bus comm final - charles williams

Juan wants to get a newer version of a computer program. Considering this, which of the following is an example of an indirect request by Juan?

Is there a newer version of this computer program?

Which of the following accurately describes the Plain Writing Act?

It requires all federal agencies to use clear prose that can be easily understood by the public.

Which of the following statements about a formal meeting is true?

It requires each point debated on during the meeting to be settled by a vote.

Which of the following is true of passive voice in a sentence?

It should be used to avoid assigning blame.

Faymen Inc. is experiencing financial trouble due to the superior marketing strategies of its competitors. To deal with this, Faymen's management is planning to lay off many employees. How should the company's management communicate this to its employees?

It should enlist its employees' help to find solutions to possibly save jobs.

Dynamic displays and infographics differ in which way?

Infographics are static once published; dynamic displays can be updated on the fly.

Which of the following is true of internships?

Internships provide valuable information about employers, professions, and jobs.

Which of the following takes place during the opening segment of an interview?

Interviewers try to set you at ease.

Which of the following styles of writing should be followed to create a business document?

It should make the message as friendly and personal as possible.

Which of the following statements about a subject line is true?

It should satisfy the psychological demands of the situation.

Companies use tools such as __________ to locate influencers who help their sales.

Klout

Chanthavy is going to take a business trip to Sweden and doesn't want to be seen as the "ugly English speaker." Considering this, which of the following is the most practical things for Chanthavy to do?

Learn the basics of the Swedish language.

Shamin had been interviewed for the post of brand manager at Apex Apparel. Since it has been two weeks since the interview, Shamin decides to call the contact person and ask her about his status, but he reaches her voice mail. Which of the following should Shamin do while leaving a voice mail message?

Leave a brief message—complete with his name and number.

The Instamatic Printing Company is happy with its relationship with a paper supplier, and it asks for a proposal to renew the contract between the two companies after it expires. In this scenario, Instamatic Printing is likely to seek a(n) __________ proposal.

Noncompetitive

Phillipe has designed a brochure for a new product. He needs to test the brochure before printing several copies and distributing it. Which of the following is the best way to test the brochure?

Observe and interview five or more people as they read the brochure.

Which of the following is the best technique for usability testing of a website according to Jakob Nielsen?

Observe people using the site at various stages of design.

During business communication, which of the following statements about the views of and the attitudes toward time is true?

Offices in the United States keep time by the calendar and the clock.

Which of the following contrasts is accurate?

Only 10% of native-born Americans speak a foreign language; 56% of European Union citizens speak a foreign language.

Which of the following statements about how employers use résumés is true?

Only those résumés that match key words are read by a human being.

In the context of the four dichotomies in Myers-Briggs typology, which of the following statements is true?

Perceiving types prefer to live in a flexible, spontaneous way, enjoying possibilities.

Which of the following is true of personal space?

Personal space refers to the distance people want between themselves and other people in ordinary interchanges.

Which of the following guidelines should you follow to create a strong opening for your presentation?

Personalize your opening to the needs and interests of the audience.

Which of the following correctly differentiates between pie charts and bar charts?

Pie charts require an audience to judge area, while bar charts require them to judge position or length.

__________ measures whether a voice uses sounds that are low or high.

Pitch

Which of the following is true of putting information in a report?

Place material that a careful audience would like but that is not crucial to your proof in an appendix.

Mariela works for a publishing house and needs to write to her manager to get approval on creating a new subscription letter. Which of the following statements written by her illustrates positive tone in a persuasive message?

Please approve the creation of our new subscription letter.

Yuri is a project manager at an computer-repair workshop. He currently requires various parts to begin the repair of an old computer that is rare in the market. The computer needs to be returned to its owner by August 7. To ensure that his supplier sends the parts on time, which of the following should Yuri say in his email to the supplier?

Please ensure the materials are delivered by July 25.

Esteban is a sales manager. He is in charge of welcoming a new batch of sales executives to his organization and introducing them to the sales team. He is meeting the new employees for the first time. When he introduces them to the sales team, the new employees think he is being sexist. Which of the following did Esteban most likely say?

Please welcome Mr. Boston, Mr. Ellis, and Mrs. West.

Which of the following is an example of an interactive presentation?

a sales presentation in which the salesperson converses with the buyer to determine needs and probe objections

Which of the following illustrates demographic profiling of employees?

a tax saving plan designed for female employees earning more than $8,000 every month

Which of the following is an example of an informative or positive message?

a thank-you note acknowledging receipt of a charitable gift

Darya is talking to her human resources manager, Zenia, about not being able to attend the company's Annual Day celebrations that will consist of two fun events. Zenia listens to Darya and then says, "So you are saying that you will not be able to attend either event." Zenia's statement illustrates

active listening that paraphrases content.

When writing a progress report, you should:

adapt your report to the needs of your audience.

When is the reviewer of a business plan likely to make initial decisions about you, your writing, your idea, and your logic?

after reading the "Executive Summary"

In writing proposals for funding, you should

align your idea to fit the needs of your audience in obvious ways.

Which of the following statements about information overload is true?

Routine communications can result in information overload.

Which of the following is a desirable result of sending a negative message?

The audience should feel they have been taken seriously.

Which of the following is a disadvantage of PowerPoint?

The basic templates may seem repetitive.

Which of the following sentences is in active voice?

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

Fancy Pants is a luxury apparel store that sells designer wear to its member clients, who are mostly movie stars and music artists. When selling merchandise, which of the following audience benefits is Fancy Pants most likely to stress?

The collection is exclusive, and each outfit can be further personalized to suit the client's taste.

Which of the following guidelines should be followed while editing a document?

The editing process should ensure that there is subject-verb and noun-pronoun agreement.

Which of the following is an example of a startling statement?

The gross revenues have dropped by 10 percent this year.

Which of the following is true of background checks on job candidates?

They include a check of academic credentials.

Which of the following is a characteristic of successful student teams?

They make decisions together instead of having individuals make decisions.

Which of the following is true of threats?

They produce tension in a work place.

Which of the following statements about design conventions is true?

They provide a design language and shape audience expectations.

Which of the following is true of readability formulas?

They rely heavily on word length and sentence length.

Which of the following represents a potential drawback to a business owner of using smartphone apps to grow a business?

They require time and money to develop and maintain.

Which of the following statements about infographics is true?

They use a mixture of numbers, text, color, and drawings or images.

Which of the following is a characteristic of successful interviewees?

They use appropriate technical jargon related to the industry or job.

Himmat is part of a team whose job is to write articles for the company's bi-annual newsletter. Himmat believes that his team works well together and has the ability to be extremely successful. Which of the following is most likely a characteristic of Himmat's team?

They use collaborative technologies to help the writing process.

Which of the following is true about the 1-2-3 pattern of organizing information in an oral presentation?

This pattern works well when you want to organize short, informative briefings.

The store manager at Cult Culture Inc., a department store, wants all the sales personnel to work for six days a week instead of five during the summer sale season. The manager knows that the sales team will find it both physically and psychologically taxing to work over weekends. Which of the following statements will most likely help inspire the sales team to agree to the store manager's request?

Those who work six days a week will receive a higher commission percentage on sales.

A manager has to inform her subordinates that their performances are not up to the mark. To maintain positive emphasis, which of the following is the best way for her to communicate the bad news to them?

To ensure that employee performance is good this year, we are changing the productivity guidelines.

Keeping in mind tone, power, and politeness in business messages, which of the following statements about trust is true?

Trust is enhanced by delivering what you promised.

Which of the following is a guideline for workplace tweets?

Tweets should use just enough words to clearly convey the message.

Which of the following types of technology is most often used to resolve customer complaints quickly?

Twitter

Which of the following should you do while organizing information that builds goodwill?

Use headings and lists so readers can find key points quickly.

Saki's boss is of the intuitive type in Myers-Briggs typology. Considering this, which of the following will it be advisable for Saki to do when making and presenting decisions to her boss?

Use metaphors and analogies in explanations.

Which of the following is a recommended use of technology for charities?

Use their own website as well as other channels of direct marketing.

Which of the following is recommended while writing rejections and refusals?

Use your knowledge of the organization's culture for messages within the organization.

Which of the following problems commonly faced by job hunters is most likely to be solved by accepting a fast-food job or similar unskilled position and sticking with it?

"I don't have any experience."

Saoirse is writing a progress report on the development of a new software program for a client. She and her team faced a technical glitch last week, which has since been solved. Which of the following is the best way to present this information to the client?

"We overcame a major technical glitch last week. We are now on track to finish the work by the due date."

Kaylee needs to translate a report titled "Tigers: On the Verge of Extinction in Indonesia." For the task, she tried to hire a skilled translator who initially quoted a price of $20 per page. However, Kaylee feels she may be able to negotiate further and get the job done for $15. On the other hand, a volunteer with partial experience in translating has agreed to do the work for $10. Which of the following rates should Kaylee quote in the budget section of her proposal?

$20 because even if the grant is cut, she'll still be able to do the task well

Light Green Bike Rental announces that its customers will receive a 20% discount on rentals. The manager needs to email all clients about this offer. Which of the following would be the best subject line for the email?

20% Discount on Bike Rentals

Dmitri is a publicity director for a transnational consumer electronics consortium. He has produced the company's annual report for the year 2017 and now intends to distribute it to the principal corporate stakeholders. Which of the following would be the most appropriate subject line for an email message with the report attached?

2017 Annual Report

How many people need to test a document to reveal 85% of its flaws?

5

Which of the following is true of a company communicating decisions about layoffs or firings?

A company needs to give an honest reason for a layoff or firing.

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

Admit it when you don't know the answer to a question.

Which of the following statements about writing proposals for funding is true?

Always use the type size mentioned in the format criteria when drafting your proposal.

In protest movements such as the Arab Spring of 2010-2011, demonstrators communicated through mobile-based social media platforms to organize spontaneous street protests and tactical moves to evade crowd control by police. Which of the virtues of selecting appropriate communication technology does this example best illustrate?

allowing communicators to respond more quickly

Which of the following is an accurate definition of ethnocentrism?

assuming one's own culture is the norm while judging different approaches and behaviors as nonstandard

Which of the following is the best method for emphasizing résumé items sent in the body of an email?

asterisks

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

attaching very little importance to promises

Which of the following best defines citation?

attributing an idea or fact to its source in the body of a text

Credibility is best described as the

audience's response to you as the source of the message.

