SAM 3250J Midterm/Final

Samantha, a team lead at Net Works Co., is heading a project on designing a new software application. Samantha and her team are supposed to complete the development work by the end of the month, but they haven't received the necessary instructions from the client to begin the final phase of development. Consequently, the development work has been delayed and she needs to write to the client about the issue. Which of the following statements would be most appropriate?

"We're currently working on the second phase of development, and we'll be ready to begin the next phase as soon as we receive further instructions."

Ricardo is required to translate a report on "The Impact of using Coal in China." For this task, he tried to hire a skilled translator who initially quoted a price of $30 per page. Ricardo, however, can converse in Chinese and believes that he may be able to translate the report himself with the aid of a few of his friends. On the other hand, a volunteer with limited experience in Chinese translations has agreed to do the job for $20 and is willing to lower his rate to $15. Which of the following should Ricardo quote in the budget section of his proposal?

$30 because even if the grant is cut, he'll still be able to do the project well

Which of the following types of reports allows you and a funding agency to resolve problems as they arise?

A progress report

In the introduction of a report, _____ refer to statements whose truth one presumes, and which help one prove a final point.

Assumptions

Cecilia, a risk manager at a banking firm, prepares a report that documents the causes of failure of a recent project. She lists lack of sustainability as a reason for failure and recommends suitable action to prevent such failures in the future. Under which of the following categories of reports does her report fall?

A closure report

Jayla wants to change her audience's perception of a problem in order to solve it effectively. Which of the following patterns of organizing information would be appropriate in this scenario?

A general to particular pattern

Elijah has completed the first semester of his undergraduate program, and he is looking for an internship in fund-raising. He writes an application letter to a reputed not-for-profit organization even though it has not advertised an internship vacancy yet. In this scenario, which of the following kinds of application letters should Elijah write?

A prospecting letter

Johanna begins her presentation on the effects of climate change by saying, "'Climate change is the worst catastrophe man has ever witnessed!' That's what Raymond Bennet said." Which of the following openers has Johanna used in her presentation?

A quotation

Which of the following statements can be best applied to the use of Gantt charts?

Gantt charts are bar charts used to show schedules.

Adella is a campaign manager at a not-for-profit organization. She notices that one of her subordinates, Mary has not achieved any of her objectives for an ongoing campaign. After speaking to the other campaign managers, Adella discovers that Mary has not achieved her objectives for some other projects as well. After her discussion with the HR department, Adella decides that Mary should be terminated. In which of the following ways should Adella convey this news to Mary?

Adella should deliver this news to Mary in person instead of through e-mail or phone.

An advertising firm is trying to evaluate if it should change its recruitment policy or continue with its existing practices. It decides to seek a proposal from an HR consultant. Which of the following is the proposal more likely to provide?

An assessment of whether change is a good idea

Huang is writing a new edition report on networking strategies in business. While writing the report, he refers to previous reports on the same subject. He wants to include previous reports in the document. In which of the following sections of the report will it be appropriate to include them?

Appendix

Which of the following conventions should you follow when creating visuals and data displays?

Avoid straying from convention or you may confuse or alienate your audience.

_____ questions direct different respondents to different parts of the questionnaire based on their answers to earlier questions.

Branching

Which of the following is true of ethics in business communications?

Business ethics mostly involves routine practices that involve communication.

Which of the following is true of the process of finding out about employers and jobs?

Conducting information interviews will give you more insights about a job that may interest you.

Which of the following is true of job hunting?

Correct People who do not need jobs immediately are more confident and usually get better offers.

Which of the following would be classified as an informative message?

Distributing the minutes of a meeting to all members of the meeting

Which of the following is a way to handle being out of the job market for a while?

Do freelance work to keep you occupied.

_____ refers to providing the bibliographic information readers would need to go back to the original source.

Documentation

Which of the following is a difference between photographs and drawings as visuals or data displays?

Drawings are more effective than photographs for showing a process.

Wendy is planning to conduct a survey to gather information through primary research. She intends to survey a fairly small number of people in a specific location. Which of the following kinds of surveys will be convenient in this case?

Face-to-face

Enya is a climate change campaigner and is working on a global warming campaign. She is currently working on the second stage of a project in which she needs to discuss marketing strategies with Carrie, the communications manager. She understands that her interaction with Carrie will involve long discussions on the pros and cons of different strategies. She is also aware that the process is complicated, and she needs to efficiently understand Carrie's views on implementing different modes of communication. According to the scenario, which of the following is most likely to be the ideal mode of communication for Enya?

