Study Guide for Exam 1 Bus. Comm.

Ethics is the study of - the principles that guide how people interact and the choices they make. - discrimination based on the six protected classes. - how to accentuate the positive and de-emphasize the negative in communication. - the laws that govern businesses. how communication impacts the recipient.

the principles that guide how people interact and the choices they make.

Which of the following sentences has a lack of unity? - Pick up your time card at human resources and then fill it out. - Be prepared for a long meeting. - Fill out your time card when you first arrive at work. - You're expected to attend tomorrow's meeting, so be prepared for it. - Be sure to fill out your time card when you first arrive at work, and you're expected to attend tomorrow's meeting.

Be sure to fill out your time card when you first arrive at work, and you're expected to attend tomorrow's meeting.

Which of the following is true about clichés? - All businesspeople like business clichés. - The heavy use of clichés in formal cross-cultural communication helps break down cultural barriers. - Business clichés can sometimes increase your credibility with other businesspeople. - Clichés are expected in most external communications. - Clichés typically have ambiguous meanings.

Business clichés can sometimes increase your credibility with other businesspeople.

Which of the following statements about paragraph design is true? - Paragraphs should usually be at least ten sentences long. - Most paragraphs feature a topic sentence. - One-sentence paragraphs should not be used in business messages. - The most common paragraph arrangement puts the supporting material first, followed by the topic sentence. - The opening and closing paragraphs each need at least three sentences.

Most paragraphs feature a topic sentence.

Which of the following statements about initials and acronyms is true? - You should use initials and acronyms in business documents whenever possible to make your writing more efficient. - Acronyms may be used in business documents, but initials should be avoided. - It may be necessary to define initials and acronyms for readers. - Initials and acronyms should be spelled out in footnotes or in an appendix at the end of the document. - Avoid using initials and acronyms in business documents.

It may be necessary to define initials and acronyms for readers.

Which of the following examples illustrates coordination of ideas? - Marcus, who is a hard worker, always turns in thoroughly researched projects. - Marcus, who always turns in thoroughly researched projects, is a hard worker. - Marcus is a hard worker, and he always turns in thoroughly researched projects. - Although Marcus doesn't like working in groups, he always cooperates with his teammates. - Marcus always cooperates with his teammates, even though he dislikes working in groups.

Marcus is a hard worker, and he always turns in thoroughly researched projects.

Luisa does not like the way one of her document headings looks when the font is increased, so she adjusts the space between the letters. Luisa is adjusting - external spacing. - contrast. - leading. - kerning. - proximity.

kerning.

Which of the following statements about stereotypes is true? - They are rarely based on real life observations. - They are perpetuated by generalizations about cultures. - They have little use in the modern world. - They are flexible and constantly changing. - They help us better get to know individuals.

They are perpetuated by generalizations about cultures.

When a writer combines two different types of sentences into a single sentence, it is known as - mixed construction. - incomplete construction. - dangling modification. - faulty parallelism. - subordination.

mixed construction.

A ready-made phrase that people use without careful thought is called a(n) ________ phrase. - abstract - concrete - stock - unnecessary - economical

stock

Choose the transitional word that best fits into the following example: "Thomas spent most of his time working remotely and rarely spoke to his coworkers; ________, they did not immediately recognize his voice when he chimed in his opinion at the meeting." - otherwise - however - moreover - therefore - likewise

therefore

Mateo is writing a document that includes a detailed description of a gas turbine engine. This description identifies the various parts of the engine and what they are used for. Considering this, which of the following visuals would be the most helpful for Mateo? - a simple column chart - a pie chart - a line graph - an organizational chart - a diagram

a diagram

Delia owns a company that makes metal and cement garden art. She is meeting with a small group of business people in the hopes of convincing some of them to invest in her company so that she can hire more employees and expand production. One of the things she wants to show them is how sales have risen consistently over the last five years. What type of chart would best help her do this? - a pie chart - a flowchart - a line chart - a pictograph - a bilateral column chart

a line chart

In tables, where should the dollar mark be placed for data? - above the columns as part of the headings - before the first entry of each column - before each entry of each column - below the columns within a footnote - before the first entry of the first column

before the first entry of each column

Which of the following sentences is the best example of the use of familiar words? - We are buying new computers this week. - We have a platonic relationship. - Karen was livid because Rob was late for the meeting. - Please try to expedite the process. - He wore an immaculate suit to the office.

We are buying new computers this week.

Which of the following sentences best de-emphasizes the negative? - I regret to inform you that we have chosen another candidate to fill the position. - Although we have chosen another candidate, we would be interested in working with you in the future and will keep your information on file. - I'm sorry to inform you that you were not chosen for the position. - The position has been filled. - Unfortunately, your résumé was lacking in a few key areas we were looking for, so we have gone with a different candidate.

