Chapter 11

31) When evaluating sources for quality, consider A) sources that are new or obscure. B) using only those sources that support your goal. C) the use of strong and specific word choices. D) the potential bias of the source. E) primary sources

D) the potential bias of the source.

69) Many businesses optimize their website to incorporate a A) single-dimensional medium. B) mobile-first strategy. C) supply and demand strategy. D) more linear medium. E) one-page website.

B) mobile-first strategy.

49) One of the best ways to track the behavior of a test subject is through A) surveying. B) observation. C) interviewing. D) metasearch analysis. E) representative sampling.

B) observation.

56) A contractor submitting a weekly report on work done to date would be providing the client with A) a progress report. B) a compliance report. C) a justification report. D) a periodic operating report. E) a position paper.

A) a progress report.

82) Unlike proposals, justification reports A) are designed to affirm decisions after they have been made. B) are internal as opposed to external reports. C) are always in memo format. D) do not require a great deal of supporting data. E) solve problems.

A) are designed to affirm decisions after they have been made

65) All ________ are written in response to regulations of one sort or another. A) compliance reports B) operating reports C) white papers D) position papers E) business plans

A) compliance reports

96) If you're writing an unsolicited proposal, you may have to A) convince readers that a problem exists that must be addressed. B) analyze the client's business in light of the competition. C) follow the requirements in the RFP exactly. D) enumerate the client's options regarding such business decisions as product-line expansion. E) specify exactly the type of work to be performed.

A) convince readers that a problem exists that must be addressed.

80) When you speculate about the cause of a problem, you are forming a ________, a potential explanation that needs to be tested. A) hypothesis B) prospectus C) quandary D) supposition E) problem factor

A) hypothesis

68) Company websites often function as A) informational reports. B) business plans. C) marketing strategies. D) business models. E) monitor and control reports.

A) informational reports.

15) Internal reports are more likely to be misinterpreted than external reports.

Answer: FALSE

19) In business reports, it is never appropriate to combine the direct and indirect approaches by revealing conclusions and recommendations as you go along.

Answer: FALSE

16) The statement of purpose for analytical reports will usually need to be more comprehensive than one for informational reports

Answer: TRUE

17) An executive dashboard is a customized online presentation of highly summarized business information.

Answer: TRUE

18) The direct approach is the most popular strategy for business reports.

Answer: TRUE

36) When creating a work plan, it's important to begin by developing a problem statement. T/F

Answer: TRUE

75) When defining the problems you need to address in an analytical report, ask yourself: A) How long should this report be? B) Why is this issue important? C) What is my purpose is writing this? D) Who will read the report? E) How can I use this report to gain credibility?

B) Why is this issue important?

40) Unlike Internet search engines, online databases can often be more reliable search engines because they A) can be accessed only from a library. B) often provide access to various parts of the hidden Internet. C) are often based on popular opinion. D) do not require a subscription. E) are often current.

B) often provide access to various parts of the hidden Internet

53) To solicit opinions, insights, and information, use A) online surveys. B) open-ended questions. C) closed-ended questions. D) focus groups. E) leading questions.

B) open-ended questions.

13) The direct approach and the indirect approach ________; therefore, businesspeople ________. A) are unrelated; use them randomly B) are both inadequate; never use them C) both have merit; often combine them D) both have merit; never combine them E) are both unique; never combine them

C) both have merit; often combine them

79) A ________ studies events that happened in the past, with the hope of learning how to avoid similar failures in the future. A) market analysis report B) due diligence report C) failure analysis report D) feasibility report E) business plan

C) failure analysis report

55) Compliance reports are generally required by A) parent companies. B) accounting departments. C) government agencies. D) marketing departments. E) midlevel managers.

C) government agencies.

70) The structure and navigational flow of all parts of a website is the A) vertical hierarchy. B) horizontal division. C) information architecture. D) mobile-first strategy. E) multidimension division.

C) information architecture.

38) A web directory differs from a search engine in that A) it doesn't allow keyword searches. B) it can't equal the precision of a general search engine. C) it relies on human editors to evaluate and select content. D) it usually locates more sites than a search engine. E) it formats the request for multiple search engines

C) it relies on human editors to evaluate and select content.

46) The two most common primary research methods are A) websites and books. B) experiments and observations. C) surveys and interviews. D) test panels and experiments. E) reports and memos.

C) surveys and interviews.

8) When selecting the right medium for a report, A) you should choose the ones that are most convenient. B) you should choose the ones that are most economical. C) your decisions should reflect your audience's expectations. D) you should always present your report in writing. E) you should choose the one easiest to store.