When writing to international audiences, a person should

avoid idiomatic phrases.

When you are writing an email to a customer in response to a small error you made, which you are correcting, you should

avoid writing an explicit apology.

The action close of a fund-raising message must

end with a positive picture and not with a selfish request for money.

What language is used as a lingua franca in the contemporary world?

english

Face-to-face communication is a good choice when

establishing a paper trail should be avoided.

While revising a collaborative piece of writing, it is important to

evaluate the content and discuss possible revisions as a team.

In an email to his manager, Raphael declines an offer to relocate to another city. Raphael writes "I appreciate the offer; __________, I am not able to accept it for personal reasons." Which of the following transitional words is suited to complete the given sentence?

however

In which of the following business situations would you typically need to be most polite?

if you are asking for something that will inconvenience the audience

In regard to business communications, the design of a document should primarily reflect and reinforce a company's

image or brand.

Amelia is a sales representative at an enterprise services company. She receives an email from her boss stating, "All salespeople must send their sales report by the end of the day." Amelia is not happy about how this statement is phrased. The most likely reason for her unhappiness is that the way the statement is phrased is

impolite

Lola is a sales manager at a bank. She recently received an email from a team member, Dario, requesting leave during Christmas. Though the mail was framed well, she felt as though Dario was shouting at her. Which of the following is most likely the reason for Lola's reaction?

important sentences in all capitals

Where should the source of data presented in an infographic be cited?

in an unobtrusive location on the infographic

The best way to tell a story with infographics is to

include a detailed title to frame the story.

Revisions for you-attitude often __________ because the revision is more specific and has more information.

increase the length of sentences

In business communication, the main purpose of a 10-K report is to

inform.

Weimin has been assigned the task of training the new employees at work. Which of the following types of presentations will Weimin most likely use during his training sessions?

informative presentations

Frederico is a lounge owner seeking to promote his business by distributing pictures and videos along with a few interesting facts. He also wants to engage potential customers and receive feedback from them. According to this scenario, which of the following communication tools should Frederico use to promote his lounge?

instagram

Esma is creating a brochure for an office tour. She plans to use headings like "Day 1" to differentiate the events planned on different days. She also uses bullets to list the plan for each day. According to Charles Kostelnick's levels of design, Esma's choices belong to the __________ of design.

inter-level

Lena is preparing a PowerPoint presentation for a meeting with her clients. While preparing the presentation, she decides to list the services provided by her company using bullets. According to the four levels of design proposed by Charles Kostelnick, this decision by Lena is an example of __________ choices.

inter-level

Saraswati's professor asks her to gather information through primary research for her dissertation titled "Artificial Intelligence and Language Learning Frontiers." Which of the following methods of research will help her conduct primary research?

interviewing experts in the field

Dominic is designing a brochure. He has to decide between Arial and Calibri fonts for the body of the brochure. According to Charles Kostelnick's four levels of design, Dominic's choice belongs to the

intra-level.

The transition word "moreover" is typically used in business writing to

introduce another important item.

David, an employee of Whiz Co., is writing a business proposal for a new project. In a certain section of his proposal, David summarizes the subject of his proposal and its purpose. He also provides some background information on the project and emphasizes its significance. Which of the following sections of David's business proposal has been highlighted in this scenario?

introduction

According to Myers-Briggs typology,

introverted types derive their energy from within.

A written paragraph is said to have unity when

it discusses only one idea or topic.

Violating design conventions is risky because

it may signal that the author or designer is unreliable or unknowledgeable.

Which of the following documents is used for performance appraisals, salaries, and hiring?

job description

Doris, a graphic design consultant, prepares a report that provides information and analysis on contemporary design practices to garner support for adopting a particular layout for a new advertising campaign. Which of the following kinds of reports is Doris writing?

justification

Which of the following is a technique for creating positive emphasis in a message?

justifying the negative information in the message by giving a reason

Including __________ on a virtual cover letter and tying them to your experiences will at least get you on the radar and make you stand out.

key words

The Grand Banquet Hotel is a business hotel for corporate clients looking for a premium place to host product launches, press releases, and shareholder meetings. Which of the following audience benefits should the hotel's advertisements stress to effectively appeal to its target customer?

large conference room that accommodates more than 300 people

Miriam is completing a statistics test in which she has to illustrate data with the help of a pie chart. Which of the following actions will help Miriam create an effective and easy-to-read pie chart?

limiting the number of segments to no more than seven

Youssef, a journalist, is investigating the reduction in the number of racially motivated killings in his city over the course of a year. He needs to visually depict the data he collects. Which of the following visuals should Youssef use to depict this data in the best way?

line graph

Which of the following is a term for a common language used among speakers of other languages?

lingua franca

A sentence reads, "To increase the skin cleansing you obtain from the product, we have added a special chemical to it, which has increased the price of the product." Which aspect of maintaining positive emphasis does this sentence best indicate?

linking a negative element to a benefit by placing the benefit first

Which of the following is most likely to help increase the perceived importance of a message?

linking your sales message to the things people do or use every day

Gloria is preparing for an interview with an interior design company. Which of the following would most likely help her have a successful interview?

listening to each question from the interviewer to see if key points about her strengths can be a part of the answer

A problem-solving pattern should be used in a persuasive message when

logic is more important than emotion in the decision.

When deciding how much and what information to include in a presentation, you should

make a list of the points that must be included.

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

make the action sound easy for the audience to perform.

Which of the following is a typical example of nonverbal communication in North America?

making eye contact with a speaker to convey that one is listening

Which of the following is an effective practice when requesting an action from the audience that is time-consuming, complicated, or psychologically challenging?

making the action as easy as possible

Reynaldo is working on a project for his meteorology class. He is required to visually depict the distribution of snowfall in North America. Which of the following visuals will best suit Reynaldo's needs?

map

Who is most likely to be able to identify design flaws in a document?

people who are most likely to have trouble reading the document

Mariela works in the United States, but her co-workers are in Dublin. She notices a mistake in a report sent from Dublin, and it has to be rectified right away. She has to communicate this information immediately to her co-workers in Dublin. Mariela also wants to make sure that her tone is friendly and not bossy while doing so. In this scenario, which of the following communication channels would work best for Mariela?

phone call

Which of the following is the most effective channel for handling customer complaints?

phone calls

Five companies contributed different amounts to a local charity. Which of the following visuals would best illustrate the comparative contribution of each company to the total amount contributed?

pie chart

Tyrone creates a table that lists the percentage consumption of different types of cuisine in different parts of the world. The different countries are listed column-wise, while the different cuisines are listed row-wise. He provides both row and column totals. He also rounds off decimal points, simplifies data, and shades alternate rows. Which of the following is most likely a fault in the table?

placing items to be compared in rows

In business writing, neglecting to quote and document material written by people outside the organization is

plagiarism.

Axel, a graduate student, needs to write a report titled "Economic Change in the European Union." He is currently researching the issue of using a common currency, choosing examples of positive and negative economic changes, and analyzing European Union regulations. In which of the following activities of the composing process is Axel most likely engaged?

planning

Fatima is an avid blogger and is quite active on many social networking sites. She recently graduated college and is searching for a job. Which of the following items should she avoid posting online?

political rants

Which branch of psychology studies how to help people thrive?

positive

A country has a highly decentralized governing structure. Direct communication is encouraged with open channels for communication, irrespective of authority. According to Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions, which of the following cultural dimensions do these features indicate?

power-distance index

Relative to oral messages, a written message makes it easier to

present many specific details.

Jana is the head of a department and is in charge of supervising 30 employees. Most discussions related to her department take place orally in departmental meetings. However, Jana should deliver the message in a written form when she wants to

present specific details or complex data about a particular project.

When organizing your information to fit your audience, your purpose, and the situation, you should

present the good news first

It is not necessary to include benefits in positive and informative messages when

presenting factual information only.

When writing informative and positive messages, one should include reader benefits when

presenting policies for an audience.

Chio has been asked by his project manager to give a presentation on why social media is or is not a good medium to spread awareness about the conservation of the southern orangutan. In his presentation, Chio mentions the benefits of using social media as being low in cost and having a wide audience. On the other hand, he states unreliability as a drawback. Which of the following patterns of organizing the body of a presentation is Chio using?

pro-con

Hwan is writing a report on the impact of social media use on sleep patterns to a neutral audience. He identifies the issue as important, explains its background, and discusses its seriousness after identifying its causes. He then analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of possible solutions and suggests certain recommendations. He is following a(n) __________ pattern of organizing information.

problem-solution

The primary purpose of document design in business communications is to

project a desired image or brand.

Abdul, an employee of Better Snacks, is preparing a business proposal for producing low-carb food items. In a certain section of his proposal, Abdul outlines the steps he will follow to explore this new opportunity and also indicates the final deliverables of his project. Which of the following sections of Abdul's business proposal has been highlighted in this scenario?

project plan

Adele, a customer executive at a travel agency, is writing a report titled "Creative Strategies to Increase Client Base." She has already gathered the information she needs and restated the information in her own words using a different format and structure from the original. She has also shared her report with a colleague and has incorporated his suggestions. Now, Adele is ensuring that her report does not have any typographical or formatting errors. Which activity of the composing process is Adele currently doing?

proofreading

Which of the following best demonstrates you-attitude?

protecting the audience's ego

A website that was created with mobile-first design will

provide a functional experience no matter which type of device used to access it.

A good opener will

provide a reasonable transition to the body of the message.

