BCOM 3360 Ch 10
In which of the following statements has the speaker used bias-free language to convey a message?
"In my opinion, Custer Airlines employs the most courteous flight attendants."
What is a buffer?
A neutral, noncontroversial statement that establishes common ground with the reader in an indirect negative message
Stephen wrote the following beginning for a negative response to a request for a large company donation: "Our company shares your goal of supporting enlisted men and women from our community. In fact, because several of our employees have spouses who are currently deployed overseas, we have undertaken a company-wide, on-going project of sending weekly care packages to thirty soldiers." Is this an effective buffer? A. Yes, because it establishes common ground in a positive way. B. Yes, because it promises positive action but doesn't deliver. C. No, because it makes a promise that will not be followed through. D. No, because it establishes common ground in a negative way. E. No, because it opens with an irrelevant comment.
A. Yes, because it establishes common ground in a positive way.
Which of the following should be followed when writing a rejection message? A. Avoid explaining why an applicant was rejected or why other applicants were chosen instead. B. You should state or imply that the application will be reviewed at a later date. C. Don't close with positive wishes for the applicant's career success. D. Open the communication with the rejection information. E. Don't personalize the message; you should not use the recipient's name.
A. Avoid explaining why an applicant was rejected or why other applicants were chosen instead.
Why is it a bad idea to delay, downplay, or distort bad news? A. It may be both unethical and illegal B. It is illegal but not necessarily unethical C. It will cost your company money in the long run D. It is always illegal and unethical E. It is unethical but not necessarily illegal
A. It may be both unethical and illegal
Which of the following is an example of positive phrasing? A. Thank you for sharing your concerns about your shopping experience. B. The damage won't be fixed for a week. C. I was shocked to learn that you're unhappy. D. You are clearly dissatisfied. E. Your request doesn't make any sense to me.
A. Thank you for sharing your concerns about your shopping experience.
Which of the following goals may NOT be appropriate when communicating negative information? A. To reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence on the matter B. To convey the bad news C. To maintain as much goodwill as possible with your audience D. To maintain a good image for your organization E. To gain acceptance for the bad news
A. To reduce or eliminate the need for future correspondence on the matter
The closing of a negative message using the direct approach should always include ________________. A. a positive statement aimed at maintaining a good relationship with the audience B. a lengthy, heartfelt apology C. a guarantee that this problem will never happen again D. a detailed explanation of who was to blame for any mistake or oversight E. brief instructions on how the recipient can avoid these issues in the future
A. a positive statement aimed at maintaining a good relationship with the audience
The _________ approach for a negative message opens with reasons for the bad news before presenting the news itself. A. indirect B. business C. inverted D. direct E. diverted
A. indirect
In order to give employees feedback on performance related to their job requirements, supervisors should utilize a(n) __________ to evaluate success. A. performance review B. job analysis C. annual audit D. job description E. benchmarking report
A. performance review
Alaya only goes to websites to tell jokes. She is known as a(n) __________. A. rager B. troll C. unfriendly D. unhappy customers E. misguided youth
A. rager
If an employee sees unethical or illegal behavior at work and is not able to go through normal channels for a resolution, she may have no other option but to resort to __________. A. joining in on the action B. whistle-blowing C. ignoring the issues D. acceptance of the behavior E. quitting
B. whistle-blowing
Which of these is a guideline to follow when communicating negative organization news in a crisis situation? A. Communicate only with media representatives that are favorably predisposed towards your company. B. Get top management involved immediately. C. Find someone to blame. D. View the crisis as an opportunity to market your product and/or service. E. Refuse to respond to questions that would have a negative impact on the company.
B. Get top management involved immediately.
David has requested a raise and Brianna, the HR Manager, has to tell David that his request has been denied. What is the BEST way for Brianna to inform David that he will not be receiving a raise? A. In a letter B. In person C. In an instant message D. By email E. By interoffice mail
B. In person
When concluding a letter in which the writer cannot grant a request, which of the following is an important goal? A. Making the response unclear B. Refusing while maintaining a positive relationship C. Preventing the audience from making other requests in the future D. Avoiding responding to the request as long as possible E. Careful time management
B. Refusing while maintaining a positive relationship
Miguel is writing a routine negative response to a client. The consequences to the client are minimal. Which of the following is TRUE? A. Even if the matter is closed, you should imply that there is still a chance that it's still open as a way to delay saying no. B. The direct approach works best. C. The indirect approach works best. D. You should imply that other assistance or information is available even if it is not. E. You should not offer alternative ideas, even if the relationship is important.
