Business Communications Test 1, Business Communication - Exam 1, BCOM 3373 Test 1, BCOM 3373

transformational communication

horizontal communication is essential in this model among team members and between teams, byt upward, downward, and informal communication is also used.

Venting negative feelings is the most effective strategy for de-escalating anger.

False A common misperception of many business professionals is that venting negative feelings helps people cope with anger. Study after study has shown that venting is temporarily satisfying—but it rarely makes anger go away, especially when the venting is intended as retaliation.

Individuals involved in synchronous communication pay attention to and respond to communications at a time of their choosing.

False Asynchronous communication does not occur in real time. Individuals involved in such communication can pay attention to and respond to communications at a time of their choosing.

People with high self-management react defensively with a me-first attitude when threats are perceived.

False People with low self-management react defensively with a me-first attitude when threats are perceived.

Flames are emails or other digital communications with "hostile intentions characterized by words of profanity, obscenity, and insults that inflict harm to a person or an organization.

True

Active listening involves expressing your own perspectives and feelings

True Active listening involves expressing your own perspectives and feelings. If you do not share your own ideas completely, your colleagues do not know what you really think

Aligning personal values with corporate values is an important element of character.

True Aligning personal values with corporate values is an important element of character. After all, if one is living corporate values that do not match one's personal values, then there is a lack of integrity.

systems/contingency communication

there is no single best way to manage, and therefore there is no single best way to communicate

Which of the following guidelines best ensures that your email is easy to read?

D. Provide a descriptive signature block

Four C's of effective message creation

(1) Concrete words (not abstracts) (2) Concise (3) Clarity (4) Coherence - overall sense or understandability

direct and indirect communication organization

(1) Direct communication: topic sentence/main idea goes first - used for positive messages. (2) Indirect communication: Use the beginning of the message for explanation and put the topic sentence/main idea at the end. Used for bad news.

five factors to consider when choosing a communication channel

(1) Do I need a permanent record (2) How much feedback/how quickly (3) How formal (4) How sensitive is the message (5) Price

reduce communication barriers

(1) Improve language skills. (2) Adapt to audience. (3) Avoid distractions. (4) Seek to understand audience's frame of reference

three main functions of all communication

(1) Inform (2) Persuade (3) Promote goodwill

formal and informal communication networks

(1) Informal communication: workers express information/feelings, sometimes complaints (2) Formal network: communication through established channels (downward - managements-down, informative, policies, procedures, upward - reports, marketing info so management can make decisions, lateral - communication is horizontal, more prominent with flat management) (3) Grapevine: spreads rumors, gossip, news and information. It is fast and effective; can't outlaw or control it, must use it to your advantage.

paraphrase

(summarize in your own words) check the reception of your messages by asking receivers to do this

avoiding strategy

A lose-lose strategy where individuals attempt to passively ignore the conflict rather than resolve it.

compromising strategy

A lose-lose strategy with attempts to resolve conflict through assertive give-and-take concessions or cooperation.

accommodating strategy

A lose-win strategy where individuals attempt to resolve the conflict by passively giving in to the other party.

_____ tend to be more people-oriented and as a result, they focus heavily on harmony.

C. Feelers Feelers tend to be more people-oriented and as a result, they focus heavily on harmony.

procedure of collaboration

1. clarify the situation 2. set two conflicting solutions aside 3. guide group to new solutions through brainstorming 4. combine all solutions and choose one

Which of the following is most likely to happen once you establish a reputation for providing overly general messages that do not include all the needed information?

A. Your readers are less likely to pay close attention to your future messages

scientific management (traditional)

4 principles: scientific design of each task, scientific selection of workers, adequate training and rewards for productivity, division of labor and responsibilities

better readability

8-10 lines per paragraph, shorter words, etc.

_____ refers to the thoughts and feelings that people intend to communicate to one another.

A. Meaning Each person involved in interpersonal communication is both encoding and decoding meaning. Meaning refers to the thoughts and feelings that people intend to communicate to one another.

stereotype vs. prototype

A stereotype is a simplified and standardized conception of something or a group of people. To be prototypical is to be open-minded and open to change.

In order to make business messages more positive business writers should focus on actions they can accomplish, and demonstrate a realistic optimism. However they should be careful:

A. not to set unrealistic expectations. In order to make business messages more positive you should focus on actions you can accomplish and demonstrate a realistic optimism. At the same time, be careful not to exaggerate or set unrealistic expectations.

culture

the patterns of belief and expectations shared by the organization's members, which produce norms that shape the behavior of individuals and groups in the organization

boundary spanners

the people who link the organization with outsiders, such as salespeople and purchasing agents, in the systems theory

Which of the following is most likely to help you in writing concisely?

B. Avoiding redundancy Strategies for writing concisely, includes controlling paragraph length, using shorter sentences, avoiding redundancy, avoiding empty phrases, and avoiding wordy phrases.

communication

the process of people sharing thoughts, ideas, an feelings with each other in commonly understandable ways

In the context of electronic communication, _____ involves indirect form of disrespect.

B. Passive incivility

As a component of active listening, _____ involves restating major themes so that you can make sense of the big issues from the perspective of the other person.

B. summarizing Summarizing is an important component of active listening. The goal of summarizing is to restate major themes so that you can make sense of the big issues from the perspective of the other person

People are most likely to process information quickly when writers:

B. use action verbs. People can generally process information more quickly when writers use action verbs.

decoding

the process the receiver goes through in trying to interpret the exact meaning of a message

12 to 50

effective size for direct supervision

over 50

effective size for standardization

What should you do when you cannot respond to a request made in an email?

D. Reply immediately and explain how soon you can respond in full.

Due to which of the following reasons, capturing the attention of readers becomes challenging when developing routine messages?

D. Routine messages are very common

Which of the following is true about developing routine messages?

D. Routine messages need to be reviewed.

_____ is the component of active listening which involves expressing one's own perspectives and feelings.

D. Sharing Active listening involves expressing your own perspectives and feelings. If you do not share your own ideas completely, your colleagues do not know what you really think.

The evolution of the Internet during the past 15 years from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 platforms is the primary driver of the

D. Social Age

One of the best ways to make others feel comfortable expressing themselves fully is to demonstrate a judger mind-set

FALSE One of the best ways to make others feel comfortable expressing themselves fully is to demonstrate a learner mind-set rather than a judger mind-set.

Cross-examination questions are those which:

D. find contradictions in what other people have said. Cross-examination questions are intended to find contradictions in what others have said or done. Like disguised statements, they can abruptly end learning conversations when they repeatedly call into question the credibility of others

By placing a rationale for accountability in your communications, you will generate poor trust from others.

False By placing a rationale for accountability in your communications, you will generate substantial trust and goodwill from others.

Decoding is the process of converting meaning into messages composed of words and nonverbal signals.

False Encoding is the process of converting meaning into messages composed of words and nonverbal signals.

the "you" view or attitude

Correspondence must always be reader oriented - never start a letter with "I."

Which of the following statements is most likely to be true of microblogs?

D. They contain just a few sentences.

In the case of a routine message, the primary message should typically be placed _____.

D. in the subject line of your email

C-type conflict

Disagreement that focuses on problem and issue-related differences of opinion; improves team productivity and relationships and creates feelings of satisfaction.

A University of Michigan study found that _____ when people try to do two or more things at once.

E. productivity drops by up to 40 percent

parallel sentence construction

Each item in a list or in bullets must use the same format.

What should you know about the reader before writing?

Education level, what they already know, their frame of reference.

effectiveness and tone

Effectiveness is whether or not the message accomplished what you intended. Tone is the writer's attitude toward the reader and the subject of the message.

individualistic culture

Emphasizes personal rights and responsibilities, privacy, voicing one's opinion, freedom, innovation and self expression

frontloading

Everyday positive business messages - give the main idea at the beginning and using the rest of the message for explanation (direct pattern).

Authority is a principle of influence whereby people are more likely to be persuaded by people who they like.

FALSE Authority is a principle of influence whereby people follow authority figures.

Internal persuasive messages tend to be less direct and explicit than external persuasive messages.

FALSE Internal persuasive messages tend to be slightly more direct and explicit, and they tend to be based on logical appeals. In contrast, external persuasive messages tend to be slightly more indirect and implicit, and they tend to be based on emotional appeals

Extensive research has shown that high-trust relationships lead to less efficient and inferior work outcomes

False Establishing credibility allows you to communicate more easily and more influentially. Extensive research has shown that high-trust relationships lead to more efficient and superior work outcomes.

When one is treated poorly, responding aggressively potentially de-escalates an ugly situation and shows one's character and caring.

False Even when treated poorly, responding civilly potentially de-escalates an ugly situation and shows one's character and caring.

Employees often speak up when they observe potentially unethical behavior.

False Often employees fail to speak up when they observe potentially unethical behavior

Today, most organizational cultures are moving to hierarchical and closed communication structures.

False Today, most organizational cultures are moving to flatter, more open communication structures

readability formula

Fog index - measures the length of words and the length of sentence to determine how foggy the meaning will be.

frame of reference

Frame of reference is the overall context in which a problem or situation is placed, viewed, or interpreted. Frame of reference affects how you write the message and how the receiver interprets the message.

If you use email to coordinate tasks with deadlines, provide detailed information about time frames and your availabilities.

True

information overload

Getting more information than we can process

human resources manager

If employees are allowed to participate in decision making then "loving them up" is not needed

The art of creating effective frames involves capturing your primary message in a short, memorable statement of 15 words or less.

TRUE The art of creating effective frames involves capturing your primary message in a short, memorable statement of 15 words or less.

aspects of discriminatory wording/references in the workplace

Need to use "him or her."

systems/contingency manager

No best way to manage, depends on internal factors, culture and situation

selective perception

People see what they want to see, according to their beliefs

redundancy

Repeating meaning unnecessarily (reason why, continue on)

paragraphing

Separating ideas in a message by paragraphs. It makes message easier to read and understand. Unity is when the parts of good sentences combine to form one clear thought

System 1

Similar to Theory X, exploits employees and uses coercion and few economic rewards.

proofreading

Spelling, grammar, names, numbers, capitalization, etc.

A Microsoft study found that it takes 15 minutes on average to refocus after an interruption.

TRUE

Appreciation messages should focus exclusively on the recipient

TRUE

Appreciation messages should not appear self-serving in any way.

TRUE

Business professionals who are high in emotional intelligence notice how their actions impact others.

TRUE

Mass sales messages can raise a company's brand awareness.

TRUE

human relations manager

The boss feels that employee are better when they are not treated like machines. Family type environment or TLC.

basic requirement for communication success

The meaning or understanding is transmitted

opening fillers

There is, there are... unnecessary phrases at the beginnings of sentences and expressions

A focus on action implies that a person seizes business opportunities

True A focus on action implies that a person seizes business opportunities. You demonstrate competence by taking an active role in your business and by getting results

Individuals' ability to gain credibility strongly depends on their ability to show that they care for the needs of others

True A person's ability to gain credibility strongly depends on his ability to show that he cares for the needs of others. Once an individual is perceived as unconcerned about the interests of others or disinterested in causes above and beyond him- or herself, others distrust such a person

A sense of accountability involves an enlarged vision of those affected by one's business activities.

True A sense of accountability implies an obligation to meeting the needs and wants of others. It also involves an enlarged vision of those affected by your business activities. It takes a stakeholder view that includes all groups in society affected by your business.

Avoiding emotion entirely, even for task-based messages, is nearly impossible.

True

multiunit structure

each division is really an autonomous business under the same holding company

reciprocal

a kindness from one person is usually returned in kind

climate

a measure of whether or not people's expectations of what it should be like to work in an organization are being met

You should use direct quotations when a) the quotation emphasizes the credibility of the original speaker or writer. b) you want to express the idea of another speaker in your own words. c) you want to decrease the length of your report. d) you want to avoid documenting references to others' ideas. e) the quotations come from primary research.

a) the quotation emphasizes the credibility of the original speaker or writer.

What term is used for events that cause strong, often negative, emotional responses? a) triggers b) messages c) hijacking d) stress e) noise

a) triggers

content marketing

advertising placed on a variety of selected websites aimed at a specific audience EX: will it blend?

nonverbal cues

all intentional and unintentional means other than writing or speaking by which a person sends a message

trust

an intangible bond that secures the relationship in the present and prospectively into the future

Which of the following questions will help you review bad-news message to evaluate the "access" aspect of the FAIR test? a) What have I done to lessen the negative impacts on recipients? b) Would recipients consider my communication respectful? c) Are my motives clear, or will others perceive that I have a hidden agenda? d) Is my perspective of the facts influenced by defensiveness, favoritism, or some other bias? e) Have I gathered all the relevant facts?

c) Are my motives clear, or will others perceive that I have a hidden agenda?

During presentations, how can you be an audience member who shows support for the presenter? a) Check text messages, but do not accept phone calls. b) Publicly advise the speaker on how to improve the presentation. c) Ask questions that pertain to the speaker's topic. d) Lean back in your chair to show how relaxed you are. e) Avoid eye contact to keep from distracting the speaker.

c) Ask questions that pertain to the speaker's topic.

Which statement is a helpful guideline to use in creating business reports? a) A business report should not combine ideas from more than two sources of information. b) A well-designed table of contents demonstrates the quality of the data used in the report. c) Business reports should project objectivity first and positivity second. d) Cover pages should be used to summarize the most important elements of a report. e) Business reports should state the central business problem at the end of the report.

c) Business reports should project objectivity first and positivity second.

On the day after her boyfriend broke up with her, Candace found out at work that someone else received the promotion she was hoping to get. Instead of asking her manager what she could do to improve her chances in the future, she raged about how unfair life is. What did Candace experience? a) physical noise b) high self-awareness c) emotional hijacking d) emotional intelligence e) high self-management

c) emotional hijacking

Internal persuasive messages are typically used to promote a) services. b) locations. c) ideas. d) products. e) brands.

c) ideas.

four communication styles

closed, blind, hidden, and open

collectivistic culture

culture that emphasizes people's social roles and obligations

The use of uncommon words in a business message is most likely to a) help you appear creative and intelligent. b) ensure that you do not sound arrogant. c) increase the specificity of the message. d) make it more difficult for readers to interpret the message. e) increase the other-orientation of the message.

d) make it more difficult for readers to interpret the message.

During the drafting stage, the process of designing the message focuses on a) ensuring that the message contains all needed information. b) giving the message a writer-centered tone. c) analyzing the audience of the message. d) making the message easy to read. e) correcting typos in the message.

d) making the message easy to read.

Routine messages that include details about deadlines are most likely to be messages that a) make claims. b) convey apologies. c) make announcements. d) set expectations. e) express gratitude.

d) set expectations.

path-goal theory

employees over all job satisfaction and performance levels are contingent on employee satisfaction with the job, the difficultly of the job, and the communication style of the supervisor

practical rule

ethical decisions are easy to communicate to society because the typical person would find them acceptable

utilitarian rule

ethical decisions create the greatest good for the greatest number of people

moral rights rule

ethical decisions protect people's fundamental or inalienable rights

justice rule

ethical decisions provide fair and equal treatment for all individuals or groups involved

relationship keys

expectations, reciprocal nature of relationships, and trust

evaluative feedback

feedback that is judgmental and accusatory

descriptive feedback

feedback that is tactfully honest and objective

Formal communication

flows along the official paths prescribed by the organization's chain of command

downward communication

formal messages that flow from managers and supervisors to subordinantes

upward communication

formal messages that flow from subordinates to supervisors and managers

bureaucratic management (traditional)

formal patterns of relationships and roles needed to get tasks accomplished (organizational structure,) division of labor, and chain of command

closed, blind, hidden, and open

four communication styles

virtual organization

generally a temporary venture among several companies, each with a special expertise or process specialty

open system

has flexible boundaries that allow communication to flow easily in and out of the organization, under systems theory

contingency theory

immature theory that explains that no one type of organizational structure or leadership style is most appropriate for all situations

environment

includes the time, place, physical and social surroundings

mutual adjustment

involves horizontal communication between peers who meet face-to-face to make work-related decisions

evaluative feedback

judgmental and accusatory

multiunit organization

made up of separate, autonomous businesses under the same holding company.

direct supervision

members do not make all their own decisions; instead, a supervisor has the authority to organize and direct their work

low-context culture

messages are clearly spelled out- they are direct and explicit

horizontal communication

messages flow laterally between people of the same rank

high-context culture

messages rely only minimally on spoken words that tend to be brief, indirect, and implicit

three types of coordination

mutual adjustment, direct supervision, and standardization

relationships

mutual liking and interests between people

transformational model

new organizational model; concern with information technology and flexibility of decentralized structures; horizontal comm.

frame of reference

our own background and experience that we use to encode and decode messages

channel

the medium selected to carry the message (EX: face-to-face, phone, email, etc.)

feedback

response from others in the form of information, opinions, and feelings

motivation

second requirement for sending a message

standardization

specific, written standards for tasks, output levels, skills, and workplace norms

language

spoken or written words used to communicate thoughts and emotions

System 4

supportive relationships based on trust, group decision making and group supervision, and high performance goals. All ranges of communication are used frequently.

descriptive feedback

tactfully honest and objective

human resources communication

takes a team-oriented approach to communication and relationships; employees are expected to take an active role in all decisions

empowered teams

teams with the power to make decisions, adept for difficult problems

channel richness

the amount of information a channel can convey

"mum effect"

the desire to conceal bad news, problem in upward communication

informal communication

the grapevine

context

the information that surrounds an event

receiver

the interpeter of the message

curvilinear

the relationship between disclosure and satisfaction, because satisfaction is low when disclosure is both lo and high, and is best when disclosure is at a moderate level

sender

the source of the message

ethics

the standards by which behaviors are evaluated for their morality: their rightness or wrongness

code

the symbols that carry the message; language, paralanguage, and nonverbal cues

feedback

the verbal and visual response to a message

four ethical rules

utilitarian rule, moral rights rule, justice rule, practical rule

paralanguage

vocal elements that go along with spoken language, including tone of voice, pitch, rate, volume, and emphasis

disclosure

voluntarily sharing information, opinions, and feelings with others

self-fulfilling prophecy

where something that is expected actually occurs

flat organization

with decentralized decision making and fewer levels of hierarchy, handles complex problems more efficiently, communication is less distorted, employee morale and satisfaction are high

tall organizations

with multiple levels and centralized decision making, used by large companies and has greater efficiency in handling uncomplicated tasks, slower communication, and lower employee morale and satisfaction

Which of the following is most likely to be placed in the subject line?

