Chap 3

65) Which of the following is true of the direct approach to presenting information? A) It is generally used when the audience is uninterested in the message. B) It is used when the audience may react negatively to the message. C) It generally presents evidence to build a case before reaching a conclusion. D) It generally starts with the main idea and follows up with the evidence. E) It is used when audience receptivity to the message is not known.

D) It generally starts with the main idea and follows up with the evidence.

41) Which of the following allows reports and other documents, that were once distributed on paper, to be transferred as electronic documents? A) Skype B) IM C) VoIP D) PDF E) Flash

D) PDF

66) Which of the following is true of the indirect approach to presenting information? A) It avoids tough issues as the audience is hostile. B) It usually begins with a conclusion or recommendation and follows up with evidence. C) It is used for messages which are routine and noncontroversial. D) The main idea is withheld until a logical and persuasive case can be built up. E) It is used when a positive reception is expected from the audience.

D) The main idea is withheld until a logical and persuasive case can be built up.

32) Which of the following methods of communication offers the most opportunities for nonverbal communication? A) electronic versions of written media B) multimedia communication C) written communication D) visual communication E) oral communication

E) oral communication

60) When writing, Alyssa finds it best to talk through a communication challenge before beginning to write. She records herself describing what she intends to write. When she listens to the playback, she identifies ways to tighten and clarify the message. The process Alyssa uses is known as ________. A) brainstorming B) mind mapping C) the journalistic approach D) a question-and-answer chain E) the storyteller's tour

E) the storyteller's tour

58) The ________ approach asks who, what, when, where, why, and how questions to distill major thoughts from unorganized information. A) storytelling B) journalistic C) brainstorming D) question-and-answer chain E) mind-mapping

B) journalistic

28) Which of these media is most effective when immediate feedback is required? A) written B) oral C) electronic D) visual E) multimedia

B) oral

49) The richest medium of communication is ________ communication. A) radio B) oral C) visual D) multimedia E) written

B) oral

70) A ________ is an important element in the storytelling technique for business communication because it helps readers personalize the message. A) concise business example B) persuasive message C) cautionary tale D) character the audience can identify with E) cause-and-effect relationship

B) persuasive message

46) Diane needs to send out a certain query to a number of clients. She must also keep a record of the responses. Which of the following communication methods is the most appropriate for the purpose? A) telephone calls B) videoconferencing C) letters D) instant messaging E) Internet telephony

C) letters

52) Which of the following forms of communication is the richest? A) a phone call B) a memo C) an e-mail D) a face-to-face conversation E) a letter

D) a face-to-face conversation

6) Which of the following activities follows the writing step in the process of writing business messages? A) developing an audience profile B) selecting a medium C) gathering information D) revising the message E) organizing the information

D) revising the message

15) A(n) ________ purpose should be stated as precisely as possible, even identifying which audience members should respond, how they should respond, and when. A) persuasive B) general C) informational D) specific E) collaborative

D) specific

71) Defining the purpose of your message, gathering the necessary information, and selecting the medium for delivering the message takes place in the planning stage of the writing process.

T

72) The second stage of the writing process involves adapting the message to the audience and composing the first draft.

T

74) The general purpose of a business message is to inform, persuade, or collaborate with your audience.

T

75) In business messages, you need to state your specific purpose as precisely as possible, even identifying which audience members should respond, how they should respond, and when.

T

87) When writing a message, the direct approach opens with the main idea of the message and supports that with reasoning, evidence, and examples.

