Managment 286 Exam 1, Management 286 Exam 2, Management 286 Exam 3
Which of the following is an example of using a formal research method?
Amy conducts a Web search to find information about a competitor's products.
Which of the following is an example of a soft skill?
Being able to work well as part of a team
Select the best definition of communication.
Communication is the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another.
Phase 3 of the 3-x-3 writing process begins with doing which of the following?
Editing the message to improve content and sentence structure
You want to simplify your language and use short, familiar words that your audience will recognize. Which of the following sentences has the best wording?
Employees are invited to attend a special luncheon next week.
Which of the following phrases is free of redundancies?
Essential items
A method of group decision making where group members bargain and negotiate to reach a middle ground is known as consensus
False
Most experts recommend trying to produce error-free first drafts of your documents.
False
The direct pattern is best when a past claim has been refused or ignored or if you anticipate reluctance to your claim.
False
The primary goal of business writing is to impress your reader.
False
Unlike in face-to-face meetings, ground rules are not needed in virtual meetings.
False
One of the most important tasks in preparing well-organized messages is
Grouping similar ideas together.
Thinking creatively and critically means
Having opinions that are backed by reason and evidence.
Which of the following is not an effective persuasion technique?
Incite fear.
When faced with an ethical dilemma, what is the first question you should ask?
Is the action I am considering legal?
Victoria is writing an e-mail message to her colleagues to encourage them to take part in a charitable fund-raiser. Her primary purpose is to
Persuade.
Where should you place the main idea in a business letter?
The first sentence
Encourage the receiver to respond to your message to evaluate its success.
True
When should the direct pattern be used to communicate negative news?
When firmness is necessary
The most prevalent communication channel in the workplace today is
.e-mail.
Experts say that we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand
75 percent of everything we hear
Which of the following is an example of external organizational communication?
A brochure sent to a prospective customer
Brianna must schedule an information meeting with 25 participants. She knows that it will be difficult to find a meeting time when everyone is available. What tool will best help her schedule this meeting?
A digital calendar
Wesley has included this opening statement in a bad-news message to a client: We both realize that the current economic downturn has resulted in lower stock prices. What kind of buffer is this?
Agreement
Which of the following describes communication in today's digital age?
All of the above statements describe communication in today's digital age.
What has led to the increase in the number of companies that operate globally?
All of these (the rise of new communication technologies and advanced forms of transportation, the removal of trade barriers, and saturated local markets)
Which of the following is an e-mail etiquette rule?
All of these are e-mail etiquette rules.
Which of the following defines persuasion?
All of these are part of the definition of persuasion.
Which of the following is a potential risk for businesses that use social media?
All of these are potential risks for businesses that use social media.
Which of the following is a typical ground rule for virtual meetings?
All of these are typical virtual meeting ground rules
To make your business messages concise, you should avoid which of the following?
All of these choices
You can build paragraph coherence by incorporating which of the following techniques?
All of these choices
What is a benefit of instant messaging?
All of these choices are benefits of instant messaging.
Which of the following sentences uses the passive voice to present the bad news?
Although the social media specialist position has been filled, we wish you well in your job search.
Which message would be most effective when organized indirectly?
An e-mail message asking employees to donate to a local charity through payroll deductions
Which of the following should be organized in an indirect pattern?
An e-mail message to employees telling them that overtime will be eliminated
Which of the following will most likely require persuasion within an organization?
An employee proposes a tuition reimbursement program to the company's board of directors.
Which of the following sends the least positive nonverbal message?
An employee sends her colleagues an e-mail message that contains several misspellings and grammatical errors.
Communicators in high-context cultures
Are more likely to be intuitive and contemplative.
Which of the following subject lines is most effective?
Attend Our Sales Meeting on January 30
Brandon is preparing a short informational report for his boss and wants to begin his research by conducting informal research. What should he consider doing?
Brandon should consider doing all of these.
Alfonso has been invited to attend his first sales meeting and wants to be an active and productive member from the very beginning. Which of the following should he do to make a good impression?
Come prepared to the meeting by doing any preliminary work required.
A task force must decide whether the company should go public and start selling its stock. Task force members have decided to continue their discussion until all team members have aired their opinions and, ultimately, agree. What method for reaching group decisions is this team using?
Consensus
Emma runs a small business and wants to improve communication among her increasingly diverse staff. Which of the following should she do?
Consider having employees take part in diversity awareness training
Communication skills are
Critical to effective job placement, performance, career advancement, and organizational success.
Which of the following is the best advice during Phase 1 of the writing process when delivering negative news?
Delivering negative news in a letter on company stationery will be more impressive than in an e-mail.