A. Expected action

Web 1.0 communication tools are primarily _____.

A. passive and static

Celebrity endorsements in advertising are based on the "_____" principle of influence.

B. authority

Twitter is an example of a _____.

C. microblog

The Information Overload Research Group is devoted to:

D. finding solutions to e-interruption related problems.

Exaggeration adversely impacts readers' perception of the credibility of a business message.

TRUE As with slanting, exaggeration impacts readers' perception of your overall credibility as well as the credibility of the message.

Routine messages should be front-loaded.

TRUE

A strong predictor of cheating in the workplace is cheating in school.

True A strong predictor of cheating in the workplace is cheating in school. Sadly, recent research has found that cheating is so pervasive that it has been labeled as a "global cheating culture.

virtual structure

a temporary alliance among several companies with different areas of expertise

What is the main problem with using manipulation to persuade? a) It is deceptive. b) It is indirect. c) It is deductive. d) It is emotional. e) It is ineffective.

a) It is deceptive.

theory Z

an application of contingency theory, where the company adapts its management style to the existing employee culture

climate

an organization's social and work environment

noise

anything that interferes with communication by distorting or blocking the message

transformational manager

believes that organizations that succeed in today's changing market place may well be those that capitalise on diversity and are flexible and are fast at problem solving and operation start up.

Traditional communication

communication is rational, task oriented, formal, and usually written

less than 12

effective size for mutual adjustment

A-type conflict

refers to the emotional reactions that can occur when disagreements become personal rather than professional, results in hostility, anger, resentment, and distrust; sidetracks the team from issues

Fayol's bridge

refers to the method of bypassing the chain of command. Also refers to direct, horizontal communication between poeple in different departments during legitimate crises.

encoding

the process of putting a message into the form in which it will be communicated

traditional manager

to keep respect you must take control; downward communication; first model that started it all.

internal and external operational communication

(1) Internal-operational: occurs when a business is conducting its work (orders/instructions from superiors, verbal exchanges between workers, written reports, emails, memos, proposals, oral presentations (2) External-operational: outside the business (direct selling/sales presentations, advertisements/marketing, correspondence with other businesses, government, community)

five basic types of communication

(1) Intrapersonal communication - communication with yourself, helps you organize and solidify your thoughts. (2) Interpersonal - communication with other people. (3) Small Group (4) Public (5) Non-verbal

Message recipients make immediate judgments about the importance of a message based on the _____.

A. subject line

Persuasive messages are said to be indirect because:

A. they provide the rationale for a request before making the request.

four barriers to communication

(1) Lack of/poor language skills. (2) Frame of reference - need to determine which topics will "reach" the most people. (3) Bypassing - if you say something the other person doesn't understand, they will focus on that and stop paying attention OR using words that mean something different to you than to the person you're speaking to. (4) Distractions (physical and emotional)

the selective processes

(1) Selective exposure - decide what you're exposed to (2) Selective attention (3) Selective comprehension (4) Selective perception (5) Selective retention (6) Selective action

the five basic steps of the communication process

(1) Sender has an idea. (2) Sender encodes the message. (3) Sender chooses a channel. (4) Receiver decodes the message. (5) Receiver gives feedback to the sender.

the steps that occur when business people are solving problems and communicating about them

(1) Sense the need for communication (2) Define the situation (research, define the problem and audience, look at prior, similar situations, define "how" (3) Consider a strategy (4) Select a course of action (deciding what you're going to say and how you'll say it) (5) Compose the message (encoding) (6) Send the message (timing and context are important) (7) Receive the message (decoding) (8) Interpreting the message, form perceptions (9) Receiver decides on a response (10) Replying to the message - recipient becomes the sender, cycle starts again

In the context of creating a complete business message, which of the following is true?

A. Providing too much information can distract the readers and weigh a business document down. One challenge while writing a business message is deciding which information is relevant for your message. After all, providing too much information can distract your readers and weigh your document down. On the other hand, not providing enough information can leave your reader wondering how to respond.

Which of the following is an impact of high self-management on interpersonal communication?

A. One discusses frustrations in the context of solving problems and improving relationships Self-management is the "ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and to direct your behavior positively." It involves the discipline to hold off on current urges to meet long-term intentions. An impact of high self-management on interpersonal communication is discussing frustrations in the context of solving problems and improving relationships

Which of the following is an appropriate tone for persuasive messages?

A. Positive

Which of the following is a good practice if your audience is emotionally resistant to your solution?

A. Provide the rationale for a request before making the request.

_____ is a principle of influence based on returning favors.

A. Reciprocation

In the context of development for persuasive messages, which of the following is most likely to help you demonstrate a voice of competence?

B. Developing strong ideas in the interest of your audience

Which of the following statements best describe e-interruptions?

B. E-interruptions are caused by emails and texts.

How can you prevent employees and customers from ignoring announcements?

D. Use a catchy subject line that is specific and creates interest.

Ensuring ease of reading is more critical in print than in emails.

FALSE In all written communication, ensuring ease of reading is critical. It is even more critical in emails and other digital messages

What does validating someone entail?

A. Recognizing their feelings as legitimate By disagreeing well, you lessen the resistance that others have to you and your views. Typically, you can disagree diplomatically by validating the views and feelings of others and using I-statements. Validating others means that you recognize their perspectives and feelings as credible or legitimate. It does not necessarily mean that you agree.

_____ involves adjusting your initial perceptions by making more objective, more fact-based, and less personal judgments and evaluations.

A. Reinterpretation

Which of the following messages is most likely to require the least time for planning and reviewing?

A. Routine messages

The line between what you believe is private use of social media and your role as an employee can be murky.

TRUE

Which of the following is a component of the AIDA model?

A. Gaining attention

In the context of the AIM planning process, which of the following tends to be the single most important planning step for many messages?

A. Identifying reader benefits and constraints For many messages, identifying reader benefits and constraints is the single most important planning step.

The use of social media, even for private use, complicates your relationship with your employer.

TRUE

Which of the following guidelines should be followed to ensure that you are creating a complete business message?

A. In order to provide all but only relevant information, plan, write, and review your message strategically. The key to providing all but only relevant information is to plan, write, and review your message strategically.

_____ are future-oriented, out-of-the-box thinkers.

A. Intuitors Intuitors are future-oriented, out-of-the-box thinkers

Which of the following is a result of making your statements tangible in persuasive messages?

A. It allows your readers to sense the impact on a personal level.

Tess is the general manager of Choc-a-block, an international sweet manufacturing company. She wishes to give one of her managers the "Employee of the Year" award and one of her teams the "Stars of the Year" award. Which of the following managers should she choose if she is looking for an employee who communicates fairly in business?

A. Jordan, who doesn't obscure his motives or sources of information One way to evaluate your communications is to use the FAIR test. The FAIR test helps you examine how well you have provided the facts; how well you have granted access to your motives, reasoning, and information; how well you have examined impacts on stakeholders; and how well you have shown respect.

Tess is the general manager of Choc-a-block, an international sweet manufacturing company. She wishes to give one of her managers the "Employee of the Year" award and one of her teams the "Stars of the Year" award. Which of the following managers should she choose if she is looking for an employee with a strong sense of ethics?

A. Jordan, who shares all relevant information with stakeholders The dominant business ethic in recent years is transparency. Transparency involves sharing all relevant information with stakeholders.

_____ communication is often intended to announce big changes, inspire outstanding performance, boost morale, or create unity of vision for an organization.

A. Leadership Leadership communication is often intended to announce big changes, inspire outstanding performance, boost morale, or create unity of vision for an organization.

Which of the following types of questions reflects a judger mind-set?

A. Leading questions On the most fundamental level, good questions reflect the learner mind-set, and poor questions reflect a judger mind-set. Poor questions include leading questions, disguised statements, and cross-examination questions

Why should long paragraphs ideally be avoided while writing business messages?

A. Long paragraphs signal disorganization. Long paragraphs can signal disorganization and even disrespect for the reader's time.

_____ messages are overall and underlying messages that others decode from your online communications.

A. Meta

competing strategy

A win-losing strategy where an indvidual uses agressive behavior to satisfy one's own needs at the expense of the other person.

collaborating strategy

A win-win strategy where paties attempt to jointly resolve the conflict with the best solution agreeable to all parties.

As a rule of thumb, for routine messages, the sentence length should be kept at:

A. 15 or fewer words. As a rule of thumb, for routine messages, you should aim for average sentence length of 15 or fewer words.

Which of the following is characteristic of people in high-trust relationships?

A. A willingness to cooperate Extensive research has shown that high-trust relationships lead to more efficient and superior work outcomes. In terms of ease of communication, credibility leads to less resistance from others, increased willingness to cooperate, and less likelihood of miscommunication

Which of the following statements about active listening is true?

A. Active listening is first about understanding the other person, then about being understood. Being an active listener doesn't mean being a sponge, passively soaking up the information coming your way. You are an active party to the conversation with your own thoughts and feelings. Yet active listening is first about understanding the other person, then about being understood.

_____ are updates to policies and procedures, notices of events, and other correspondences that apply to a group of employees and/or customers

A. Announcements

Which of the following questions are you most likely to ask while analyzing the factual accuracy of a business message in the course of conducting the FAIR test?

A. Are there any logical errors? The reviewing process includes three interrelated components: conducting the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback. The "F" in FAIR test stands for "facts." At this stage you are likely to check the validity of the content.

Which of the following is a basic requirement for creating a complete business message?

A. Being accurate Accuracy is a basic objective of all business communications because your colleagues, customers, and clients base important decisions on your communications.

_____ are requests for other companies to compensate for or correct the wrongs or mistakes they have made.

A. Claims

_____ is the component of active listening which includes both double-checking that you understand the perspectives of others and asking them to elaborate and qualify their thoughts.

A. Clarifying Clarifying involves making sure you have a clear understanding of what others mean. It includes double-checking that you understand the perspectives of others and asking them to elaborate and qualify their thoughts.

Which of the following statements best describes consistency?

A. Consistency is based on the idea that once people make an explicit commitment, they tend to follow through or honor that commitment.

In the context of communication, which of the following terms refers to the practical limitations of coordination and resources?

A. Constraint Constraints refer to the practical limitations of coordination and resources

_____ deals with the effort and timing needed to allow all relevant people to participate in a communication.

A. Coordination Coordination deals with the effort and timing needed to allow all relevant people to participate in a communication

Which of the following is most likely to take place during the drafting stage?

A. Creating a professional and helpful tone

_____ may lead to self-protectiveness from all parties involved in a conversation, reducing trust and goodwill.

A. Defensive comments Others often perceive defensive statements as threats or escalations. Thus, they may lead to self-protectiveness from all parties involved in a conversation and reduce trust and goodwill.

Considering the ease of reading, which of the following is most likely to be the correct length of subject line?

A. Eight words

Which of the following domains of emotional intelligence best describes the "ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going on with them"?

A. Empathy Empathy is the "ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going on with them."

Which of the following is most likely to be caused by people when they feel comfortable writing things online that they would not say in person?

A. Flames

In the context of communicator styles, which of the following is a characteristic of an intuitor?

A. Focuses on future, experimental Intuitors are future-oriented, out-of-the-box thinkers.

In the context of mass sales messages, which of the following is the first step in the AIDA approach?

A. Gaining attention

Which of the following is typically included in the drafting stage of writing an effective business message?

A. Setting a positive and other-oriented tone In order to create an effective business message, during the drafting stage, you should set a positive and other-oriented tone, make the message easy to read, and make the message easy to navigate. Refer to figure 5.1.

Which of the following is most likely to contribute toward lowering a person's credibility?

A. Slanting facts Slanting means only presenting those facts that are favorable to your position. To maintain your credibility, avoid slanting in all cases.

Which of the following is ideal for matters that require rapport-building and is preferred for sensitive and emotion-packed situations?

A. Spoken communication Spoken communication is ideal for matters that require rapport-building, discussion, brainstorming, clarification, and immediate feedback. It is preferred for sensitive and emotion-packed situations.

Which of the following is a common component of all routine messages including messages that express sympathy?

A. Stating goodwill

_____ in the emails serve the same role that headlines do in newspapers and magazines.

A. Subject lines

Tess is the general manager of Choc-a-block, an international sweet manufacturing company. She wishes to give one of her managers the "Employee of the Year" award and one of her teams the "Stars of the Year" award. Which of the following teams should she choose for the "Stars of the Year" award if she is looking for one that operates in a high-trust environment?

A. Team A, whose members are highly efficient and easy to motivate Extensive research has shown that high-trust relationships lead to more efficient and superior work outcomes. In terms of ease of communication, credibility leads to less resistance from others, increased willingness to cooperate, and less likelihood of miscommunication.

Which of the following is the most common form of many-to-many communication?

A. Team communication The most common form of many-to-many communication is team communication. Team communication involves communication among team members that should be shared by and accessible to every team member.

Which of the following is true of probing questions?

A. They ensure that no explanation is overlooked, thus leading to a reliable understanding of the problem. Probing questions are intended to analyze a business problem from every angle in order to uncover its root causes. Such questions can ensure that no explanation is overlooked, thus leading to a reliable understanding.

Which of the following is true of disguised statements?

A. They reflect a judger mind-set. On the most fundamental level, good questions reflect the learner mind-set, and poor questions reflect a judger mind-set. Poor questions include leading questions, disguised statements, and cross-examination questions.

Which of the following guidelines should be followed by business writers for improving the ease of reading for their readers?

A. They should avoid very long paragraphs. Long paragraphs can signal disorganization and even disrespect for the reader's time. Typically, paragraphs in business messages should contain 40 to 80 words. For routine messages, paragraphs as short as 20 to 30 words are common and appropriate.

In which of the following cases is the use of the we-voice most likely to be appropriate in persuasive messages?

A. To emphasize shared work goals in internal persuasive messages

Which of the following terms best represents the overall evaluation a reader of a message perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content?

A. Tone One of your primary goals as a communicator is to express your messages in ways that respect and inspire others. Readers judge a message partially by its tone—the overall evaluation the reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content.

Which of the following is most likely to improve the ease of navigation in information-rich and complex messages?

A. Using headings In information-rich and complex messages, headings can help your readers identify key ideas and navigate the document to areas of interest.

Which of the following accurately depicts a dashboard in a social software system?

A. Your front page when you log into the system, which acts as a communication hub

All outgoing messages are encoded and all incoming messages are decoded through:

A. a filter of lifetime experiences. All outgoing messages are encoded and all incoming messages are decoded through a filter of lifetime experiences. This filter is an accumulation of knowledge, values, expectations, and attitudes based on prior personal experiences

In the context of routine business communication, _____ is the essence of people coordinating work efforts, buying and selling products and services, and maintaining work relationships.

A. a request

A sense of _____ takes a stakeholder view that includes all groups in society affected by a person's business.

A. accountability In the business world, caring implies understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of community, and demonstrating accountability. A sense of accountability takes a stakeholder view that includes all groups in society affected by a person's business.

The writing style of your persuasive messages should be _____.

A. action-oriented and lively

Individuals involved in a(n) _____ communication can pay attention to and respond to communications at a time of their choosing

A. asynchronous Asynchronous communication does not occur in real time. Individuals involved in such communication can pay attention to and respond to communications at a time of their choosing

In content and form, a business message should typically:

A. avoid any form of self-centeredness. In content and form, a business message should show that you have the interests of the audience in mind and so any form of self-centeredness should be avoided.

An excellent business writer is most likely to:

A. spend a significant amount of time in planning. Expert business writers not only produce more effective written communications, but they also do so more quickly than average writers. Their secret is to devote a much higher percentage of their time to the planning and reviewing stages.