Which of the following is most likely to prevent psychological reactance from your audience in response to a negative message?

providing alternatives

When writing to a business executive in Japan, Doris started the email with a direct question, spelled out the month, used English because she doesn't speak Japanese fluently, used a formal writing style, and avoided using contractions. Which of the following was a mistake?

starting the email with a direct question

Nefeli recently gave a presentation on the impacts of climate change. At the opening of her presentation, she said, "150,000 people die every year due to climate change." Which of the following modes of openers did Nefeli use in her presentation?

startling statement

Which of the following kinds of statements are used as buffers in a negative message?

statements that provide facts and chronologies of events

For an oral presentation, a meeting, or a document with lots of visuals, try creating a __________, with a rectangle representing each page or unit.

storyboard

Jasmine recently gave a presentation to her team members on the annual sales targets for the current financial year. In her presentation, she emphasized certain words in her sentences such as "You can do it!" and "I believe this is possible!" This motivated the members of the team who, after the meeting, were energized to perform well. Which of the following voice qualities did Jasmine focus on?

stress

Lupita recently attended an interview for the position of a creative executive. In the interview she was asked questions such as "If you were a cookie, what kind would you be?" and "If you could be any character from a book, who would you be?" She found such questions irrelevant at the time, but she gathered later that they were an integral part of the interview. What kind of an interview did Lupita most likely attend?

stress

Junot recently gave a presentation on "The Importance of Saving Bees" to a group of college students. The audience, however, failed to recognize the importance of his message in the presentation. Which of the following practices would have helped Junot increase the audience's regard for his message?

suggesting a realistic action the audience could take to help save the bee population

Tupoc has to send an assessment report about a new product to his manager. He attaches the report to a transmittal message. The transmittal states, "Please find the assessment report of the new product attached to this mail. I have highlighted the advantages and the positive features in the report. Please check the report and send me your comments." Tupoc's manager found the transmittal message incomplete. Which of the following is most likely missing in the transmittal?

summarization of the main points of the report

Fatima, a marketing planner for Power Pop Cosmetics, needs to give a presentation to her superiors about the launch plan for a new line of organic lipsticks. Once she receives an approval for it, she will be sharing details of the launch with distributors, clients, and retailers. She will also be presenting the plan to the press to spread word about the new lipstick line. Who among the following would be included in Fatima's internal audience?

superiors

Mei is going to prepare a proposal on "Limiting Plastic Waste at Fast Food Restaurants." While writing her proposal, Mei should

support the inferences in her proposal with data and other information.

Bernardo is writing a newsletter and decides to place the page number at the top right corner of the page. His choice belongs to Charles Kostelnick's __________ of design.

supra-level

Jovina is currently preparing a report on "The Education System in Ghana." She understands that she has a lot of content and decides to use a large page size of 841 × 1189 mm. She also places the page numbers on the bottom right corner where she feels they will be easily noticeable. Given these facts, we can conclude that Jovina is concentrating on Charles Kostelnick's __________ of design.

supra-level

Which of the following common inaccuracies is most likely to be discovered by an employer during the interview process?

technical abilities

A technology that uses high-end 50-inch plasma screens and broadcast-quality cameras to create virtual meetings that are almost lifelike is

telepresence

One sentence about a visual or data display would be sufficient in which of the following situations?

when the audience is already familiar with the topic and the data

The best time to negotiate for salary is

when you have your job offer.

Juana is the owner of a fashion house based in the United States. She decides to meet a few prospective clients from China. When certain disagreements arise during the course of the meeting, Juana realizes the importance of nonverbal communication. Which of the following eye gestures from Juana's clients would be considered as an expression of anger?

widening their eyes

If you are not following an RFP, you should begin your proposal

with a clear statement of what you propose doing.

How should a negative message to superiors end?

with a recommendation for a solution and a request for approval

While traveling on a business trip with a well-known train company, Carlos's baggage was misplaced. The train company promised to deliver his baggage to him within the week. However two weeks passed and he did not receive either his baggage or any kind of compensation. When composing his claim to the train company, Carlos should

write a direct and short email.

Which of the following describes clustering as a technique for generating ideas?

writing a topic in the middle of the page and trying to create a pattern of ideas around it

Poor business communication is characterized by

writing that obscures ideas and results in drawn-out decisions.

The venture capitalist for a small company is attending a sales presentation made by one of the employees to an important client. Though the venture capitalist does not have the power to stop the message or act on it directly, he will carefully evaluate the interaction between the employee and the client. Based on the results of the presentation, he will decide whether to invest further in the company. Which of the following audiences does the venture capitalist represent?

the watchdog audience

Which of the following names a function of procedural team leaders?

they set the agenda

In which of the following sections of a report should the release date be included?

title page

Which of the following is a secondary purpose of persuasive messages?

to establish a good relationship between the communicator and audience

Basilio mailed an ad to his customers stating, "You can now get a 50% discount on shoes at Basilio's Shoe Store." In business communication, which of the following is most likely the primary purpose of this message?

to have the receiver view the information positively

Which of the following is a primary purpose of a negative message?

to maintain as much goodwill as possible

Isabella is writing a report on different marketing mediums for a new line of fashion clothing. In her report, she uses words like "Advantages," "Drawbacks," and "Recommendations" to indicate the topic covered in each section. Which of the following is Isabella using?

topic headings

Which of the following is an example of an internal business document?

transmittal

Malik, a production manager at a small manufacturing company, has written a report for the organizational director on the types of equipment upgrades needed to accommodate a new line of products. Along with the report, Malik has also sent a memo explaining why he forwarded the document to his boss. The accompanying document is called a

transmittal.

Which of the following types of expenses require extra attention to make sure they are fully justified in a budget proposal?

travel and lodging

Which of the following is an example of verbal communication?

tweets

Which of the following is one of the most popular tools for marketing oneself online?

twitter

In survey questions, bypassing occurs typically when

two people use the same words but interpret them differently.

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.

Lens Flare is a graphic design firm that enables its employees to exercise while working by connecting some employees' workstations to treadmills. Lens Flare believes that this environment facilitates employee motivation and creativity. This scenario best illustrates Lens Flare's

corporate culture.

When choosing a visual representation for data in an infographic, it is most important to make sure the representation

corresponds with the content.

Carlos is working on the introduction section of a business report that he has to present next week. He outlines the factors and standards that he is considering and highlights the relative importance of each of the factors that come into play. Which of the following sections of the report is he more likely to be working on?

criteria

A memo of congratulations is written to

employees who have won awards or been promoted.

Which of the following sentences is a simple sentence?

Her desk has been moved to a corner at the other end of the floor.

Which of the following is an example of a sentence using passive voice?

The task was completed by the sales manager.

Which of the following statements about cultural values is true?

They generally affect one's response to people and situations.

Which example accurately reflects written communication in a country where most people think linearly?

Dave's email included several points, presented one at a time, about the upcoming merger.

Which of the following is true of preparing the budget and cost sections of a business proposal?

Include costs that will be paid from other sources.

Which of the following statements is true about roles in teams?

An individual's role can change during the team's work.

Which of the following is true of letters of transmittal?

An informal style is appropriate for transmittals.

Terry is writing a chronological progress report to focus on what work his team has completed so far and what work is pending. Which of the following statements is appropriate when he summarizes the progress in terms of his goals and his original schedule?

Analysis of data sets is about one-third complete.

Which of the following is a guideline that should be followed when using colors and decorative devices?

Analyze an audience before making color choices because the meanings of colors may vary.

Which of the following statements gives the best advice about the proposal writing process?

Anticipate and answer questions your readers may have.

What is the difference between accessible and inclusive design?

Any document can be made accessible, but inclusivity requires special certification from a government agency.

Arnold's manager fits the sensing type in Myers-Briggs typology. Which of the following communication strategies will be most effective when Arnold is presenting his decision to his manager?

Arnold should present his reasoning step by step.

Which of the following examples accurately illustrates how to discuss visual displays of data in writing?

As shown in figure 2.1, men are hired into jobs in the legal industry more often than women (82%).

Amir is writing the budget section of a business proposal seeking funding for a concert, "Music for a Cause." After careful calculation, he concludes that a total of $12,000,000 will be required for the event. Which of the following is an appropriate guideline that will help him win the bid?

Ask for $12,000,000 since it is required for the event to be successful.

After several weeks of interviewing, Towanda has received a job offer and is negotiating her salary. The hiring manager informs her that the company cannot afford to pay her the salary that she has requested due to budget constraints. What is Towanda's best course of action?

Ask for other benefits such as a better job title.

Which of the following statements about meetings is true?

At the end of a meeting, the leader should summarize all decisions.

Mia has planned a meeting with Khaled, her subordinate. Which of the following words spoken by Mia to Khaled indicates the lowest level of politeness?

Attend the meeting tomorrow.

Which of the following is a standard convention for headings?

Avoid using a subhead immediately after a heading.

__________ is a software program for internal communication that comes with secure cloud access.

Bitrix24

Which of the following is a disadvantage of videoconference interviews?

Body language cues are limited.

Which of the following is a major disadvantage of phone interviews?

Candidates are denied the important component of visual feedback.

Which of the following is a recommended method of creating ethical infographics?

Cite data sources at the bottom of the infographic.

Which of the following is the best text to use on an ordering link so that a website remains accessible for vision-impaired users?

Click to order

Which of the following statements about communication skills at entry-level jobs is true?

Communication skills are required for understanding instructions and for asking questions.

Which of the following describes the relationship between diversity and business success?

Companies with high levels of ethnic minorities tend to have the highest profits.

A lengthy post concerning updated company policies would be most appropriate to include on which media platform?

Company website

Which of the following should you do when analyzing business communication situations?

Consider your own needs as well as the needs of your superior and your audience.

A web designer needs to ensure that the font he chooses will have equal spaces for every letter. In which of the following fonts would the letters "l" and "m" take the same amount of space?

Courier

Chang is the new manager of Good Eats Inc. He is required to send an email to Alex Wales, whom he has never met. He is not sure whether Alex is male or female. Which of the following is the most nonsexist way to address Alex in the email?

Dear Alex Wales

Ramon is the customer service manager at Greenfield Communications, an Internet service provider. He is writing an email in response to a complaint the company received from a new customer, Deborah Hayes. As Ramon does not know Deborah on a personal basis, which of the following salutations should he use in his response?

Dear Ms. Hayes

Which of the following is important during the composing stage of a collaborative writing project?

Decide which technologies you can use so everyone can work on a draft simultaneously.