Businesses form teams because teams make better decisions, respond faster, and
Demonstrate increased productivity.
A free exchange of information helps organizations
Do all of these (respond rapidly to changing markets, build employee morale, serve the public)
Alisha is writing a sales message to advertise the services provided by the day spa she manages. In the letter she mentions rest, relaxation, and spoiling oneself for the day. Alisha is using what type of appeal?
Emotional appeal
The most effective groups and teams have members who are willing to
Establish rules and abide by those rules
Which of the following is an effective way for persuasive writers and speakers to establish credibility with an audience?
Establish their expertise.
As long as the message is properly transmitted from the sender to the receiver, successful communication has taken place.
False
Business communicators generally spend the most time on the prewriting phase of the 3-x-3 writing process.
False
Communication today generally flows one way—from companies to the public. (True or False)
False
Communication tools such as e-mail, instant messaging, texting, Twitter, and other interactive media have completely changed the nature of communication.
False
Encoding is the process of translating a message from its symbol form into meaning.
False
Exhibiting sarcasm or anger in a business message can help you get your point across or meet your goals.
False
Expressions such as due to the fact that and in the near future can help your business documents sound more professional.
False
Eye contact has the same in meaning in all cultures.
False
Headings are used only in reports; they are never used in letters, memos, or e-mail messages.
False
Including a subject line in an e-mail message is optional because these messages are usually short.
False
Information flows through formal communication channels in three directions: downward, upward, and spiral.
False
It is safer and better to proofread on your computer screen than to proofread from a printed copy because you will catch more errors this way and will be able to correct them immediately.
False
Knowledge and information workers are paid for their ability to engage in physical labor and lift heavy objects.
False
Once you delete an e-mail message, it's gone forever and cannot be retrieved.
False
Paragraphs arranged in the direct plan start with supporting sentences and conclude with the topic sentence.
False
Rate increases and price hikes should always be communicated in a written letter, and never announced online.
False
Robert is gathering data for a business proposal he is writing. Robert is in the first phase of the writing process.
False
Routine documents and complex documents are proofread using the same method.
False
The process of communication begins when the receiver puts a message into writing.
False
The rules, values, and attitudes of culture are inherent; that is, we are born with them
False
Today's new communication technologies have made writing skills less important than in the past
False
The best press releases
Focus on information that appeals to a target audience.
Nicole wants to ask her boss if she can telecommute two days a week, but she's afraid her boss will oppose her request. What should she do first in her written request?
Gain attention
Melanie is working on a report and has reached Phase 2 of the 3-x-3 writing process. What should she do first in this second phase?
Gather any necessary information
Michelle must write a bad-news message to her staff telling them that their hours next month will be reduced. She has just completed Phase 1 of the prewriting process and is beginning Phase 2. What should she do first?
Gather information and brainstorm ways to present the reasons for the bad news.
Ethical business communicators strive to tell the truth, label opinions so that they are not confused with facts, are objective, communicate clearly, use inclusive language, and
Give credit when using the ideas of others.
Learning more about the powerful effect that culture has on behavior will
Help you reduce friction and misunderstanding in your dealings with people from other cultures.
Where should deadlines and action information be placed in a routine request message?
In the closing
A colleague has decided to write a negative online review of a restaurant she recently visited and has asked for your advice. What is the best advice you can give her?
Include positives as well as negatives in the review.
To make your business messages more readable, you can do which of the following?
Incorporate numbered and bulleted lists.
An example of a country with a high-context culture is
Japan
During business negotiations, which group of individuals most likely to place more emphasis on the surrounding context than on the actual words?
Japanese
Melinda was recently hired as manager of a small retail establishment. She immediately noticed that employees seem afraid to speak with her. She wants her employees to feel comfortable coming to her about anything. What organizational communication barrier is she trying to overcome?
Lack of trust between management and employees
During a meeting Matthew and Jennifer get into an argument about how to prepare a proposal. What is the first step they should take to try to resolve this conflict?
Listen carefully to make sure they understand the problem.
Which of the following is an informal research method?
Looking in the company files for information
Which of the following is a run-on sentence?
Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers some even use Twitter.
Because of budget cutbacks, you must lay off your receptionist. What is the best way for you to deliver this message?
Meet with her in a face-to-face conversation.
Which of the following trade agreements expands free trade among Canada, the United States, and Mexico?
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
You're not sure how your reader will react to the bad news you will be delivering. What should you do?
Organize the bad-news message using the indirect strategy.
Which of the following sentences demonstrates parallelism?
Our new CEO's objectives are to improve employee morale, to boost revenues, and to enhance community relations.
Which of the following is the best example of placing the most important information first in a routine information request message?