C) your decisions should reflect your audience's expectations.

14) When preparing content for mobile devices, a(n) ________ will help leadership easily locate key variables and other report content. A) intranet B) hard copy report C) email D) chart or graph E) executive dashboard

E) executive dashboard

29) A(n) ________ is a set of technologies, policies, and procedures that a company can use to capture and share information throughout the organization. A) big-data paradigm B) desktop search protocol C) recursive process model D) intradepartmental database E) knowledge management system

E) knowledge management system

77) Because of its natural feel and versatility, the ________ approach is generally the most persuasive way to develop an analytical report for skeptical readers. A) 2 + 2 = 4 B) yardstick C) direct D) hypothetical E) indirect

A) 2 + 2 = 4

10) Which of the following is a useful strategy in preparing business reports? A) Understand and meet audience expectations. B) Use the same format for reports, regardless of topic. C) Keep your report as detailed as possible. D) Write the report for delivery through one media outlet. E) Use an indirect approach whenever possible.

A) Understand and meet audience expectations.

60) Topical organization strategies for informational reports include all of the following except A) complexity. B) sequence. C) importance. D) comparison. E) category.

A) complexity.

9) When outlining the content of your report, A) it is preferable to use informative headings as opposed to descriptive ones. B) you should use complex language for all headings. C) keep in mind that you will have to use this same outline for your final report. D) identify general topic areas. E) start with vague ideas and build up to ideas with more depth.

A) it is preferable to use informative headings as opposed to descriptive ones

81) If you expect your audience to disagree with you, use the 2 + 2 = 4 approach or the yardstick approach to focus on A) logical arguments. B) your conclusions. C) your recommendations. D) feelings and opinions. E) credibility.

A) logical arguments

59) When you're writing a business plan, the ________ section explains the purpose of your business and what you hope to accomplish. A) mission and objectives B) design and development C) products and services D) financial projections and requirements E) monitor-and-control

A) mission and objectives

34) When using information from sources, ________ helps you maintain a consistent tone while using vocabulary familiar to your audience. A) paraphrasing B) quoting C) summarizing D) concluding E) correlating

A) paraphrasing

27) Unlike a summary, a paraphrase A) restates the original material in your own words and with your own sentence structures. B) presents the gist of the original material in fewer words. C) does not require complete documentation of sources. D) is never acceptable in business documents. E) is more difficult to understand.

A) restates the original material in your own words and with your own sentence structures.

48) An online survey is vulnerable to ________ because it captures only the opinions of those who visit the site and choose to participate. A) sampling bias B) backchannel static C) circular reasoning D) emotional manipulation E) transactional dysfunction

A) sampling bias

52) When conducting primary research by using interviews, which of the following will have the least effect on responses? A) the ability to adapt the question set based on response B) the subject's cultural and language background C) the type of questions being asked D) issues such as race, gender, age, and social status E) the way the questions are framed

A) the ability to adapt the question set based on response

78) One drawback of using the yardstick approach to structure business reports is that A) the audience must agree with your criteria for analysis. B) this approach is generally considered old-fashioned. C) it forces you to ignore the fact that the problem may have multiple causes. D) it eliminates repetition of key concepts. E) it does not allow for the evaluation of multiple criteria at one time.

A) the audience must agree with your criteria for analysis.

85) Unlike reports focused on conclusions or recommendations, reports focusing on logical arguments A) use an indirect approach. B) are not very convincing. C) emphasize the positive. D) do not include outside evidence. E) use a direct approach.

A) use an indirect approach.

25) Which of these documents would not qualify as primary research? A) A recent survey of your company's top clients B) The most recent issue of a trade magazine in your industry C) Notes from a conversation you recently had with a local government official D) Your company's latest balance sheet E) Current budget figures

B) The most recent issue of a trade magazine in your industry

57) A public corporation filing a quarterly tax report would be providing A) a progress report. B) a compliance report. C) a justification report. D) a periodic operating report. E) a policy and procedure report.

B) a compliance report.

7) All of the following except ________ are elements in the planning phase of the three-step writing process. A) analyzing the situation B) adapting to your audience C) gathering information D) selecting the right medium E) organizing information

B) adapting to your audience

6) The best way to phrase the purpose statement of a report is with A) complex language. B) an infinitive phrase. C) a controversial statement. D) jargon. E) compelling arguments.

B) an infinitive phrase

11) An employee who describes the data she collected from six different plant managers without drawing any conclusions is preparing A) an analytical report. B) an informational report. C) a proposal. D) a work plan. E) a justification report.