T

55) Dan needs to explain the new leave policy to the 50 employees in his company. Which of the following will NOT be appropriate for the message? A) IM B) e-mail C) letter D) memo E) in-person presentation

A) IM

34) ________ are brief printed documents traditionally used for the routine, day-to-day exchange of information within an organization. A) Memos B) Letters C) Instant messages D) Mind maps E) Proposals

A) Memos

53) Leaner media are best used for messages that ________. A) are routine B) are highly emotional C) are nonroutine D) require feedback E) must be personalized

A) are routine

1) The first stage of the writing process includes ________. A) selecting the right medium B) producing the message C) composing the message D) adapting the message to the audience E) proofreading the message

A) selecting the right medium

64) The direct approach is best when ________. A) the audience is likely to be receptive to the message B) the audience is likely to react negatively to the message C) you do not know your audience well D) the message is highly emotional E) the message is controversial

A) the audience is likely to be receptive to the message

16) The ________ purpose of a business message helps define the overall approach needed, from gathering information to organizing the message, but rarely sets precise goals. A) variable B) general C) explicit D) relative E) logical

B) general

27) ________ communication is best when you need to encourage interaction, express emotions, or monitor emotional responses. A) Print B) Oral C) Visual D) Electronic E) Multimedia

B) Oral

50) Media richness depends on ________. A) the cost of using the medium B) a medium's ability to facilitate feedback C) how well a medium repeats the main idea D) how quickly a medium delivers the message E) the formality of the medium

B) a medium's ability to facilitate feedback

11) Over the last 8 months, consulting firm G&B has been in talks with Wattersons Inc. over a potential merger. During this time, G&B employees were kept abreast of their company's plans and all their concerns regarding the merger were thoroughly addressed. As the company had assured them that their jobs would be safe, the employees were generally supportive of the move. Once the decision was finalized, G&B's top management issued a statement to the employees confirming the merger. Which of the following is the general purpose of the message issued by G&B's top management? A) to persuade B) to inform C) to collaborate D) to initiate a conversation E) to negotiate

B) to inform

21) The New York headquarters of a multinational company typically houses a number of employees from its various branches across the world. English is the common language of communication, but most employees are not native speakers. How does this fact affect business communications addressed to all the employees located at the company's headquarters? A) The primary audience will be difficult to determine. B) Geographic location will be important in determining message composition. C) Gathering information for the message will be difficult. D) Cultural factors may inhibit understanding of the message. E) The size of the audience will play an important role in determining message composition.

D) Cultural factors may inhibit understanding of the message.

61) ________ is the process of using a graphic method to generate and organize ideas. It begins with a main idea and then branches out, connecting all other related ideas to the main idea. A) Blue-sky thinking B) Idea designing C) Brainstorming D) Mind mapping E) Red-hat thinking

D) Mind mapping

22) Ethan was commissioned to research the market potential for a new fast food chain in a particular area. A trained market researcher, Ethan used complex statistical methods to analyze his data. He is in the process of preparing his research report and must now draft his conclusions and recommendations for the top management of the fast food chain, who are located at the firm's headquarters in Boston. Which of the following must Ethan necessarily be aware of in order to draft his conclusions and recommendations in the most effective manner? A) the median age of the audience B) the latest market research tools and techniques C) the geographic distribution of the audience D) the audience's level of understanding E) the male-to-female ratio of the audience

D) the audience's level of understanding

23) Which of the following is true for gathering information for written communication? A) Information for simple messages can be gathered using informal techniques. B) Only formal methods of gathering information can be used for complex messages. C) Informal research techniques are not reliable sources of information. D) Asking the audience for input is not an acceptable method of gathering information. E) Formal research techniques are always necessary in the case of simple messages.

A) Information for simple messages can be gathered using informal techniques.

69) Annalise oversees the content management system for her company. She has to write a set of instructions for new employees, explaining how to add and edit content on the system. She begins by creating an outline of the major points to be included. Which of the following will be the most convenient way to structure this explanation? A) Major points should deal with steps in the process. B) Major points should represent events in the chronological chain of events. C) Major points should develop a line of reasoning that proves the central message. D) Major points should correspond to the sections of the system. E) Major points should develop an argument that motivates the audience to act.

A) Major points should deal with steps in the process.