Although we have chosen another candidate, we would be interested in working with you in the future and will keep your information on file.

Which of the following sentences uses a redundant word or phrase? - Her lie about her former coworker was a false assertion. - We can finish the report now. - Please sign the check on this line. - We'll meet again tomorrow at noon. - This report is longer than the previous one.

Her lie about her former coworker was a false assertion.

Which of the following best describes conversational language? - It is often stiff, but in spite of that, it is simple and easy for readers to understand. - It is warm, engages the reader, and is easily understood. - It conveys the truth in a plain, unemotional way. - It is formal and strives to be neutral no matter what the topic. - It is appropriate for communication to co-workers, but not to external recipients.

It is warm, engages the reader, and is easily understood.

- Short sentences sound unsophisticated, so readers often ignore them. - You should include all the supporting details in a sentence, no matter how long it makes the sentence. - Short sentences generally create more emphasis than long sentences do. - Length has little bearing on the emphasis a sentence carries. - Extended sentences are better for calling attention to their contents.

Short sentences generally create more emphasis than long sentences do.

Which of the following statements about ill-defined problems is true? -Ill-defined problems can be solved by applying the right formula. - A well-run business encounters few ill-defined problems. - Ill-defined problems always have a negative impact on companies. - Solving ill-defined problems requires analytical skill and good judgment. - Ill-defined problems have unique and perfect solutions.

Solving ill-defined problems requires analytical skill and good judgment.

Which of the following needs to be numbered? - pull quotes - a lone table in a document - clip art - a series of graphs - a series of decorative visuals

a series of graphs

Less important information can best be de-emphasized in a business message by including it - in a short sentence. - as a modifying phrase. - in a simple sentence. - as a main clause. - at the start of a paragraph.

as a modifying phrase.

Which of the following is an example of a two-word verb? - international communication - close call - calm down - crawl under - negotiate quickly

calm down

Which of the following measures determines a font's point size? - the size of the font's serifs - the average height of all letters in the font - the height of the letter "x" in the font - the width of the letter "m" in the font - the height of a capital letter "A" in the font

the height of the letter "x" in the font

The various techniques that are needed to tie the information together in a paragraph are known as ________ devices. - connotation - transitional - subordination - parallel - surplus

transitional

Which of the following statements correctly describes bulleted lists? - Bulleted lists should always be presented with titles. - Bulleted lists are used to list points and subpoints within the text. - The secondary bullets should have the same color, size, shape, and weight as the primary bullets. - Bulleted items do not need to be grammatically parallel because that makes the text seem rigid. - Bulleted lists are textual visuals that should be set off from the main body of the documents in which they appear.

Bulleted lists are used to list points and subpoints within the text.

________ wording is often caused by words that add nothing to sentence meaning and can simply be eliminated. - Inefficient - Concrete - Ambiguous - Economical - Specific

Inefficient

Which of the following statements about positive words is true? - Because positive words work better, negative words should always be avoided in business communication. - Positive wording can help put readers in a receptive frame of mind. - Positive words should be used sparingly because they are a form of exaggeration. - Positive words often cause readers to doubt the truthfulness of your message. - Being positive means simply stating the facts.

Positive wording can help put readers in a receptive frame of mind.

Which of the following examples demonstrates the appropriate use of business etiquette? - Cathy ignores Lorenzo's request for a day off for an important cultural holiday. - Tracy assumes that Bob has expertise with computers. - Barry shouts at his work team to motivate them. - Chen interrupts his business partner as she explains why they lost a client. - Roberta listens carefully to Jim's complaint about his workload.

Roberta listens carefully to Jim's complaint about his workload.

Which of the following sentences is in active voice? - Our products are manufactured in China. - The company's network was attacked by hackers on Friday. - She presented her proposal to the committee yesterday. - A lot of clients were lost because of her carelessness. - Several customer complaints have been reported by the technicians.

She presented her proposal to the committee yesterday.

McKimson Communications recently got rid of most of its bulky servers and moved the majority of its software and files to website storage systems. This is an example of a business using the technology known as - cloud computing. - collaborative software. - Internet tracking. - concept mapping. - a mobile application.

cloud computing

The tendency to see only the features of your own culture as "normal" is called - ethnocentrism. - assimilation. - individualism. - integration. - collectivism.

ethnocentrism.

Carlos would like to use multiple fonts to add some subtle variety to his document. Which of the following options would be the best choice? - two sans serif fonts - two serif fonts - one serif font and one sans serif font - two serif fonts and one sans serif font - one script font and one serif font

one serif font and one sans serif font

Geert Hofstede refers to the way people view relationships between superiors and subordinates as - restraint. - uncertainty avoidance. - power distance. - collectivism. - individualism.

power distance.