B) an informational report.

3) In addition to offering information and analysis, ________ can also include recommendations. A) indirect reports B) analytical reports C) informational reports D) directive reports E) socioeconomic reports

B) analytical reports

63) As it relates to a formal business plan, the ________ defines how the company will generate revenue and produce a profit. A) marketing strategy B) business model C) action forecast D) financial projection E) mission and objectives

B) business model

28) One task in effective paraphrasing is to A) avoid using any business language or jargon. B) check your version against the original to make sure that you didn't alter the meaning. C) make sure your version is the same length as or longer than the original. D) write in the passive voice. E) omit quotation marks.

B) check your version against the original to make sure that you didn't alter the meaning.

76) The 2 + 2 = 4 approach A) generally works only with lengthy, non-routine reports. B) convinces the reader by demonstrating that everything adds up. C) is far more complicated than any other organizational strategy. D) is the only approach that is appropriate for any business report. E) works best if the reader is likely to accept the argument.

B) convinces the reader by demonstrating that everything adds up

43) A powerful search tool that searches all the files on a company's network is a(n) A) desktop search engine. B) enterprise search engine. C) research and content manager. D) social tagging or bookmarking manager. E) media curation manager

B) enterprise search engine.

23) At the beginning of a research project, you need to A) develop a formal outline that you plan to stick to throughout your researching and writing. B) familiarize yourself with the subject. C) just jump in by finding resources on the Internet and taking notes. D) develop the conclusion you want to reach and start looking for evidence that supports that conclusion. E) try Google to see if it provides enough information, and if not proceed to databases and other sources.

B) familiarize yourself with the subject.

83) Analytical reports for skeptical audiences should generally follow the ________ approach. A) direct B) indirect C) hypothetical D) aggressive E) persuasive

B) indirect

97) Whereas ________ proposals are used to request decisions from managers within an organization, ________ proposals are directed to parties outside the organization. A) formal; informal B) internal; external C) solicited; unsolicited D) external; internal E) direct; indirect

B) internal; external

62) A ________ outlines an organization's official position on issues that affect its success. A) policy report B) position paper C) feasibility report D) business plan E) compliance report

B) position paper

5) When you're preparing a formal work plan, include a ________ to clarify the problem you face and a ________ to describe what you plan to accomplish. A) statistical analysis; hypothesis B) problem statement; purpose statement C) yardstick; problem statement D) descriptive standard; goal analysis E) hypothesis; work plan

B) problem statement; purpose statement

41) To conduct an effective database search, A) choose one search engine and stick with it. B) read instructions and pay attention to details. C) limit search terms. D) stay on the first page of results. E) remember that the internet is neatly organized.

B) read instructions and pay attention to details

99) In the workplace, a formal invitation to bid on a contract is called a A) business offering. B) request for proposal. C) bid requisition. D) project invitation. E) request for bid.

B) request for proposal.

95) A(n) ________ suggests an individualized solution for a potential customer and requests a purchase decision. A) grant proposal B) sales proposal C) solicited proposal D) project proposal E) investment proposal

B) sales proposal

1) The ________ for a report describes what you plan to accomplish and outlines the boundaries of your work. A) mission brief B) statement of purpose C) outcome forecast D) intention statement E) scope

B) statement of purpose

37) A writer who wants to use a ________ to build an informational report can choose from a number of arrangement patterns, such as geography, sequence, chronology, category, or importance. A) talking pattern of organization B) topical pattern of organization C) demonstrative pattern of organization D) representative pattern of organization E) direct pattern of organization

B) topical pattern of organization

26) When evaluating material you've gathered for a report, you should A) assume that any information taken from a webpage will be credible and reliable. B) throw out any information published by an organization that might be biased. C) check the material for currency. D) ignore government documents. E) assume blogs are objective sources.

C) check the material for currency.

54) The CEO of a pharmaceutical company asks you assess the company's adherence to laws governing television ads for prescription drugs. The CEO has requested a(n) A) personal activity report. B) policy implementation report. C) compliance report. D) operating report. E) business plan.

C) compliance report.

98) ________ are initiated by a company that is trying to obtain business or funding on its own, without a specific request from a client. A) Internal proposals B) External proposals C) Unsolicited proposals D) Solicited proposals E) Persuasive proposals

C) Unsolicited proposals

33) A cause-and-effect relationship between factors that can be easy to assume but difficult to prove is called A) mode. B) correlation. C) causation. D) trends. E) mean.