In order to ensure the completeness of a business message, one should:

A. be specific. Most of your messages in the workplace have a clear goal: to update your team members, to promote a service to a client, to give an assignment, and so on. Your goal of completeness means that your message provides all the information necessary to meet that purpose. You can achieve completeness with three basic strategies: providing all relevant information; being accurate; and being specific.

In the post-trust era:

A. businesses are often thought to operate against the public's best interests In the post-trust era, the public overwhelmingly views businesses as operating against the public's best interests, and the majority of employees view their leaders and colleagues skeptically.

A sense of caring can be established by:

A. cultivating a sense of community in the workplace. In the business world, caring implies understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of community, and demonstrating accountability.

Typically, accurate information is:

A. exact. Accuracy is a basic objective of all business communications because your colleagues, customers, and clients base important decisions on your communications. In short, accurate information is true, correct, and exact.

While writing business messages, one should avoid sentences that begin with "it is" or "there are" because they:

A. fail to provide a specific subject. Readers naturally want to know precisely who or what the subject of a sentence is, particularly in business writing, where specificity is so important. Most sentences that begin with "it is" or "there are" fail to provide a specific subject and generally contain more words than necessary.

Excessive use of the I-voice in a business message:

A. fails to indicate that the writer cares about the interest of the audience. In content and form, your message should show that you have the interests of your audience in mind. Therefore, avoid any sense of self-centeredness.

Difficult conversations can be handled successfully by:

A. hearing everybody's story. In emotionally charged, high-stakes conversations, approaching the conversation with a learner mind-set will often lead to productive outcomes. The learning stance involves a commitment to understanding others' stories—their retrospective versions of interpersonal interactions or their explanations of business successes and failures.

In the course of conducting a FAIR test to review your business message, when you attempt to determine whether in your message, you are open about your motives, you are most likely checking:

A. if the facts you have stated are accurate. The reviewing process includes three interrelated components: conducting the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback. The "F" in FAIR test stands for "facts." At this stage you are likely to check the validity of the content

Figures of speech, such as idioms and metaphors should ideally be avoided while writing business messages because they:

A. lack specificity. Figures of speech, such as idioms and metaphors, which contain nonliteral meanings, are generally out of place or inappropriate in business writing. Since they are nonliteral, they lack the precise meanings needed in business.

It becomes easier for your readers to process the information you present when you:

A. match your writing style to the way your readers think and talk The closer you match your writing style to the way your readers think and talk, the easier it is for them to process the information you present.

Chris and Susan are employees of Finvest Corp. During a recent appraisal, David, Susan's manager, arrived at a conclusion that her performance this year was not as good as the previous year. When Chris came to know about this, he sent an email to Susan explaining to her that she was probably distracted at work because of her texting and social networking habits, which in turn hampered her productivity. He advised her to improve her productivity and do well in the next appraisal. On reading this, Susan lashed back at Chris and asked him not to interfere into her matters. Susan's behavior is an example of the _____.

A. negativity effect

Teams rapidly develop shared perceptions and commitment during the _____ stage of team development.

A. norming Team culture refers to a set of shared perceptions and commitment to collective values, norms, roles, responsibilities, and goals. Typically, teams rapidly develop such shared perceptions and commitment during the norming stage.

The less specific you are while writing your business messages the greater the possibility:

A. of your readers doubting your competency. Being specific affects the judgments your readers make about your credibility. Specific statements lead your readers to believe that you know what you're talking about (competence); that you are not hiding anything (character); and that you want your readers to be informed (caring).

Fun loving, exciting, loyal, and committed are reputations that are sought after in the _____ area

A. personal and private

A unique set of professional skills and attributes that others associate with you is called your _____.

A. personal brand

A poor signal for a phone conversation or blurry video feed for a teleconference are examples of _____ noise.

A. physical Physical noise is external noise that makes a message difficult to hear or otherwise receive. A poor signal for a phone conversation or blurry video feed for a teleconference are examples of physical noise.

The vast majority of business messages are _____ messages.

A. routine

In the case of a routine message, the number of words in a primary message:

A. should not exceed ten.

When making requests, _____ goes a long way in maintaining goodwill

A. showing respect for the recipient's time

Events that cause strong emotional reactions are called _____.

A. triggers High self-awareness includes the ability to manage events that stir strong—often fight-or-flight—responses. Events that cause strong emotional reactions are called triggers

How does the use of figures of speech (such as idioms and metaphors) in business writing affect readers? A.) It can confuse readers because they contain nonliteral meanings. B.) It helps convey meaning because they are so precise. C.) It shows respect for readers' time because they shorten the message. D.) It conveys meaning quickly because they are so active. E.) It can frustrate readers because they are too specific.

A.) It can confuse readers because they contain nonliteral meanings.

What are probing questions? A.) Probing questions are intended to analyze a business problem from every angle in order to uncover its root causes. B.) Probing questions break the ice and gradually ease people into conversations about shared business interests. C.) Probing questions are narrow-ended questions that are actually opinions presented in question form. D.) Probing questions move from general to specific and are intended to increasingly deconstruct a business issue. E.) Probing questions focus on what should be done to solve business problems and accomplish business objectives

A.) Probing questions are intended to analyze a business problem from every angle in order to uncover its root causes.

Writers of business messages should avoid sentences that begin with "it is" or "there are" because they A.) contain more words than necessary. B.) are not flexible enough to allow slanting of facts. C.) contain nonliteral meanings. D.) require a specific subject. E.) involve the use of action verbs.

A.) contain more words than necessary.

Which of the following is an asynchronous and dominant communication tool for one-to-one or one-to-many business messages?

B. Email Email is used for one-to-one or one-to-many business messages. Email is the dominant communication tool for private, written business messages.

In the context of writing business messages, which of the following is true?

B. Emphasizing what products and services are rather than what they are not contributes toward increasing positivity of business messages. Focusing on the positive rather than negative traits of products and services increases the positivity of business messages.

For the past couple of months, many employees working at Exterior Inc. have been quitting their jobs. Jason from the human resources department is given the responsibility of analyzing the reasons behind this problem. After conducting a thorough research, Jason finds that the employees were not happy with their salary and hence had no motivation to work. While preparing the report based on his findings, Jason states his view in the primary message. Then he lays down the evidence supporting his argument and finally concludes with suggestions for solving the problem at hand. In this case, which of the following approaches is used for setting up the message framework?

B. Deductive approach Most business arguments employ a direct or deductive approach. In other words, they begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a position or recommendation. Then they lay out the supporting reasons. Most business messages conclude with a call to action.

trite expressions

At this point in time....In the event that (if)

Typically, paragraphs in a business message should contain:

B. 40-80 words. Typically, paragraphs in business messages should contain 40 to 80 words. For routine messages, paragraphs as short as 20 to 30 words are common and appropriate.

Which of the following is the first step in the planning process for writing persuasive messages?

B. Analyzing the audience

_____ is the psychological bonding that occurs between people and their ideas.

B. Association Association is the psychological bonding that occurs between people and their ideas. Since the purpose of most meetings and team communication is to increase agreement about roles, goals, and accountabilities and to increase the group's sense of purpose, team members should seek association by the end of a meeting or team communication.

Which of the following is one of the three-components of the AIM planning process for developing influential messages?

B. Audience analysis The planning process for developing influential messages should include analyzing the needs of your audience, developing sound ideas that meet those needs, and then structuring your message.

Which of the following suggestions should be followed to develop a well-reasoned business position?

B. Avoid weak analogies. To build well-reasoned business positions, one should avoid weak analogies.

Which of the following is most likely to have a positive impact on your readers' perceptions of your credibility?

B. Being specific Being specific affects the judgments your readers make about your credibility. Specific statements lead your readers to believe that you know what you're talking about (competence); that you are not hiding anything (character); and that you want your readers to be informed (caring).

Which of the following is a drawback of using social media?

B. Causes distraction from work and too much socializing

Which of the following refers to a reputation for staying true to commitments made to stakeholders?

B. Character Managers can control their reputation as credible communicators by focusing on three well-established factors: competence, caring, and character. Character refers to a reputation for staying true to commitments made to stakeholders and adhering to high moral and ethical values

Derik has been given the responsibility of analyzing how counseling programs can help in checking problem behavior among employees in his company. After much research, he discovers that counseling has several benefits. Employees exhibiting problem behavior often respond positively to counseling. They are likely to be more motivated and meet performance standards after the counseling sessions with their supervisor. Considering this information, identify the statement that clearly illustrates exaggeration of claims

B. Counseling always improves the performance standards of employees exhibiting problem behavior. To build well-reasoned business positions, avoid the following types of logical inconsistencies: unsupported generalizations, faulty cause/effect claims, weak analogies, either/or logic, slanting the facts, and exaggeration.

In the context of the components of expectations, what does it mean to describe responsibilities?

B. Designating tasks and work outcomes to certain employees

Inaccuracies in business messages are most likely to result from:

C. miscalculations. Inaccuracies may result from miscalculations, misinformation, poor word choice, or simply typos.

_____ is the process of converting meaning into messages composed of words and nonverbal signals.

B. Encoding Meaning refers to the thoughts and feelings that people intend to communicate to one another. Encoding is the process of converting meaning into messages composed of words and nonverbal signals.

Which of the following is the role of a facilitator?

B. Ensuring fair discussion of each agenda item in a meeting Each meeting should have a facilitator. The facilitator acts from a neutral position to get each person to participate in the conversation and ensure that each agenda item is properly discussed.

Which of the following is typically included in the reviewing stage of writing an effective business message?

B. Ensuring that the communication is fair In order to create an effective business message, during the reviewing stage, you should ensure that the communication is fair, consider whether your message is effective, and remove any distractions. Refer to figure 5.1.

Which of the following is one of the advantages of using the FAIR test to review business documents?

B. It helps the business writers in ensuring that the communication is ethical. The reviewing process includes three interrelated components: conducting the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback. These reviewing components ensure that you show fairness, get the message right, avoid errors, and get perspectives from trusted colleagues.

Which of the following is true of competence?

B. It is often evaluated by one's track record of achievements. Competence refers to the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish business tasks, approach business problems, and get a job done. Most people will judge your competence based on your track record of success and achievement.

In the context of developing persuasive messages, which of the following is true of understanding others' needs?

B. It requires a strong listening orientation.

Ralph and Shane have been best friends for over twenty years and they influence each other's shopping choices. When they are shopping for perfumes, however, Ralph picks a perfume endorsed by his basketball idol and Shane opts for a perfume endorsed by his favorite pop singer. In this case, which of the following principles of influence has affected the purchases made by Ralph and Shane?

B. Liking

_____ are helpful in following up after meetings.

B. Minutes Follow up after meetings by distributing the minutes of the meeting (as a memo, in an email, in a meetings folder on the corporate intranet, or as part of a team blog or wiki). Minutes of the meeting should include the date and time, team members present, decisions, key discussion points, open issues, and action items and related deadlines.

_____ communication allows people to contact, communicate with, and develop work relationships with people they do not know but who share work interests and goals.

B. Networked Whereas team communication occurs among people who know one another, networked communication allows people to contact, communicate with, and develop work relationships with people they do not know but who share work interests and goals.

_____ effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as unbiased.

B. Neutrality

Which of the following is an impact of high empathy on interpersonal communication?

B. One directs conversations to topics that focus on the needs of others and self. Empathy is the "ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going on with them." Empathy also includes the desire to help others develop in their work responsibilities and career objectives.. An impact of high empathy on interpersonal communication is directing conversations to topics that focus on the needs of others and self.

_____ involve ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks.

B. Priorities Priorities involve ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks. Priorities tend to shift more often than values.

Which of the following is most likely to help you reduce skepticism once you've described your solution?

B. Providing a strong rationale

Which of the following is most likely to be a component of appreciation messages?

B. Providing rationale

What are claims?

B. Requests for other companies to compensate for or correct the mistakes they have made

_____ deal with the financial, space, time, and other investments necessary to employ particular channels of communication.

B. Resources Resources deal with the financial, space, time, and other investments necessary to employ particular channels of communication

_____ is the "ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and to direct your behavior positively."

B. Self-management Self-management is the "ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and to direct your behavior positively." It involves the discipline to hold off on current urges to meet long-term intentions

Which of the following communicator styles is pragmatic and results-oriented?

B. Senser Sensers are pragmatic and results-oriented. When addressing sensers, one has to be direct, brief, and to the point

Which of the following is most likely to be a component of an apology?

B. Taking responsibility

Which of the following is most likely to be used to place all of the work group's communications in a single place, such as updates and progress reports?

B. Team blog

Which of the following makes efficiency one of the primary goals when sending routine messages?

B. The volume of routine messages is high.

In the context of communicator styles, which of the following is a characteristic of sensers?

B. They are results-oriented Sensers are pragmatic and results-oriented. They are focused on present.

Which of the following is most likely to be true of those people who have low empathy?

B. They direct conversations to topics that are important to self. Empathy is the "ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going on with them." Empathy also includes the desire to help others develop in their work responsibilities and career objectives. Refer to table 2.5

Which of the following is most likely to be true regarding the communication preferences of sensers?

B. They want only the relevant facts. Sensers are pragmatic and results-oriented. When addressing sensers, one has to be direct, brief, and to the point.

In which of the following cases the use of "you-voice" is most likely to be appropriate?

B. To emphasize reader benefits in external persuasive messages

Which of the following should ideally be one of the goals of a business communicator?

B. To express the message in ways that inspires others One of your primary goals as a communicator is to express your messages in ways that respect and inspire others.

Which of the following is most likely to have a negative impact on your readers' perceptions of your credibility?

B. Using inaccurate statements Accuracy, like specificity, strongly impacts your readers' perceptions of your credibility. Just one inaccurate statement can lead readers to dismiss your entire message and lower their trust in your future communications as well.

Performing at the highest standards, not just for oneself, but for the team, for the supervisor, for the consumer, and for the company's shareholders, indicates a sense of _____.

B. accountability In the business world, caring implies understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of community, and demonstrating accountability. To perform every day at the highest standards, not just for oneself, but for the team, for the supervisor, for the consumer, and for the company's shareholders, indicates a sense of accountability.

People with judger mind-sets:

B. ascribe negative traits to others and label them in undesirable terms. In a judger mind-set, people have their minds made up before listening carefully to others' ideas, perspective, and experiences. The judger mind-set involves ascribing negative traits to others and labeling them in undesirable terms.

One way to reduce word count and make your messages easier to read is to:

B. avoid using wordy prepositions. Eliminating extra words allows you to get your ideas across as efficiently as possible. You will often find that you can reduce word count by 30 to 40 percent simply by converting many of your prepositional phrases into single-word verbs.

Rapport-building questions are intended to:

B. create bonds between people. Rapport-building questions are intended to create bonds between people. They can break the ice and gradually ease people into conversations about shared business interests.

Analyzing the business problem typically involves:

B. deducing conclusions from facts. analyzing the business problem typically involves uncovering relevant facts, making conclusions, and taking positions.

At Glaciers Inc., the management wanted to introduce a new medical insurance program for its employees. They appointed Laura to analyze the pros and cons of introducing the insurance program. Laura conducts a thorough research and prepares a report based on her findings. She states her view in the primary message. Then she lays down the evidence supporting her argument and finally concludes with her suggestions. The message framework used in this case is based on the _____ approach.

B. direct Most business arguments employ a direct or deductive approach. In other words, they begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a position or recommendation. Then they lay out the supporting reasons. Most business messages conclude with a call to action.

In the context of the reviewing process, the "F" in the FAIR test stands for _____.

B. facts The reviewing process includes three interrelated components: conducting the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback. The "F" in FAIR test stands for "facts."

The first task of most persuasive messages is to _____.

B. gain the attention of the readers

For most written business communications, the first consideration should be to:

B. get the message across in an easy-to-read manner. Visual appeal is not the first consideration for most written business communications. Rather, the goal is to get your message across in an easy-to-read manner.

Leading questions are those which are intended to:

B. guide people to your way of thinking Leading questions are intended to guide people to your way of thinking. These questions are often perceived as dishonest or manipulative. Leading questions are intended to guide people to your way of thinking. These questions are often perceived as dishonest or manipulative

Emotional _____ refers to a situation in which emotions control our behavior causing us to react without thinking.

B. hijacking Emotional hijacking is a situation in which emotions control our behavior causing us to react without thinking. It prevents you from engaging in effective interpersonal communication

In the course of conducting a FAIR test to review your business message, when you attempt to determine whether you have been open about your motives, or if you have a hidden agenda, you are most likely checking:

B. if you have granted enough access to the message recipients to provide input. The reviewing process includes three interrelated components: conducting the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback. The "A" in FAIR test stands for "access." At this stage you are likely to check the transparency of your message.

The difference between the deductive approach and the inductive approach is that:

B. in the inductive approach the supporting reasons are placed before the primary message. In the direct or deductive approach, the primary message is stated, which is typically a position or recommendation. Then the supporting reasons are laid out. In the indirect or inductive approach the supporting reasons are provided first followed by the primary message.