Which of the following demonstrates informal communication? - Board members have a discussion about the future course of the organization. - Two employees have a coffee break conversation regarding the progress of their project. - An employee tells his manager that a coworker is having a negative influence on the team. - A story about an employee's marriage difficulties is passed along from one coworker to another. - Employees write messages to their team members regarding project-related issues.

A story about an employee's marriage difficulties is passed along from one coworker to another.

Which of the following is helpful advice for being "competently courageous"? - Accept any battle that presents itself. - Make your point using values your audience will share. - Trust yourself and avoid worrying about your credibility. - Select one or two members of your audience to follow up with. - Focus on emotional content rather than data.

Make your point using values your audience will share.

Elisa grew up speaking Spanish, but learned to speak English as an adult, and she now works as a translator for a U.S. company that has frequent business interactions with South American businesses. Elisa's translating skills are good, and the company typically relies on her alone to do their translating. However, they are currently involved in negotiating an extremely important contract and need the wording in Spanish to be exactly right, so they hire George, a freelance translator and native English speaker to help. Elisa translates the English message into Spanish, and George translates the Spanish message back into English. They then compare the original message with George's translation to make sure they match. What process have Elisa and George completed? - first-language translation - back translation - equivalency translation - high-context translation - low-context translation

back translation

The primary risk of a too formal style of writing is that you may sound - cold and impersonal. - unprofessional. - immature or naive. - too knowledgeable. - too conversational.

cold and impersonal.

Which of the following is a current challenge for business communicators? - growing need to move away from communicating in genres - decreased availability of workers from diverse backgrounds - increased need for employees with media literacy - increased rejection of new media by younger workers - decreased access to ideas from outside the organization

increased need for employees with media literacy

Which example demonstrates computational thinking? - By analyzing market research data, Charisse determines that her company needs to improve public relations. - After reading the comments in his company's suggestion box, Sven realizes his employees are overworked. - During the meeting, Laura can tell by her manager's gestures that he is feeling stressed. - Lia creates complex visuals to accompany her quarterly report to her manager. - Luigi uses his presentation to manipulate people into accepting his viewpoint regarding social responsibility.

- By analyzing market research data, Charisse determines that her company needs to improve public relations.

Which of the following should you do when preparing to communicate with people from another culture? - Rely solely on Internet research about the culture. - Focus on the people from other cultures instead of yourself. - Be resistant to change. - Assume stereotypes are always inaccurate representations of individuals. - Adapt your English to your audience.

Adapt your English to your audience.

Which of the following sentences uses a stock phrase? - Can you file these papers after lunch? - Marcy missed the meeting because she was sick. - At the present time, this item is not available. - Could you mail those packets after the meeting tomorrow morning? - Please call me as soon as the client gives you the paperwork.

At the present time, this item is not available.

Which of the following statements about courtesy is true? - Courtesy is necessary in formal writing but optional in informal writing. - Writing with courtesy always means including very polite expressions. - Courtesy involves keeping in mind what will make the recipient feel understood, appreciated, and comfortable. - Using rubber stamps is the best way to convey courtesy in business writing. - Courtesy is not expected by executives, who prefer to get to the point without any niceties.

Courtesy involves keeping in mind what will make the recipient feel understood, appreciated, and comfortable.

Which statement accurately describes a pie chart? - It compares the quantities of two or three different values in one chart by clustering points together. - It compares differences in quantities using differences in the lengths of the bars to represent those quantities. - It contains columns that begin at a central point of reference and go either up or down. - It is the most frequently used chart for comparing the subdivisions of wholes. - It is used for any series in which plus and minus quantities are present.

It is the most frequently used chart for comparing the subdivisions of wholes.

Which of the following sentences provides the best example of the use of specific words? - She is a better fit for the new role. - She works for a great organization. - Please call me back soon. - Our product is better than that of our competitors. - Please meet me in the boardroom at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.

Please meet me in the boardroom at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow.

- Restraint means being true to your ethical principles in all situations. - Restraint means looking the other way when someone does something that you think it is unethical. - Restraint means that people are inclined to trust you. - Restraint means taking the time to think before you act. - Restraint means omitting details, even if they are important, if you think they could harm your position.

Restraint means taking the time to think before you act.

Which of the following is true of the factors involved in the presentation of visuals? - The orientation of a visual is based on the writer's personal preference. - The size of a visual is determined by its contents and importance. - Visuals that are simple should be presented on a full page. - Visuals that occupy less than a full page should not have borders. - Color and cross-hatching tend to distract readers from the main message of visuals.

The size of a visual is determined by its contents and importance.