Which of the following is a proven strategy to explain failing out of school during a job interview?

Describe the event as a turning point and focus on performance after returning to school.

Which of the following is a recommended way of organizing a solicited job application letter?

Develop your additional qualifications whether or not the advertisement asks for them.

Ji-hu is leading a campaign against illegal logging. He ensures that his team meets once a week. Although the campaign has been progressing smoothly, Ji-hu notices various conflicts arising between some team members, which may be affecting their work. Which of the following steps should he take to help reduce the number of conflicts in the team?

Discuss the problems with them immediately instead of putting it off.

Which of the following statements about diversity in teams is true?

Diversity in teams may arise from differences in personality type.

Which of the following questions asked by a writer during the revision process indicates a focus on the style and tone of the message?

Does the message use you-attitude and positive emphasis?

Which of the following questions checks the criterion of objectivity while evaluating web sources?

Does the website give evidence to support its claims?

Which of the following is recommended for a candidate at a campus interview?

Dress according to the guidelines and dress code of your campus career center.

Which of the following correctly differentiates between editing and revising?

Editing focuses on changes in the surface of writing; revision focuses on changes in the meaning.

Which of the following statements about the costs of communication is true?

Email storage contributes a significant part of the cost of communication.

Tangmo has to deliver an oral presentation. Which of the following tips should Tangmo keep in mind when organizing her presentation?

Emphasize the key point at the beginning and the end of her presentation.

Which of the following represents a polychronic culture?

Employees give importance to establishing bonds between colleagues.

Which of the following is an accurate statement about speaking English in foreign countries?

English is becoming the common language within corporations located in countries where people speak a different language.

Which of the following guidelines should you follow while responding to requests for proposals?

Ensure you stick to the RFP's specified format; do not introduce variation.

Esma is resigning from her present company. She has accepted a job in another company in a completely new field. While explaining her resignation from her present company, in which of the following ways should Esma phrase her email?

Explain that although she loves the company, she is looking for a different career path.

The __________ dichotomy in Myers-Briggs typology measures how individuals prefer to focus their attention and derive energy.

Extraversion-Introversion

Which of the following is a difference between formal and informal corporate cultures?

Formal corporate cultures are characterized by hierarchical lines of command; informal corporate cultures are not.

Which of the following is a difference between formal and informal meetings?

Formal meetings are less common in the workplace than informal meetings.

Dinesh, a project manager, presents a plan for his new project to his company's board of directors. The presentation includes a visual depiction of the expected timeline for the project. It also indicates the activities that have already been completed. In addition, he outlines the critical activities that are prioritized for completion. Which of the following visuals is Dinesh most likely using to present his data?

Gantt charts

Which of the following sentences about global warming uses parallel structure?

Global warming will lead to rising sea levels and melting of glaciers in the Himalayas.

Tables and graphs are different in which of the following ways?

Graphs convey less specific information than tables.

Klassic Kitchens Inc. is preparing a tri-fold user manual for its electric rice cooker. Which of the following practices will help the company enhance the effectiveness of its manual?

Group steps into five to seven categories if there are many individual steps.

Which of the following is an effective guideline to follow while focusing on sentence length and structure?

Group the words in long and medium-length sentences into easy-to-process chunks.

Jim and his team prepare a report on the recent project they have completed. They have revised the report and made necessary changes. Which of the following should they do to ensure that the language in the report has been correctly used?

Have one person check the whole document for grammar and mechanics.

Tyrone is scheduled for an interview at a large multinational corporation. Which of the following strategies best ensures that he comes across as polite?

He practices active listening instead of passive listening.

Eduardo, the owner of a bakery, plans to write a letter to all his customers about a change in the location of his store. The bakery is moving to a location that is not at the heart of the city, which may not be convenient for many customers. Which of the following is recommended for Eduardo while he writes the letter?

He should mention the benefits for the customers.

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

He suggests ways to solve interpersonal problems in the team.

Which of the following technologies for internal communication allows users to build "rooms"?

HipChat

In an interview, a candidate is asked why he left a previous job. Which of the following illustrates a good response to this question?

I am looking for more opportunities to work directly with clients.

Gareth and Steffi are co-workers. The office grapevine has been talking about Steffi's recent promotion and that it was a result of her relationship with a member of senior management. While Gareth is having coffee in the break room, his supervisor joins him and tries to get him to agree that management's decision about Steffi was a biased one. Gareth does not want to participate in any discussion about this controversial matter. Which of the following responses from Gareth is most appropriate in tone?

I am not comfortable getting into this topic in the office.

Cho is applying for a job in customer relations, but her high school grades are not good. When the interviewer asks her why her grades are low, what should Cho say?

I am not really good at paper-and-pencil tests. But I am great with people.

Which of the following statements indicates good you-attitude in conflict resolution?

I feel that I have to compensate by doubling my productivity.

Edwin is a team leader at a direct mail advertising company. He was asked to write a progress report on a client's most recent campaign. Although Edwin did not deliver all of the mailers on time, he was able to communicate this to his boss using positive emphasis. Which of the following did Edwin most likely say to his boss?

I have completed more than half of the deliveries and will complete the rest by the end of the week.

DeLawn's supervisor has asked him to send her the progress report of a campaign he worked on. To send the report, he needs to collect updates from other managers on the project. He does not receive an update from the communication manager and is, therefore, unable to send the report on time. Which of the following illustrates the most appropriate apology for DeLawn to send to his supervisor?

I needed an update from the communication manager to send you the report. Now that I have it, please find the report enclosed with this email.

Mateo's employee made an error in a quotation that was sent to one of Mateo 's valued customers. This placed Mateo in an extremely awkward position with the customer. Mateo was furious with his employee and wanted to communicate this to him in the best way possible. Which of the following statements illustrates the most effective use of a phrase that communicates an appropriate tone?

I want you to have your documents reviewed by a peer before you send them to the customer.

Which statement about high-context cultures is true?

Indirectness and politeness are the preferred communication strategies.

Which of the following is a typical characteristic of a formal work culture?

Individual offices

Which of the following sentences is a compound sentence?

I was given an option to transfer, but I chose to stay.

Which of the following is recommended in terms of paragraph length for a job application letter?

If a paragraph covers two or more subjects, it should be divided into two or more paragraphs.

Saul is planning on writing a feasibility report for his business plan. He intends to use this report to get some capital to start his business. Also, this report has to be created to address the multiple audiences at his current office: the venture capitalists, the bankers, and the managers. Which of the following practices should Saul adopt while drafting the feasibility report?

If the decision makers don't need details that other audiences will need, Saul should provide such details in the report's appendices.

Which of the following statements about leadership in teams is true?

If too many people attempt to lead, productivity goes down.

Coral Dawn, a chain of luxury spas, specializes in Thai massages, Ayurveda remedies, and acupressure treatments. Its target customers are those who enjoy weekend spa treatments after a stressful week at work. When advertising, which of the following statements would most likely help Coral Dawn link the features of its services to the needs of its audience?

If you need to de-stress, try our wide range of relaxing massages.

Maps, drawings, or infographics can be created using which of the following software programs?

InDesign

Kingsley Inc., a clothing retail line in Canada, recently expanded its business to Scotland. After some basic market research, the management realized that a majority of the people in Edinburgh preferred organic clothing. Keeping this in mind, it launched its store with clothes made from hemp and bamboo. This strategy turned out to be very successful, as it received a good response from buyers. Which of the following statements explains Kingsley's strategy?

It adapted its products to cater to the needs and tastes of the local market.

Which of the following statements about Facebook is true?

It allows the creation of focus groups to receive feedback from clients.

Which of the following statements is true of the brainstorming stage of solving a business communication problem?

It assumes that there are usually several possible solutions to a problem.

Which of the following is true of networking?

It becomes more important as people advance in their careers.

Which of the following is a function of telepresence?

It creates virtual meetings that are almost lifelike.

Which of the following is true of the pro-and-con pattern of organizing information?

It gives the arguments for and against a specific alternative under separate headings.

Which of the following is an accurate statement about global agility?

It involves an ability to relax customary procedures.

Which of the following descriptions about consensus in team decision making is true?

It involves the airing of preferences by all members in a team.

Which of the following is true of the voting process in a team?

It is a short and quick process.

Which of the following is true of a topgrading interview?

It is an interview that walks job candidates through their careers so far.

Which of the following is true of a monochronic culture?

It is characterized by people who focus on clock time and scheduling.

According to Geert Hofstede's analysis of cultural dimensions, which statement about the culture of the United States is true?

It is extremely high in individualism.

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the style used for traditional term papers?

It is generally impersonal.

Which of the following is the most likely result of communicating honest reasons for a company's layoffs?

It is less likely to cause employees to sue the company.

A customer walks into a restaurant, sits at a table, and calls out, "Can a waitress please take our orders?" What makes his statement biased?

It is sexist.

Which of the following accurately defines tone in a negative message?

It is the implied attitude of the author toward the reader and subject.

Which of the following defines cycling?

It is the process of drafting, getting feedback, revising, and getting more feedback.

Which of the following statements about phone calls is true?

It is used when a single real-time connection makes multiple messages unnecessary.

Which of the following describes an omnibus motion?

It lets a group approve many items together.

Which of the following statements describes choice architecture?

It refers to changing the context in which people make decisions to encourage them to make specific choices.

Which of the following statements about good business and administrative communication is true?

It represents messages that are free from errors in spelling and grammar.

Carla, a web designer, created a new website for a local jewelry designer. She made the website unique, including a custom interface that was very different from most other websites. The links were very clear, and navigation bars were present vertically at the left of the screen. She used small graphics and a white background. There was no music or sound effects. Although, the website had so many distinctive features, users did not like it. Which of the following is likely to be the reason for the failure of the website?

It was too different from other sites.

Which of the following is true of Twitter data mining?

Its users are not a representative sample.

Jack has been consistently missing work for the past few months, citing "personal reasons" each time. When he is at work, he does not complete the required eight hours per day and almost always misses his deadlines. Despite repeated feedback from his manager, Jack has shown no improvement. His manager believes that he should send Jack a disciplinary notice and build a dossier that will support his decision to fire Jack. Which of the following statements in the dossier is likely to be most appropriate?