Email communication:

B. is characterized by little coordination.

Holding judgment is a commitment to:

B. listen completely to a person before reacting. Holding judgment does not mean that you agree with everything you hear. It also does not mean you avoid critiquing the ideas of others. Rather, it's a commitment to hearing the entire version of others' ideas and experiences. It's a commitment to listen fully before reacting

In the course of creating an effective business message, excellent business thinkers are most likely to:

B. make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions. Excellent business thinkers possess a number of characteristics. First, they clearly and precisely identify and articulate key questions and problems. Second, they gather information from a variety of sources. Third, they make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions. Fourth, they remain open to alternatives to approaching and reasoning about the business problem—that is, they are mentally flexible.

When listeners get defensive and shift focus from the speaker onto themselves, it is termed a(n) _____ maneuver.

B. me-centered In some cases, people attack others in an effort to protect themselves. They shift attention away from the speaker to the listener—meaning the person who has made the defensive comment. This premature shift in focus is a "me-centered" maneuver that disrupts the listening process.

Clement, a customer service representative at Sarah's Supermart, has a tough time handling customers during his first week at Sarah's Supermart. Charlie, Clement's colleague at the supermart, guides him through this tough period. To show his appreciation for Charlie, Clement writes him an email thanking him for his help. Charlie neither reacts nor replies to this mail. Charlie's behavior is an example of _____.

B. neutrality effect

In the context of business messages, conciseness implies:

B. omitting needless words. When you write concisely, your message is far easier to read. Conciseness does not imply removing relevant information. Rather, it implies omitting needless words so that readers can rapidly process your main ideas.

Announcements are a form of _____.

B. one-to-many communications

One way to immediately improve your writing is to use active rather than passive voice in most sentences. The main reason behind this is that:

B. people tend to think in a doer-action-object pattern. People tend to think in a doer-action-object pattern, so using this pattern in your writing enhances comprehension

One primary cause of overly lengthy paragraphs is:

B. placing more than one main idea in the paragraph. One primary cause of overly lengthy paragraphs is placing more than one main idea or topic in the paragraph.

Meta message is best defined as:

B. the overall but often underlying message people take away from a communication. Meta messages are the overall but often underlying messages people take away from a communication or group of communications.

In order to improve the ease of reading with natural style, a writer should:

B. use parallel language. Using parallel language means that you apply a consistent grammatical pattern across a sentence or paragraph. Parallelism is most important when you use series or lists.

In the context of writing a business message, your goal of completeness specifically means that:

B. your message provides all the information necessary to meet the intended purpose. Most of your messages in the workplace have a clear goal: to update your team members, to promote a service to a client, to give an assignment, and so on. Your goal of completeness means that your message provides all the information necessary to meet that purpose.

If you don't provide the required information in your message, then:

B. your readers are less likely to comply with your message.

Which of the following statements about navigational designs will help improve the ease of reading? A.) Consider visual appeal first for all written business communications. B.) Avoid formatting features that distract readers from the main message. C.) Do not use headings in information-rich and complex messages. D.) Documents with too much white space look cluttered. E.) Readers are likely to be distracted by bullets and numbered lists.

B.) Avoid formatting features that distract readers from the main message.

Frank is having difficulty hearing the point his coworker is making because of loud hammering outside the window. What type of noise is Frank experiencing? A.) semantic B.) physical C.) physiological D.) psychological E.) cognitive

B.) physical

The less specific you are while writing your business messages, the greater the possibility that your readers will A.) be assured that you are not hiding facts. B.) scan and skim your message. C.) be assured of your credibility. D.) read your message more carefully. E.) focus on the main message.

B.) scan and skim your message.

Understanding the needs and values of others requires a strong listening orientation.

TRUE

How does business writing differ from other writing?

Business writing always has purpose and is targeted. It is both persuasive and problem solving.

Which of the following is a persuasive message with an indirect statement?

C. "Sinking Domes" is an inappropriate book for kids, so don't buy it for Ryan

A recent study found that the average worker loses _____ per day due to interruptions.

C. 2.1 hours

Considering the ease of reading, which of the following is most likely to be the correct length of a paragraph in an email?

C. 40 words

Which of the following is true of apologies?

C. All apologies are not necessarily good apologies.

Which of the following situations can be used as an example for social media complicating professional relationships between people?

C. An employee blogs about an embarrassing incident about his boss, who sees the post.

In the context of using headings in business documents, which of the following guidelines would improve the ease of reading?

C. As you develop your headings, make sure you accurately convey the contents of a section.

Which of the following is the first step in the AIM planning process for developing influential messages?

C. Audience analysis The planning process for developing influential messages should include analyzing the needs of your audience, developing sound ideas that meet those needs, and then structuring your message.

Vanessa has been assigned the task of creating an effective business message aimed at improving the productivity of the employees in her company. In the process of creating the business message, she studies the background of the employees, their needs, and priorities. To which of the following steps of the planning process for developing influential messages does Vanessa's action typically belong?

C. Audience analysis The planning process for developing influential messages should include analyzing the needs of your audience. Effective business communicators possess an uncanny ability to step into the shoes of their audience members. They think about their needs, priorities, and values. They envision how their readers will respond when getting the message—in thought, feeling, and action.

What does persuasion imply?

C. Communicating with someone who does not think the same way as you do

Which of the following should be avoided?

C. Contributing to confusing and repetitive email chains

In the context of electronic communication, which of the following is considered to be an act of incivility?

C. Cyber silence

Which of the following is a guiding principle on improving civility in society and the workplace?

C. Disagree graciously. To improve civility, one should disagree graciously and refrain from arguing

When choosing between bullets or numbered lists, one must consider whether the order of the items is important.

TRUE

_____ is a process by which professionals accept critique of their ideas without taking it personally and becoming defensive.

C. Disassociation Disassociation is a process by which professionals accept critique of their ideas without taking it personally and becoming defensive. Association is the psychological bonding that occurs between people and their ideas.

In the context of ease of navigation, which of the following is true?

C. Documents with too much text and not enough white look daunting or cluttered. Your readers will form an immediate impression about your document based on how much white space (areas without text) it has. Documents with too much text and not enough white look daunting or cluttered. On the other hand, documents with too much white space may look insufficient.

Which of the following is a good way to write directions?

C. Enumerate the different steps in a procedure.

Which of the following is a strategy to improve self-management?

C. Examine strategies for overcoming impulses that compete with achieving your long-range goals Self-management is the "ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and to direct your behavior positively." One of the strategies to improve self-management is to examine strategies for overcoming impulses that compete with achieving your long-range goals. Refer to table 2.5

Which of the following best defines facts?

C. Facts are statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty. Facts are statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty (most things are not absolutely certain in the business world) and can be observed objectively.

Which of the following should one do to diffuse tense and emotionally charged situations?

C. Find common ground Holding judgment is particularly important in tense and emotionally charged situations. One of the best ways to make others feel comfortable expressing themselves fully is to demonstrate a learner mind-set rather than a judger mind-set. With a learner mind-set, you stay open to the possibility of finding common ground and mutually beneficial solutions during disagreements.

Which of the following components is most likely to be included in a message that aims to provide directions?

C. Giving step-by-step guidelines

Which of the following does holding judgment entail?

C. Hearing people out before making your mind up Holding judgment does not mean that you agree with everything you hear. It also does not mean you avoid critiquing the ideas of others. Rather, it's a commitment to hearing the entire version of others' ideas and experiences.

Which of the following is true of high-performing teams?

C. High-performing teams do not spend most of their time discussing personal and social issues. Effective teams spend most of their time discussing work issues. Team members in lower-performing groups make far fewer work-related and supportive statements. They typically replace these statements with social statements that may help team members bond socially but not around work issues.

A business message that primarily relies on the _____ shows that the message is self-centered.

C. I-voice I-voice amplifies the self-centered tone; whereas, the repeated use of we-voice and you-voice amplifies a tone that reflects other-orientation

Which of the following is characteristic of the norming stage of team development?

C. In the norming stage, the team arrives at a work plan, including their roles, goals, and accountabilities. In the norming stage of team development, the team arrives at a work plan, including the roles, goals, and accountabilities.

Which of the following characterizes the writing style of persuasive messages?

C. Indirect and implicit

Which of the following is most likely to be true of the differences between internal and external persuasive messages?

C. Internal persuasive messages focus on promoting ideas, whereas external persuasive messages focus on promoting products.

Which of the following terms best describes the process of sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages between two or more people?

C. Interpersonal communication process The interpersonal communication process is the process of sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages between two or more people.

Which of the following is true about using active voice while writing business messages?

C. It allows for faster processing of the business message. Using active voice in writing includes many benefits. The doer-action-object allows for faster processing because most people's natural thinking occurs in this way. It also emphasizes the business orientation of action. Perhaps most important, it specifies the doer. Since business activities depend on accountability and coordination, knowing the identity of the doer of an action is usually important. Furthermore, writing in the active voice usually results in fewer words.

According to Catherine Norris, when is the use of face-to-face communication most crucial?

C. It is most crucial when a message requires added emphasis.

Which of the following should be practiced for professional social media use?

C. Join teams built around common interests.

Tess is the general manager of Choc-a-block, an international sweet manufacturing company. She wishes to give one of her managers the "Employee of the Year" award and one of her teams the "Stars of the Year" award. Which of the following managers should she choose if she is looking for the employee with the highest level of competence?

C. Maria, who focuses on action and emphasizes results Competence refers to the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish business tasks, approach business problems, and get a job done. The two traits associated with competence are: a focus on action and an emphasis on results.

_____ is the most important step in planning routine messages.

C. Message structuring

In the context of communicator styles, which of the following is a characteristic of a person who is a feeler?

C. Needs personal security Feelers tend to be more people-oriented and as a result, they focus heavily on harmony and need personal security.

Disguised statements are those which:

C. present opinions in question form. Disguised statements are opinions presented in question form. Disguised statements almost always end a learning conversation when they are used to point out flaws.

Which of the following is an impact of high relationship management on interpersonal communication?

C. One builds rapport with others to focus on collaboration Relationship management is the "ability to use your awareness of emotions and those of others to manage interactions successfully.". An impact of high relationship management on interpersonal communication is building rapport with others to focus on collaboration

_____ is the component of active listening in which nonverbal communication plays a vital role.

C. Paying attention Paying attention requires active nonverbal communication. Your body language, including appropriate eye contact, should show you are eager to understand the other person.

Which of the following statements is true of attention spans?

C. People can improve their attention spans with conscious, consistent effort. Some people simply do not have long attention spans or for other reasons feel impatient. Patience and attention span can be improved with conscious, consistent effort. Highly self-aware communicators frequently ask themselves questions such as the following: Did I allow others enough time to express themselves? In which situations or with which people (triggers) do I feel most impatient?

Effective teams build a work culture around values, norms, and goals. At which stage of team development does a team's work culture lead to high productivity?

C. Performing Team culture refers to a set of shared perceptions and commitment to collective values, norms, roles, responsibilities, and goals. Typically, teams rapidly develop shared perceptions and commitment during the norming stage. Only at the performing stage of team development do these shared perceptions and commitments lead to high productivity.

A reputation for being fun-loving will be sought-after in which of the following domains?

C. Personal and private

_____ implies that the communication can be tightly drafted, edited and revised, rehearsed, and otherwise strategically developed before delivery

C. Planning Planning implies that the communication can be tightly drafted, edited and revised, rehearsed, and otherwise strategically developed before delivery

What does validation imply in the context of persuasive messages?

C. Recognizing and appreciating others' needs and preferences as legitimate

Which of the following communication trends is considered a barrier to effective listening?

C. Relying excessively on the use of communication technology Technology continues to create new and better opportunities for people to communicate with one another. However, most communication technologies make listening more difficult due to fewer and less-rich visual and nonverbal cues. Relying too heavily on communication technology can reduce effective listening.

Which of the following is most likely to show that the writer of a business message has concern for the audience?

C. Respecting the autonomy of the reader The business world can be a hectic, deadline-filled environment. In many situations you will want fast responses. If you show consideration for others' time as well as for their sense of autonomy, you will often achieve your intended results more effectively than if your words sound bossy and demanding.

Which of the following stages of developing routine messages involves proofreading?

C. Reviewing

Sautéed, a restaurant in California, specializes in sautéed food. The restaurant conducts a month-end bash, featuring well-known DJs, on the last Saturday night of every month, and it is a crowd puller. The restaurant offers event-passes to regular customers (customers who've been billed at least $3,000 during the current month) for free. A limited number of passes are available to other customers, at a very high price, one day prior to the event. Which of the following principles of influence is being used by the restaurant?

C. Scarcity

Which of the following involves the discipline to hold off on current urges to meet long-term intentions?

C. Self-management Self-management is the "ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and to direct your behavior positively." It involves the discipline to hold off on current urges to meet long-term intentions

Which of the following is a domain of emotional intelligence?

C. Self-management The most-used EQ test for business professionals shows that emotional intelligence can be divided into four domains: self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship management

_____ noise occurs when communicators apply different meanings to the same words or phrases.

C. Semantic Semantic noise occurs when communicators apply different meanings to the same words or phrases. For example, two people may have different ideas about what an acceptable profit margin means.

Which of the following is most likely to be true of setting expectations in managerial roles?

C. Setting expectations is directly tied to your ability to foster interpersonal trust in the workplace.

In the context of the components of expectations, what does it mean to provide deadlines?

C. Setting out the timeline by which the work should be accomplished satisfactorily

In the context of persuasive messages, which of the following is the right way to convince others to adopt your ideas?

C. Show others that you care about them and that your ideas fit into their interests.

_____ is a principle of influence whereby people determine what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do.

C. Social proof

Which of the following is a reason why greetings and names are omitted from emails?

C. Some professionals view emails as the equivalent of memos, which traditionally omit names and greetings

In all business messages, communicators should ideally aim at:

C. projecting positivity. Business communicators should aim at projecting positivity and concern for others in all business messages.

Tess is the general manager of Choc-a-block, an international sweet manufacturing company. She wishes to give one of her managers the "Employee of the Year" award and one of her teams the "Stars of the Year" award. Which of the following teams is she least likely to pick for the "Stars of the Year" award if she is looking for one that operates in a high-trust environment?

C. Team C, whose members rarely give each other the benefit of the doubt Extensive research has shown that high-trust relationships lead to more efficient and superior work outcomes. In terms of ease of communication, credibility leads to less resistance from others, increased willingness to cooperate, and less likelihood of miscommunication. In low-trust work environments, people tend to assume the negative regarding others' actions

Which of the following is typically used for short, one-to-one or one-to-many messages and is ideal for quick announcements and scheduling?

C. Texting Texting is used for short, one-to-one or one-to-many messages. It is ideal for quick announcements and scheduling, although not well-suited for important or complex business messages.

Which of the following is a trait of a good listener?

C. The ability to anticipate how a speaker thinks and feels Great listeners respond physically to others. The best listeners anticipate how a speaker thinks and feels.

Which of the following statements is the most specific way for a company to convey the message that it wanted to reduce the size of its current workforce by half?

C. The company will have to terminate 50 percent of its employees. Your readers expect you to be precise and avoid vagueness in nearly all business situations. Being specific affects the judgments your readers make about your credibility. Specific statements lead your readers to believe that you know what you're talking about (competence); that you are not hiding anything (character); and that you want your readers to be informed (caring). Refer to table 6.3.

Which of the following is true of using the you-voice in persuasive messages?

C. The you-voice forces you to personalize the message for your readers

Which of the following statements describes people with learner mind-sets?

C. They are open to hearing the ideas of other people. One of the best ways to make others feel comfortable expressing themselves fully is to demonstrate a learner mind-set rather than a judger mind-set. In a learner mind-set, you show eagerness to hear others' ideas and perspectives and listen with an open mind.

Which of the following statements about defensive comments is true?

C. They cause people to attack others in an effort to protect themselves. Defensive comments end listening for several reasons. In some cases, people attack others in an effort to protect themselves.

Which of the following is true of team members in the forming stage of team development?

C. They focus on getting to know each other In the forming stage of team development, team members focus on gaining acceptance and avoiding conflict. In some ways, this stage is a honeymoon period in which team members get to know one another.

Which of the following is true of people with judger mind-sets?

C. They often have their minds made up ahead of discussions. In a judger mind-set, people have their minds made up before listening carefully to others' ideas, perspective, and experiences. Judgers view disagreement rigidly, with little possibility of finding common ground unless the other person changes his or her views.

Which of the following is characteristic of members from high-performing teams?

C. They openly discuss the set of values, norms, and goals they share. High-performing teams avoid simply going with the flow. Rather, they frequently, explicitly, and openly discuss the set of values, norms, and goals they share.

Which of the following is true of funnel questions?

C. They start with broad and open questions and move to more specific and closed ones. Funnel questions move from general to specific. They are intended to increasingly deconstruct a business issue so that a team can tackle or approach it in pieces. This approach involves starting with broad and open questions and moving to more specific and closed ones.

