Biz Comm 2

Table of Contents

-Expected for any report over ten pages long -Contains all first level headings and sometimes all second level headings -A well designed table of contents immediately creates an impression that you are organized

Fair Test

-Facts -Access -Impacts -Respect

Ari's email asking her colleagues to donate clothing to a local homeless shelter is an example of an external persuasive message. True False

False

In making a table of contents, Maria lists out her recommendations in clear bullet points. True False

False

In order to maintain consistency, and thereby project objectivity, Jim should not get any other perspectives before submitting his report. True False

False

Managing negative rumors is relatively easy in the Social Age. True False

False

Prepositional phrases should be used in business messages to increase clarity. True False

False

The more you use special formatting, such as italics or underlining, the more likely you are to communicate your emphasis to your reader. True False

False

When conducting a FAIR test on a routine message, the most important aspect to consider is respect. True False

False

Achieving a positive, can-do tone in your communications is appropriate in nearly all business situations. True False

True

Documents with a lot of text and not much white space look daunting or cluttered. True False

True

Each year, Patriot Tax Services runs "tax clinics" in poor neighborhoods to help people fill out basic tax returns without charging a fee. This program is likely to increase Patriot's brand value. True False

True

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

True

Messages that provide directions and messages that set expectations both involve telling others what to do. True False

True

One of the primary goals of public relations is to create distinctive brand value for a company. True False

True

Providing too much information can distract readers and weigh a business document down. True False

True

Three components are central in setting expectations for those you manage: describing responsibilities, providing deadlines, and discussing coordination. True False

True

The use of the we-voice is an appropriate way to -emphasize objectivity in persuasive messages. -deemphasize self-centeredness in internal persuasive messages. -emphasize reader benefits in external persuasive messages. -emphasize shared work goals in internal persuasive messages. -depersonalize external persuasive messages.

emphasize shared work goals in internal persuasive messages.

For most written business communications, the first consideration should be to -construct the message in passive voice. -demonstrate how much of an expert you are. -get the message across in an easy-to-read manner. -select the facts in a persuasive manner. -present the message in a visually appealing manner.

get the message across in an easy-to-read manner.

Which of the following is an example of a bad-news message that is characterized by high severity and low controllability? -rejecting a colleague's idea -deciding to no longer use a supplier -giving an employee a poor review -rejecting a customer claim -laying off an employee

laying off an employee

Which aspect of bad news relates to the probability of the bad event occurring? -adaptability -consequences -likelihood -controllability -Severity

likelihood

It becomes easier for your readers to process the information you present when you -include a lot of text in your message and very little white space. -avoid using parallel language, which makes it difficult to distinguish between the information provided. -match your writing style to the way your readers think and talk. -choose long and obscure words to pique their curiosity. -use prepositional phrases extensively as they increase the clarity of the message.

match your writing style to the way your readers think and talk.

Which of the following is the most important step in planning routine messages? -audience analysis -message structuring -crisis analysis -meta message development -idea development

message structuring

Which of the following is a reason why companies are less able to generate predictable media exposure in the Social Age? -the abundance of options in mass advertising -the lack of exploitable social media tools -the decreasing importance of online consumer reviews -the redundancy of activist blogs -the increasingly fragmented media landscape

the increasingly fragmented media landscape

The recommendations made within a business report must be -complex and theoretical. -general and abstract. -specific and actionable. -simple and paraphrased. -methodical and skeptical.

specific and actionable.

Nearly all public relations messages are targeted and adapted to a particular -set of decision makers. -stakeholder group. -medium of communication. -department in the company. -customer base.

stakeholder group.

External persuasive messages, with the exception of those that emphasize price, are generally based on -strong logical appeals. -the liking principle of influence. -the scarcity principle of influence. -strong emotional appeals. -the authority principle of influence.

strong emotional appeals.

A person who has to deliver bad news should avoid -using a neutral subject line for the message. -including a short buffer at the beginning of the message. -taking the blame for something that is not his or her fault. -expressing sympathy to the readers. -providing a rationale for the unfavorable decision made.

taking the blame for something that is not his or her fault.