Jack handed in his April, May, and June projects two weeks later than the given dates.

Jervase is a fact checker at a publishing company. He writes an email explaining the new schedule he and his team members will use to check chapters of a textbook. Which of the following individuals is the gatekeeper in this scenario?

Jervase's manager, who will decide if the new schedule should be presented to the editorial manager or not

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the __________ dichotomy measures how individuals orient themselves to the external world.

Judging-Perceiving

Which of the following is good advice for a new hire regarding technology usage?

Keep your cellphone on vibrate or turn it off to avoid distraction.

Which of the following ways is the right way to deal with criticism?

Listen carefully even if you don't value the person.

Lupe is an advertising manager for a business. She notices that one of her subordinates, Althea, has not achieved any of her objectives for an ongoing advertising campaign. After speaking to the other advertising managers, Lupe discovers that Althea has not achieved her objectives for some other projects as well. After her discussion with the HR department, Lupe decides that Althea should be terminated. Which of the following would be the most effective way for Lupe to convey this news to Althea?

Lupe should deliver this news to Althea in person if possible.

Which of the following is a way to ensure that a reader stays long enough on a home page?

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

Qing needs to write an email to all his customers promoting a new loyalty program. From his experience, he has realized that most customers do not view promotional emails as important and tend to ignore them. Which of the following practices should Qing implement so that the audience does not take his message to be unimportant?

Make the message in the email clear and concise.

Which of the following statements about international career experience is true?

Managers often need international experience if they want to move into top-level jobs.

In which of the following situations should passive voice be used?

Mara wants to emphasize that an organization is being acted upon by protestors.

Which of the following sentences in an advertisement for MegaWatt lightbulbs correctly applies positive emphasis?

MegaWatt lightbulbs offer a five-year warranty.

Which of the following is an advantage of ethnically diverse teams?

Members of such teams produce higher-quality ideas.

Maureen is attending a fundraiser for her nonprofit and is excited about being introduced to Anna Corbin, a renowned philanthropist. Since Maureen has not interacted with Anna before, Maureen should address Anna as

Ms. Corbin.

Which of the following sentences best illustrates a positive you-attitude in an application letter?

My education in college has prepared me for this kind of job.

Which of the following examples uses double negatives?

Never fail to reach your sales targets.

Fatima is preparing an article to be posted on the website of City Regional Bank, concerning a policy change that will affect mortgage lending. Which of the following headlines best frames the topic in a manner designed to build goodwill among the bank's customers?

New Underwriting Criteria Make It Easier to Qualify for a Mortgage

The marketing director of an apparel company has to promote a person to the post of senior brand manager. There are three candidates in the running—David, Martina, and Nicki—and the marketing director has to ensure that the person she selects succeeds at the job. David has good product knowledge but poor communication skills. Martina is an average communicator but has excellent creative insight. Nicki possesses great communication skills but has average product knowledge. Keeping this scenario in mind, which of the following statements is true?

Nicki is most likely to succeed at the job because of her good communication skills.

Carla, a manager, is required to inform her subordinate that he will not be receiving a promotion based on his annual performance review. Which of the following is the best way for Carla to give her subordinate this information using you-attitude?

No basis for a promotion was found in the annual performance review.

Carlos, a clothing manufacturer, is responsible for delivering a shipment of 500 T-shirts to a clothing retailer by the end of the week. A few days before dispatch, Carlos realizes that the shipment has some faulty T-shirts, so the shipment will be incomplete. He needs to present this negative message to the retailer in an email. Which of the following email subject lines will be most likely to ensure that the retailer reads the email immediately?

Possible delay of shipment #2034

Which of the following is a helpful practice in setting long-term career goals?

Prewrite a résumé you expect to use in 10 years' time.

Which of the following is true of proposals?

Proposals are created when you or your organization want to consider new opportunities.

James is a student with visual impairment who regularly accesses his university website. Which of the following steps should the designer of this website undertake to make it useful for viewers with visual impairment like James?

Provide alternative text or "ALT tag" for all applets.

Keisha's professor checks her research proposal and asks her to paraphrase certain sections of the document as that will help her contain her word limit. Which of the following should Keisha do to paraphrase?

Put a source's idea into her own words.

Which of the following is recommended while revising your draft to create a friendly and businesslike style?

Read your message as if you were in your audience's shoes.

Which of the following is a way for you to check positive emphasis?

Recognize that it should not be so overdone that it has become insincere.

Which of the following statements about business communications is true?

Religion plays an important role in influencing business communications.

Which of the following statements about reports is true?

Reports are more formal than letters or memos.

In the context of the four dichotomies in Myers-Briggs typology, which of the following statements is true?

Sensing types trust their own experience more than someone else's account.

Salina has to send an email about longer working hours and increase in salary to all the employees who work in her organization. Which of the following should she do while conveying this message?

She should answer all the questions the employees are likely to have in the email.

Haruka's business flight back to the city where she works was delayed by two days, and she was very upset about having to pay for two additional nights at her hotel. While writing a complaint to the airline, which of the following should Haruka follow?

She should ask for reimbursement of her accommodation expenses for those two days.

Ann has been called into an unplanned meeting with her supervisor, who wants to give her feedback on her recent project. During the meeting, Ann's supervisor criticizes her style of working and her inability to focus on her tasks. Which of the following should Ann do to deal with the criticism effectively?

She should attempt to determine the accuracy of the criticism.

Kiara's assistant is working on a presentation for a new client. The presentation contains several graphics explaining the results of various research studies done on their product. Just before the presentation, Kiara's assistant develops cold feet and begs Kiara to give the presentation instead. Kiara is familiar with the research and hence agrees; however, she is not sure if the graphics in the presentation include precise and accurate details. To ensure the quality of the data in the presentation, which of the following is the most appropriate action for Kiara to take?

She should not use the graphics because the details may not be precise and accurate.

Fatima is the delivery manager at a luggage manufacturing company. She has to inform her supervisor that the shipment of a particular batch of luggage will be delayed because a team member made a mistake with the dates. Which of the following is the most effective way for Fatima to convey this bad news to her supervisor?

She should recommend a solution that will help her supervisor deal with the delay.

Kiara is writing a project report that will eventually be viewed by her company's board of directors, project engineers, marketing executives, and clients. She knows that the needs of all the people who are going to view the document are different. Keeping this in mind, which of the following practices should Kiara adopt in writing the document?

She should use a more formal style to write the report.

On her résumé, Savita gives basic details about her degree, field of study, date of completion, and the name of the grad school. Further, she considers listing all her courses. While doing so, which of the following is recommended?

She should use short descriptive titles while listing them.

Mena, a new business owner, is giving a presentation to a client on how she plans to help them better market themselves. She makes sure that the information in her presentation is clear, complete, and accurate, and that it presents a positive image of her and her organization. She uses long paragraphs to present the information on the slides. Which of the following modifications should Mena make to her presentation for it to be more effective?

She should use visuals to present information to save the audience's time in understanding and reading the information.

Which of the following strategies will make a response to a customer complaint more positive?

Show that you are listening and want to resolve the problem.

Which of the following is the most effective strategy to use when adapting your ideas to an audience?

Show your audience that the topic affects them directly.

Which of the following is a useful guideline to follow to manage time efficiently when writing a document?

Spend one-third of your time writing the document.

Which of the following practices should be used when summarizing a message?

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

Which of the following is the best subject line for a neutral or positive message?

Submit Reports by December 12

Which of the following is a good long-term planning strategy for your career?

Take advantage of voluntary training opportunities.

Which of the following is the best method for dealing with being fired from your previous job while searching for a new position?

Take responsibility and show how you have learned from the experience.

In a collaborative writing project, which of the following approaches helps consensus but is time consuming?

Team members write together simultaneously and discuss each other's ideas.

Which of the following statements about the use of communication technology is true?

Technologies that increase productivity and save money are often used in business.

During nonverbal communication in businesses, which of the following statements about gestures in different countries is true?

The "thumbs up" sign is generally considered a vulgar insult in Bangladesh.

Identify the error in the following list of job duties: "Recruited seventeen volunteers, designing of brochures, and spoke to five community groups."

The list lacks parallel structure.

Which of the following statements about the verbal explanations of visuals and data displays is true?

The main point of the visual should be summarized before it is presented.

Laila recently made a sales presentation on "The Benefits of Investing in Frank Jenson Mutual Funds." The seminar was well received, and Laila attributed its success to a careful analysis of the audience's psychographic characteristics. Which of the following characteristics did Laila most likely infer from the analysis?

The majority of the audience believes in living a secured old age.

Francesca works for Global Aid, a nonprofit organization. She is composing a letter to raise funds from supporters for a campaign on climate change. In the body of the message, she writes, "According to the Stanley Climate Reports, climate change will leave a billion people homeless by 2025." Which of the following does this statement in the body of the message prove?

The problem of climate change deserves attention.

A sentence reads, "Plans for the new project are being made by the productivity breakthrough team." Which of the following statements correctly illustrates the active voice version of this sentence?

The productivity breakthrough team is making plans for the new project.

An e-commerce company, Zeda, posts a survey on its website and invites the site's visitors to complete the survey. Which of the following statements is true of this approach of online surveying?

The results do not tend to reflect the opinions of the entire population.

Morgan is Brian's manager. She has to inform Brian that she will not be able to approve his annual raise because of upcoming budget cuts. Which of the following is the best way for Morgan to convey this bad news using you-attitude?

The team will not receive raises this year due to budget cuts.

Mariam is a manager at a shipping company. Mariam's newest team member, Adam, is having mechanical issues with an aging fleet of vehicles. Due to these issues, Adam is unable to meet an upcoming deadline. When Adam reports the issue to Mariam, Mariam responds with an impersonal statement. For the purpose of avoiding blame, which of the following statements should Mariam use to best convey you-attitude?

These vehicles have been acting up for a while now.

. Which of the following statements is true of baby boomers?

They adhere to basic business decorum more rigorously than millennials.

Which of the following is true of problem-solving persuasive messages?