What is the aim of persuasion?

C. To help your audience identify with and find merit in your positions

Jason, a manager at GBN, has to prepare a report about the advantages of introducing a counseling program for employees in his company. In his report, he states that introducing a counseling program would reduce the voluntary turnover of employees as the employees would be happier with their pay packages. This report failed to effectively deliver the message that Jason had intended. Which of the following is most likely to be the reason behind this failure?

C. Use of unsupported generalizations To build well-reasoned business positions, one should avoid unsupported generalizations. This issue boils down to providing supporting facts for your claims.

Which of the following is most likely to be true of User 1.0?

C. Uses email as the main communication tool

In the original Internet, referred to as _____, most web pages were read-only and static.

C. Web 1.0

In the context of methods of influence, scarcity is _____

C. a principle of influence whereby people think there is limited availability of something they want, so they must act quickly

Character refers to:

C. a reputation for adhering to high moral and ethical values. Managers can control their reputation as credible communicators by focusing on three well-established factors: competence, caring, and character. Character refers to a reputation for staying true to commitments made to stakeholders and adhering to high moral and ethical values

Frequent incoming messages can:

C. reduce creativity.

A sense of _____ involves a feeling of duty to other employees and customers.

C. accountability In the business world, caring implies understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of community, and demonstrating accountability. A sense of accountability involves a feeling of responsibility to stakeholders and a duty to other employees and customers.

Team communication differs from networked communication in that networked communication:

C. allows groups to form and disband more informally and loosely Whereas team communication typically occurs in the context of formally created teams or units, networked communication allows groups to form and disband more informally and loosely.

Many employees gloss over announcements because announcements:

C. are broadcast to a large number of employees.

Being specific in your business writings is most likely to:

C. assure your readers that you are not hiding any facts from them. Being specific affects the judgments your readers make about your credibility. Specific statements lead your readers to believe that you know what you're talking about (competence); that you are not hiding anything (character); and that you want your readers to be informed (caring).

Buzzwords should ideally be avoided while writing business messages. This is mainly because they:

C. become trite due to overuse and can stir negative feelings among some readers. To keep your writing natural and engaging, make sure you don't distract your readers with overused or out-of-place words or phrases. Buzzwords, which are workplace terms that become trite because of overuse, can stir negative feelings among some readers.

Most business arguments employ a deductive approach. When employing this approach you are most likely to:

C. begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a recommendation. Most business arguments employ a direct or deductive approach. In other words, they begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a position or recommendation.

When you've made offenses or mistakes that harm others, your _____ is weakened.

C. credibility

The "me-centered" maneuver which causes a shift in focus during difficult conversations is the result of:

C. defensive comments. Defensive comments shift attention away from the speaker to the listener—meaning the person who has made the defensive comment. This premature shift in focus is a "me-centered" maneuver that disrupts the listening process.

To keep your writing natural and engaging, make sure you:

C. do not use buzzwords. To keep your writing natural and engaging, make sure you don't distract your readers with overused or out-of-place words or phrases. Buzzwords, which are workplace terms that become trite because of overuse, can stir negative feelings among some readers.

While drafting a routine message you should:

C. ensure the tone of the message is reader-centered.

Coco-Cola has a set of _____ principles that serve as guidelines for their employees on how to conduct themselves online.

C. five

Sending mixed signals is most likely to:

C. give rise to confusion. Mixed signals occur when the content of a message conflicts with the tone, nonverbal communication, or other signals. Sending mixed signals is not only confusing, but it also frequently results in negative meta messages.

The use of familiar words in business messages is most likely to:

C. help the readers to process the information easily. Whenever possible, one should choose short, conversational, and familiar words in business messages so that it is easier for readers to interpret. Using longer, less common ones to "sound smart" rarely pays off. They slow processing and distract from your message. They may even inadvertently send the signal that you are out of touch, quirky, or even arrogant.

In the course of conducting a FAIR test to review your business message, when you attempt to determine how your message will affect others from ethical, corporate, and legal perspectives, you are most likely checking:

C. how your message will impact various stakeholders. The reviewing process includes three interrelated components: conducting the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback. The "I" in FAIR test stands for "impact." At this stage you are likely to check the impact your message would have on others.

Graham is preparing a report on the reasons behind the failure of one of his company's products. While preparing his report, he places the supporting reasons before the primary message. The message framework used in this case is based on the _____ approach.

C. inductive For messages such as when delivering bad news the indirect or inductive approach is used, in which supporting reasons are provided first followed by the primary message.

Stanley is the marketing manager at PLM. In his market survey, he finds that customers are not happy with their product because of their inefficient customer care service. While preparing his report, he places the supporting reasons before the primary message. The message framework used in this case is based on the _____ approach.

C. inductive For messages such as when delivering bad news the indirect or inductive approach is used, in which supporting reasons are provided first followed by the primary message.

In the context of the planning process for effective business messages, priorities of the targeted audience typically:

C. involve assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks. Priorities involve ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks. Priorities tend to shift more often than values.

Social media tools:

C. make developing a personal brand very easy.

Reflecting is the component of active listening which entails:

C. making sure you understand others by frequently paraphrasing what you're hearing Active listening requires that you reflect on the ideas and emotions of others. To make sure you really understand others, you should frequently paraphrase what you're hearing. Good reflecting statements begin with phrases such as, "It sounds as though you think . . ."; "So, you're not happy with . . ."; or "Let me make sure I understand. . . ."

In business communication, by applying the FAIR test, you can avoid _____.

C. manipulation

Your colleagues and customers will be more easily persuaded when you show interest in them personally.

TRUE

Consider the statement, "In order to build a sustainable organization, it is important to hire employees with sustainable qualities." One way to make this statement more precise is by:

C. replacing the wordy prepositional phrase. Eliminating extra words allows you to get your ideas across as efficiently as possible. You will often find that you can reduce word count by 30 to 40 percent simply by converting many of your prepositional phrases into single-word verbs. The above statement can be written concisely as "Hiring employees with sustainable qualities helps you build a sustainable organization." Refer to table 6.8.

External persuasive messages, with the exception of those that emphasize price, are generally based on _____.

C. strong emotional appeals

Enduring beliefs and ideals that individuals hold are referred to as:

C. values. Values refer to enduring beliefs and ideals that individuals hold.

By providing deadlines and schedules in an email:

C. you show respect to your colleagues' time.

Which of the following is true of competence? A.) Competence is demonstrated by taking a passive role in business. B.) Competence is an inherited trait and cannot be developed through experience. C.) A person's reputation for competence is influenced by his or her communication skills. D.) Competence is best acquired by reading about the topic rather than through experience. E.) Too much emphasis on results decreases the perception of a person's competence.

C.) A person's reputation for competence is influenced by his or her communication skills.

Which of the following is least likely to be a component of a routine message that aims to set expectations?

D. Giving step-by-step directions

Which of the following media is the most expensive for sending mass sales messages?

D. Hard copy letters

Good subject lines are generally twenty words long.

FALSE Good subject lines are generally five to ten words long. By contrast, poor subjects are either too short (1 or 2 words) and thus nondescriptive or too long (12 words or longer) and thus difficult to process

Which of the following is true of defensive behavior?

D. Avoiding defensiveness requires a high level of self-awareness and self-management. Avoiding defensiveness requires a high level of self-awareness and self-management. It requires understanding the triggers that make you feel threatened in a professional environment.

Which of the following is a strategy to improve relationship management?

D. Build up the courage to have a difficult conversation. Relationship management is the "ability to use your awareness of emotions and those of others to manage interactions successfully." One of the strategies to improve relationship management is to build up the courage to have a difficult conversation. Refer to table 2.5

Which of the following is true of persuasion through reason and emotion?

D. Business communicators understand that resistance to ideas, products, and services is often emotional.

Which of the following can help keep email-induced distractions at bay?

D. Checking your messages just two to four times a day.

Which of the following is most likely to be an element of an apology?

D. Committing that the offense will not be repeated

Which of the following statements best describes a company's views on its employees engaging in social media?

D. Companies respect the rights of its employees to use blogs and other social media tools for both personal and professional use.

_____ is based on the idea that once people make an explicit commitment, they tend to follow through or honor that commitment.

D. Consistency

Which of the following is most likely to be included in a good signature block?

D. Contact details

Which of the following is true of corporate values?

D. Corporate values are most effective when aligned with personal values Aligning personal values—those values that individuals prioritize and adhere to—with corporate values is an important element of character. After all, if one is living corporate values that do not match one's personal values, then there is a lack of integrity.

_____ involves avoiding escalation and removing tension to focus on work objectives.

D. Defusing

What should you focus on during the drafting stage?

D. Ease of reading

Which of the following is true of apologies?

D. Effective apologies should be sincere.

Which of the following is an advantage of social media?

D. Ensures quicker access to business expertise and knowledge

In the context of communicator styles, which of the following is a characteristic of a thinker?

D. Focuses on logic and objectivity Thinkers are most focused on logic, objectivity, and correct analysis.

Dave sent an email to his colleague, Stan, asking him for a few important details regarding an ongoing project. Stan is on a business tour and finds no time to reply to all of Dave's queries. Dave wrongly perceives that Stan is ignoring him. Which of the following should Dave do?

D. He should try calling Stan or sending a polite message saying that an early reply will be appreciated.

Carlton finds that geography based structuring of his organization would have a positive effect on his insurance company and would increase its efficiency. He draws up a report for the board of directors in which he mentions that separate departments should be set up for each of the company's 10 sales territories. Which of the following statements is most likely to increase the positivity of his proposition?

D. I look forward to putting together a detailed plan to change the structure of the company to the one based on geography. In order to make business messages more positive you should focus on actions you can accomplish, and demonstrate a realistic optimism.

In the context of dealing with business problems, which of the following should ideally be the first step?

D. Identifying the business problem To remain competitive and profitable, businesses constantly need to identify and overcome problems. The first step in problem solving is identifying business problems. This involves understanding an organization's business objectives and related challenges. It involves asking many questions from a lot of angles.

In which of the following cases the use of an impersonal voice is most likely to be appropriate?

D. In persuasive messages to emphasize objectivity

Which of the following is most likely to be true of persuasion in the post-trust era?

D. In the post-trust era, persuasion is becoming increasingly difficult.

_____ is "rudeness and disregard for others in a manner that violates norms for respect."

D. Incivility Incivility is "rudeness and disregard for others in a manner that violates norms for respect."

The _____ Age is characterized by mass two-way communication and respect for expertise and position.

D. Information

In what way does caring help establish credibility in the business world?

D. It encourages people to demonstrate accountability Caring for others plays an important role in establishing credibility. In the business world, caring implies understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of community, and demonstrating accountability.

Which of the following is true of email communication?

D. It is better to err on the side of extra formality than on extra casualness

Which of the following is true of character?

D. It is central in establishing trust. Character is central in creating trust. Business executives were asked what the most important determinants of trust in workplace projects were. Overwhelmingly, character-based traits—that is, honesty, ethical behavior, and willingness to exchange information—ranked at the top.

Which of the following is true about understanding your audience?

D. It is important to consider the psychological principles that impact people's decisions.

What is cyber silence?

D. It is the act of not responding to emails or other digital communications.

Which of the following is true of transparency?

D. It is the dominant business ethic in recent years. The dominant business ethic in recent years is transparency. Transparency involves sharing all relevant information with stakeholders.

Which of the following is true of email communication?

D. It lacks immediate feedback.

Tess is the general manager of Choc-a-block, an international sweet manufacturing company. She wishes to give one of her managers the "Employee of the Year" award and one of her teams the "Stars of the Year" award. Which of the following managers should she choose if she is looking for an employee with a strong sense of caring?

D. Jenny, who cultivates a sense of community in the workplace In the business world, caring implies understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of community, and demonstrating accountability

The authorities at Lavender garment manufacturing company conducted a survey with the intention of standardizing the productivity of the employees so as to increase the company profits. Based on their findings, they set their standards and circulated the following message, "Every employee should manufacture as many shirts as possible." However it failed to clearly deliver the intended message. Which of the following is most likely to be the reason for this failure?

D. Lack of specificity Your readers expect you to be precise and avoid vagueness in nearly all business situations. Being specific affects the judgments your readers make about your credibility. Specific statements lead your readers to believe that you know what you're talking about (competence); that you are not hiding anything (character); and that you want your readers to be informed (caring). Refer to table 6.3.

Which of the following can be attributed to a good manager?

D. Listening to and acting upon negative feedback Astute business executives and managers recognize that they need information—even bad or unpleasant news—to lead an organization to its best potential performance.

What is the primary challenge in developing routine messages?

D. Making sure that your readers pay attention

Which of the following reputations is a result of the meta message "I abide by the rules"?

D. Moral, ethical, and fair

Which of the following is most likely to be a component of a message that expresses sympathy?

D. Offering support

Which of the following is an impact of low self-management on interpersonal communication?

D. One frequently vents frustrations without a constructive work purpose. Self-management is the "ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and to direct your behavior positively." It involves the discipline to hold off on current urges to meet long-term intentions. An impact of low self-management on interpersonal communication is frequently venting frustrations without a constructive work purpose

What is the consequence of reducing confidence and positivity in your message?

D. People will perceive your idea as weak or unexciting.

Which of the following statements about learner mind-sets is true?

D. People with learner mind-sets believe that difference of opinion leads to the resolution of problems. In a learner mind-set, you show eagerness to hear others' ideas and perspectives and listen with an open mind. A difference of opinion is considered normal, even healthy, and potentially solution-producing.

Which of the following is most likely to be true of persuasive messages?

D. Persuasive messages are best reviewed by getting feedback from others and rereading.

Which of the following is true of persuasive messages?

D. Persuasive messages require a message structure that reduces resistance

Which of the following is true of choosing attention-getters for persuasive messages?

D. Posting a testimonial is a good attention-getter, which can be used for external messages.

Which of the following is a central component in setting expectations for those you manage?

D. Providing deadlines

In the context of the components of expectations, what does it mean to discuss coordination?

D. Providing guidelines for how employees should communicate and cooperate with one another

_____ noise refers to interference due to attitudes, ideas, and emotions experienced during an interpersonal interaction.

D. Psychological Psychological noise refers to interference due to attitudes, ideas, and emotions experienced during an interpersonal interaction.

In order to encourage participation in a walkathon, the organization arranging the walkathon offers free items, such as a T-shirt or a water bottle, to all the participants. Which of the following principles of influence is being used in this case?

D. Reciprocation

Which of the following facilitates a one-stop work space containing project and meeting information, shared files, and communication platforms?

D. Social networking Blogs, wikis, and social networking are used for team and networked communication. They facilitate a one-stop work space containing project and meeting information, shared files, and communication platforms

What are solution-oriented questions?

D. Solution-oriented questions focus on how to overcome business problems and what should be done to accomplish business objectives. Solution-oriented questions focus on how to overcome business problems. They focus on what should be done to accomplish business objectives.

Which of the following is most likely true of the post-trust era?

D. Some of the persuasion strategies that once worked are less effective in the post-trust era.

Which of the following is most likely to be true of User 2.0?

D. Stays connected online all the time

Which of the following stages of team development involves team members opening up with their competing ideas about how the team should approach work?

D. Storming In the storming stage of team development, team members open up with their competing ideas about how the team should approach work. This stage is typically the least productive, since team members are attempting to make sense of uncertain roles, goals, and accountabilities.

What is the outcome of describing your own role and responsibilities to supervisees?

D. Supervisees realize that accountability is mutual between you and them.

Which of the following is a good subject line based only on its length?

D. Team meeting (Circ conference room, in five minutes)

Which of the following is a reason why audience analysis for routine messages generally does not require much time?

D. The audience is likely to respond positively to routine messages.

Which of the following is typically true of excellent business thinkers?

D. They are skilled at communicating with others to figure out and solve complex problems. Excellent business thinkers possess a number of characteristics. First, they clearly and precisely identify and articulate key questions and problems. Second, they gather information from a variety of sources. Third, they make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions. Fourth, they remain open to alternatives to approaching and reasoning about the business problem—that is, they are mentally flexible.

Which of the following is true of people in low-trust relationships?

D. They communicate poorly and inefficiently. Extensive research has shown that high-trust relationships lead to more efficient and superior work outcomes. In terms of ease of communication, credibility leads to less resistance from others, increased willingness to cooperate, and less likelihood of miscommunication. In low-trust work environments, people tend to assume the negative regarding others' actions.

Which of the following is true of external persuasive messages?

D. They focus more on promoting services.

Which of the following is a disadvantage associated with using "me too" statements?

D. They prematurely draw attention away from the stories of others. As you listen to other people share their ideas and experiences—their stories—you often think about similar ideas and experiences of your own—your stories. This often leads to "me too" comments. Sometimes, however, this shifts attention away from their story to your story. To listen effectively, be careful about prematurely drawing attention away from the stories of others.

Which of the following is true of internal persuasive messages?

D. They tend to be based on logical appeals

_____ are most focused on logic, objectivity, and correct analysis.

D. Thinkers Thinkers are most focused on logic, objectivity, and correct analysis

What is the advantage of front-loading a routine message?