Face-to-face visit

Which of the following is a good feedback strategy during team decision making?

Feedback should be regular to keep members contributing their share of the work in a timely fashion.

Which of the following is true of goodwill in business communication?

Goodwill helps to create less staff turnover.

Loretta, a professor, recently gave a presentation on over-consumerism and its impacts. The presentation was a huge success, mainly because she used a lot of nonverbal communication which drew the audience's attention and made the presentation interesting. Which of the following is a form of nonverbal communication that Loretta must have used in her presentation?

Graphics

A team at Ad Will Inc., an advertising agency, is working on a new advertisement for an energy drink. The head of the team, Lee, suggests that the advertisement should target primarily the rich. The team thinks this is a bad idea, because the manufacturers are targeting a young market and the young market is unlikely to be rich. However, because of Lee's temper, the team goes along with Lee, which results in the advertisement being rejected by the client. Which of the following is best demonstrated in this scenario?

Groupthink

Ronaldo has just completed his first interview with a prospective employer, and he thinks it has gone off quite well. Which of the following should he do to reinforce his positive first interview?

He should write a thank-you note within the next 24 hours.

Jaylen is recognized by his team members as having excellent team management skills. Which of the following behaviors does Jaylen most likely engage in during team meetings?

He suggests ways to solve interpersonal problems in the team.

Kayla is attending an interview for the post of an administrative executive. Which of the following would be a good answer to the question, "What is your greatest weakness?"

I do not like selling products. But I like selling ideas, which is why this position interests me.

Which of the following is true of a monologue presentation?

In a monologue presentation, the speaker functions as an expert and questions are asked at the end of the presentation.

Melissa works as an assistant editor at a publishing house in Manhattan. Since she resides 15 miles away from her workplace, she spends a lot of time travelling. As a result, she barely finds time to spend with her children. She intends to talk to her manager to ask him if she could work from home for a few days a week. Which of the following would be a good common ground for Melissa to propose?

Increasing productivity

Which of the following is true of formal and informal visuals used for business communication?

Informal visuals do not have numbers or titles.

Which of the following is true of body language?

It impacts cross-cultural communication.

Which of the following best describes an elevator speech?

It is a powerful statement of why you are a good candidate for a particular job.

Which of the following is true about information overload?

It makes people become selective about the messages they open and read.

Which of the following best defines a sampling frame?

It refers to a list of all sampling units.

Which of the following best defines boilerplate?

It refers to using the language from a previous document that a writer legitimately adds in a new document.

Which of the following is an effective design principle?

Items relating to each other should be grouped close together.

For good time management, which of the following should be used to manage time crunch problems?

Keeping lists and prioritizing items on the list

_____ refer to words and phrases that an employer will have a computer seek in an electronic résumé.

Key words

Which of the following is considered appropriate attire for a woman to an interview?

Knee-length skirt

Which of the following is a good coping strategy for an individual who has joined his first full-time job?

Learn the jargon, but use it sparingly around the office.

Which of the following is true of efficient time management in the process of writing a report?

Make minor revisions to your proposal for the introduction section of the report to save time.

Which of the following actions is most likely to make a meeting effective?

Making information on the agenda specific so that participants can come prepared

Rochelle is a human resource executive. She has just finished recruiting members for the finance team of the organization. Rochelle notices that all the new hires were born after the year 1964 and that they differ in their characteristics from the rest of the employees in the company, who belong to an older age group. Which of the following practices would best help Rochelle handle the new employees and avoid job dissatisfaction?

Motivating them by explaining what they will gain from a performing a task effectively

Which of the following examples best illustrates positive emphasis in an application letter?

My profile of a professor was published in the campus newsletter.

Noberto is a final-year graduate student working on his thesis on the increasing incidence of mental illness in children-a topic that is relatively new in his field. His research is based on a sample of 300 children from all over the country. The data he collects is complex and is presented in tables, pie charts, bar charts, and line graphs. He also uses some photographs and drawings. For the purpose of integrating visuals and data displays into his text, which of the following would you recommend to Noberto?

Noberto should ensure that he summarizes the main point of each visual or data display before he presents it.

Which of the following is considered a typical social error in China?

Omitting official titles

Helen works for a well-reputed advertising firm. She is popular among her colleagues because of her excellent listening skills. Which of the following is Helen most likely doing to reduce listening errors during conversations on the job?

Paraphrasing what a speaker has said to correct her understanding

While evaluating sources of data, which of the following is true of analyzing numbers and patterns?