B. The direct approach works best.
What are the advantages of a direct format for negative news? A. The message provides more detail and explanation, increasing understanding by the audience. B. The message is shorter and saves the audience time. C. The bad news is quickly and clearly stated, leaving no room for questions. D. The format allows the audience to make assumptions about the reason for writing. E. The last paragraph allows for apologies to soften the negative news.
B. The message is shorter and saves the audience time.
When you are writing to reject a job application, which of these is considered the BEST strategy? A. Use a direct format letter to help the pain of rejection end quickly. B. Use an indirect approach to soften the blow. C. Use the active voice to convey the firm's decisiveness. D. Make it clear that the rejection was not discriminatory. E. Explain the faults of the candidate that lead to the rejection so the candidate can improve.
B. Use an indirect approach to soften the blow.
Making a false statement that causes damage to someone's reputation is called __________. A. a buffer B. defamation C. trolling D. whistleblowing E. raging
B. defamation
he __________ approach is typically the best method for most routine negative messages. A. indirect B. direct C. inverted D. diverted E. business
B. direct
In order to successfully communicate during an emergency, an organization should refer to their __________ that outlines operational procedures and communication tasks for just such events. A. contingency plan B. 911 declaration C. crisis management plan D. strategic plan E. tactical plan
C. crisis management plan
In a crisis, which general rule about communicating with employees may have to be overlooked for the sake of health, safety, or time constraints? A. Communication with employees about bad news should be given on Friday. B. Communication of organizational negative news to employees is best done at a company meeting. C. News to employees should be passed from company management to managers to employees. D. Communication with employees about bad news should be delivered in person. E. Employees should receive information before external stakeholders.
D. Communication with employees about bad news should be delivered in person.
When using the direct approach for negative messages, you should do which of the following? A. Always end on a false positive to protect yourself against lawsuits B. Open with a respectful statement C. Close with the bad news D. Open with the bad news E. Open with the reason for the situation or decision
D. Open with the bad news
Which of the following applies for both the direct and the indirect approach when communicating bad news? A. Both approaches are meant to delay bad news. B. Both approaches are meant to obscure bad news. C. Both approaches should encourage the reader to believe that you might change your mind. D. The close for both approaches should show respect for the recipient. E. Both approaches open with a buffer.
D. The close for both approaches should show respect for the recipient.
When using the indirect approach for negative messages, you should open with a neutral statement called a(n) __________ in order to establish common ground with the reader. A. introduction B. apology C. barrier D. buffer E. shield
D. buffer
The purpose for using the indirect approach for conveying negative news is to __________. A. make sure that there is no future correspondence B. obscure the bad news C. delay the bad news D. ease the blow of the unexpected bad news and help the readers prepare for it E. limit the sender's responsibility
D. ease the blow of the unexpected bad news and help the readers prepare for it
A(n) __________ is a periodic evaluation of an employee's work. A. work plan B. analytical report C. job description D. performance review E. informational report
D. performance review
The demands of ethics and etiquette tend to require the use of ________ to communicate with appropriate sensitivity and care. A. lengthy communications B. the direct approach C. written communication D. the indirect approach E. a combination of the direct approach and an aggressive tone
D. the indirect approach
Individuals who only wish to stir up conflict in a social media environment are called __________. A. the unfriendly B. the misguided C. unhappy customers D. trolls E. ragers
D. trolls
Betta met with her manager in order to establish clear goals for Betta for the upcoming year. Then they continued to meet once a quarter throughout the year to review Betta's progress. What value does this choice have in terms of negative communication? A. They will be prepared if the company abandons the traditional employee review. B. It will enable them both to be more objective about the review when it transpires. C. The manager won't have to document performance problems. D. It allows more opportunities to discipline Betta if she begins to fail at her job. E. If the manager has negative feedback at the performance review, it will not be a surprise.
E. If the manager has negative feedback at the performance review, it will not be a surprise.
When using the direct approach for negative messages, you should do which of the following? A. Open with a respectful statement. B. Close with the bad news. C. Open with the reason for the situation or decision. D. Always end on a false positive to protect yourself against lawsuits. E. Maintain a calm, professional tone.
E. Maintain a calm, professional tone.
Why is attention to ethics important when creating a negative message? A. Ethics should be considered only when a communication directly affects the workforce. B. Failure to pay attention to ethics might result in a whistle-blower case against the organization. C. By law, content and delivery of negative messages must be ethical. D. Because ethical standards vary from person to person, ethics should not be considered in any communication. E. Negative messages can have a significant negative impact on the lives of those receiving them.