D. This makes it easier to grab the reader's attention.

Which of the following indicates that the sales manager of Blue Inc., Tom, lacks a sense of caring?

D. Tom ignores his employees' needs to develop their skills. In the business world, caring implies understanding the interests of others, cultivating a sense of community, and demonstrating accountability. Less than half (42 percent) of employees believe their managers care about them. Even worse, less than one-third (29 percent) of employees believe their managers care about whether they develop skills.

Craig is the sales manager at Blaize Supersports and has a 20-member-strong sales team that reports to him. On an average, Craig receives about 115 emails and sends out 75 emails a day. James, a salesperson at the store, leaves the subject line blank while typing out a leave request mail to Craig. James wants to take the week off and spend time with his family. As James is about to send it, he realizes that the subject line is blank. Which of the following should James do before sending the email to Craig?

D. Use a descriptive subject line such as "Leave of absence request."

Geoffrey, a HR manager at BGH analyzes the problem of increasing employee turnover and comes to the conclusion that upgrading the employee benefit programs would help control the situation at hand. While preparing his report, Geoffrey states that upgrading of the company's employee benefit program would reduce the employee turnover as this was the same strategy that their rival company had used to solve their employee turnover problem. However Geoffrey's message failed to convince the authorities. Which of the following is most likely to be the reason behind this failure?

D. Use of weak analogies As you make sense of business issues, you will often try to identify analogies with other organizations, people, or things. Strong analogies serve to bolster your arguments. However, weak analogies may lead to inaccurate conclusions and recommendations.

Which of the following techniques is most likely to make business messages more positive?

D. Using constructive terms In order to make business messages more positive you should use diplomatic, constructive terms related to your relationships and interactions.

Which of the following would help counter e-interruptions?

D. Using rich channels of communication.

Which of the following is most likely to contribute to email chains?

D. Using the "reply to all" feature

Which of the following can be used to constructively address uncivil emails?

D. Using the technique of defusing

_____ are collections of pages that anyone with approved access can edit, thus lending themselves to collaborative writing.

D. Wikis

_____ have stronger collaborative potential than any of the other social media tools.

D. Wikis

Which of the following is true of appreciation messages?

D. You should send appreciation messages that begin with an expression of thanks.

Which of the following is most likely to happen if you do not include all needed information in a routine message?

D. Your credibility will be at stake and you risk losing it.

Which of the following is a requirement of messages that express sympathy?

D. Your expression of sympathy can be handwritten when possible.

A message aimed at making a claim is most likely to be closed with:

D. a call to action

In the context of methods of influence, liking is _____.

D. a principle of influence whereby people are more easily persuaded by people who they admire

To break out of the reputation of an inexperienced newcomer one should:

D. attend a lot of meetings to get to know as many colleagues as possible. To break out of a reputation as an inexperienced newcomer one should attend a lot of meetings to get to know as many colleagues as possible.

To build well-reasoned business positions, one should:

D. avoid unsupported generalizations. To build well-reasoned business positions, one should avoid unsupported generalizations. This issue boils down to providing supporting facts for your claims.

In order to improve the ease of reading with natural style, a writer should:

D. avoid using buzzwords To keep your writing natural and engaging, make sure you don't distract your readers with overused or out-of-place words or phrases. Buzzwords, which are workplace terms that become trite because of overuse, can stir negative feelings among some readers.

In the model for mass sales messages called AIDA, "D" stands for _____.

D. desire The model used most successfully for mass sales messages is the AIDA approach: attention, interest, desire, and action.

The use of we-voice in a business message:

D. emphasizes the writer's shared interests with the reader. In content and form, a business message should show that you have the interests of the audience in mind. The subject of a sentence almost always becomes the focus or emphasis. So rather than focusing on the I-voice, the focus of a business message should be on your reader (you-voice), your shared interests with the reader (we-voice), or simply the business issue at hand (impersonal voice).

In the case of an appreciation message, to show your sincerity:

D. focus exclusively on the recipient.

Which of the following is typically included in the planning stage of writing an effective business message?

E. Identifying the primary message and key points In order to create an effective business message, during the planning stage, you should understand the needs of the audience, generate the best of ideas to address a business issue and identify the primary message and key points. Refer to figure 5.1.

In the course of conducting a FAIR test to review your business message, when you attempt to determine whether you have shown that you value others, you are most likely checking:

D. if you have demonstrated respect for the inherent worth of others. The reviewing process includes three interrelated components: conducting the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback. The "R" in FAIR test stands for "respect." At this stage you are likely to check whether in your message you have demonstrated respect for the inherent worth of others.

Workplace culture is now moving from the:

D. information age to social age.

When an executive or a manager develops a message for all relevant employees, it is known as _____ communication.

D. leadership One of the most common types of one-to-many communications in the workplace is leadership communication, meaning that an executive, manager, or other organizational leader develops a message for all relevant employees.

Typically, internal persuasive messages focus mostly on _____.

D. logical appeals

In the performing stage of team development, team members:

D. operate efficiently toward accomplishing their goals. In the performing stage of team development, teams operate efficiently toward accomplishing their goals. They have evolved to a level where they can transform disagreement and conflict into consensus for future action.

According to the Coca-Cola online activities guideline, when employees come across negative posts about the company they should _____.

D. pass the posts to the official in-market spokesperson.

In communication, _____ refers to the extent to which the message can be stored, retrieved, and distributed to others.

D. permanence Permanence refers to the extent to which the message can be stored, retrieved, and distributed to others.

Failure to set expectations is most likely to lead to:

D. professional disappointments.

A good manager:

D. schedules time for listening to employees each day The best managers understand that listening pays strong dividends over time and that they need to schedule time for listening to others each day

The less specific you are while writing your business messages the greater the possibility:

D. that your readers will question your intention of keeping them informed. Being specific affects the judgments your readers make about your credibility. Specific statements lead your readers to believe that you know what you're talking about (competence); that you are not hiding anything (character); and that you want your readers to be informed (caring).

When making a request:

D. use an other-oriented tone.

A learning stance implies that:

D. you are committed to understanding others peoples' version of interpersonal interactions. A message-delivery stance implies that you have nothing to learn from the other person involved in the conversation. In sensitive situations, others will resist your attempts to impose solutions. A learning stance involves a commitment to understanding others' stories—their retrospective versions of interpersonal interactions or their explanations of business successes and failures.

Which of the following is the effect of using active voice while writing business messages? A.) It confuses the reader by emphasizing the object of action. B.) It decreases accuracy by emphasizing action rather than facts. C.) It diverts the attention from the subject so that the writer does not sound bossy. D.) It emphasizes the business orientation of action. E.) It allows for slanting of facts, which increases the credibility of the message.

D.) It emphasizes the business orientation of action.

An "emphasis on results" is a trait associated with A.) caring. B.) ethics. C.) transparency. D.) competence. E.) character.

D.) competence.

Which of the following approaches to writing a business argument allows one to provide the supporting reasons first before the primary message?

E. Inductive approach For messages such as when delivering bad news the indirect or inductive approach is used, in which supporting reasons are provided first followed by the primary message.

Which of the following is true of the post-trust era?

E. Most employees view their leaders and colleagues skeptically. In the post-trust era, the public overwhelmingly views businesses as operating against the public's best interests, and the majority of employees view their leaders and colleagues skeptically.

_____ communication refers to one-to-one communication that involves just a few individuals about work matters.

E. Private Workplace communication takes several broad forms. The most basic is one-to-one communication that involves just a few individuals about work matters. We refer to this type of communication as private communication.

Which of the following statements about online presence is true?

E. A personal brand can be built through an online presence which is an asset for career progression.

Which of the following components typically belong to the reviewing process?

E. Conducting the FAIR test The reviewing process includes three interrelated components: conducting the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback.

_____ is the process of interpreting messages from others into meaning.

E. Decoding Encoding is the process of converting meaning into messages composed of words and nonverbal signals. Decoding is the process of interpreting messages from others into meaning.

Which of the following should be avoided to build a well-reasoned business position?

E. Exaggerating claims To build well-reasoned business positions, avoid the following types of logical inconsistencies: unsupported generalizations, faulty cause/effect claims, weak analogies, either/or logic, slanting the facts, and exaggeration.

Email communication is typically considered fairly casual.

FALSE Email communication is typically considered fairly formal.

Which of the following types of questions reflects a learner mind-set?

E. Rapport-building questions On the most fundamental level, good questions reflect the learner mind-set, and poor questions reflect a judger mind-set. The ability to ask good questions creates a culture of learning. Some basic types of learning-centered questions include rapport-building questions, funnel questions, probing questions, and solution-oriented questions.

Which of the following involves accurately understanding one's own emotions as they occur and how they affect one's behavior and thought?

E. Self-awareness Self-awareness is the foundation for emotional intelligence. It involves accurately understanding your emotions as they occur and how they affect you.

Which of the following statements about business ethics is true?

E. They are commonly held principles in the business community for acceptable behavior Ethics are rules of conduct or moral principles that guide individual or group behavior. Business ethics are the commonly accepted beliefs and principles in the business community for acceptable behavior

Which of the following is most likely to be a characteristic of excellent business thinkers?

E. They gather information from a variety of sources. Excellent business thinkers possess a number of characteristics. First, they clearly and precisely identify and articulate key questions and problems. Second, they gather information from a variety of sources. Third, they make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions. Fourth, they remain open to alternatives to approaching and reasoning about the business problem—that is, they are mentally flexible.

Which of the following is true about excellent business writers?

E. They maintain a listener-centered approach. As one crafts business messages, it is advisable that he/she maintains a listener-centered approach.

Clarifying is the component of active listening which entails:

E. connecting the thoughts of others to understand how they make conclusions. Clarifying involves making sure you have a clear understanding of what others mean. It involves trying to connect the thoughts of others so you can better understand how they are making conclusions.

When choosing a communication channel, _____ refers to the degree to which communications can be planned and recorded, thus allowing strategic message development

E. control Control refers to the degree to which communications can be planned and recorded, thus allowing strategic message development.

The difference between expert business writers and average business writers is that expert business writers:

E. devote more time to planning and reviewing as compared to drafting. Expert business writers devote more time to planning and reviewing and proportionately less time to drafting. They spend most of their time—before and after drafting—carefully thinking about how the message will influence and affect others.

People can demonstrate competence by:

E. emphasizing results and focusing on action. Competence refers to the knowledge and skills needed to accomplish business tasks, approach business problems, and get a job done. There are two traits associated with competence: a focus on action and an emphasis on results.

One of the best ways to ensure that your communication is effective and fair is to:

E. get feedback from others. One of the best ways to ensure that your communication is effective and fair is to get feedback from others.

Consider the following statement, "To motivate employees to increase their productivity, a manager can use some of our tools for motivation." The best way to make this statement concise is by:

E. removing the redundant words. Removing the redundant words from a message is a way of making a business message concise.

People reading a sentence in a business message are most likely to be confused when:

E. the subject is not mentioned in the sentence. When the subject or doer is missing from the sentence, readers may become confused.

George, the marketing manager at Regal, believes that an employee should always act ethically and should also report instances of unethical behavior that he encounters. This belief held by George is an example of a(n):

E. value. Values refer to enduring beliefs and ideals that individuals hold.

What is encoding? What is noise?

Encoding is the process of converting information into a coded format. Noise is anything that interferes with the message (actual noise, typos, etc.)

Holding judgment implies agreeing with everything you hear

FALSE Holding judgment does not mean that you agree with everything you hear. Rather, it's a commitment to hearing the entire version of others' ideas and experiences.

Emphasizing on what products are not rather than focusing on what they are is likely to increase the positivity of a business message.

FALSE Emphasizing on what products are rather than focusing on what they are not is likely to increase the positivity of a business message.

When delivering bad news, one must adopt a deductive approach.

FALSE For some messages such as when delivering bad news, you may adopt a more indirect or inductive approach, in which you will provide supporting reasons first followed by the primary message.

Compared to you-voice, we-voice is more effective in external persuasive messages to customers and clients.

FALSE Generally, you-voice is more effective in external persuasive messages to customers and clients because it emphasizes the benefits they receive from your products and services.

Mass sales messages in the form of emails have high success rates.

FALSE Often in the form of mass emails, online ads, or sales letters, mass sales messages generally have low success rates.

Price is one of the least common sales themes.

FALSE One of the most common sales themes is price.

Reciprocation is a principle of influence whereby people determine what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do.

FALSE Reciprocation is a principle of influence based on returning favors.

The model used most successfully for mass sales messages is the AIDA approach: attention, information, action, and description.

FALSE The model used most successfully for mass sales messages is the AIDA approach: attention, interest, desire, and action.

The tone for external persuasive messages should be pushy and exaggerated.

FALSE The tone for persuasive messages should be confident and positive, yet at the same time avoid exaggeration or hype.

Strong nouns and verbs make persuasive messages sound dull.

FALSE Use strong nouns and verbs to add to the excitement of the message. Some sales messages sound dull because of overuse of and reliance on words such as provide and offer.

Accuracy, unlike specificity, has no impact on your readers' perceptions of your credibility.

FALSE Accuracy, like specificity, strongly impacts your readers' perceptions of your credibility.

Setting expectations is a routine matter and hence not very important.

FALSE Although setting expectations is often a routine matter, failure to do it can lead to lasting professional disappointments and breakdowns in working relationships.

Younger people are often expert at developing an online professional presence but they are less skilled at developing an online social persona

FALSE Although younger people are often expert at developing an online social persona, they are less skilled at developing an online professional presence.

Typically, an announcement is broadcast to very few receivers.

FALSE Announcements are updates to policies and procedures, notices of events, and other correspondences that apply to a group of employees and/or customers. Announcements are one form of one-to-many communications. Announcements are generally broadcast to a large number of receivers

When developing an agenda to address high-priority items, items of least importance must be placed near the beginning of the agenda

FALSE As you develop the agenda, pay attention to the ordering of items so that it flows much like you would expect other written communications to flow from point to point. Also, consider placing those agenda items of most importance near the beginning. This way, if items take longer than expected and you are forced to shelve some items, you have addressed the highest-priority items.

Emotional claims are far less likely to be rejected than factual claims.

FALSE As you write claims, keep in mind that your goal is to have your claim honored. Focus on facts first and emotions second, if at all. Emotional claims are far more likely to be rejected.

To keep from making defensive comments, one requires a low level of self-awareness and self-management.

FALSE Avoiding defensiveness requires a high level of self-awareness and self-management. It requires understanding the triggers that make you feel threatened in a professional environment.

The use of buzzwords in business messages always stirs positive feelings among readers.

FALSE Buzzwords, which are workplace terms that become trite because of overuse, can stir negative feelings among some readers.

An employee congratulating his employer's son on his engagement is an example of social media complicating relationships between employees and employers.

FALSE Complication in relationships between employees and employers due to social media takes place when either party posts offensive material on a social networking site and the other party sees it.

Coordination meetings typically involve fluid issues that cannot be given time allotments

FALSE Coordination meetings primarily focus on discussing roles, goals, and accountabilities. Coordination meetings typically include many agenda items with a reasonable expectation of accomplishing each item in the allocated time.

In business messages, prepositional phrases should not be converted into single-word verbs.

FALSE Eliminating extra words allows you to get your ideas across as efficiently as possible. You will often find that you can reduce word count by 30 to 40 percent simply by converting many of your prepositional phrases into single-word verbs.

In emotionally charged, high-stakes conversations, approaching the conversation with a judger mind-set will often lead to productive outcomes.

FALSE In emotionally charged, high-stakes conversations, approaching the conversation with a learner mind-set will often lead to productive outcomes.

Intel estimates that large companies lose about $1 million per year because of email overload.

FALSE Intel estimates that large companies lose about $1 billion per year because of email overload.

Subject lines for routine requests should not contain the entire request, but only the rationale for it.

FALSE Like all routine messages, routine requests should contain clear and specific subject lines, often stating the entire request.

Entry-level professionals tend to have very high professional credibility.

FALSE Many entry-level professional have relatively low professional credibility because they are viewed as the newcomers.

Sending mixed signals results in positive meta messages

FALSE Mixed signals occur when the content of a message conflicts with the tone, nonverbal communication, or other signals. Sending mixed signals is not only confusing, but it also frequently results in negative meta messages

Most business arguments employ an indirect approach.

FALSE Most business arguments employ a direct or deductive approach. In other words, they begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a position or recommendation.

When the statements in a message contain full and unambiguous meaning, the message is said to be indirect

FALSE Most business writing is direct and explicit. It is direct in that you begin with a main idea or argument and then provide the supporting reasons. It is explicit in that nothing is implied; statements contain full and unambiguous meaning.

Younger people are often expert at developing an online professional presence

FALSE Nearly all business professionals are aware of social networking and the importance of strong online reputations. However younger people are often expert at developing an online social persona, they are less skilled at developing an online professional presence.

"Me too" statements are a type of listening behavior.