Patterns enable one to derive meaning from data collected during research.

Daniel is creating a print advertisement for a wrinkle-reducing face cream. The advertisement has to have a sense of authenticity so that customers know the exact effects of the product. It must also visually demonstrate how the product is used. Which of the following visuals should Daniel use to present the data?

Photographs

Which of the following should you do to deal with fear during a presentation?

Picture stress leaving your body as you exhale.

Which of the following is a typical communication strategy in low-context cultures?

Placing very little importance to building relationships

Which of the following negative messages is the hardest to compose?

Product recalls

Evelyn Jones who works for Lobo Events, an event management company, is preparing a document on the problems faced while hosting events and generating revenue. In the report, she explains that unavailability of venues for events in particular seasons and steep charges by music bands are challenges faced by the company. In addition, she explains the company's performance and that it generated revenue of $25,000,000 in the last three months. Which of the following documents is Evelyn preparing in this scenario?

Quarterly report

Which of the following questions should you avoid asking in an interview?

Questions about salary and benefits

One of the marketing teams of Amor Inc., a clothing store, has prepared a report on the marketing strategies for its new line of winter clothing. The team is now in the process of mapping the report to the originally stated objectives. In addition, the team has shared the report with the other teams to obtain feedback. In which of the following activities is Amor Inc.'s marketing team primarily engaged?

Revising

Ravi is a job applicant who plans to send his résumé with an e-mail. He is afraid that it will get rejected by spam filters. While e-mailing his résumé, which of the following is a preventative step that Ravi can take to avoid the effect of spam filters?

Set his personal spam filter to high and send his résumé to himself.

Whitney has to deliver an informative presentation on a new laptop model to a large group of people. Which of the following guidelines should Whitney follow in order to effectively deliver her presentation?

She should avoid bringing up the negatives of the new model unless she is sure that the audience will think of them.

Kayla, a graduate student, is preparing her first résumé She makes it a point to frequently use key words throughout her résumé. Which of the following guidelines should Kayla follow while writing her résumé?

She should ensure that items in the list follow a parallel structure.

Judith needs to write a progress report on marketing Delights, a new line of designer bags in Mexico. Which of the following guidelines does she need to follow when drafting her report?

She should use you-attitude and a positive tone in her report.

Which of the following would you have to do to be persuasive?

Show the audience that your proposal meets their needs.

Which of the following guidelines should be followed when making a direct request?

Simply ask for what is needed in the message.

Which of the following should be undertaken while summarizing a message?

Start with the main points and then move on to explaining supporting material.

Jacob recently wrote a report on the development rate of villages in close proximity to cities in Vietnam. Which of the following did he most likely place in the appendix of the report?

Supporting data that will later be examined by specialists

Which of the following is true of networking?

Successful networking is characterized by a "two-way" reputation.

Which of the following guidelines should you follow when handling questions in an oral presentation?

Summarize the main points at the end of the question period.

Which of the following statements is true regarding proposal style?

Support your generalizations and inferences with data.

Dario is preparing a report and he wants to provide a specific overview of each section and of the entire report. Which of the following is best suited to accomplish this objective?

Talking heads

Lola works as a campaign manager at a marine conservation organization. For the past five years, she has been working on a campaign that has gained a lot of support from the public. This has resulted in a huge number of volunteers for the campaign. Recently, however, due to lack of budget, the campaign was temporarily closed. Lola needs to convey this negative message to the volunteers. Which of the following illustrates the most effective buffer statement that should employed by Lola in her message?

Thank you for working with us to help the campaign gain force.

Which of the following sentences is in active voice?

The board of directors will make their decision by the end of the week.

Gabrielle is delivering a presentation on the different mediums that can be used to spread awareness about the need to conserve the Yellow River in China. She begins her presentation by explaining why television advertisements should not be used as a means of promoting awareness. Then, she moves on to discuss the disadvantages of using radio advertising to promote their cause. She concludes her presentation by discussing print media, specifically newspapers, and how they can serve their purpose by spreading the message to a wider public base. Which of the following patterns of organizing data did Gabrielle use in her presentation?

The excluding alternatives pattern

2 out of 2 points Pedro is a marketing executive at an apparel firm. He is currently working on a proposal to promote a new line of clothing for the company. While preparing for the presentation, he keeps in mind the marketing directors of the company, who have the power to adopt the plan. He also notes that his marketing manager might approve or reject his proposal before it is presented to the directors. On the day of the presentation, Pedro notices that the sales manager, the finance manager, and the production manager are also present to offer their comments on the proposal. In this scenario, who among the following individuals is the gatekeeper for Pedro's proposal?