E. Negative messages can have a significant negative impact on the lives of those receiving them.
Jeff is responding to a customer complaint that he cannot interpret. Which of these examples is a positive restatement of "I can't understand what you want"? A. I can't make heads or tails of what you're asking. B. I don't know what you are trying to say. C. Your request doesn't make sense. D. Unfortunately, nobody here understands what you wrote. E. Please clarify your request, so we can consider it.
E. Please clarify your request, so we can consider it.
Which of the following is TRUE for routine negative responses? A. The indirect approach works best. B. Even if the matter is closed, you should imply that there is still a chance that it's still open as a way to delay saying no. C. You should imply that other assistance or information is available even if it is not. D. You should not offer alternative ideas, even if the relationship is important. E. The direct approach works best.
E. The direct approach works best.
When may it be neither appropriate nor helpful to give explanations for negative news? A. When the reasons are the fault of the sender B. When the sender does not know the reasons C. When the reasons are embarrassing to the reader D. When the reasons are embarrassing to the sender E. When the reasons are confidential, excessively complicated, or irrelevant to the reader
E. When the reasons are confidential, excessively complicated, or irrelevant to the reader
Which of the following is an example of negative phrasing? A. Thank you for sharing your concerns about your shopping experience. B. Please verify the enclosed statement and provide a correct copy. C. The item will be repaired next week. D. I recognize that the product did not live up to your expectations. E. Your request doesn't make any sense.
E. Your request doesn't make any sense.
If appropriate, the closing of a direct negative message might benefit from the inclusion of ________. A. a guarantee that this problem will never happen again B. a lengthy, heartfelt apology C. a detailed explanation of who was to blame for any mistake or oversight D. brief instructions on how the recipient can avoid these issues in the future E. an alternative solution
E. an alternative solution
Messages using the indirect approach open with a(n) ____________. A. respectful statement B. statement of the bad news C. apology D. false positive E. buffer
E. buffer
When possible, bad news for employees should be delivered __________. A. by company email B. by company memo C. in a blog D. in a podcast E. in person
E. in person
When completing negative communications, you should deliver the correspondence __________. A. only after receiving a second notice B. by registered mail C. at the end of the month D. after a week cooling off period E. promptly
E. promptly
Maria was asked to deal with a customer complaint that had not been satisfactorily dealt with over the course of 6 weeks, during which time many attempts to satisfy the customer's concerns failed. Maria began her message to the client by identifying herself as the Vice President of Customer Affairs. As a good communicator, she did this ________. A. to induce the customer to stop complaining and listen B. to show the customer the problem had escalated C. to let the customer know there were no options remaining to solve the issue D. to make the customer feel inferior to her E. to establish her credibility to speak for the company
E. to establish her credibility to speak for the company
Which one of the following should you do when a crisis hits?
Get top management involved immediately.
Which of the following best describes a crisis management plan?
It defines operational procedures to deal with a crisis.
Which one of the following is the goal of a negative message?
Preserve the reader's goodwill.
Which one of the following media should you use for a formal message declining a request?
Printed letters on company letterhead
What is the best way of phrasing a bad-news message?
Stating it clearly and kindly.
Which one of the following is true of the indirect approach used to communicate negative messages?
The writer should subordinate the bad news within a complex or compound sentence to avoid overemphasis on the negative news.
In which one of the following instances is the direct approach of delivering a bad message most appropriate?
When your audience is unlikely to get upset
Samira works for a large U.S. company that has factories all over the world. Samira returned to the U.S. after visiting several of the factories and discussed the conditions at the factories with her CEO. Since the factories manufacture items that could affect the health of people purchasing their products, she was very concerned. The CEO decided that it wasn't worth the expense to make the needed changes. Samira decided that she was going to turn the company in to the authorities. What is the term that would be used for what Samira did?
Whistleblowing
_________ is when an employee reports concerns about unethical or illegal behavior within an organization.
Whistleblowing
Which of the following situations would it be best to use the direct approach in a bad-news situation?
Your audience expects the news
When rejecting a job application, you should __________.
convey the negative news politely and concisely
When writing a well-written reason using the indirect approach in a negative message, you should be __________.
detailed but concise
When handling bad news about a transaction, you should __________.
explain how you will resolve the situation
The use of an indirect approach to convey negative news is advisable __________.
if the news will come as a shock to the receiver
The use of a direct approach to convey negative news is advisable __________.
in case of an emergency
An employee evaluation procedure that gives feedback on performance and guidance for future efforts is called a(n) __________.
performance review
When using a direct approach to convey bad news, a writer should close his message in a manner that __________.
respects the impact the negative news could have on the recipient
In bad-news situations, it is best to use the direct approach when __________.
your audience expects the news