FALSE Nonlistening behaviors are those actions that prematurely deflect attention from the speaker or prevent them from completely expressing their ideas and feelings. Some common nonlistening behaviors in the workplace include "me too" statements

Readers are more likely to pay close attention to overly general messages.

FALSE Once you establish a reputation for providing incomplete, overly general messages, your readers are less likely to pay close attention to your future messages.

While reviewing your business messages, you should ideally avoid going to others for feedback.

FALSE One of the best ways to ensure that your communication is effective and fair is to get feedback from others.

People can generally process information more quickly when writers use passive verbs.

FALSE People can generally process information more quickly when writers use action verbs.

Persuasion implies that you are communicating with someone who thinks the same way as you do.

FALSE Persuasion involves influencing others to see the merits of your ideas and act on your requests, even when they initially resist.

Prepositional phrases should be used excessively in business messages as they increase clarity.

FALSE Prepositional phrases are not bad in themselves. In many cases, they are perfectly appropriate. But their overuse leads to wordiness and less clarity.

Values of readers are likely to shift more often than their priorities.

FALSE Priorities of the readers tend to shift more often than their values

Probing questions are opinions presented in question form.

FALSE Probing questions are intended to analyze a business problem from every angle in order to uncover its root causes

In order to manage e-interruptions effectively, reply immediately to all the messages.

FALSE Reply immediately only to urgent messages.

Research has shown that teams that have lesser dissent during meetings reach higher-quality decisions

FALSE Research has shown that teams that have more dissent during meetings reach higher-quality decisions. By opening discussion to all available information and options, teams tend to adopt the best options more often and become more committed to the decisions.

Routine requests typically involve cases where you expect strong resistance from message recipients.

FALSE Routine requests involve cases where you expect little or no resistance from message recipients

Rapport-building questions reflect a judger mind-set

FALSE Some basic types of learning-centered questions include rapport-building questions, funnel questions, probing questions, and solution-oriented questions.

A drawback of wikis is that they cannot be used for meetings.

FALSE Some organizations are exploring ways of using wikis for meetings. Wiki meetings can cut down on costs and accommodate people at many locations.

The Industrial Age is an era in which people engage in networked communication, collaborate across boundaries, and solve problems communally.

FALSE The Social Age is an era in which people engage in networked communication, collaborate across boundaries, and solve problems communally.

Due to the many communication tools available in the emerging Social Age, the division between professional and private lives is becoming increasingly clear.

FALSE The division between professional and private lives is becoming increasingly blurred.

The neutrality effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as negative.

FALSE The neutrality effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as neutral.

Your professional profile should reflect the same information as your social networking profile

FALSE The purpose of your business profile is typically different from the one you post on social networking websites such as Facebook. Your primary goals are professional collaborating and networking rather than socializing or entertaining.

The various stages involved in the creation of effective business messages never overlap one another.

FALSE The various stages involved in the creation of effective business messages are not necessarily linear and often overlap one another. Business writers frequently move back and forth between the stages.

Typically, routine messages deal with complex matters that require in-depth analysis.

FALSE The vast majority of business messages are routine. In routine messages, you are dealing with straightforward information that does not require in-depth analysis, so you generally expect your readers to react positively, and you do not anticipate resistance.

Setting off each question is a mere formatting gimmick and not necessary when responding to inquiries.

FALSE The very nature of working with others involves asking and responding to questions. One of the most important strategies for responding to inquiries is to set off each question so your readers can quickly identify responses to particular questions.

Use either/or logic to strengthen business positions.

FALSE To build well-reasoned business positions, you should avoid either/or logic.

Weak analogies serve to bolster one's arguments.

FALSE To build well-reasoned business positions, you should avoid weak analogies. Weak analogies lead to inaccurate conclusions and recommendations

Web 2.0 communication tools are primarily passive and static.

FALSE Web 1.0 communication tools are primarily passive and static. By contrast, Web 2.0 communication tools are interactive, customizable, and social.

Typically the active voice should be used when attempting to avoid blaming others or sounding bossy.

FALSE While active voice is the preferred writing style for most business writing, passive voice is sometimes better when attempting to avoid blaming others or sounding bossy.

Expressions of sympathy must always be elaborate.

FALSE Your genuine concern will compensate for any deficiencies in the words you use. Typically, keep your expressions of sympathy brief.

Hearing problems, illness, and memory loss are examples of semantic noise in the communication process.

False Physiological noise refers to disruption due to physiological factors. Examples include hearing problems, illness, memory loss, and so on

Physical noise refers to interference due to attitudes, ideas, and emotions experienced during an interpersonal interaction.

False Psychological noise refers to interference due to attitudes, ideas, and emotions experienced during an interpersonal interaction.

Speaking about one's own needs instead of others' needs helps achieve mutual benefit

False Speaking about "our needs" or "your needs" as opposed to "my needs" engenders trust and helps you develop solutions that achieve mutual benefit.

The FAIR test fails to evaluate whether a person is hiding information in business communications.

False The FAIR test helps you examine how well you have provided the facts; how well you have granted access to your motives, reasoning, and information; how well you have examined impacts on stakeholders; and how well you have shown respect.

Since thinkers are most focused on harmony, when addressing them one should include personal comments and explain the impacts of decisions on people.

False Thinkers are most focused on logic, objectivity, and correct analysis. When addressing thinkers, one should focus on well-organized, well-analyzed, dispassionate, and conclusive arguments.

Where the law and ethical principles do not provide a clear answer, transparency seldom helps

False Where the law and ethical principles do not provide a clear answer, transparency is key. Decision making needs to be open, documented, and based on the collective conscience of your work team and affected stakeholders

Compared to networked communication, team communication allows teams to form and disband more informally and loosely.

False Whereas team communication typically occurs in the context of formally created teams or units, networked communication allows groups to form and disband more informally and loosely.

Written messages in the workplace are high in richness as individuals can carefully craft messages at their own pace and on their schedule.

False Written messages in the workplace are generally low in richness, since they typically do not allow immediate feedback and lack a variety of social, verbal, and nonverbal cues

In the post-trust era, few employees view their leaders and colleagues skeptically.

False In the post-trust era, the public overwhelmingly views businesses as operating against the public's best interests, and the majority of employees view their leaders and colleagues skeptically

tips for constructing clear sentences and paragraphs

Keep sentences short (16-18 words), 8-10 lines in a paragraph, try to reach middle-level adult, economize on words when possible, eliminate words that don't add anything to the meaning, manage the emphasis, seek unity, avoid excessive detail, avoid illogical construction.

nonverbal communication and the functions of different types

Nonverbal communication is the sending and receiving of wordless cues between people. The three functions are: (1) Illustrates (2) Reinforces and accentuates (3) Contradicts (what you're doing vs. what you're saying)

Three components are central in setting expectations for those you manage: describing responsibilities, providing deadlines, and discussing coordination.

TRUE

To prevent employees and customers from ignoring announcements, the subject line must be specific and must create interest.

TRUE

Turn off message alerts as these alerts can distract you and reduce your focus.

TRUE

Social media offer an ideal means of continuously learning about your company, your industry, and your discipline.

TRUE

By applying the FAIR test, you can avoid sending persuasive messages that manipulate others.

TRUE

Claims are requests for other companies to compensate for or correct the wrongs or mistakes they have made.

TRUE

Compared to other business messages, persuasive messages are somewhat more indirect and implicit.

TRUE

Distractions impact performance for much longer than the few moments taken to acknowledge and respond to incoming messages.

TRUE

Even in today's flatter organizations, being bossy to the boss can be counterproductive.

TRUE

Focusing on task-related facts and issues in your reply is a good way to defuse situations involving cyber incivility.

TRUE

In internal persuasive messages, expressing confidence in key players, who can make the change occur, is crucial.

TRUE

Internal and external persuasive messages contain many common elements.

TRUE

It is important for an employee to become familiar with his company's acceptable-use policies for social networking websites.

TRUE

Messages that provide directions share many similarities with those that set expectations.

TRUE

Most people justify their business decisions based on the soundness of ideas, not feelings.

TRUE

Persuasive messages are directed to others who resist your ideas, products, or services.

TRUE

Positivity in persuasive messages helps your audience focus on the benefits rather than the drawbacks of what you are trying to promote

TRUE

Scarcity is a principle of influence whereby people think there is limited availability of something they want or need, so they must act quickly.

TRUE

Setting expectations is directly tied to your credibility and ability to foster interpersonal trust in the workplace

TRUE

The foremost requirement of any expression of sympathy is that it be sincere.

TRUE

In order to conduct meetings effectively, it is critical that the facilitator acts from a neutral position

TRUE A facilitator acts from a neutral position to get each person to participate in a conversation and ensure that each agenda item is properly discussed. The issue of neutrality for facilitating is critical.

Astute business executives and managers recognize that they need information—even bad or unpleasant news—to lead an organization to its best potential performance.

TRUE Astute business executives and managers recognize that they need information—even bad or unpleasant news—to lead an organization to its best potential performance

When readers see long paragraphs, they often enter skim mode—searching for certain words and ideas rather than reading.

TRUE Before they even begin to read, readers form impressions about ease of reading by looking at paragraph length. The more specific you are, the more likely your readers are to have their questions answered.

Documents with too much text and not enough white look daunting or cluttered.

TRUE Documents with too much text and not enough white look daunting or cluttered. On the other hand, documents with too much white space may look insufficient.

High self-awareness is crucial for handling difficult conversations successfully.

TRUE During difficult encounters, high emotional intelligence is crucial. Self-awareness is the foundation

Reviewing business messages minimizes the possibility of embarrassing and damaging mistakes.

TRUE During the reviewing stage, you are most likely to improve your message, making it far more successful. You will also minimize the possibility of embarrassing and damaging mistakes

Effective teams feel a common sense of purpose

TRUE Effective teams feel a common sense of purpose. This sense of purpose feeds the team's morale, dedication, and ability to negotiate roles and accountabilities.

Email communication is the primary form of written business communication

TRUE Email communication is the primary form of written business communication.

Excellent business thinkers are most likely to gather information from a variety of sources.

TRUE Excellent business thinkers possess a number of characteristics. One of them is that they gather information from a variety of sources

Expert business writers not only produce more effective written communications, but they also do so more quickly than average writers.

TRUE Expert business writers not only produce more effective written communications, but they also do so more quickly than average writers. Their secret is to devote a much higher percentage of their time to the planning and reviewing stages.

Positions are stances that you take based on a set of conclusions.

TRUE Facts are statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty and can be observed objectively. Conclusions are statements that are reasoned or deduced based on facts. Positions are stances that you take based on a set of conclusions.

High-performing teams go through repeated cycles of disassociation and association

TRUE High-performing teams go through repeated cycles of disassociation and association. They suspend attachment to ideas in the initial discussion phase and then attach themselves to ideas as they commit to mutually developed goals and related action items

Humor and sarcasm, too, can be misinterpreted in digital communications, even among close colleagues.

TRUE Humor and sarcasm, too, can be misinterpreted in digital communications, even among close colleagues

If you are specific in your message, then your readers are more likely to respond to your message as you intend.

TRUE If you are not specific while writing your business message, your readers may become impatient and begin scanning and skimming for the information they want. If they can't find that information, they are unlikely to respond to your message as you intend.

In content and form, a business message should show that you have the interests of your audience in mind.

TRUE In content and form, a business message should show that you have the interests of your audience in mind. Therefore, avoid any sense of self-centeredness.

Leading questions are perceived as dishonest or manipulative.

TRUE Leading questions are intended to guide people to your way of thinking. These questions are often perceived as dishonest or manipulative.

Long paragraphs in a business message can signal disorganization.

TRUE Long paragraphs can signal disorganization and even disrespect for the reader's time.

Meta messages are encoded and decoded as a combination of content, tone, and other signals.

TRUE Meta messages are the overall but often underlying messages people take away from a communication or group of communications. Meta messages are encoded and decoded as a combination of content, tone, and other signals

The minutes of a meeting serve as a record of what a team has accomplished.

TRUE Minutes of a meeting should include the date and time, team members present, decisions, key discussion points, open issues, and action items and related deadlines. The minutes serve as a record of what a team has accomplished.

Most sentences that begin with "it is" or "there are" generally contain more words than necessary.

TRUE Most sentences that begin with "it is" or "there are" fail to provide a specific subject and generally contain more words than necessary.

One primary cause of overly lengthy paragraphs is placing more than one main idea or topic in the paragraph.

TRUE One primary cause of overly lengthy paragraphs is placing more than one main idea or topic in the paragraph.

By eliminating redundancies, you can reduce the overall word count in a business message.

TRUE One way to reduce word count and make your messages easier to read is to avoid redundancies, which are words or phrases that repeat the same meaning.

People generally process simple, short words more quickly than long, complex ones.

TRUE People generally process simple, short words more quickly than long, complex ones.

Providing too much information can distract the readers and weigh a business document down.

TRUE Providing too much information can distract the readers and weigh a business document down. On the other hand, not providing enough information can leave the reader wondering how to respond.

Readers judge a business message partially by its tone.

TRUE Readers judge a message partially by its tone—the overall evaluation the reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content.

The closer you match your writing style to the way your readers think and talk, the easier it is for them to process the information you present.

TRUE The closer you match your writing style to the way your readers think and talk, the easier it is for them to process the information you present. Ease of processing means your readers need less mental effort to understand your message.

An absence of conflict during conversations might imply that employees are not voicing their true perspectives.

TRUE The exchange of perspectives and competing ideas reflects open and honest communication. If there is no conflict, employees are likely not voicing their true perspectives

The most important stage of creating effective business messages is planning.

TRUE The most important stage of creating effective business messages is planning.

Typically, readers sense tone over an entire message.

TRUE Typically, readers sense tone over an entire message. The guidelines for choosing appropriate subjects for your sentences influence tone—for good or bad—over the entirety of a paragraph or message.

When you use consistent grammatical patterns for items in lists and series, readers can process the information far more naturally and quickly.

TRUE When you use consistent grammatical patterns for items in lists and series, readers can process the information far more naturally and quickly

When you write concisely, your message is far easier to read.

TRUE When you write concisely, your message is far easier to read. Conciseness does not imply removing relevant information. Rather, it implies omitting needless words so that readers can rapidly process your main ideas.

While writing business messages, one should find ways to avoid terms that unnecessarily focus on differences.

TRUE While writing business messages, one should find ways to avoid terms that unnecessarily focus on differences. This increases the positivity of business messages.

In effective learner statements, individuals explicitly state their desire to hear differing opinions.

TRUE You can create an environment in which others open up and you can listen more effectively with learner statements, which show your commitment to hearing people out. In effective learner statements, you explicitly state your desire to hear differing opinions.

All outgoing messages are encoded and all incoming messages are decoded through a filter of lifetime experiences.

True All outgoing messages are encoded and all incoming messages are decoded through a filter of lifetime experiences. This filter is an accumulation of knowledge, values, expectations, and attitudes based on prior personal experiences.

Character-based traits are crucial in determining trust at the workplace.

True Character is central in creating trust. Hence, character-based traits are crucial in determining trust at the workplace.

Each person involved in interpersonal communication is both encoding and decoding meaning.

True Each person involved in interpersonal communication is both encoding and decoding meaning. It involves the exchange of simultaneous and mutual messages to share and negotiate meaning between those involved.

Effective communicators gain trust by connecting with others.

True Effective communicators gain trust by connecting with others—that is, seeking to understand others' needs, wants, opinions, feelings, and aspirations

The level of trust in working relationships strongly impacts financial performance

True Establishing credibility allows you to communicate more easily and more influentially. The level of trust in working relationships strongly impacts work outcomes and financial performance.

Feelers enjoy talking and frequently discuss feelings and stories.

True Feelers tend to be more people-oriented and as a result, they focus heavily on harmony. Feelers enjoy talking and frequently discuss feelings and stories.

In the interpersonal communication process, communicators encode and send messages at the same time that they also receive and decode messages.

True In the interpersonal communication process, communicators encode and send messages at the same time that they also receive and decode messages.

When communicating with intuitors one should not overemphasize the details.

True Intuitors are future-oriented, out-of-the-box thinkers. When communicating with intuitors, one should take more time for discussion and not overemphasize the details.

By avoiding open and honest communication of business problems, employees doom a business to poor financial performance

True Nothing short of complete honesty is demanded in the business world. By avoiding open and honest communication of business problems, employees doom a business to poor financial performance

Competence can be developed through real-world business experiences.

True People develop competence in many ways: through study, observation, and, most important, practice and real-world business experiences.

High self-awareness includes the ability to manage events that stir strong responses.

True Self-awareness is particularly important for stressful and unpleasant situations. High self-awareness includes the ability to manage events that stir strong—often fight-or-flight—responses

Sensers are pragmatic and results-oriented.

True Sensers are pragmatic and results-oriented. When addressing sensers, one needs to be direct, brief, and to the point.

Spoken messages in the workplace are low in control but high in richness.

True Spoken messages in the workplace are generally high in richness but low in control. In other words, when people speak to one another face-to-face, they get immediate verbal and nonverbal feedback and respond accordingly.