The marketing manager

Identify the correct statement about the use of visuals and data displays in a business document.

The number of visuals and data displays should be more when the information is complex.

Which of the following is true of the hidden job market?

The percentage of jobs that are not advertised is as high as 80 percent.

Which of the following is true of good report problems?

They have data and evidence that is comprehensible to a researcher.

Which of the following are purposes of using headings?

They should allow readers to compare and contrast points easily.

Which of the following is true of good survey questions?

They should be placed in a particular order.

Which of the following is true of negative messages?

They should make readers feel that the decision made is fair and reasonable.

Which of the following is required to understand cultural diversity?

To realize that people from another culture may do things differently, but that does not make them inferior

Which of the following instructions should be followed while designing a document?

Twelve-point type should be used for letters, memos, emails, and reports.

Which of the following examples best illustrates you-attitude in an application letter?

Under my presidency, students were able to have many of their needs met.

Which of the following is a difference between oral messages and written messages?

Unlike written messages, oral messages make it easier to use emotion to help persuade an audience.

Rita applies for the position of a visualizer in a web designing company. On her résumé, she experiments with layout and fonts to make it look attractive, and at the same time she wants to ensure that she follows the basic guidelines pertaining to layout and design. While doing so, which of the following should she adhere to?

Use enough white space to group items.

Which of the following is a feature of good document design?

Using white space to separate and emphasize important points

Monica is an executive assistant at a campaigning organization and needs to organize an important project meeting in the upcoming week. Although she has made all arrangements well ahead of time, the project manager needs to travel out of town on the day of the scheduled meeting. She needs to find a way to still organize the meeting with the active participation of all members including the project manager. Which of the following would help Monica arrange this meeting?

Videoconference

A sentence reads "We must review the feedback that is enclosed within this e-mail and act on the suggestions that the customer has offered us." Which of the following correctly rephrases this sentence to make it less wordy and to reduce the business jargon in contains?

We must review the enclosed feedback and act on the customer's suggestions.

Which of the following questions is most likely to be asked in a behavioral interview?

What did you do the last time a project faced a crisis?

Which of the following questions are legal in an interview?

What languages can you speak?

Sweeney's Ice-cream advertised its new sundaes on fliers which were distributed in malls. This initiative was successful and customers felt that the advertisement was created especially for them. Keeping in mind you-attitude in messages, which of the following did Sweeney's Ice-cream most likely say in its fliers?

You can now try our new fresh fruit sundaes for only $5!

Alberto is the owner of a shoe store. He interviews 10 people for the post of store manager and eventually selects Maya. Alberto e-mails Maya to let her know that she has been selected for the post. Which of the following statements made by Alberto best conveys this information through you-attitude?

You have been selected for the post of store manager.

Which of the following is true of writing sales proposals?

You should deal with any objections your reader may have regarding your proposal.

Which of the following guidelines should you follow when designing a PowerPoint presentation?

You should use a big font size for your titles: 44 or 50 points.

Which of the following is true of a virtual cover letter while applying for a job?

You will not get a chance to submit a cover letter until after the employer has seen what you have posted online.

Lesley is working on a campaign that aims at promoting reforestation in the country. As part of the campaign, Lesley sends out emails that list the advantages and disadvantages of reforestation. By doing this, she feels, the audience will be in a better position to take a stand on the issue. The pattern of organizing information used by Lesley is referred to as:

a pro-and-con pattern.

The first paragraph of a proposal for a student report you've created usually includes:

a sentence or two summarizing the topic and purposes of your report.

The most appropriate situation for a direct request pattern to be used is when:

an audience tends to agree easily to a request.

While preparing a report, a copy of the interview questions is included in the _____ of the report.

appendix

A(n) _____ on job candidates includes a verification of legal and criminal records, complete employment history, and academic credentials.

background check

Hannah, a training coordinator, meets with all the trainers in her organization to generate ideas about how to make their training sessions more interactive. She asks the trainers to begin by sharing all their ideas, without thinking about whether the ideas are relevant. She writes these ideas down on a white board. She says that once they have generated as many ideas as they can, she will zero in on the most useful ones. This scenario best illustrates the process of:

brainstorming.