Which of the following is most likely to be included on the cover page of a report? -the date of submission -a list of sources -the recipients' names -a mission statement -a preview statement

the date of submission

Which of the following statements about business reports is true? -A title page should be used in a business report to preview the report's most important contents. -A business report should always use as many bulleted or numbered lists as possible. -It is important to strike a balance between objectivity and positivity in a report. -Preview statements help decision makers judge the quality of the data provided in business reports. -Precision in most business reports is the result of using the right documentation system.

-It is important to strike a balance between objectivity and positivity in a report.

SWOT

-Strengths -Weaknesses -Opportunities -Threats

Which of the following is the best example of setting measurable and realistic expectations? -Mark asks Ben to help ensure that the market share of the company increases. -Keisha informs Roger that she expects to see an improvement in his output as soon as possible. -Pablo tells Rachel, one of his sales people, that he expects a sharp improvement in her sales figures. -Jessica tells Halim that she believes he can turn things around for his next performance review. -Marsha tells Eddie, a machine operator, to reduce the amount of defective parts he produces by 40 percent.

...Marsha tells Eddie, a machine operator, to reduce the amount of defective parts he produces by 40 percent

Jansson Chemicals had a chemical spill in one of its plants. Which of the following events was part of the crisis response stage of crisis management? -As soon as the spill occurred, team leaders shut down production and directed employees to leave the premises. -A corroded pipe caused the spill, so the maintenance department improved its inspection routines. -At least once a year, the crisis management team conducted evacuation drills with employees. -Jansson's managers created a crisis management plan to prepare for events like fires, chemical spills, and injured workers. -After the accident, the public relations team informed stockholders, customers, and suppliers about the recovery plan.

As soon as the spill occurred, team leaders shut down production and directed employees to leave the premises.

Consider the following sentence: "CEO Mike Maloney regrets to announce that PharmCo will be downsizing at the end of September." Which of the following actions would improve the ease of reading? -Change "at the end of September" to "at the end of the third quarter." -Change "CEO Mike Maloney" to "The CEO of PharmCo." -Change the buzzword "downsizing" to "laying off employees." -Cut the prepositional phrase "at the end of September." -Change "PharmCo" to "PharmCo Drug and Pharmaceutical Company."

Change the buzzword "downsizing" to "laying off employees."

Which of the following principles is based on the idea that once people make an explicit commitment, they tend to follow through and honor that commitment? -reciprocation -authority -liking -social proof -Consistency

Consistency

Which of the following is most likely to be true of creating crisis messages? -Providing compensation is a sign of guilt, so companies should refrain from announcing compensation in their crisis messages. -When stakeholders hold a company responsible for a crisis, the company should issue an excuse or justification rather than an apology. -Corrective actions are explained to stakeholders only in accident crises. -Crisis messages are not required in a victim crisis since stakeholders do not attach responsibility to the company. -Crisis communication teams must modify their messages for various media.

Crisis communication teams must modify their messages for various media.

Andre, the floor manager of a packing plant, is under pressure from his boss to increase productivity. He circulates a memo telling all of his workers that they need to increase the number of units packed each hour. After a month, production has not changed significantly. What went wrong in his communication? -He did not explain the pressure he was under. -His message was not friendly enough. -He used a memo instead of a more formal document. -His message did not set a clear and specific production target. -His message was not concise enough.

His message did not set a clear and specific production target.

Which of the following statements made by an employee would be a counterproductive response to a negative review? -Negative feedback is a part of the boss's job and mine. -The feedback I get from my boss will facilitate my career advancement. -It is my responsibility to accept the feedback and improve myself accordingly. -My performance on the job is not related to whether my boss likes me. -My boss doesn't care about my work, so why should I care what he thinks?

My boss doesn't care about my work, so why should I care what he thinks?

What is the main challenge that authors of routine messages have to overcome? -Knowing what the audience wants from a routine message can be very difficult. -Finding enough facts to write a routine message is difficult. -Readers receive so many routine messages that it is hard to catch their attention. -Routine messages require substantial evidence to document their claims. -Most routine messages have complex content that is difficult to simplify.

Readers receive so many routine messages that it is hard to catch their attention.

