news, and a. saving your company money. b. blaming an outside agency. c. maintaining a positive image. d. eliminating future correspondence.
c
Business e-mail users must learn that e-mail can be dangerous because messages travel long distances, are difficult to erase, and a. can't be used to transmit official documents. b. are informal, allowing a few spelling and punctuation mistakes. c. may become evidence in court. d. are challenging to type using only two fingers.
c
Communication begins when a. an idea is put into words or conveyed through gestures. b. the idea is sent through a communication channel. c. the sender has an idea. d. the receiver decodes the message.
c
During the prewriting phase of the writing process, you should a. conduct research. b. write the message and edit as you proceed c. analyze the audience and anticipate its reaction to the message d. evaluate the effectiveness of your message.
c
End dates and specific actions in a routine request letter should be placed in the a. introduction. b. body. c. closing. d. enclosure notation.
c
If business writers want to demonstrate good netiquette when using e-mail, they should a. document every business decision and action in hard-copy memos or e-mail. b. write important e-mail messages in all capital letters for emphasis and increased professionalism. c. ask permission before forwarding e-mail messages. d. add a cc (carbon copy) to their supervisors on all business messages.
c
The purpose of instruction messages is to a.establish rules of conduct to be followed within an organization. b. place general parameters on employee job performance. c. clearly explain how to complete a task. d. carefully describe the roles and functions of employees by job category.
c
Using the indirect strategy to prepare the reader in a bad-news message a. shows insensitivity to your reader. b. allows you to confuse or distract the reader. c. helps you keep the reader's attention until you can explain the reasons for the bad news. d. demonstrates your ability to vary your strategies.
c
When a claim involves a service, you should a. demand a full refund of the service fee and a repeat service call. b. avoid naming the service representatives involved or otherwise identifying responsible company employees. c. cite names of individuals spoken to and dates of calls. d. enclose a photograph of yourself crying or suffering other severe emotional distress because of the poor service.
c
When denying credit to customers, you have specific goals that include retaining customers on a cash basis, avoiding language that causes hard feelings, and a. selling merchandise. b. recommending a credit counseling service. c. avoiding disclosures that could cause a lawsuit. d. showing the customer your business maintains firm credit integrity.
c
Which of the following best demonstrates concise writing? a. There are several things that each and every employee must know about workplace hazards. b. The directors are of the opinion that HAZMAT training is absolutely essential. c. Although this training is a company requirement, it must be completed at the employee's expense. d. This is to inform you that until training is completed, pay raises will be withheld.
c
Which of the following is the best advice for proofreading long, complex documents? a. Proofread complex documents immediately after writing because your thoughts are still fresh. b. Thoroughly proofread your document only once. c. Expect to find mistakes. d. Rely completely on the spell checker program of your word processor.
c
Which of the following is the most important part of a negative message? a. A positive, forward-looking closing b. A neutral buffer c. An explanation of the reasons for the bad news d. The bad news itself
c
Which of the following techniques would be most effective in buffering bad news? a. Keeping the reader off-guard by opening with unrelated information b. Opening with your subjective reasons for refusal c. Starting with the best news d. Apologizing in the closing with a statement like We are deeply sorry
c
Which statement regarding headings is accurate? a. Headings provide visual distraction for readers; thus they should be avoided b. Headings appear most often in business letters. c. Headings highlight information and improve readability. d. Headings should be complete sentences.
c
You can improve the effectiveness of a direct claim letter by a. using a few threatening words to get your point across. b. providing a detailed timeline of what happened and the specific person who is to blame for the problem. c. explaining the problem with necessary details. d. including a subtle reference to your attorney or to the Better Business Bureau.
c
You can soften the blow of the bad news in refusing a typical request or claim by a. emphasizing the bad news. b. using the active voice. c. implying the refusal. d. accentuating the negative.
c
You must announce to customers that your restaurant will no longer be open on Sundays. Which of the following uses passive-voice verbs to deliver the bad news? a. We closed our restaurant on Sundays beginning last month. b. We had begun closing our restaurant on Sundays last month because few customers dine with us on that day. c. Beginning last month, our restaurant was closed on Sundays. d. Management decided that it must close our restaurant on Sundays.
c
You must decline an employee's request to telecommute three days per week. Which of the follow- ing statements best explains why this bad news is necessary? a. Our current company policy does not allow telecommuting. b. Unfortunately, we regret that we are unable to afford the expenses associated with telecommuting. c. Your daily presence in the office is important to ensure regular customer contact. d. Your work standards cannot be relied on unless we are able to observe you at your workstation.
c
Good advice for e-mail is to use the "top-of-screen" test, which means beginning with a cute graphic or witty quotation to capture your reader's attention. a. getting the e-mail address right. b. composing offline. c. conveying your purpose in the d. subject line and first paragraph.
d
One important guideline when preparing instructions is to a. follow an indirect approach to soften the impact of the demand for compliance. b. begin with an admonition or warning of the punishment for failure to comply fully with directions as written. c. state the directions forcefully and avoid weakening words like please. d. divide the process into logical steps and present them in the correct order.
d
Several barriers may cause poor listening. Which of the following is a psychological barrier? a. Focusing on a speaker's unusual voice b. Concentrating on a speaker's unfamiliar words c. Having noisy surroundings d. Tuning out speakers whose ideas do not match our own
d
Stacy began her proposal with background information and explanations before revealing her recommendation to outsource IT management. The strategy Stacy used is called a. frontloading b. direct c. active voice d. indirect
d
Which of the following is the best advice to follow when explaining the reasons for bad news? a. Because it is important for the reader to understand the reasons for the bad news, you should cite confidential reasons. b. Include a general statement saying that the bad news results from company policy. Most readers will understand this explanation. c. Do everything you can to look like the "good guy," even if it means making unrealistic statements. d. Explain the causes before disclosing bad news.
d
Which of the following sentences uses active voice? a. The company's rigid return policy was criticized by a few unhappy customers. b. The company's rigid return policy, which was criticized was by a few un- happy customers, was examined by management. c. Managers were told about the unhappy customers who criticized the company's rigid return policy. d. A few unhappy customers criticized the company's rigid return policy.
d