They allow you to disarm opposition by means of reasoning.

With regard to biased language, which of the statements below is true about the following job titles: executive, accountant, inspector, pilot, and secretary?

They are all neutral.

Which of the following statements is true of conventions?

They are not static and tend to change with time.

Which of the following is true of competitive proposals?

They are used when many different proposals seek access to the same limited resources.

Which of the following is true of successful job searches?

They build relationships through networking.

Which of the following statements about visuals and data displays is true?

They can be useful for presenting numbers dramatically.

Professor Sosuke divides his class into two teams to work on an assignment. When he receives the assignment submissions, he notices that while team A was a more hardworking group, Team B was able to submit a more timely and impressive assignment. Which of the following behaviors from Team B was most likely responsible for their greater success?

They dealt directly with conflicts and paid attention to members' emotions.

Which of the following statements is true of headings?

They enable readers to turn quickly to sections of special interest.

In which of the following countries would an employee most likely have prolonged eye contact with his or her boss?

United States

Which of the following should you do when leaving a voicemail message for a co-worker?

Use a clear voice when stating the callback number.

Which of the following should you undertake in order to write a good proposal?

Use a language that your audience expects to see and understand.

Which of the following guidelines should be followed to create white space?

Use a mix of paragraph lengths, most not more than seven typed lines.

Sofia, a sales executive at Zoom Energy Company, has been asked to create a report that compares how different age groups consume its new energy drink. She uses a pie chart to convey this information. However, while trying to find a story for this chart, she finds several other significant differences in the consumption of the new drink between men and women, people in different regions, and people with different occupations. To increase the effectiveness of her report, which of the following should Sofia do with these extra stories?

Use a new visual for each story.

Angie is designing a brochure for an upcoming career fair that she hopes will help attract a more diverse set of job candidates to her company, which currently employs only 20% women and 10% people of color. When selecting visuals for the brochure, which of the following strategies should she use?

Use a photo featuring 40% women and people of color to maintain authenticity while reflecting the company's hiring goals.

Which of the following half-truths about business writing should you follow?

Use big words correctly; otherwise, they may distance you from your audience.

Which of the following layout and design guidelines should be followed when creating a résumé?

Use bullets and spacing to highlight specific information.

Which of the following is a recommended strategy for creating white space?

Use bullets or numbering to list items.

Carmen is the head of the product development team. She has called the marketing team to a meeting to give them an overview of a new product they will need to promote soon. During the meeting, she will have to provide some technical information that is new to the audience. Which of the following practices should Carmen implement in order to effectively deliver the new information to the audience?

Use examples to explain concepts and terms.

Rita, the founder of a commercial real estate company, is planning to announce several renovations to make the company office building more accommodating to employees with visual, hearing, mobility, or cognitive impairments. Which of the following announcements made by Rita is bias-free?

We are installing new accommodations for all employees with disabilities.

Which of the following is the most appropriate way to begin a sentence in your proposal?

We expect to obtain...

The manager at Senway Logistics Inc. needs to inform his clients that the cost of hiring containers will increase in the following year. While writing an email to his clients stating the same, he decides it would be best to include a buffer. Which of the following illustrates an effective buffer?

We shall be introducing open-top and tunnel containers over the next few months.

An organization has been unable to raise sufficient funds from a charity event that took place the previous week. To maintain positive emphasis, which of the following is the least negative way to communicate this information?

We will be able to raise sufficient funds at our next charity event.

Which of the following best exemplifies a question likely to be asked in a behavioral interview?

What happened the last time you worked with a tough boss?

Which of the following questions will help analyze an organization's discourse community?

What kind of and how much evidence is needed to be convincing?

Which of the following questions is acceptable for an interviewee to ask at an interview if the job has not been offered to him yet?

What would I be doing on a day-to-day basis?

Which of the following practices is useful for managing information in emails?

When answering multiple questions in one email, number each answer.

Which of the following statements about organizing bad news messages is true?

When writing to peers and subordinates, end by asking for input or action.

Which of the following is a recommended strategy for troubleshooting different types of team problems?

Work on building team loyalty if a person fails to do his or her share of work.

Rosica is a proprietor who manufactures and distributes toys to various toy retailers. She recently received a complaint from a client about the delayed delivery of products for his retail store. In the email, the client stated, "I am facing a major shortage of products because the delivery of the "Jumpin' Jacks" line of toys has been delayed on your end." Which of the following should Rosica say to the client to buy time with a limited agreement?

Yes, the Jumpin' Jacks line of toys is still to be packaged and delivered to you.

Mateo works as a customer service representative at Asphalt Autos. He writes a letter to a customer who has recently become a member of the lifetime service club. Which of the following introductory statements written by Mateo best illustrates you-attitude?

You are now a lifetime service club member at Asphalt Autos!

Sweeney's Ice-cream advertised its new sundaes on fliers that were distributed in malls. This initiative was successful because 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!

Gregory is the owner of a sporting goods store. He interviews 10 people for the post of store manager and eventually selects Camila. Gregory emails Camila to let her know that she has been selected for the post. Which of the following statements made by Gregory 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 a sales proposal?

You should make sure your sales proposal presents your goods or services as solving the problem your audience perceives.

Dmitri receives an email from one of his employees requesting a bonus. The employee claims that since he has sold 5 percent more than his quota of appliances, he should get a bonus. Dmitri needs to write back to the employee explaining that he must sell 10 percent more than his quota before being eligible for a bonus. Which of the following illustrates the most appropriate tone for Dmitri's email?

You will be eligible for a bonus as soon as you have sold 10 percent more than your quota.

Vera owns an online retail store that sells wearable electronic devices. A new customer has just placed an order for a very expensive smart watch. Which of the following best illustrates a confirmation of the order using you-attitude?

Your order #2867 has been confirmed.

Which of the following is an example of an informal report?

a computer printout of the sales and production figures of a company

Which of the following types of websites is best suited for adaptive design?

a government tax website containing reports, contact information, and a payment portal

Augustina, a marketing professional, is joining a new organization in Vanderhoff. She has gathered from her friends in that city that there is a high level of equality at all social levels, and work cultures are characterized by interdependence, shared initiatives, and managers being easily approachable. According to Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions, which of the following do these characteristics indicate?

a low power-distance index

In which of the following types of presentations does a speaker deliver the presentation without deviation and function as an expert at the end?

a monologue presentation

Which of the following describes a successful intercultural communicator?

a person who is sensitive to differences among individuals within his or her own culture

Beatriz is delivering a presentation on CaptureM, her company's new full-frame camera. In her presentation, Beatriz explains how the unique features of CaptureM can overcome the common problems faced in other models and provides sufficient evidence to support her claim. In this situation, what kind of presentation is Beatriz most likely using?

a persuasive presentation

A manager finds that a lot of his employees are demotivated and is convinced that the work culture of the company is the reason behind it. Since he is not sure how to bring about a change in the company culture, he seeks a proposal from the Human Resource department. Which of the following should such a proposal provide?

a plan for achieving the desired change

The Director of Operations of Alco Inc. is aware that the company's employees are being overworked but is unsure how to solve the situation. He seeks a proposal from a consultancy firm. Which of the following is the proposal most likely to provide?

a plan for achieving the desired change

A negative message to a customer should end with

a positive, forward-looking statement.

Which of the following is an example of an external audience for written communication at work?

a potential employee

Skylinc Inc., a highly regarded software development company, plans to diversify its operations in the area of telecommunications. However, it has not announced openings in this field. Yelena, a job seeker, is keen on working for the company, owing to its international reputation. In this case, which of the following types of letters should Yelena write to Skylinc Inc.?

a prospecting letter

From a design perspective, when drafting text for a business communication, it is important to consider how the text is tethered to

accompanying graphic content.

Which of the following is most likely to be a positive message rather than a negative one?

an announcement of a policy change that suits the audience

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

an audience is likely to agree easily to a request.

Which of the following illustrates the psychographic profiling of customers?

an electric car designed for those who value eco-friendly products

Tyrell has been assigned the task of training the new employees at Aurora Chem Labs, Inc., a chemical manufacturing and supply company. He has to give his subordinates a presentation on how to use the new UV spectrometer. Which of the following types of presentations will best serve Tyrell's purpose?

an informative presentation

Which of the following is most important for job seekers to include on the main page of a personal website?

an overview of goals and professional interests

The __________ effect says that when people consider a specific value for a quantity (like a donation) and then have to come up with their own value for that quantity, their value will be close to the specified value.

anchoring

Which of the following is an example of an external business document?

annual report

Which of the following is most likely to be the best source of advice for someone just starting at a new job?

another recent hire

Gabrielle recently gave a presentation to her company's board of directors about trade relations with China. In a way, the presentation was appealing because it incorporated many images and videos. However, the board found her logic of quoting celebrity Meryl Streep's opinion on trade relations with China to be weak and irrational. Which of the following logical fallacies did Gabrielle commit?

appeal to authority

Roberto, a reporter for his city's leading newspaper, receives feedback from his editor on one of his stories about crime in the city. The feedback is "The direct quote you used to illustrate the causes of crime is from a well-known athlete in the city, not an expert on the subject." Which of the following logical fallacies did Roberto commit?

appeal to authority

LaJuan is creating a business proposal for a new advertising project in the pipeline. He meets the corporate communications team to request a promotional brochure that he could include along with his business proposal. In which of the following sections of the proposal should he include the promotional brochure?

appendix

Liam is presenting a report on "Public-Private Partnerships for Vaccine Distribution in Developing Countries" at a conference on global health outcomes being held in Los Angeles. The audience consists of scientists, government officials, and members of civil society groups. Some of these are skeptical about the role of private business in distributing vaccines. Which of the following would best help Liam handle the audience?

approaching the issue of public-private partnerships indirectly

Good stories told by visuals

are personally relevant to the audience.

When writing proposals, you should begin a brainstorming process by

considering your audience, context, and purposes.

Which section of a formal report is typically the longest?

body

The phrase "on the other hand" is typically used in business writing to

contrast ideas.

When you want the audience to compare items or see a distribution or correlation, use a

bar chart

The data, evidence, and facts for a good report problem should

be available to the researcher.