Please answer the following questions about your office printers.
Which of the following is the best closing for a straightforward claim letter?
Please credit $36 to my account by December 31, when my next billing cycle begins.
The purpose of a buffer statement in a negative message is to
Reduce the reader's shock or pain related to the bad news.
A customer has posted a negative comment on your company's Facebook about her dissatisfaction with the customer service she received. What should you do?
Reply to the customer's post within 24 hours.
Sam is in charge of conducting a meeting during which a major company decision about reorganization will be made. Whom should he invite?
Sam should invite all of these. --Decision makers and people with the information necessary to make the decision --Representatives of groups who will be affected by the decision --People responsible for implementing the decision
Melinda has agreed to be a team leader in her organization and wants to make sure that the team is ethically responsible. What advice would you give her?
Sarah should do all of these as team leader.
The best goodwill messages concentrate on the five Ss. Which of the following is not one of the five Ss?
Savvy
The manager of a bookstore plans to use e-mail to send an online sales message announcing a special sale. What is the best advice to make this e-marketing campaign successful?
Send the e-mail sales message only to those who have given permission.
Chuck is part of a team identifying ideas to cut expenses. The team has decided to hold a brainstorming session. What is the best strategy the team can do during this session?
Set an established time limit.
Peter was just hired as an accounting assistant and wants to make a good impression in his new position. What should he do when listening to his supervisor?
Show his interest by leaning forward and striving for good eye contact
Gayle will be traveling to Thailand on business and wants to demonstrate intercultural competence while there. What is the best advice you can give her?
Show supportiveness with head nods, eye contact, facial expressions, and physical proximity.
Soon Lee was born in China and works for a large corporation there. Which of the following is most likely?
Soon Lee shows great deference to her boss because of her boss's position, seniority, and age.
Lucy works in an office that has nonterritorial workspaces. This is new to her, and she would like to display good open office etiquette. What should she do?
Speak in a soft voice and wear headphones to cut down on noise.
The best business writers do what in the opening paragraph of a routine request message?
State immediately why they are writing.
An oversimplified behavioral pattern applied uncritically to groups of people is called a(n)
Stereotype.
A task force charged with reducing overhead costs meets to define their roles and responsibilities and develop ways to reach the group's goals. Tension is fairly high among group members. The team is in the ____ phase of team development.
Storming
Communicators in low-context cultures
Tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented
Persons from many cultures are moving to countries promising to fulfill their dreams. For generations the two most popular destinations have been
The United States and Canada.
An example of a country that has a low-context culture is
The United States.
Select the passive-voice sentence.
The website was redesigned by a team of professionals.
Which of the following is not one of the goals in communicating negative news?
To hide the real reason for the negative news
Which is the most effective statement in a letter to a customer denying credit?
To learn more about your credit record, log onto http://www.ftc.gov/freereports to obtain your free credit reports.
A face-to-face conversation is considered a richer medium than a written report or proposal.
True
A good agenda includes any premeeting preparation expected of participants.
True
A good way to begin a negative-news letter to a faithful customer is to show appreciation for the reader's business
True
Although I am unable to speak to your class at this time, I sincerely appreciate your invitation effectively positions the bad news by placing it in a subordinate clause.
True
An effective opener for a message replying to a customer's request might be Yes, our retreat facilities, which can accommodate 126 people, are available on March 9-12, 2015.
True
Anticipating and profiling the audience for a message helps a communicator determine what words and tone to use.
True
Because employees act as agents of their organizations, their words, decisions, and opinions are assumed to represent those of the organization.
True
Being polished and professional can benefit a job candidate during the hiring process.
True
Business letters are preferred over e-mail when a permanent record is required, when a message is confidential, and when formality is necessary.
True
Communication in today's workplace is shifting from one-sided, slow forms of communication to interactive, instant, less paper-based communication.
True
Conflict is a normal part of every workplace and every team.
True
David, a payroll clerk, came up with an idea for processing payroll more efficiently and presented it to the Human Resources Department manager. This is an example of an upward flow of communication.
True
Eye contact, facial expressions, body movements, space, time, distance, and appearance are all examples of nonverbal communication
True
If you want to sound professional, avoid using slang such as bombed and getting burned and buzzwords such as right-size and leveraging in your business writing.
True
Improving one's tolerance of other cultures means being empathetic, nonjudgmental, and willing to seek common ground.
True
In the direct pattern, the main idea comes first, followed by details, explanation, or evidence. In the indirect pattern, the main idea follows the details, explanation, and evidence.
True
In the workplace, most messages are positive or neutral and, therefore, direct.
True
Madeline is writing an e-mail message to ask about conference facility availability and rates. She should use the direct pattern.