The term _____ refers to résumé that summarize what one did in a time line starting with the most recent events, and going backward in reverse order.

chronological résumé

The _____ of an interview should be used by a candidate to summarize restated key accomplishments and strengths, and to express enthusiasm for the job.

close

Altech Inc., a biotech company, writes a proposal to the National Institute of Health, requesting the organization to fund its oral insulin project. This proposal is most likely an example of a(n) _____.

competitive proposal

Jenex Inc. is a software development company that offers its employees perks including on-site day care for their children, three-week paid vacation twice a year, and on-site laundry pickup and delivery. These offerings are most representative of Jenex Inc.'s _____.

corporate culture

Effective oral communication directed at an international audience primarily requires _____.

cultural understanding

Lydia has completed her first round of interview with a publishing house and is waiting to hear from the company. At this point, it is appropriate for Lydia to:

follow up with a call and leave a message if she gets voice mail.

Kimberly and her team are in the initial stages of a project and are having a team meeting. During the meeting, they allocate roles to each other and set ground rules. They also decide that they will meet every Monday to discuss their progress and any setbacks faced. Kimberly's team is currently in the _____ stage of the life of a task team.

formation

In western cultures, which of the following colors suggests a positive connotation of tranquility and a negative connotation of jealousy?

green

A question reads "What would you say if you had to motivate an employee who missed an important deadline?" This is an example of a _____ question.

hypothetical

onia, a manager at an advertising agency, prepares a report to record the work completed so far and the work remaining on her new project. Her report further analyzes the quality of the work and recommends specific restructuring to the project. Sonia has prepared a(n) _____.

interim report

A way to ensure that a reader stays long enough on a home page is to:

make it clear what readers will get if they click on a certain link.

In a fund-raising message, the action close of the message must:

make the action sound easy for the audience to perform.

While adding positive emphasis to a message, negatives should be placed in the _____ to de-emphasize the negative.

middle of the message

_____ questions do not lock the subject into any sort of response.

open

Brainweave Inc. is a large chain of stationery stores that has moved its Customer Service department to another country, Elavia, to save costs. In the context of trends in business communication, this scenario best demonstrates _____.

outsourcing

When using visuals or data displays, _____ should be typically used to create a sense of authenticity or show the item in use.

photographs

Dominic is presenting a report on a failed project. He begins his presentation by explaining the problems faced by the team while working on the project, such as the short deadlines and the small workforce. Then, he identifies the causes of these problems. He concludes by suggesting that the company expand its workforce. According to the scenario, Dominic has used the _____ pattern of organizing the information in his presentation.

problem-causes-solution

Creating goodwill with content involves:

showing why information your audience didn't ask for is important.

Imani is responding to a newspaper advertisement for the post of editorial assistant in a publishing house. When she writes her application letter, she indicates immediately that she is applying for the specific position advertised. This is a recommended practice for _____ application letters.

solicited

Tricia is a graduate student. She sees an advertisement for a job opening in her field. She is advised by her professor to apply for the advertised job. Since Tricia knows that the company is hiring, she should write a(n) _____ letter.

solicited

Cindy attends a career counseling session in her neighborhood where she receives career advice and useful tips from seasoned career counselors. These experts specifically discuss how career objective statements should be framed and provide general guidelines regarding them. Cindy is advised that career objective statement should:

state what one wants to do and the responsibility one wants to hold.

Leona delivers a presentation to the employees of her firm about the sales targets for the approaching quarter. In her presentation, she emphasizes certain words in her sentences such as, "You have achieved this in the past, and you can do it again!" and "I believe this is possible!" Her presentation positively affects the employees and inspires them to work hard toward achieving their targets. Which of the following voice qualities has Leona used to motivate her audience?

stress

Dong Ho works at Welborough Bank in California. He recently gave a presentation on "Benefits of Investing in Unit-Link Plans" to the members of his team, the sales team, and the marketing team. He also showed the presentation to his superiors before making a few changes and presenting it to the customers. The external audience for Dong's presentation includes:

the customers.

Which of the following elements of a visual best tells the story that the visual shows?

title

A(n) _____ introduces or summarizes the main idea of a paragraph.

topic sentence

To maintain the correct paragraph length and unity for your application letter, use _____ at the beginning of your paragraphs to make your letter more readable.

topic sentences

Farah is preparing a proposal for developing a new line of ammonia-free hair color. When writing her proposal, Farah should avoid:

using technical jargon and a complex style of writing.

While e-mailing a solicited application letter, _____.

you can paste your traditional letter into your e-mail

In business communication, tone is particularly important when:

you want readers to feel that you have taken their requests seriously.