The branch of economics that uses insights from sociology and psychology is called

behavioral economics

Snacks n' More, a chain of fast food restaurants, recently conducted a survey to understand what motivated their employees at work. To their surprise, they noticed that more than 85 percent of the employees were inspired to perform better by intrinsic factors as opposed to extrinsic factors. Considering this, which of the following would serve as the best motivator for the employees of Snacks n' More?

being able to contribute to the company

Joud, 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 on a white board. She says that once they have generated as many ideas as they can, she will focus on the most useful ones. In which of the following activities is Joud engaged?

brainstorming

Ada is writing a memo of congratulations to Enrique, who has been promoted to the post of assistant manager. Keeping in mind organizational documents, the most likely purpose of Ada's memo is to

build goodwill.

Zoya is a relationship manager at Orbit Bank in California. She needs to write to a customer to let him know that his application for an increase in credit limit has been approved. In her message, she includes information about the company's history and testimonials from other valued customers. What is the secondary purpose of including this additional information?

building a good image of her organization

Corporate greed, international pacts, and philanthropic deeds are best included within the category of

business ethics.

A sentence from a travel agent to a customer reads, "I hope this is the vacation package you are looking for." This sentence lacks positive emphasis primarily because it

contains a hidden negative.

Which of the following sections of a proposal for a student report welcomes any suggestions from an instructor for improving the research plan?

call to action

Decorations that at best are irrelevant to the visual and at worst are misleading to the reader are called

chartjunk

April needs to tell her subordinate Naila that she will not be given a raise despite her excellent work. Before sending the message, April considers the severity of the message, the degree of surprise the subordinate will experience, her corporate culture, and her relationship with the subordinate. In this scenario, April is most likely considering these factors in order to

choose a channel for delivering the bad news.

Lakshmi's presentation starts with the past, moves to the present, and ends by looking ahead. Which pattern does Lakshmi's presentation follow?

chronological

A __________ is an external document granting or denying a customer request to be given credit for defective goods.

claims adjustment

Ali works in the customer service department of Pronto Mobile. He has to reply to a customer's request for reimbursement for a faulty product. Ali is likely to reply to the request via a

claims adjustment.

AcmEx Technologies Ltd. is conducting interviews for vacancies in its marketing department. The interviewers found one of the candidates to have a distracting nervous mannerism. Which of the following actions did the candidate most likely do?

clicking a pen

Ming, a communications manager at an environmental organization, recently used a certain technique to develop ideas for a campaign. She jotted down the topic name at the center of a sheet of paper and drew a circle around it. She then wrote down all the ideas that came to mind and circled them too. When this was done, she used colors to highlight and separate groups of related ideas. Which of the following techniques did Ming most likely use to generate her ideas?

clustering

Which type of skills consistently ranks first among the qualities that employers look for in college graduates?

communication

When the audience may find the solution hard to accept, which presentation pattern should be used?

comparative advantages

Hari needs to conduct a survey over three months among employees completing their probationary period. This survey needs to be undertaken to determine how company orientation and training processes can be improved. He has several closed questions prepared for the survey, but he does not know if the choices provided are adequate. He should

conduct a pretest with open questions to find commonly chosen categories.

Which of the following is a desirable tone for business writing?

confident

The process of drafting, getting feedback, revising, and getting more feedback is known as

cycling

While interviewing candidates for a secretarial post, interviewers found one candidate inappropriately dressed for the interview. Which of the following was most likely a part of the candidate's attire?

headphones around her neck

According to the survey conducted by the National Commission on Writing, __________ is a writing responsibility that all employees have.

emailing

During an interview, job candidates should avoid asking questions about

data that is available on the company website.

"Pound" means a unit of weight. This meaning represents the __________ of the word.

denotation

Which of the following is a suitable strategy to persuade the audience in dire situations?

direct request

Use a(n) __________ for busy people who do not read all the messages they receive.

direct request pattern

Less successful teams are more likely to

divide projects into parts to be done totally separately.

Gabriel is drafting an annual report for his company. After completing the report, he sends it to all the department heads in the firm so that they can check the content and add information regarding their departments' achievements. After Gabriel receives and makes the requested changes, he sends the revised report to the CEO for a final check. The CEO checks the report and sends Gabriel the corrections that need to be incorporated. This process is commonly known as __________.

document cycling

The design of a document conveys a specific image of the

document's creator.

The user has control over their experience with which of the following visuals?

dynamic displays

The Thinking-Feeling dichotomy in Myers-Briggs typology typically measures how

people make decisions

Which activity in the composing process makes surface-level changes that make a document grammatically correct?

editing

Which of the following is a negative word with a negative connotation?

eliminate

When writing a persuasive problem-solving message, if you know that your audience's initial position is negative, then

eliminate the objection before persuading the audience.

A good way to condense sentences while reviewing is to

eliminate words that add no meaning to the sentences.

An example of an intrinsic motivator for a sales representative would be

experiencing pleasure in helping the company grow.

Which of the following is a function of a request to deviate from policy and procedure bulletin?

explaining that another approach is better than the standard approach for a specific situation

Margaret, who runs a small lifestyle store in Michigan, recently designed a website to publicize her products and increase her customer base. While designing the site, she used snapshots of her products and photos of local celebrities who visited her store. In addition, she used a bar chart to show that her eco-friendly products are better than other regular items available in the market. According to Charles Kostelnick's four levels of design, Margaret's choices belong to the __________ of design.

extra-level

While writing a quarterly shareholder report, Toshi decides to use a bar graph to indicate the sales in different areas. Toshi's choice belongs to Charles Kostelnick's __________ of design.

extra-level

Intrinsic motivators or benefits are better than extrinsic motivators because

extrinsic motivators are limited.

Rahul, a fundraising manager at a nonprofit organization, needs to coordinate regularly with Harry, the media manager of the project. Rahul knows that they will be working on several projects together next month. He thus understands the importance of building a strong working relationship through his communication. Which of the following modes of communication would best help Rahul serve his purpose?

face-to-face visit

Angelica wrote on a cosmetics company's website, "As soon as I used your facial moisturizer, I came down with the flu. Your product made me sick." Angelica's complaint is a common logical fallacy known as

false cause

The informational dimension of a team is more likely to focus on

finding solutions

According to Jakob Nielsen, which of the following elements should be avoided when designing a webpage?

fixed font sizes

Which of the following is an example of a nonsexist job title?

flight attendant

The ending of an informative and positive message should

focus on the audience's needs.

Kristoffer is about to deliver a presentation to the employees of Cyborg Tech, Inc. on the newly revised office rules. In his presentation, he will have to talk about the importance of putting in extra hours of work, reducing the number of coffee breaks, and working over weekends. Kristoffer senses that the audience may not receive this information well and may even refuse to accept the new rules. In this situation, Kristoffer should

focus on the parts of the messages the audience will find most interesting and easy to accept.

You should use oral messages over written messages when you want to

focus your audience's attention on specific points.

Which of the following job titles is regarded as sexist in business communication?

foreman

Alejandra and her team are in the initial stages of a project and are having a team meeting. During the meeting, people volunteer for various roles and the team sets ground rules. They also decide that they will meet twice a week to discuss their progress and any setbacks faced. Alejandra 's team is currently in the __________ stage of the life of a task team.

formation

Which of the following printing options will look best but also incur the highest cost?

four-color printing on glossy paper

Miyu is writing a report on the strategies she recommends for marketing her company's new line of shoes. In order to generate ideas, Miyu spends ten minutes jotting down all the points she can think of and then stops to underline points that may work. She continues this process two more times, at the end of which she manages to collect five good ideas to market the new line. Miyu is most likely using the technique of

freewriting

Austen is a tester at a software development firm. He has recently acquired a degree in management and wants to take up a managerial role in a new firm in an unrelated industry. In this context, which of the following types of résumés is most likely to help Austen achieve his goal?

functional

The top management of an organization called all the departmental heads for a meeting to discuss the strategies the company could adopt to stabilize its market value during a recession. After the meeting, the departmental heads informed the employees that they needed to work for an extra hour each day and that all other perks would be limited. However, the heads held back the information that the top management had also decided to downsize the workforce if conditions did not stabilize. In this scenario, the departmental heads represent the

gatekeepers

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a person of the perceiving type is most likely to

gather lots of additional information when making decisions.

Which of the following is an example of an extrinsic motivator for an employee?

getting promoted or receiving a good appraisal

While making a written direct request, you should

give the audience all the information they will need to act on the request.

Which of the following actions is most likely to emphasize the negative information in a message?

giving the negative information a lot of space on the page

Tahir's team has to come up with an advertising strategy to promote a new brand of perfume. Tahir, the leader, calls for a team meeting and collaborates with his team to devise the new strategy. After the meeting, Tahir presents the questions and issues that they agreed on during the meeting and helps his team implement the solutions. In this scenario, Tahir has organized a(n)

guided discussion.

In an oral presentation, a purpose statement

guides your choice of strategy.

A few Arab employees meet for a conference in Kuwait. Which of the following would most likely be considered an expression of affection and solidarity during this conference?

handholding

According to the cultural dimensions suggested by Geert Hofstede, a country that is characterized by inequality and follows an autocratic style of governance is most likely a country that

has a high power-distance.

Hinata and her friends are debating over the kind of music that is most popular amongst their generation. Hinata says that most of her friends love rap music, so rap must be the most popular. Which of the following common logical fallacies has she committed?

hasty generalization

People who write when they are feeling under stress tend to

have a more indirect style of writing.

Procedural dimensions of teams focus on

methods

Which of the following sections of a proposal for a student report will contain bibliographic references?

methods/procedure

Josiah has analyzed the different kinds of cultures that exist across the world. He has studied a particular culture in which the people attach a lot of significance to structuring time and scheduling their activities accordingly. Also, people belonging to this culture believe in carrying out one task at a time rather than multitasking. Based on these characteristics, Josiah can categorize these people as having a(n) __________ culture.

monochronic

When delivering an oral presentation, you should

never use humor that is directed against an inappropriate group.