43) ________ is a medium's ability to convey a message through more than one informational cue, facilitate feedback, and establish personal focus. A) Richness B) Versatility C) Synthesis D) Scalability E) Leanness

A) Richness

47) In which of the following methods of communication are privacy and security concerns the highest? A) electronic B) visual C) oral D) written E) audio

A) electronic

35) A primary advantage of written media is that they ________. A) increase control over the message B) are less costly C) allow for immediate feedback D) are brief and to-the-point E) allow recipients to ask questions

A) increase control over the message

12) Cosmetics company Blush has a new competitor, FreshLook. To help retain its market share, Blush releases an ad campaign focusing on the unique features of its products in order to convince consumers to stay loyal to the brand. Which of the following is the general purpose of Blush's ad campaign? A) to persuade B) to identify C) to collaborate D) to negotiate E) to converse

A) to persuade

38) Creating audio signals from computer data is known as ________. A) voice synthesis B) audio evolution C) voice over IP D) Internet telephony E) voice recognition

A) voice synthesis

25) Writers have a responsibility to make sure that the information they present is ________. A) informative, plausible, and dynamic B) accurate, ethical, and pertinent C) productive, predictive, and effective D) objective, creative, and original E) constructive, innovative, and persuasive

B) accurate, ethical, and pertinent

4) The second stage of the writing process includes ________. A) gathering information that will inform, persuade, or motivate your audience B) adapting the message to your audience and composing the first draft C) revising and rewriting until the message is clear and effective D) proofreading the message E) selecting the right medium

B) adapting the message to your audience and composing the first draft

42) In ________ , computer-generated text, graphics, or sounds are superimposed onto a user's physical reality, either on a device display or directly onto the physical world itself. A) vidcasts B) augmented reality C) VoIP D) moblogs E) Internet telephony

B) augmented reality

8) The activities of revising, producing, proofreading, and distributing a message take place in the ________ stage of the writing process. A) writing B) completing C) planning D) responding E) organizing

B) completing

17) Amber Consulting decides to organize a public service ad campaign as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The company chooses the issue of water conservation and aims to inform people about the problem through its ad campaign. Which of the following will MOST weaken Amber Consulting's decision to start the campaign? A) Statistics reveal that 60 percent of all industrial waste is dumped untreated in to natural water sources. B) The company's previous CSR effort in the field of education did not yield as positive a response as was expected. C) The water conservation campaign complements the company's long-running clean energy campaign. D) This issue of water conservation has been in the news for the past several months and has been the subject of numerous campaigns. E) Research suggests that most people are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and are willing to act on their beliefs.

D) This issue of water conservation has been in the news for the past several months and has been the subject of numerous campaigns.

18) Milkman Foods has developed a malted milk powder for children. Which of the following questions is MOST relevant in helping the company identify the target audience for the promotional campaign of this product? A) Who are Milkman's competitors in the market? B) How often do people buy groceries? C) What is the average consumption of milk in the area? D) Who makes the buying decisions in households? E) What do consumers expect from the product?

D) Who makes the buying decisions in households?

30) Which of the following is an advantage of oral media? A) increased control over the message B) ability to revise and rework the message C) wide reach D) ability to express the emotions behind a message E) minimal chances of message distortion

D) ability to express the emotions behind a message

39) Converting audio signals to computer data is known as ________. A) voice synthesis B) audio evolution C) audio fabrication D) voice recognition E) voice activation

D) voice recognition

77) Oral media include face-to-face conversation, speeches, presentations, and meetings.

T

82) Media richness depends in part on a medium's ability to facilitate feedback.

T

83) The richest form of communication is face-to-face conversation.

T

63) Leo needs to create a presentation on a controversial topic. Before beginning work, he outlines the major points and plans the flow of the presentation. Which of the following should Leo avoid in order to express his ideas clearly and concisely? A) explaining the implications of the main idea B) increasing the number of supporting points C) limiting the scope of the presentation D) providing examples and evidence E) providing only a few strong examples

B) increasing the number of supporting points

14) An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be to ________. A) impart information to the audience B) inform employees about the new vacation policy C) persuade readers to take an action D) obtain audience participation and collaboration E) initiate a conversation about a product

B) inform employees about the new vacation policy

31) D& J Ltd is in the process of developing a new organization structure. The company wants inputs and feedback from the management of various departments about possible options. The topic is expected to generate some differing opinions, but the managers will need to work together to reach a consensus. Which of the following classes of media will be the most appropriate for this situation? A) written B) oral C) electronic D) multimedia E) visual

B) oral

51) ________ media communicate in the simplest ways, provide no opportunity for audience feedback, and aren't personalized. A) Direct B) Traditional C) Lean D) Uniform E) Rich

C) Lean

37) Which of the following is an advantage of visual communication methods over oral and written media? A) They tend to be more persuasive. B) They reach a large number of people efficiently. C) They convey complex ideas and relationships quickly. D) They allow immediate feedback. E) They are easy to transmit and store.

