Chapter 9

1. Which of the following is NOT a function of business reports? A. Data Transfer B. Proposing a solution to some problem C. Providing information that helps the organization achieve its objectives D. All of these

D. All of these

8. The final paragraph of a letter report should contain _____. a. a statement of goodwill b. a summary c. authorization details d. a reminder of the contractual agreement

a. a statement of goodwill

3. Which of the following factors should influence the format that a report takes? a. audience b. legality c. direct order d. indirect order

a. audience

25. Letter reports differ from memo reports according to ______. a. format, tone and audience b. introduction, body and conclusion c. direct, neutral and indirect order d. all of these

a. format, tone and audience

21. A popular format for formal business reports is _____. a. powerpoint decks b. memos c. emails d. blogs

a. powerpoint decks

9. The report's title page includes all of the following EXCEPT ______. a. the heading "title page" b. the report's title c. identifications of the writer and the intended reader(s) d. date

a. the heading "title page"

17. an example of an informal business report is a(n) _____. a. trip report b. proposal c. RFP d. annual report

a. trip report

26. How many tables and figures should be included in a report to warrant a list of illustrations in the front matter? a. 1 b. 5 c. 10 d. 15

b. 5

2. In what order is the groundwork of a report completed? A. Develop recommendations, define the problem, seek data b. Define the problem, develop recommendations, seek data c. develop recommendations, seek data, define the problem d. seek data, define the problem, develop recommendations

b. Define the problem, develop recommendations, seek data

13. Which is NOT a correct form of back matter? a. a reference list of secondary research b. an executive summary c. a bibliography of useful sources d. supplemental material that would interrupt the continuity of the report proper

b. an executive summary

5. Organization by ______ is the most common organizational plan because it is so broad. a. quantity or size b. criteria or factors c. place d. quality

b. criteria or factors

7. A memo report ____. a. always uses direct order b. employs headings c. always includes bulleted lists d. does not include visual aids

b. employs headings

18. Which of the following is NOT considered front matter of a formal report? a. title page b. introduction c. executive summary d. table of contents

b. introduction

22. Indirect order is usually the best arrangement for points for ___. a. routine reports b. proposals c. informative reports d. good news

b. proposals

14. Which is NOT true of visual aids in reports? a. they should clarify the information in the report b. they should be referred to in the text c. abbreviations should not be used d. tables and figures are numbered as separate series

c. abbreviations should not be used

19. Which of the following is NOT considered back matter of a formal report? a. glossary b. bibliography c. acknowledgments d. appendix

c. acknowledgments

12. Which is an optional element in the introduction of a formal report? a. a plan of development b. a statement of methodology c. definitions of key terms d. a statement of authorization

c. definitions of key terms

6. Which of the following is a function of headings in a report? a. headings minimize white space b. headings spell out the significance of the material in a section c. headings act as signposts to guide the reader through the report d. all of these

c. headings act as signposts to guide the reader through the report

15. Which of the following is the most dramatic visual aid? a. table b. bar graph c. pie chart d. none of these

c. pie chart

23. Direct order is usually the best arrangement of points for ____. a. proposals b. negative news c. routine reports d. long formal reports

c. routine reports

16. Which statement about visual aids is false? a. they range from dramatic to informational b. they are placed close to the first reference or as back matter c. the choice of aid depends on the formality of the report d. they may appear as appendixes

c. the choice of aid depends on the formality of the report

11. The executive summary should be ______ the length of the report. a. 1/4 b. 1/6 c. 1/9 d. 1/10

d. 1/10

20. The formality of a report depends on _____. a. its significance b. precedent c. effort d. all of these

d. all of these

24. the introduction of a memo report should include which of the following? a. purpose b. data sources c. scope d. all of these

d. all of these

10. The executive summary of the formal report is also known as the ______. a. heading b. table of contents c. recap d. synopsis

d. synopsis

4. The pattern of organization for a report dealing with chronologically sequenced material would be _______. a. place b. quantity c. quality d. time

d. time

1. With the advent of new technology, written reports are being phased out. true false

false

11. When intended readers are internal to the organization, a letter report is the appropriate format. true false

false

12. Headings are NOT appropriate is a letter report because the length is usually only 5-8 pages. true false

false

14. The title page serves to motivate the reader to read, interpret, and use the formal report. true false

false

17. In general, more sophisticated audiences and those already familiar with the workings of a business will appreciate dramatic visual aids. true false

false

19. Actually writing the report takes more time than doing the preliminary groundwork. true false

false

20. A report writer should gather data before developing solutions or action items. true false

false

5. Long reports tend to have a more informal appearance. true false

false

7. Indirect order is usually preferred for short reports and proposals. true false

false

10. The memo report starts with a brief introduction that tells the purpose of the report and who authorized it. true false

true

13. Generally, the title page is the first page for most formal reports. true false

true

15. Back matter is optional for a formal report. true false

true

16. Visual aids can be incorporated into the report proper or attached as back matter, depending on the material and on the audience. true false

true

18. The most common reason that managers write reports is that someone asked them to. true false

true

2. The groundwork or preliminary effort a report writer makes before the report is written often takes more time than actually writing the report. true false

true

3. Most of the data needed for business reports are primary data. true false

true

4. Formality and frequency are two elements by which reports can be classified. true false

true

6. Reports requiring less effort should be written less formally. true false

true

8. Organization by place is appropriate for a report dealing with simultaneous but separate events. true false

true

9. Headings are a useful tool in guiding the reader through the report. true false

true