Private communication does not necessarily imply that the communication is confidential.

True The most basic workplace communication is one-to-one communication that involves just a few individuals about work matters. We refer to this type of communication as private communication. This does not necessarily imply that the communication is confidential.

People low in self-management should practice self-talk to improve.

True To improve self-management people need to practice self-talk and visualize responding effectively to challenging interpersonal issues

It is the duty of civil servants to act visibly, predictably, and understandably.

True Transparency involves sharing all relevant information with stakeholders. It is the duty of civil servants to act visibly, predictably, and understandably

You can create a transparent workplace by being accessible and acknowledging the concerns of others

True You can create a transparent workplace by being accessible, acknowledging the concerns of others, and following through when you don't have immediate answers.

Which of the following is a synchronous communication channel that is most likely to be high in control? a) a webinar b) a conference call c) social networking d) a phone conversation e) texting

a) a webinar

Javier and Carol have never worked together before. When they exchange texts about setting up a time to discuss a mutual project, Javier texts, "I look forward to the meeting." Carol replies, "Gr8. TTYL." What would you suggest to make their communication go more smoothly? a) Both Javier and Carol should adjust their style to be more like each other's. b) They should stop texting and write emails instead. c) Carol should confront Javier and insist that he write more informally. d) They don't need to change anything at this point. e) Javier should confront Carol and insist that she write more formally.

a) Both Javier and Carol should adjust their style to be more like each other's.

Which action demonstrates that Joaquin acts with transparency? a) He shares all relevant information with stakeholders. b) He shares his company's trade secrets with its competitors. c) He accepts gifts... and gratuities from clients d) He keeps conversations with stakeholders confidential. e) He considers himself accountable only to himself.

a) He shares all relevant information with stakeholders.

Which of the following statements is most true of a routine request? a) Your tone should be direct but not bossy or domineering. b) You need to be particularly persuasive when writing routine requests. c) One primary goal for routine requests is to acknowledge a mistake. d) Avoid including subject lines in routine requests. e) You can expect a lot of resistance to routine requests.

a) Your tone should be direct but not bossy or domineering.

Matt and LaRita grew up in communities that view authority in very different ways, so they have difficulty understanding each other at times. The problem is being caused primarily because of a) a filter of lifetime experiences. b) psychological noise. c) differences in self-awareness. d) emotional hijacking. e) differences in emotional intelligence.

a) a filter of lifetime experiences.

Which of the following is the richest communication channel for delivering bad-news messages? a) a personal meeting b) a memo c) a video call d) an email e) a phone call

a) a personal meeting

Most business proposals deal with a) decisions about allocating resources. b) summaries of survey research. c) recommendations for courses of action. d) analyses of business databases. e) analyses of spreadsheets.

a) decisions about allocating resources.

People who speak out constructively about differences of opinion are most likely to have a) high relationship management skills. b) low self-awareness. c) high self-awareness. d) low self-management skills. e) low empathy.

a) high relationship management skills.

The purpose of an executive summary is to a) represent briefly the most important elements of your report, including key findings and conclusions. b) provide a memo of transmittal. c) combine information from various sources in novel and insightful ways that do not require citation. d) provide a reference list of all your sources at the end of the report. e) raise the credibility of your report by carefully providing cause-effect statements.

a) represent briefly the most important elements of your report, including key findings and conclusions.

The best way to avoid plagiarism on a documentwide level is by a) supplying your own original ideas, conclusions, and recommendations. b) significantly altering the original words and sentence structure. c) changing the words of the original speaker to alter the meaning. d) using direct quotations or verbatim restatements from another source. e) combining information from one or two sources.

a) supplying your own original ideas, conclusions, and recommendations.

While delivering bad news in writing to customers, use a) specific examples of their mistakes. b) you-voice. c) passive verbs. d) a complex message style. e) a lot of industry-specific jargon.

c) passive verbs.

Theory X

assumes that the average person dislikes work and will avoid it if possible. therefore, people must be forced, controlled, and threatened with punishment to accomplish organizational goals

Theory Y

assumes that, given challenge and freedom, workers are motivated to achieve self-esteem and to demonstrate their competence and creativity.

In the context of the reviewing process, the "A" in the FAIR test stands for _____. a) agreement b) access c) analysis d) argument e) audience

b) access

Apologies are most effective when they a) focus on oneself. b) are timely. c) are vague. d) deny responsibility. e) use clichés.

b) are timely.

In the AIDA approach, after gaining attention, the next step is to a) gather information about competitors' products. b) build interest and curiosity. c) analyze the audience. d) conclude with a specific call to action. e) choose influential arguments.

b) build interest and curiosity.

The part of a claim that makes a specific request of the recipient is known as a a) subject line. b) call to action. c) statement of goodwill. d) rationale. e) primary message

b) call to action.

If you want to draw your audience's attention to you, you should a) face the screen instead of the audience to speak with confidence. b) explain and elaborate on the content in your slides. c) avoid previewing the slides before showing them to the audience. d) open your presentation with your slides. e) turn out the lights so that the audience can view the slides easily.

b) explain and elaborate on the content in your slides.

In terms of maintaining credibility, the most important quality to convey when delivering bad news is a) self-interest. b) honesty. c) appreciation. d) tact. e) sympathy.

b) honesty.

Which of the following is most likely to damage your credibility with the people who receive your emails? a) using a salutation in the email form b) leaving out some of the necessary information c) breaking your message into bulleted points d) repeating the primary message at the end of the email e) adopting a reader-centered tone

b) leaving out some of the necessary information

To use another person's ideas and pass them off as one's own is known as a) citation. b) plagiarism. c) paraphrasing. d) quotation. e) summarizing.

b) plagiarism.

Which of the following raises the credibility of a report? a) using the APA style instead of the MLA style b) supplying the facts with precision c) avoiding the use of cause-effect statements d) shielding the urgency of the problem e) stressing positivity rather than objectivity

b) supplying the facts with precision

Which of the following statements about announcements is true? a) Employees and customers devote a great deal of attention to all the announcements they receive. b) Employees gloss over announcements because they contain few facts. c) Event announcements should allow readers to gather all relevant information in 10 to 15 seconds. d) Announcements are usually sent to a very small group of employees or customers. e) Formatting announcements for ease of reading can be good but is not necessarily important.

c) Event announcements should allow readers to gather all relevant information in 10 to 15 seconds.

Which of the following statements about business messages is true? a) Using parallel language should be avoided as it can distract the readers from your main message. b) Emphasizing the drawbacks of the products and services rather than the advantages improves the effectiveness of the message. c) Providing required information is essential because not providing enough information can leave your reader wondering how to respond. d) Slanting, or presenting only those facts that are favorable to your position, is important because it increases the credibility of a business message. e) Providing as much information as you can should be your primary aim when writing a business message because readers can never have too much information.

c) Providing required information is essential because not providing enough information can leave your reader wondering how to respond.

Which of the following is an effective strategy for responding to inquiries? a) Use bullets when the order of the inquiries is important. b) Restrict the number of inquiries to one per email. c) Set off each question by using special formatting. d) Divide the inquiries into segments and reply to them at different times. e) Avoid using bullets or numbered lists.

c) Set off each question by using special formatting.

Your colleague Kanye has to give a presentation to an audience of strangers, and he is feeling a little nervous. Which of the following tips would be the best advice you could give him? a) Rehearse up till the last minute. b) Focus on your notes rather than the audience. c) Speak with audience members ahead of time. d) Arrive a little late to the venue. e) Think of what can go wrong so you can prepare for it.

c) Speak with audience members ahead of time.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using handouts during presentations? a) They send the message that you are low-tech. b) They cannot adequately present numerical information. c) They can distract your audience members. d) They fail to provide important details and information. e) They alter the direction of the presentation.

c) They can distract your audience members.

Which of the following statements is a helpful guideline for nonverbal communication during presentations? a) Avoid smiling because it can make you seem fake and insincere. b) Demonstrate warmth by standing with your hands on your hips or folding your arms. c) Use your facial expressions to connect with your audience and show enthusiasm for your topic. d) Avoid gesturing with your hands, arms, body, and head as that makes you seem melodramatic. e) Do not make too much eye contact because audiences interpret that as being aggressive.

c) Use your facial expressions to connect with your audience and show enthusiasm for your topic.

Which of the following is most likely to be included as an attachment to an email? a) a subject line b) a list of the recipients c) a spreadsheet d) the body of the message e) a signature block

c) a spreadsheet

In a persuasive message, what is the next task after you finish stating the need? a) showing appreciation b) giving a call to action c) offering a solution d) providing a rationale e) gaining attention

c) offering a solution

Which of the following actions is most likely to be part of the reviewing stage? a) developing the primary message b) gathering relevant, accurate, and up-to-date information c) proofreading the message d) creating a reader-centered tone e) analyzing the audience

c) proofreading the message

The term ______ refers to the reasons why your product, service, or idea really benefits your readers. a) validation b) appreciation c) rationale d) social proof e) counterpoint

c) rationale

Reply email chains become especially confusing when a) recipients include attachments in their reply emails. b) all recipients decide to mark the email as spam and block the sender. c) some recipients reply only to the sender and others reply to everyone. d) recipients forget to include a salutation in their emails when they reply. e) one recipient deletes the email and others reply to it.

c) some recipients reply only to the sender and others reply to everyone.

The dominant business ethic in corporate communications is _____, which is "a principle that allows those affected by administrative decisions, business transactions, or charitable work to know not only the basic facts and figures but also the mechanisms and processes. It is the duty of civil servants, managers, and trustees to act visibly, predictably and understandably." a) competence b) hierarchy c) transparency d) expertise e) caring

c) transparency

What are announcements? a) written step-by-step procedures for how employees should complete a particular task b) requests for other companies to provide compensation for or correct the mistakes they have made c) updates, notices, and other correspondences that apply to a group of employees and/or customers d) detailed timelines by which the work should be accomplished satisfactorily e) lists of tasks with deadlines assigned to different employees within an organization

c) updates, notices, and other correspondences that apply to a group of employees and/or customers

Which of the following is characteristic of learner mind-sets? a) displaying an unwillingness to hear other people's point of view b) agreeing with everything you hear c) viewing differences of opinion as normal d) working by a firm set of rules and guidelines e) ascribing negative traits to people with opposing views

c) viewing differences of opinion as normal

Nan, a younger colleague, has to give her first presentation. What tip should you give her about managing her nerves? a) Drink large amounts of coffee before your presentation for energy. b) Do not think too much about your presentation ahead of time. c) Avoid referring to colleagues by their names during your presentation. d) Focus on friendly faces in the audience to gain composure and confidence. e) Stay distant from the audience before starting your presentation.

d) Focus on friendly faces in the audience to gain composure and confidence.

Which of the following is a solution-oriented question? a) In what way do you think our shipping practices contribute to our high expenses? b) Is your suggestion consistent with our goal to reduce our overall budget? c) What did you learn in the meeting you had with our colleagues in Baltimore last week? d) How can we reduce our expenses for office supplies to meet our budget goals? e) Now that we know we want to reduce the company budget, what subcategories should we consider?

d) How can we reduce our expenses for office supplies to meet our budget goals?

Which of the following is true of contemporary organizational culture? a) Credibility is seldom a basis for effective communication in the business world. b) Organizations that work in low-trust environments are the most successful. c) The communication structures implemented by most organizations are closed. d) Most organizations are moving toward flatter communication structures. e) Companies no longer require employees to keep work-information confidential.

d) Most organizations are moving toward flatter communication structures.

Which of the following is an advantage of including bulleting and enumerated lists in a report? a) They help the writer focus more on positivity rather than objectivity. b) They allow decision makers to judge the quality of the data. c) They signal that the writer has been methodical in collecting, analyzing, and reporting findings. d) They help readers rapidly process and group dense information. e) They help establish the purpose and value of the report.

d) They help readers rapidly process and group dense information.

Rita, the head of the sales department, wants to train all of her sales people in how to sell the latest product. She wants them all to be able to see the product and its features, to hear the sales pitch the marketing department has developed, and to ask questions. Which of the following is the best communication channel for Rita to use? a) a phone conversation b) social networking c) texting d) a webinar e) a blog

d) a webinar

While conducting the FAIR test, which of the following questions will help you analyze whether your message demonstrates respect for the inherent worth of your audience? a) Are you confident in your facts? b) Have you avoided slanting the facts? c) Are there any logical errors? d) Are you open about your motives? e) Have you shown that you value others?

e) Have you shown that you value others?

Jerry, the CEO of Turbo Inc., is a successful business leader with a reputation for caring. Which of the following statements would prove this? a) He believes he is accountable to nobody but himself. b) His communication style is me-oriented, not we-oriented. c) His leadership style is result-oriented and not relationship-oriented. d) He prioritizes the development of his company over the well-being of his team. e) He strives to understand the interests and aspirations of his employees.

e) He strives to understand the interests and aspirations of his employees.

Which of the following is the best example of a company experiencing the mum effect? a) A transparent work culture at Sylphs Inc. allows employees to transfer bad-news messages to top executives in an accurate state. b) Managers at Coral Motor Company believe in delivering bad-news messages to subordinates personally. c) Employees of the Gray Kingdom Inc. freely exchange both good and bad news, as they are not blamed for it later. d) Elixir Machine Corp. provides an honest, caring environment for employees and encourages them to openly discuss their problems. e) In Sandman Corp., as messages move up the chain of bureaucracy, they get filtered at each level to soften bad news.

e) In Sandman Corp., as messages move up the chain of bureaucracy, they get filtered at each level to soften bad news.

In which of the following scenarios is the speaker acting advantageously? a) Luis sits casually on a table while presenting. b) Shaniqua grips the podium while she speaks to the audience. c) Nicole paces around the room while presenting. d) Carter stares at his notes to deal with his nervousness. e) Nelson stands close to the audience to establish eye contact with them.

e) Nelson stands close to the audience to establish eye contact with them.

Which of the following presenters is using the room to advantage? a) Barbara leans on the podium while presenting. b) Anita makes sure she is facing the screen while presenting. c) Jayden places himself in a corner of the room to avoid eye contact with his audience. d) Allen grips the podium while presenting. e) Smith positions himself where people can see him easily.

e) Smith positions himself where people can see him easily.

Which of the following is the best example of a buffer in a message to turn down a job applicant? a) We are sorry that you do not suit the requirements for the market research position. b) Bookworm Inc. is looking for a candidate with better expertise than yours. c) Bookworm Inc. will not be able to hire you because you have insufficient experience. d) Your lack of experience in this field means that you are not the best person for our position. e) Thank you for your interest in the market research position at Bookworm Inc.

e) Thank you for your interest in the market research position at Bookworm Inc.

To be able to craft messages that persuade people to modify their ideas or actions, you need to spend a significant amount of time a) proofreading the text. b) perfecting the hard sell. c) gaining attention. d) providing a rationale. e) analyzing the audience.

e) analyzing the audience

Which of the following is a strength of introverts? a) making a positive first impression b) gaining the support of other colleagues c) acting quickly if they see an advantage d) meeting people at large social events e) asking thoughtful, important questions

e) asking thoughtful, important questions

In the business world, caring can be demonstrated by a) emphasizing the results of decisions and actions. b) sharing relevant information with stakeholders. c) focusing mainly on the tasks that need to be done. d) recognizing and acting on business opportunities. e) considering the needs of customers and employees.

e) considering the needs of customers and employees.

The principle of influence known as social proof refers to the idea that people a) tend to follow through once they have made a commitment. b) tend to feel obligated to return favors. c) follow authority figures. d) are more likely to be persuaded by people they like. e) determine what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do.

e) determine what is right, correct, or desirable by seeing what others do.

When statements in a business message contain full and unambiguous meaning, the business message is said to be a) implicit. b) indirect. c) persuasive. d) direct. e) explicit.

e) explicit.

Which of the following involves an act or thought process committed by the sender rather than the receiver of an email? a) neutrality effect b) negativity effect c) reinterpretation d) cyber silence e) flames

e) flames

In the context of workplace attire, which of the following styles requires men to wear neckties? a) high-level business casual dress b) mid-level business casual dress c) casual dress d) low-level business casual dress e) formal business dress

e) formal business dress

To keep an organization free of the mum effect, it is necessary to a) prevent employees from sharing bad news. b) convey negative messages with an accusatory tone. c) increase the layers of bureaucracy. d) share bad news as impersonally as possible. e) foster a transparent and open work culture.

e) foster a transparent and open work culture.

If a business professional wants to increase credibility, what primary goal should he or she adopt when writing business reports? a) covering up unpleasant facts b) drawing attention to writing style c) supporting managers' preconceived ideas d) finishing as quickly as possible e) improving decision making

e) improving decision making

What does "O" stand for in the SOFTEN model of nonverbal communication in presentations? a) oral message b) outspoken c) opportunity d) oral e) open stance

e) open stance

stimulus

this triggers a thought, which in turn triggers the desire to communicate (first requirement for sending a message)

Human relations communication

though the environment is friendly and relaxed, communication is a command tool for use by management; basically downward, although it is also supportive.