C) They convey complex ideas and relationships quickly.

56) Stella is working on a tourism brochure for the Bahamas. She needs to find new and interesting ways of presenting information that has been covered many times before. She begins to write as many ideas, questions, and possibilities she can think of, without considering order or importance. She looks for connections among the various ideas to help her find the best way to present the information. Which of the following methods is Stella using? A) the journalistic approach B) mind-mapping C) brainstorming D) a question-and-answer chain E) a storyteller's tour

C) brainstorming

7) At which stage in the three-step writing process do you step back to review the message to make sure it is clear, concise, and correct? A) planning B) writing C) completing D) adapting E) composing

C) completing

45) One of the drawbacks of using e-mail is ________. A) its high cost B) its slow speed C) its privacy risks D) its formality E) its urgency

C) its privacy risks

24) Companies can gather data through a ________ system, which is a centralized database that collects the experiences and insights of employees throughout the organization. A) social-networking B) mind-mapping C) knowledge-management D) internal networking E) workflow-management

C) knowledge-management

29) By giving communicators the ability to see, hear, and react to each other, ________ are useful for encouraging people to ask questions, make comments, and work together to reach a consensus or decision. A) written media B) multimedia C) oral media D) visual media E) sensory media

C) oral media

33) An organization has recently introduced radical changes in its methods of working. Managers of various departments must now ascertain employees' views on the changes and gauge morale. However, there is a concern that employees may not be fully honest about their reactions and may tend to present a positive picture of the situation. Which of the following communication media can managers use to obtain an accurate impression of the situation? A) multimedia B) written media C) oral media D) electronic media E) visual media

C) oral media

2) Which of the following activities takes place during the planning stage of the writing process? A) composing the message B) adapting the message to the audience C) organizing the information D) reviewing the message E) producing the message

C) organizing the information

9) Which of the following correctly lists the steps in the three-step writing process? A) writing; revising; adapting B) organizing; revising; writing C) planning; writing; completing D) designing; planning; writing E) composing; organizing; selecting a medium

C) planning; writing; completing

5) Which of the following sets of activities is undertaken after a message is composed? A) organizing information and adapting the message to the audience B) gathering and organizing information C) revising and producing the message D) analyzing the situation and adapting the message E) selecting the medium and producing the message

C) revising and producing the message

3) Brian needs to create a brochure for a new savings scheme for a bank. He develops an audience profile and gathers the information that must be included in the message. According to the three-step writing process, what should be Brian's next step? A) distributing the message B) proofreading the message C) selecting the medium D) revising the message E) analyzing the situation

C) selecting the medium

26) A travel agency is advertising a new holiday package. Which of the following information about the destination is NOT pertinent for the target audience? A) the climate of the place B) the modes of transport there C) the national income of the country D) the scenic points along the route E) the language and culture of the country

C) the national income of the country

20) Amy needs to draft an e-mail explaining income tax procedures to all the employees of her company. Which of the following should she find out to help her decide what to write? A) the primary audience B) the age structure of the company C) the needs and expectations of the employees D) the expected reaction from readers E) the key decision-makers among the employees

C) the needs and expectations of the employees

59) Jeremy writes articles on personal finance for a local paper. He often needs to simplify financial concepts and reduce them to everyday terms to reach his audience. In order to structure his articles, he starts with a key question from the audience's perspective, and works back toward the message. Each answer generates new questions, until he can identify the information that needs to be in the article. His method of working is known as ________. A) question of fact B) hypothetical questioning C) the question-and-answer chain D) red-hat thinking E) rhetorical questioning