Monique was recently hired as a marketing consulting in a foreign country and was able to adapt to the culture very quickly. When her colleagues asked her how she had managed to adapt so quickly, Monique said that she made an effort to understand the company's conventions. Which of the following would have been the best way for Monique to understand the company's conventions?

observing the actions of other employees

Which of the following is the most effective way to make a sentence nonsexist?

omitting the pronouns

The management at a start-up company decides to hire retired employees from banks, colleges, and other major companies to mentor its employees. This way, the company can gain a workforce that is both experienced and proficient at a lower cost. However, the average age of the employees in the company is only 32. Which of the following practices will make the new, older employees comfortable in the organization?

providing clearly defined roles

Jessica has been a loyal customer of the Deluxe Bank for more than ten years. Over the years, she has never faced any major problems with the bank. However, when she applied for a house loan recently, her request was rejected. In response, Jessica closed her current account with the bank and switched to another bank. Her response illustrates the phenomenon of

psychological reactance.

When analyzing the rhetorical situation, you should consider your

purpose, medium, and audience.

Which of the following are aspects of the rhetorical situation that should be analyzed prior to researching or drafting content?

purpose, medium, audience

While designing a document that is meant to serve as a detailed guide for assembling a product, it is effective to

put any warnings at the beginning of the document.

Jiao, a marketing manager at an athletic wear company, is writing a summary of his recently implemented marketing campaign. His summary contains visual images in the form of graphs and charts that show how the market responded to the new campaign. Each graph and chart has been explained. To ensure that the explanations are well understood by the readers, Jiao should

put numbers in parentheses at the end of a clause or sentence.

Julio is offering a benefit to an audience but only if the audience meets certain criteria. The most positive way for Julio to do this is to

put the benefits first

Which of the following is an effective way to begin a negative message to a customer to make it more likely that the customer will read the letter?

putting the bad news first, while pairing it with an alternative

Sofia, an analyst at a major print media company, is preparing a document on the problems faced by the industry during a recent period. In the report, she explains that increased competition from more agile digital competitors and declining advertising revenues pose major challenges for the future. Which of the following documents is Sofia preparing in this scenario?

quarterly report

"Anything the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." — Napoleon Hill What kind of an opener to a message is this?

quotation

Lian Chang is the owner of Blaze, a fashion business in Manhattan. She received an email from her client requesting price details on her eco-friendly line of clothing. Now, she needs to write a letter to him with the requested details. Which of the following is Lian likely to produce in response to the customer email?

quotation

MaxUp Inc. is celebrating its Annual Day with an off-site weekend. Those who have volunteered for the various competitions have been divided into four teams. Teams A, B, and C win many games, while Team D places last in almost all. Team D's leader calls his team an unsuccessful team. The most likely reason for this is that during the competitions, Team D

rationalized the criticism they received.

A team that experiences groupthink is most likely to

readily accept a solution without analyzing it.

Reports are persuasive messages if they

recommend action

Which of the following is most likely to reduce the cost of communication?

reducing document cycling

To make language nonracist and nonageist,

refer to a group by the term it prefers.

The best way to capture an audience's attention with a brochure is to

speak to their needs

Which of the following transition words in business writing is suited to introduce an example?

specifically

Which of the following is a good practice to follow while sending solicited job application letters?

referring to the résumé you enclosed with the letter

Which of the following is a step for a good thank-you note after an interview?

reminding the interviewer of what he or she liked in you

To reduce bias in communication, when you are addressing a reader whose name or gender you do not know, you should

replace the salutation with a subject line.

While applying you-attitude, passive verbs should ideally be used while

reporting bad news or limitations.

Cultures with hierarchical organizational structures generally tend to

require extra response time.

Positive roles and actions of individuals that help a team achieve its task goals include

restating major points and summarizing decisions.

One of the marketing teams of FitGear Inc., a sporting goods company, has prepared a report on the marketing strategies for its new line of ice hockey equipment. The team is now in the process of checking the report against 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 FitGear Inc.'s marketing team primarily engaged?

revising

The process of __________ refers to making changes in content, organization, and tone that will better satisfy the writer's purposes and the audience.

revising

Which of the following activities in the composing process typically involves adding, deleting, or rearranging information?

revising

A(n) __________ report provides information, but does not include an analysis or a recommendation.

sales

Catherine is an assistant trainer at SmartProof Inc. She is working on a training manual to help new users learn how to operate the company's editing platform. Employees will use the manual as a learning tool in training seminars. The manual will also serve as an on-the-job reference. The senior trainers and system analysts who designed the editing platform are expected to offer their comments on Catherine's draft. In this scenario, the system analysts represent the

secondary audience

Catalina, a team lead at a company, has decided to change the work process of her team to improve quality. First, she has to get the approval of the company's operations head before she can present her proposal to the departmental head. Once she receives the head of operation's approval, she will make a presentation to the departmental head, who will then decide if the new process should be implemented or not. If the proposal is approved, the employees working under Catalina will have to implement the new process. In this scenario, the employees will be categorized as a(n)

secondary audience.

The coordination phase of a team is characterized by its members

seeking numerous possible solutions.

Benjamin is a manager at a software firm. He needs to make sure that the members of his team complete work on a project with an approaching deadline. To remind them about the deadline, he writes an email stating, "You need to complete the work by Monday so that I can deliver the product to the client on time." This email contains a writing flaw. Which of the following writing flaws is present in Benjamin's email?

selfish tone

When you edit a document, you typically need to check for

sentence structure

When you edit a document, you typically need to check for

sentence structure.

The transition word "consequently" is typically used to

show cause and effect.

Tanya, a sole proprietor, is using charts in her written proposal for her first client. She will most likely use a bar chart to

show frequency or distribution.

Which of the following is an example of an interpersonal nonverbal signal of authority used by a company executive?

sitting at the head of a conference table at a board meeting

Before combining the visual and textual elements of an infographic, one should first

sketch the layout to make sure everything is legible.

Which of the following has replaced posting on job boards as the primary means of recruiting for many successful companies?

social networking sites

The design of a document should be used to control and optimize

the audience's experience.

One common reason that grant proposals are rejected is that

the authors fail to explain how the proposal addresses a specific need.

Joshua works as a sales executive for a health insurance company. He was assigned the task of designing a new insurance plan for his corporate clients. Before presenting his proposal to the clients, he had to get the plan sanctioned by the department head. Once the department head gave his approval, the sales executives for property insurance, life insurance, and pension plans read through the new plan to gain a better understanding of their coworker's proposal. Which of the following organizational audiences do the sales executives for property insurance, life insurance, and pension plans represent?

the auxiliary audience

Wei works at Architectural Consulting in Boston. He recently gave a presentation on "The Principles of Sustainable Design" 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 firm's customers. The external audience for Wei's presentation includes

the customers

Which of the following would most likely lead to cross-cultural conflict?

the inability to see the world with greater neutrality and acceptance

While creating its ethical code of conduct, an organization's management asks itself, "Do the words balance the organization's right to present its best case with its responsibility to present its message honestly?" In this case, which aspect of ethical issues in business communication is the management focusing on?

the manner of conveying the message

Mateo is a marketing executive at a firm that manufacturers snack foods. He is currently working on a proposal to promote the company's new line of veggie chips. 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, Mateo 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 Mateo's proposal?

the marketing manager

When integrating visuals and data displays into your text, a fuller explanation of a visual is necessary when

the material is new to the audience.

Yu-Tung is a sales executive at company that manufactures copy machines. She is working on convincing a large corporate client to use her company's copiers. Although she knows that the task at hand is challenging, she is determined to achieve her objective. Which of the following is responsible for extrinsically motivating Yu-Tung to convince the client?

the prospect of getting a commission

When designing a brochure, one should place content so that

the reader encounters important information on each spread.

Which of the following types of information should be emphasized in a résumé?

unique details that set you apart and indicate your superiority over other applicants

In official communication, when addressing a woman you don't know well, it is better to

use "Ms." as the courtesy title.

As you design the slides for a PowerPoint presentation, you should

use a consistent background for your slides.

When a person writing a message knows neither the name nor the gender of the reader, the person should

use a general group to which the reader belongs.

When using visuals, you should

use as little shading as possible.

Which of the following strategies will help you manage information efficiently in messages?

use color to highlight new information

Tarik found an attractive job posting on an online career portal and wants to email his job application in response to the advertisement. To give himself the best chance of success, Tarik should

use the job title or job code listed in the advertisement as the subject line of his email.

To create an effective PowerPoint presentation you should

use your slides as a mnemonic device.

Which of the following is a characteristic of good business writing?

uses short sentences and paragraphs

Which of the following best helps apply you-attitude on a sentence level?

using "you" more often than "I" in positive situations

Which of the following should be used in subject lines for problem-solving messages?

using a benefit that is likely to help the audience

Which of the following is an example of inclusive design?

using appropriate contrast and legible fonts to make images and text easier to read

Which of the following is most effective when trying to eliminate sexist generic pronouns?

using plural nouns or pronouns

Which of the following should be typically practiced when writing to an international audience?

using titles of people instead of first names

According to Jakob Nielsen, who among the following should be used to test a document?

very old or young readers

In a fund-raising appeal, the basic emotional strategy is

vicarious participation.

Emails are usually used when you

want to save money

Which of the following audiences of organizational messages are people who have political, social, or economic power but do not have the power to stop a message or directly act on it?

watchdog audience

In which of the following situations is it considered appropriate to deliver negative messages via electronic media?

when all employees need to hear the news around the same time

In which of the following examples is a threat likely to be used instead of persuasion?

when an employee repeatedly insults customers, thereby losing business

When should the sales pattern be used in choosing a persuasive strategy?

when emotion is more important than logic in making a decision

Dario heads a team at an organization. He often interacts with his team through meetings and emails to discuss various issues, strategies, and ideas. In which of the following scenarios should Dario use oral communication over written communication?

when he wants to resolve conflicts among his team members

In which of the following instances would it be unnecessary to provide audience benefits?

when informing the stakeholders that the company's revenue has decreased

In which of the following situations is it considered insensitive to use positive emphasis?

when terminating an employee's employment