Which of the following statements correctly describes pull quotes? - They are pictorial representations of facts, figures, and statistics. - They are bar or column charts that use bars made of pictures. - They are usually created by enlarging key sentences from the text and enhancing them via formatting. - They are subsets of larger tables with no titles or rules. - They are usually used to present tabular data as part of the text of a document.

They are usually created by enlarging key sentences from the text and enhancing them via formatting.

Tania had to submit her report to four managers for review, and she is waiting for their replies. Because she is on a tight deadline, she wants to edit her report as each set of comments comes in, but she is reluctant to make permanent revisions because sometimes various managers make contradictory suggestions that she has to resolve. Which of the following features in Word will best allow Tania to keep a record of her edits as she works so that she can reject or change some of them later? - Insert Comment - Grammar Check - Track Changes - Page Layout - SmartArt

Track Changes

Which of the following statements about language and international business is true? - When executives have no common language, they are likely to use English. - English is the primary business language of the Americas, while German is the primary business language of Europe. - English is so prevalent in international business that executives from Cuba and Peru would use it to communicate with each other. - Because English is the main language of international business, nonnative English speakers have no problems understanding it. - The use of English for business is declining as the Chinese economy becomes more dominant.

When executives have no common language, they are likely to use English.

Which of the following sentences provides the best example of the use of specific words? - Whitney's sales last quarter were poor. - Whitney's sales numbers last quarter were not very good. - Whitney's sales last quarter were fairly disastrous. - Whitney's sales were abysmal last quarter. - Whitney sold only 20 percent of her quota last quarter.

Whitney sold only 20 percent of her quota last quarter.

Which of the following sentences has faulty parallelism? - You should create a page design that is visually appealing and to make the key information stand out. - Avoid commonly used fonts as well as serif fonts. - Stay active, take risks, and push the envelope. - Keep it simple, and make it clear. - Spend more time on preliminary work before you write the report.

You should create a page design that is visually appealing and to make the key information stand out.

Which of the following guidelines should be followed when selecting visuals for a document? - You should look for complex information that visual presentation can make clear. - You should place most of the visuals in an appendix to improve readability. - You should avoid using visuals to present nonlinear information. - You should plan the visuals for your document before you gather your information. - You should use visuals to convey the main points in your message instead of words.

You should look for complex information that visual presentation can make clear.

Which of the following is an example of a stereotype? - Zoe must like spicy food because she is Cuban. - Lillian Stark is English, and she prefers that people whom she does not know well call her Ms. Stark. - Akiko, who is Japanese, bows when greeting someone. - Roberto, a Brazilian, is often late to meetings and likes to chat before getting down to business. - James, an American, dislikes even moderate public displays of affection.

Zoe must like spicy food because she is Cuban.

A company requires the heads of its five departments to send a project update email to the company vice president each Friday afternoon. This is an example of - an informal network. - a genre. - heuristics. - new media. - a recursive process.

a genre.

If you need to compare subdivisions of columns, you should use - a stacked column chart. - a simple bar chart. - a bilateral column chart. - a clustered bar chart. - an organizational chart.

a stacked column chart.

Consider the following email:Hey Lisa!Welcome back! You MUST tell me about your holiday over lunch today. BTW, a couple of us are meeting up this weekend at Mark's place. Care to join us? CU soon!JessicaThis email uses ________ language. - casual - formal - technical - ceremonial - informal

casual

Which of the following is an error of format? - failure to use zero at the beginning of a series - excessive expansion of a visual, either horizontally or vertically - distracting use of grids and shading - inconsistent intervals between data points on the X- and Y-axes - unethical or inappropriate use of visual elements

distracting use of grids and shading

The social media manager for a small start-up firm posts a link to the company's Facebook page describing an upcoming customer appreciation event. This form of communication can best be categorized as - internal-operational communication. - external-operational communication. - personal communication. - informal communication. - problem-solving communication.

external-operational communication.

A(n) ________ is a two-word expression. - connotation - stock phrase - idiom - dangling modifier - denotation

idiom

The advent of new media has - increased the need for employees who have social intelligence. - increased the reliance on traditional modes of communication. - lessened the need to pay attention to nonverbal cues in communication. - decreased the amount of collaboration employees do on projects. - reduced the need for cross-cultural competency in organizations.

increased the need for employees who have social intelligence.

Gayane is creating a table that shows the air pollution levels for each manufacturing plant owned by Raphion, Inc. To help readers connect each plant with its respective data, Gayane decides to place several dots after the name for each plant. This technique is called - line charts. - pull quote. - leaderwork. - text tabulations. - rules.

leaderwork.