C) the question-and-answer chain

13) A news website wants visitors to make a donation to a children's charity for Christmas. The site places banner ads on every page to encourage donations. Some ads stress the need for donation, others explain how to donate. The site aims to have at least 5 percent of the visitors donate to the charity as a result of the campaign. Which of the following is the specific purpose of the campaign? A) to inform visitors about the need to donate B) to inform visitors about the ways in which they can donate C) to persuade at least 5 percent of the visitors to donate to the campaign D) to raise money for the children's charity E) to raise awareness about the plight of children

C) to persuade at least 5 percent of the visitors to donate to the campaign

36) A multinational company has a presence in several countries and its employees come from different cultures and speak a variety of languages. The company needs to communicate information about a complex process to all its employees across the world. Which of the following classes of media should the company use for this purpose? A) written media, so that the company has a record of the message it sends out B) oral media, because a complex topic can best be explained through interpersonal communication C) visual media, which require less language processing and can be standardized D) electronic media, because these are the cheapest means of communication E) multimedia, as it enables audience interaction

C) visual media, which require less language processing and can be standardized

67) In which of the following cases will a direct approach be the appropriate message strategy? A) when the audience is hostile to the message B) when the audience's reaction to the message is unknown C) when the message is extremely long D) when the message is nonroutine or unusual E) when the audience is likely to disbelieve or doubt the content of the message

C) when the message is extremely long

57) Brainstorming ________. A) wastes valuable time B) is useful in the completing stage of writing messages C) is not helpful when several people are collaborating on a message D) can be effectively used by one person or many people E) uses a graphic method to organize information

D) can be effectively used by one person or many people

40) Telephone calls, teleconferencing, voice-mail messages, and audio recordings such as compact discs and podcasts are ________. A) electronic versions of written media B) multimedia C) visual media D) electronic versions of oral media E) electronic versions of visual media

D) electronic versions of oral media

68) In the indirect approach to drafting a message, ________. A) the main idea is usually followed by the supporting points B) the main idea requires no explanation or argument C) the main idea is usually presented at the beginning of the message D) the main idea usually appears towards the end of the message E) the main idea is usually uncontroversial and routine

D) the main idea usually appears towards the end of the message

62) Which of the following statements about the scope of a message is true? A) The amount of information in a message should be reduced for a skeptical or hostile audience. B) A knowledgeable audience will necessitate a longer message with more supporting points. C) Limit the scope of a message in order to convey the main idea as briefly as possible. D) A greater number of supporting points will ensure that audience interest remains high. E) Routine messages will generally be longer and more detailed than non-routine messages.

E) Routine messages will generally be longer and more detailed than non-routine messages.

19) Which of the following questions will NOT help determine the audience profile? A) What is the audience composition? B) What are the audience's expectations and preferences? C) Where is the audience located? D) How many people does the message need to reach? E) Will the message change anything?

E) Will the message change anything?

54) Which of the following types of messages sent by a company to its employees will require the richest media? A) a message about smoking restrictions B) a message welcoming a new manager C) a message about a change in lunch times D) a message about leave policy E) a message conveying the organization's goals

E) a message conveying the organization's goals

10) Business messages generally have general and specific purposes. Which of the following is a specific purpose of a business message? A) informing the audience B) persuading the audience C) collaborating D) initiating a conversation E) achieving precise sales goals

E) achieving precise sales goals

48) Richness is a medium's ability to convey a message through more than one informational cue, facilitate feedback, and ________. A) maintain a permanent record B) minimize the cost of transmitting the message C) send the message as quickly as possible D) deemphasize inappropriate emotional cues E) establish personal focus

E) establish personal focus

44) Which of the following is a disadvantage of written media? A) restricts participation to those physically present B) provides no permanent, verifiable record of the communication C) reduces communicator's control over the message D) offers no opportunity to revise or edit E) offers no opportunity for nonverbal communication

E) offers no opportunity for nonverbal communication