True
Managers can use the grapevine productively by sharing bad news as well as good news
True
Messages in today's digital age are shorter and more frequent than in the past.
True
Numbered and bulleted lists can improve readability, comprehension, and retention.
True
Oral and written communication skills, listening proficiency, nonverbal behavior, and etiquette expertise are all examples of soft skills.
True
Sentences that average 20 words are most effective for business writing.
True
Some experts recommend spending about half the total composition time editing, proofreading, and evaluating a document.
True
Straightforward, direct claims are those to which you expect the receiver to agree readily.
True
Talking with your boss to gather information is an example of an informal research method.
True
Team writing is especially important for documents that require the expertise or consensus of many people.
True
The best feedback to a message is descriptive rather than evaluative.
True
The first step in planning a persuasive message is determining the purpose since it establishes the strategy of the message.
True
The most successful teams are made up of diverse members
True
The third phase of the writing process involves editing, proofreading, and evaluating your message.
True
To achieve parallel construction, use similar structures to express similar ideas.
True
To be most effective, paragraphs in business messages should be limited to eight or fewer printed lines.
True
To improve information flow, many of today's companies have decreased the number of operating units and managers, thereby shortening lines of communication
True
Underlining, bold type, or italics can be used to call attention to important points and terms.
True
Virtual teams may be global or local.
True
When you have negative news to deliver, one of your first considerations is how the message will affect its receiver.
True
Which of the following is the best advice for sending professional e-mails on the job?
Use complete sentences and proper punctuation.
What is the most accurate statement about white space in a business document?
Use headings, bulleted or numbered lists, and effective margins to create the desired amount of white space.
Malcolm is part of a team developing a new smartphone app to track traffic patterns. Because team members are located throughout the country, they don't meet in person. Instead, they use communication technology to collaborate on the project. Because members use technology to stay connected, Malcolm is part of a
Virtual team
Which of the following sentences does not contain any trite business phrases?
We received your application for the management position.
Renzo uses his computer to access an online meeting room where he takes part in meetings with his department members. In this meeting room, participants are able to present PowerPoint slides and Word documents, share spreadsheets, demonstrate products, visit Web pages, and use a white board. Renzo and his colleagues are using what type of collaboration technology?
Web conferencing
You are writing a letter to a potential customer in Italy. Which of the following should you include in your letter?
Weights and measures written it the metric system
When should the indirect pattern be used to communicate negative news?
When the bad news is personally upsetting
Carla was promoted to a position that will require extensive writing. What is the best writing advice you can give her?
When you finish a first draft, put the document aside and return to it after a break for revision.
Which of the following is a command disguised as a polite request?
Will you please send my order by USPS Priority Mail.
Which is the most effective statement in a letter to a customer denying a claim?
You can purchase a replacement battery pack at a 30 percent discount.
Morgan has decided that she must apologize to a customer in her buffer. Which of the following is the best example of an effective apology?
You have every right to be concerned, and we sincerely apologize for the delay in filling your order. To prevent this from occurring again, we have upgraded our software and retrained our order takers.
Jeanette is offended when she notices that only masculine pronouns are used in the company's human resources manual. This decoding problem is a result of
a semantic obstacle.
Showing customers how your product or service solves a problem, achieves a personal or work objective, or makes life easier is accomplished by
adapting the message to the audience
The best persuasive requests
anticipate audience resistance.
An organizational pattern that presents the main idea after the details, explanation, and evidence is the
indirect organizational pattern.
To start your home water delivery service immediately, call us at 1-800-555-1111 is an example of
motivating action.
The most important information in a press release should be
presented early.
Memos are necessary for important internal messages
that meet all of these criteria.
Messages flowing downward such as information about procedures, equipment, or customer service generally use
the direct strategy.
Kevin is writing a routine e-mail request. The main idea or purpose of his message should be placed in
the opening.
Conduct a discussion of, give consideration to, and perform an analysis of are all examples of
verbs that have been converted to nouns.
E-mail messages, text messages, tweets, smartphones, wireless networks, letters, memos, reports, pictures, and spoken words are all examples of
channels.
Differences in frames of reference are especially significant when
communicating with people from different cultures.
The sentence I am writing this e-mail message to let you know that we have received your application for the receptionist position
contains a long lead-in.
As Nathan begins his business career, he will probably find himself writing more ____ than other types of messages.
e-mail messages
Instruction messages are used to
explain clearly how to complete a task.
The opening of a direct claim letter should
open with a clear statement of the problem or with the action you want the receiver to take.
The most important part of an e-mail message is its ____________________.
subject line
As per your request, enclosed please find, and thank you in advance are all examples of
trite business phrases.