Melissa wants her company to adopt more environmentally friendly practices, so she has created a presentation to give to the board of directors. She begins her presentation by explaining some background information on these practices, such as why they are important for the environment and the company's image. Melissa then moves on to discussing exactly what measures she feels her company should adopt and why she feels they are the best options. Given this information, Melissa is most likely from a(n) ________ culture. - high-context - polychronic - low-context - indulgent - short-term-oriented

low-context

Langdon always arrives at appointments on time and feels that meeting deadlines is an important part of his job. Langdon most likely belongs to a(n) ________ culture. - collectivist - individualist - polychronic - monochronic - indulgent

monochronic

When meeting with clients, Rachelle avoids spending time chatting about things like what they did last weekend or what movie they saw most recently. Instead, she focuses on getting down to business so that the meeting ends on time and she can move on to her next task for the day. Rachelle most likely belongs to a(n) ________ culture. - indulgent - polychronic - monochronic - feminine - collectivist

monochronic

You are planning to use a one-quarter-page bar chart in your business report. If possible, you should place it - on the page before where it is discussed in the text. - on the page following where it is discussed in the text. - in a special section at the beginning of the document. - on the same page as the text to which it is related. - in an appendix.

on the same page as the text to which it is related.

Which of the following is a concrete word? - payment - affection - serve - honesty - happiness

payment

Which type of culture values relationship more than efficiency and attaches little importance to being on time to an event? - monochronic - polychronic - uncertainty-avoidant - high-context - low-context

polychronic

Which of the following are the two types of orientation for visuals? - foreground and background - foreground and landscape - portrayal and setting - portrait and setting - portrait and landscape

portrait and landscape

You can help give your documents a courteous effect by - refraining from using conversational language. - using the we-viewpoint instead of the you-viewpoint. - refraining from blaming the reader. - apologizing and taking the blame even if it isn't your fault. - maintaining an impersonal, neutral tone.

refraining from blaming the reader.

When speaking with an unfamiliar audience made up of nonnative English speakers, you should - talk clearly and use simple words and sentence structure. be sure to include plenty of slang - to make your language colorful. - talk exactly as you would to a native English speaker so as not to talk down to anyone. - use simple yes/no questions to make it easy for them to answer. - avoid trying to confirm understanding so that you do not embarrass them.

talk clearly and use simple words and sentence structure.

Which of the following statements about space and culture is true? - Attitudes toward space in all Western countries are the same. - People from cultures that view space as belonging to everyone tend to stand in line and wait their turn. - In some cultures, keeping two feet of distance from the person with whom you are speaking is considered unusual. - Cultures that place emphasis on personal space tend to be polychronic cultures. - People from cultures that view space as belonging to individuals tend to stand closer together than people from cultures that see space as belonging to all.

In some cultures, keeping two feet of distance from the person with whom you are speaking is considered unusual.

Which of the following statements about internal spacing is true? - It is the white space on a page used to emphasize elements. - It refers to both vertical and horizontal spacing of text. - Vertical internal spacing should always be equal to 1/6 inch. - Horizontal internal spacing is a set ratio that cannot be altered. - It is primarily used to help readers identify where they are in a document.

It refers to both vertical and horizontal spacing of text.

Which of the following is the best example of when to use a more formal style? - Brianna is composing a message to one of her subordinates. - Itzhak is writing a speech to present an achievement award. - Berto is sending an update email to a co-worker. - Malik is sending a meeting reminder memo to his assistant. - Alicia is sending a birthday message to a client.

Itzhak is writing a speech to present an achievement award.

Which ethical model asks the question "What would a virtuous person do?" - Aristotelian - Kantian - utilitarian - humanitarian - goodwill

Aristotelian

Carl notices that May, a businessperson from another country gives a gentle handshake with no eye contact. Which of the following countries is May most likely from? - the United Kingdom - Canada - China - Germany - Mexico

China

Billy Ray and Lemont own a textile factory in Georgia, and they are meeting with two executives of a Mexican retail chain in the hopes of convincing the executives to carry their textiles. Billy Ray begins the pitch, and after a couple of minutes, Lemont jumps in to say, "Billy Ray really hit the nail on the head when he said these products offer better value than what you're currently carrying." The Mexican executives both speak English, but they look at each other in confusion. What mistake did Lemont make? - He used a colloquialism. - He used technical jargon. - He used a two-word verb. - He spoke with too much familiarity. - He exhibited high-context culture traits while dealing with a low-context culture.

He used a colloquialism.

Identify the impact of new media on communications - New media have increased rigidity in thinking and reduced people's problem-solving skills. - New media have decreased the average social intelligence of people at work. - New media have made it easier to tap the intelligence of people outside an organization. - New media have reduced the need for cross-cultural competency. - New media have used artificial intelligence to reduce the number of decisions made by front-line employees.

