BUS communications chapter 5

The framing of the primary business message is important for which of the following reasons?

-It emphasizes the message's premises. -It highlights support for the message's key ideas. -It gives focus to an important argument.

Which of the following are the effects of a positive workplace attitude?

-It enhances creativity. -It provides motivation. -It improves work performance.

Which of the following are accurate descriptions of the meta message of a business communication?

-It is the overall message conveyed by the communication. -It is conveyed as a combination of content and tone.

Which of the following are aspects of setting up the logic of a business message?

-arranging message logic -identifying supporting points -defining a call to action

Which are part of identifying business problems as a first step to solving them?

-asking questions -gathering information -understanding company objectives

The AIM process includes which of the following steps?

-audience analysis -information gathering -message development

When framing the primary message, authors of a business message should complete which of the following?

-define the primary message -compose a brief, vivid message statement

Which of the following are ways an inexperienced newcomer can improve a professional reputation?

-dress in a manner that reflects the company's corporate culture -ask to take on projects with greater responsibilities -be in attendance at numerous meetings

Setting up the logic of the message consists of

-identifying the call to action. -identifying supporting points in the message.

In business messages, a can-do attitude has which of the following qualities?

-optimism -confidence -enthusiasm

Which of the following are helpful ways of organizing the logic of a business message?

-sketching out the logic -diagramming the logic

In a deductive business argument, the essence of the message can be gleaned from which three of the following?

-the first paragraph -the first sentences of supporting paragraphs -the last paragraph

Readers interpret the tone of a business message primarily as a reflection of the writer's attitude toward which two of the following?

-the message content -the readers of the message

Order the following steps as they typically occur in developing sound business ideas, with the first step at the top and the last step at the bottom.

1. identification of questions and problems 2. research to gather information 3. making conclusions or finding solutions

For an effective frame, the primary business message should be approximately ______ words in length.

10 to 15

Crystal believes that outsourcing the bookkeeping needs of her firm would save money. She researches various companies and runs the numbers for various scenarios to gather evidence of the potential savings that would result from using outside bookkeepers. Which of the following best defines Crystal's message structure?

Crystal is identifying causes and effects.

Which of the following statements about workplace priorities is not true?

Priorities are more constant than values.

Business messages usually conclude with a

call to action

An audience's assessment of a business communication message is largely based on the author's

credibility

When solving business problems the first step is to

identify the problem.

AIM is a process for ______ the writing of useful business messages.

planning

An indirect approach is often used for which of the following types of business messages?

to give negative news

When writing an effective business message, being flexible can involve which of the following?

-being open to alternative ways to address an issue -listening to the ideas of others

To form a business message with confident claims and predictions, you should do which of the following?

-choose your language carefully -be careful in your reasoning

When excellent business writers craft a message, they focus on the ______ stage first.

Planning

For many business messages, the most important step in the planning stage of business communication writing is identifying

the benefits to be gained by the reader.

The frame of a primary business message should be which of the following?

-memorable -short

As a rule of thumb, what is the minimum time needed to change a professional reputation?

6 months

What attitude do effective business writers take toward members of their reading audience?

They attempt to understand them.

True or false: Meta messages in your business communication can impact how others perceive your character.

True

In a business message, ______ words emphasize positive, harmonious relationships and positions.

constructive

Average and poor business writers are more likely than excellent writers to focus on the _____ stage first.

drafting

When writing a business message, a key component of credibility comes from demonstrating

interest in others.

Your goal in framing a business message is to

make it compelling while using rational and emotional appeal.

In a business message, mixed signals come about when there is a conflict between signals such as tone and

message content.

The underlying, overall message that people get from a business communication is called the ___ message of the communication.

meta

When a business professional sends mixed signals in a message, it typically leads to

negative meta messages.

Entry-level business professionals have low credibility primarily because they are

newcomers

When writing a business message with an indirect approach, which of the following are presented first?

supporting reasons

To demonstrate a can-do attitude in a business message, the writer should use

realistic assertions.

Strong analogies are important to the writing of business messages because they

reinforce arguments.

In effective business messages, any analogies should be rooted in

relevant similarities.

Framing the primary message involves presenting the message

within an overall theme.

Over the course of many communications, the lasting meta messages you send become the basis for

your reputation.

Which of the following statements about the framework of a deductive business message are accurate?

-The concluding paragraph has a call to action. -It should be possible to scan the message to readily understand its main ideas. -There are supporting paragraphs for each key point.

Which of the following are characteristics of effective and compelling business message frames?

-They are memorable. -They use rational and emotional appeal.

What are constraints that members of your audience might have that keep them from responding to your message as you hope?

-They do not have the necessary resources. -They do not have enough time to act on your message. -They do not have the authority to make relevant decisions.

Which of the following are parts of the process of crafting effective business messages?

-reviewing -writing -planning

In writing business messages, the planning stage focuses on ensuring excellent

content

Most business messages are crafted using a(n) ______ approach.

deductive

Business-message readers generally have a better reaction to an author who is seen as

open to a variety of options and ideas.

In business communications, which of the following generally enhances the writer's beneficial influence over others?

optimism

When business thinkers are mentally flexible, they possess the ability to

understand contrasting views.

In the context of business messages, workplace ______ are the core beliefs about suitable ways of handling issues and problems.

values

When the tone of a business message is ______, there is an implied interest in the opinions and needs of the audience.

welcoming