C) causation

4) When you're outlining your report, using ________ requires you to really think through the content, whereas using ________ simply requires you to identify topic areas. A) prescriptive headings; parallel headings B) effective headings; ineffective headings C) informative headings; descriptive headings D) multilateral headings; unilateral headings E) subjective headings; transitional headings

C) informative headings; descriptive headings

51) When developing a survey questionnaire, A) develop questions that must be answered with several sentences. B) use leading questions. C) make the survey adaptive. D) use descriptors such as "often" or "frequently." E) use compound questions.

C) make the survey adaptive.

24) Sources of secondary information include A) first-hand observation. B) in-person interviews. C) newspapers and periodicals. D) experiments. E) an online survey designed specifically for your project.

C) newspapers and periodicals

30) The ________ will define the purpose of your research. A) primary sources B) receiver expectation C) problem statement D) knowledge management system E) organization of information

C) problem statement

2) The basic purpose of informational reports is A) to persuade the audience to act. B) to present recommendations and conclusions to a superior for how to solve a particular problem. C) to present data, facts, feedback, and other types of information, without analysis or recommendations. D) to convince the reader of the soundness of your thinking. E) to change the audience's opinion on your topic.

C) to present data, facts, feedback, and other types of information, without analysis or recommendations.

84) If your readers will want to know what they should do in a given situation, then your report should focus on A) your conclusions. B) your writing process. C) your recommendations. D) your sources of information. E) your logical arguments.

C) your recommendations.

39) A metasearch engine is A) a highly specialized directory that focuses on a specific subject matter area. B) a search engine that examines only newsgroup messages. C) a type of aggregator that offers subscribers all-day information on their desktops. D) a special type of engine that searches several search engines at once. E) a search engine that can access the hidden Internet.

D) a special type of engine that searches several search engines at once.

35) A ________ is a logical interpretation of the facts and a ________ suggests an action in response to the facts. A) paraphrase; quote B) cause; correlation C) cross-tabulation; response D) conclusion; recommendation E) trend; summary

D) conclusion; recommendation

86) The problem-factoring process involves A) looking at a problem from multiple perspectives. B) considering how to allocate blame for a problem. C) creating problems instead of solving them. D) dividing a complex problem into a series of logical, connected questions. E) developing a strong hypothesis

D) dividing a complex problem into a series of logical, connected questions.

64) When a business plan is written after a company is up and running, it tends to A) summarize the company's business model. B) convince outsiders to invest in the company. C) present a vision of what the company will be. D) function as a monitor-and-control mechanism. E) concisely describe products and services.

D) function as a monitor-and-control mechanism.

12) Whereas ________ reports focus on facts, ________ reports offer interpretation and can also include recommendations. A) internal; external B) assessment; documentation C) solicited; unsolicited D) informational; analytical E) direct; analytical

D) informational; analytical

61) As a monitor-and-control mechanism, a business plan A) is useful only before a company is launched. B) always contains the same elements. C) should not identify risks and problems, since these might discourage potential investors. D) is sometimes prepared after a company is up and running. E) is useful only when seeking additional funding.

D) is sometimes prepared after a company is up and running.

66) A ________ is written to validate a decision that has already been made. A) project proposal B) progress report C) compliance report D) justification report E) feasibility report

D) justification report

58) All of the following except ________ are categories of informational reports. A) reports to monitor and control operations B) reports to demonstrate compliance C) reports to document progress D) reports to assess opportunities E) reports to implement policies

D) reports to assess opportunities

42) You would not need to cite a source if you A) used a direct quotation of under 250 words from a book titled Modern Economics. B) used a table from the 1985 Farmer's Almanac. C) described, in your own words, a plan for organizing production lines, which appeared in a professional journal. D) used it to gather common knowledge about your topic. E) found it on Google, Yahoo, or Bing.

D) used it to gather common knowledge about your topic.

67) Some start-up investors do not believe a business plan is beneficial in the early stages because A) it is too easy for anyone to write up a plan. B) most of the information is available on the Internet. C) investors spend too much time reading them. D) there is no need if the product is going to work. E) it is difficult to anticipate circumstances and obstacles that will be encountered.

E) it is difficult to anticipate circumstances and obstacles that will be encountered.

50) A survey is ________ if it produces identical results when repeated under similar conditions. A) valid B) objective C) representative D) bias-free E) reliable

E) reliable

47) When you're selecting people to participate in a survey, it is critical to get a ________ of the population you want to survey. A) stratified sample B) crossover sample C) sizeable sample D) transparent sample E) representative sample

E) representative sample

32) When analyzing data, looking at ________ will indicate patterns taking place over time. A) mean B) causation C) median D) correlation E) trends

E) trends