_____ responsibility means that companies give back, serve, and meet the social interests of their communities. -Ethical -Cultural -Social -Economic -Collective

Social

Zach uses simple and direct language in an announcement stating that his company has discontinued a popular product because the cost of production has soared. His choice of language will help customers to believe that he has been up front with them. True False

True

A message that makes a claim is most likely to close with -a step-by-step direction. -an emotional reason for the claim. -the rationale for the claim. -an announcement. -a call to action.

a call to action.

Buzzword

a word or phrase, often an item of jargon, that is fashionable at a particular time or in a particular context.

Which of the following is the first step in the planning process for writing persuasive messages? -developing ideas -analyzing the audience -conducting the FAIR test for the message -choosing a method of influence -setting up the message structure

analyzing the audience

Which of the following will help guarantee that your information is accurate and reliable? -front-loading your message -applying the FAIR test -using special formatting, such as bullets -including links -using short sentences

applying the FAIR test

People reading a business message are most likely to be confused by a sentence that -does not mention the subject. -contains redundancies to drive home the point. -uses action verbs rather than passive verbs. -has parallel structure. -uses active voice rather than passive voice.

does not mention the subject.

Your co-manager, Tayeb, asks you to take a look at his report on the effects of the migration crisis on your company's operations in Greece. The report is quite optimistic despite some revenue losses in the region, and you suspect that Tayeb is missing information that undermines his view. You should offer the criticism that the report lacks -balance between objectivity and positivity. -a detailed table of contents. -charts to convey complex numerical information. -original and innovative ideas. -a structure that points out its supporting facts and conclusions.

balance between objectivity and positivity.

Secondary Research

collection of data from second-hand sources (Research already done by other people)

Vera is the owner of Component Fabrication, Inc. After a major customer takes their business elsewhere, she has to cut back on the hours she can offer her 44 employees. She sends them an email with the subject "A change to our shift lengths" that says how they are not getting as many orders now that their best customer has left. As a result, she explains, the length of each shift will be reduced by 90 minutes. Vera closes by expressing the hope that hours can be expanded again after new customers are found in the next few months. What mistake did Vera make that could leave her message recipients feeling disrespected? -omitting a teaser statement -not delivering the message in person -failing to close with goodwill -using a direct message structure -not providing a rationale for the bad news

not delivering the message in person

Melody Inc. manufactures music players exclusively for the U.S. market. Melody's previous model, Songz, could access the Internet and download music as an added feature. Songz would sometimes freeze during downloads and force users to restart the download. Melody failed to rectify the problem but promised users a huge discount on the next model if they exchanged their Songz. Melody's new product, Custom-Ears, rectifies the freezing problem and is available at a discount for Songz users. However, Custom-Ears is not free of problems. It turns off frequently because simultaneous multiple downloads cause it to overheat. Which of the following acts as an intensifying factor for Melody in this crisis related to Custom-Ears? -Melody's decision to develop another music player after Songz -previous problems related to Songz -current problems related to Custom-Ears -Melody's decision to sell Custom-Ears at a discounted price -Melody's decision to add music downloads capabilities to Songz and Custom-Ears

previous problems related to Songz

Which of the following raises the credibility of a report? -providing supporting details for your conclusions -using direct quotations rather than paraphrases -eliminating bulleted lists -avoiding the use of cause-effect statements -avoiding predictions

providing supporting details for your conclusions

In order to encourage participation in a walkathon, the organization arranging the event 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? -reciprocation -social proof -liking -authority -scarcity

reciprocation

Primary Research

research you do for the first time

What is the primary purpose of crisis communications? -to repair reputation loss -to develop a sample response for future crises -to help victims and other stakeholders -to avoid reputation loss -to inform stakeholders about the causes of the crisis

to help victims and other stakeholders

A business writer who wants to help readers rapidly process and group the information in a report should -include a glossary in the back matter. -use bulleting and enumerated lists. -include a title page in the report. -include a memo of transmittal in the report. -use MLA instead of APA documentation style.

use bulleting and enumerated lists.

Which of the following should communicators avoid when delivering bad-news messages? -sympathizing with the recipients of bad news -committing to transparency and honesty in delivering bad news -viewing delivery of bad news opportunistically -bearing responsibility for one's own role in causing bad news -telling the truth even when it is not popular or politically correct

viewing delivery of bad news opportunistically