New media have made it easier to tap the intelligence of people outside an organization.

Which of the following statements about organizational culture is true? - The concept of organizational or corporate culture was popularized in the early 1930s. - A company's organizational culture is determined almost entirely by management. - The focus on organizational culture by management consultants and theorists has drastically decreased over time. - The official organizational culture of a company is almost always identical to its actual organizational culture. - Organizational culture refers to an organization's customary, but often unstated, ways of perceiving and doing things.

Organizational culture refers to an organization's customary, but often unstated, ways of perceiving and doing things.

Which of the following sentences is gender-neutral? - A teacher is responsible for his students' behavior in class. - He was elected as the chairman of the committee. - All the freshmen assembled outside the dean's office. - You can call a policeman when in need. - Please ask the coordinator for directions.

Please ask the coordinator for directions.

Which of the following statements about ethnic diversity in the workplace is true? - Older generations in the workplace are more diverse than younger generations. - U.S .workers have grown less ethnically diverse. - The youngest generation in the workplace has the most ethnic diversity. - Ethnic diversity in the workplace makes employees less culturally aware. - Workplace ethnic diversity reduces an organization's ability to solve problems creatively.

The youngest generation in the workplace has the most ethnic diversity.

Which sentence contains wording that reinforces a stereotype based on age? - Their website is such a mess that it must have been designed by a Baby Boomer. - Carlita is the youngest attorney to ever work at our firm. - After reviewing their advertising ideas, I'm not sure your team is mature enough to work on this campaign. - We need someone experienced for this job. - Felicity is our senior accountant, but lately she has been forgetting to pay vendors on time.

Their website is such a mess that it must have been designed by a Baby Boomer.

Which of the following is an example of internal-operational communication? - a letter written by a consumer to the customer care service - an advertisement put on a company's website for the general public - an order form submitted to an organization's supplier for raw materials - a businessperson's posts on her personal Twitter feed - a memo from the company president to her subordinates regarding sales targets

a memo from the company president to her subordinates regarding sales targets

Which of the following statements about the attitude of most businesspeople toward communication skills is true? - They consider writing skills to be one of the most important skills for job applicants. - They generally consider reading skills to be more important than writing skills. - They believe that technology has made up for most gaps in employees' communication skills. - They look for good writing skills in management candidates but not in lower-level job applicants. - They consider communication skills important but not as important as technological skills.

They consider writing skills to be one of the most important skills for job applicants.

An angry customer has emailed Kurtis wanting to know why the custom luggage he ordered three weeks ago hasn't arrived yet. When Kurtis looks up the order, he discovers that the customer never chose the type and color of hardware he wanted. How should Kurtis respond to avoid blaming the customer? - If you had read the instructions completely, you would have seen that you needed to complete all choices before work could begin. - You didn't bother to pick hardware styles or colors, so there was no way we could complete your order. - We are very busy and need to focus on the orders of customers who actually filled out the options form correctly. - To complete your order, please use the attached form to choose the style and color of hardware that you prefer. - You forgot to choose hardware for your luggage, so we are waiting on you to do that.

To complete your order, please use the attached form to choose the style and color of hardware that you prefer.

Which of the following questions is asked during the evaluate-the-options stage of the communication process? - Should you combine the main message with other messages? - What structure should you use for the content? - What prior knowledge can you apply to this situation? - What medium will be used to deliver your message? - Are there any timing considerations related to delivering your message?

What medium will be used to deliver your message?

Which of the following is an example of external-operational communication? - a training session conducted by a member of the information technology team to show employees how to use a new database - a videoconference discussion among members of a project team who all work at different regional offices - a television advertisement for business Internet services - a report provided to senior management by the sales manager - a memo from human resources to employees reminding them that they are must attend a conference at an outside location

a television advertisement for business Internet services

Mathangi is writing a report in which she discusses, in detail, how the company's customer base has changed over the past 10 years. What type of visual would be most helpful to her readers as part of this discussion? - a visual with summarizing data - a visual designed to persuade - a visual to provide interest - a visual for decoration - a visual to entertain

a visual with summarizing data

Tamiko and her friends all have social media accounts that they use to talk to each other. However, they rarely add people that they don't know very well to their friends lists, and they almost never comment on posts made by companies or celebrities because they don't want to overstep their authority. Tamiko and her friends are likely members of a(n) - culture with a high power distance. - culture with a low power distance. - high-context culture. - low-context culture. - uncertainty-accepting culture.

culture with a high power distance.

A culture with strong group orientation and coherent, stable traditions that make it possible for shared assumptions to stand in for explicitly stated background information is a ________ culture. - low-context - short-term-oriented - long-term-oriented - power distance - high-context

high-context

According to Janice Redish, webpages should be organized using a(n) ________ style. - inverted pyramid - pyramid - box - circle - Z-shaped

inverted pyramid

Which of the following terms refers to the strategies, such as keyword use, that online writers use to ensure their websites appear at the top of search results? - nonlinear text creation - HTML coding - search engine - optimization - F-pattern reading - Web accessibility initiative

optimization

The ________ refers to the way the various components of a company fit together. - personal communication network - organizational structure - supply chain - regulatory network - organizational context

organizational structure

Miguel grew up in a large family in a rural area of Texas, while Marissa is an only child who grew up in New York City. This information contrasts Miguel and Marissa's ________ contexts. - organizational - formal - informal - personal - professional

personal

Which of the following is the most useful way of emphasizing the positive and de-emphasizing the negative in your message? - putting more positive points in the beginning - putting more positive points in the middle - putting more negative points in the beginning - putting more negative points in the ending - spreading positive and negative points throughout the message

putting more positive points in the beginning

Which of the following best illustrates the declining formality of letters? - the omission of old-fashioned salutations and the switch to more modern options - the use of letters to communicate with external audiences rather than friends - the transfer of email styles of formatting to the letter form - the development of a standardized format for letters for use in business scenarios - the incorporation of abbreviations and emojis into letters

the omission of old-fashioned salutations and the switch to more modern options

A manager named Bob asks an employee named Caroline for data. Which of the following responses by Caroline shows an effective way of being courteous to a manager? - She places the request on the "backburner" to finish an important task by a deadline. - She passes along the request to an intern. - She includes information from two different sources, even though Bob didn't ask for that. - She writes an explanation that states the obvious reasons why this data is important. - She points out that his request should have been submitted a week ago.

She includes information from two different sources, even though Bob didn't ask for that.

Part of having ________ means understanding that businesspeople from other countries may have very different attitudes about punctuality and efficiency. - artificial intelligence - interpretive skill - cross-cultural competency - computational thinking - business etiquette

cross-cultural competency

Words that refer negatively to groups of people because of their gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, age, disability, or some other trait are - rubber stamps. - ethical. - discriminatory. - neutral. - lies of commission.

discriminatory.

Which of the following statements about managing emphasis in a sentence is true? - Short sentences carry less emphasis than long, involved ones. - Beginnings and endings of business messages are particularly good places for less important information. - A long closing should be used in business messages to ensure that the reader is left with an important final thought. - If a sentence contains two ideas that are equally important, the ideas should be joined with "and" or one of the other coordinate conjunctions to give them equal emphasis. - If a sentence contains two ideas that are equally important, the ideas should be joined with a coordinate conjunction. Words like "because" and "although" signal that one of the ideas is less important than the other.

If a sentence contains two ideas that are equally important, the ideas should be joined with "and" or one of the other coordinate conjunctions to give them equal emphasis.

Which is the best example of cross-cultural competency? - Leon learns to tolerate his coworker's different attitude about punctuality. - Mariko is skillful at drawing useful conclusions from data. - Jenna asks questions to draw out the assumptions underlying coworkers' statements. - Pedro tries to manipulate people into accepting his viewpoint regarding policies. - Annika is proficient at creating and interpreting graphics.

Leon learns to tolerate his coworker's different attitude about punctuality.

Which of the following accurately describes how rules and borders are used differently? - Rules separate visuals from the text; borders separate one section or visual from another. - Rules separate pull quotes from the text; borders separate one visual from another. - Rules separate visuals from the text; borders separate pull quotes from the text. - Rules separate one section or visual from another; borders separate visuals from the text. - Rules separate one visual from another; borders separate one text from another.

Rules separate one section or visual from another; borders separate visuals from the text.

Which of the following accurately describes source acknowledgments? - Source acknowledgments must always specify the five Ws: who, what, where, when, and why. - Source acknowledgments are used to give credit to anyone who helped you to create the visual. - Source acknowledgments, by convention, are typed in title case. - Source acknowledgments are keyed to the part that they explain by means of a superscript number or symbol. - Source acknowledgments are the bottom-most components of a visual.

Source acknowledgments are the bottom-most components of a visual.

Which example demonstrates the evaluate-the-options step in the problem-solving approach to communication? - Charles chooses to delay his email to an employee until after his vacation. - Pedro wants his office assistant to have a clearer understanding of the company's product flow. - Trung decides to use colorful graphics to better convey his presentation to the company's board. - Cynthia judges whether passing out flyers is an effective way to promote her start-up business. - Bernard realizes many employees fail to criticize his company for fear of losing their jobs.

Cynthia judges whether passing out flyers is an effective way to promote her start-up business.

Which of the following statements about memos is true? - Memos are currently more popular than emails. - Memos have the same format as other communication forms. - Memos are mostly used for communicating within an organization. - Memos are more formal than letters. - Memos are currently the most widely used form of internal communication.

Memos are mostly used for communicating within an organization.

Which of the following statements has the least level of formality when compared to the other statements? - We have prepared a detailed analysis for the board. - Please confirm your attendance by replying to this message. - I'll double-check with Samir about the schedule and keep you posted. - Please ensure that your payment reaches our office by 8 p.m. today. - Thank you; we will respond to your inquiry within three working days.

I'll double-check with Samir about the schedule and keep you posted.

Jeremy is considering using a lot of the color white in the logo for his international business. Why should Jeremy be concerned about using this color? - In some cultures, white represents death. - White is a boring color. - Finding a complementary color for white will be difficult. - White is a primary color. - White reflects too much light.

In some cultures, white represents death.

Which of the following best exemplifies a personal context influencing business communication? - Because of Medpace Inc.'s hierarchical structure, employees are expected to use a formal style when communicating with high-ranking executives. - Jose, a freelance software trainer, prefers to use technical jargon when communicating with vendors. - Paula, a fashion designer, writes a fashion blog that gives her opinions about current trends. - Jason, upset because he recently broke up with his girlfriend, writes a rude email to a coworker. - Gemini Inc.'s employees often discuss their private lives before work and during breaks.

Jason, upset because he recently broke up with his girlfriend, writes a rude email to a coworker.

Which of the following statements about language is true? - Languages often have grammatical similarities, but syntactic differences. - All languages contain equivalent language components, such as verbs and conjunctions. - Many languages have words with multiple meanings that can confuse the nonnative speaker. - Precise translation is typically easy for a trained and experience translator. - Simple words like yes mean the same thing in every culture.

Many languages have words with multiple meanings that can confuse the nonnative speaker.

Pedro ends his email to a client by saying, "Thank you for your consideration." This example uses - a rubber stamp. - discriminatory words. - negative wording. - restraint. - jargon.

a rubber stamp.

Mirasol is working on a financial summary for company investors. In the document, she makes sure that the body of her text is positioned along the left side of the page, that her headings are centered, and that images are all placed along the right margin. Together, these choices are best described as examples of which design principle? - contrast - proximity - illustration - repetition - alignment

alignment

Deshaun has to write a complex and lengthy year-end report, which is due by the end of January. Which of the following computer tools will help Deshaun schedule time to work on this into every business day? - a database program - a word processing program - collaboration software - an electronic calendar - an outlining program

an electronic calendar

In cultures that have low power distance, - great emphasis is placed on the authority of superiors. - employees look to their boss to make even minor decisions. - authority is shared among many people. - employees may be hesitant to offer comments during online conversations. - few people are permitted to have any authority

authority is shared among many people.

The way that Calista and the other people from her native city collectively understand and interpret the world is referred to as their - etiquette. - culture. - ethics. - stereotype. - language.

culture.

Sonya is the head of human resources at her company. In the company guidelines, the dress code section states that business casual is the preferred style of wear. However, Sonya notices that employees are wearing everything from business suits to T-shirts and sweatpants. She realizes that the dress code has not been effectively communicated. What step of the problem-solving approach to communication is Sonya involved in? - generate options - define the problem - build the solution - evaluate the options - deliver the solution

define the problem

Wei is giving a sales presentation in which she describes her company's product and how it will meet the needs of the people she is talking to. She does not explicitly state everything she wants the audience to know. Rather, she relies on body language, tone of voice, and eye movements to give cues that her audience members can use to understand her full message. Wei most likely belongs to a(n) ________ culture. - high-context - monochronic - low-context - polychronic - individualistic

high-context

Social intelligence is best defined as the ability of people to - choose the right medium to most effectively deliver your message. - quickly assess the emotions of those around them and adapt their words, tone, and gestures accordingly. - interact with data, see patterns in data, make data-based decisions, and use data to design for desired outcomes. - use their communications and actions to take a stand on social issues. - observe proper business etiquette with both internal and external audiences.

quickly assess the emotions of those around them and adapt their words, tone, and gestures accordingly.

The increased use of text messages, which prioritize brevity, has resulted in - mobile phone providers limiting the number of characters per message. - the rapid decline in the use of email for business communication. - the increased use of memorandums. - the use of many emojis to indicate emotions. - businesses making rules against the use of text messages for any reason.

the use of many emojis to indicate emotions

Fatima does not like the margins in her document, but she cannot remember how to change them. To solve this problem quickly, she should - ask for help on social media. - use the help feature of the program. - press buttons until she figures it out. - buy a different program. - read a user's manual.

use the help feature of the program.