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1) Tara Houser e-mails a colleague Dan Brothers to suggest that he be the lead writer in preparing a comprehensive business plan for the company. The task will be rather time-consuming. Tara tells Dan that “the president will certainly be impressed with whoever heads up this project”, which is persuasive because
A. Dan can help out his colleague so she does not have to take on this additional responsibility herself.
B. the company will be able to secure additional financing once it has a business plan.
C. the president will be able to use the document to communicate expansion plans to stockholders.
D. Dan will gain key leadership experience that will work in his favor when he applies for his promotion.
2) Susan Rojas is applying for a position in the marketing department of a local corporation. Although Greg Ellis is the director of this department, she has been instructed to send her resume and other documents to Jeff Cohen, manager of the human resources department. Jeff screens all applications before sending those of qualified candidates on to appropriate department heads. Jeff is:
A. an auxiliary audience
B. the primary audience
C. a gatekeeper
D. a watchdog
3) Which of the following is NOT a gatekeeper?
A. An account executive who approves a marketing plan before it is submitted to the client.
B. A program director at the National Science Foundation who screens all grant applications to ensure conformity to the application criteria before forwarding them to the review board.
C. A receptionist for a small business who opens the mail and then date-time stamps each piece before passing it on to its owner.
D. The HR director of a large university who screens all internal applicants for eligibility before sending applications to the interviewers for a specific position.
4) A written message is preferable to an oral one for all of the following EXCEPT
A. discussing many specific details of a law, policy, or procedure.
B. minimizing undesirable emotions.
C. presenting extensive or complex financial data.
D. getting an immediate response.
5) You are a technical writer in a large company who is working on a training manual to help new users learn the company's computer system. Employees will use your manual in training seminars taught by your company's trainers. The manual will also serve as an on-the-job reference later. Both of the system analysts who designed the computer system and the trainers will comment on your draft. The trainers would be classified as what kind of audience for your manual?
A. Gatekeeper
B. Primary
C. Watchdog
D. Secondary
6) Which audience has political, social, or economic power; pays close attention to the transaction between you and the primary audience; and may base future actions on its evaluation of your message?
A. Watchdog audience
B. Gatekeeper
C. Auxiliary audience
D. Secondary audience
7) A written business request is answered positively and promptly on the first try. This is an example of a high level of:
A. image
B. clarity
C. goodwill
D. effectiveness
8) Good writing costs companies money, and those costs increase significantly if the communication is ineffective. Which of the following pairs would NOT be two additional costs to the company if written communication is poor?
A. Postage and legal problems
B. Computers and software
C. Paper and wasted time
D. Lost goodwill and document cycling
9) Strong writing skills help you do all of the following EXCEPT
A. save time.
B. provoke disagreement.
C. make your communication efforts effective.
D. communicate your points clearly.
10) Which of the following is NOT an appropriate practice when analyzing the audience prior to delivering a message?
A. Learn about the cultural and demographic backgrounds of the audience members.
B. Focus on all of the characteristics of the audience, whether or not they pertain to the message.
C. Determine how much the audience already knows about the topic.
D. Consider whether there are subgroups in the audience.
11) Which statement about conventions is NOT correct?
A. Conventions are ways of doing things that other people have not even thought of.
B. Conventions are widely accepted practices that are routinely encountered.
C. Conventions include any unusual occurrences in a business that are outside of the norm.
D. Conventions are useful for a company because they are standards that do not vary with audience, context, or purpose.
12) Which of the following audiences would receive an internal document?
A. The CPA who is auditing your company's books
B. Your best customers
C. The human resources director
D. The job candidate you wish to hire
13) If you are speaking with someone who nods while you are speaking and then brings up points of disagreement when you are finished, it is likely that your listener:
A. was nodding to show that he or she was listening, but was not necessarily agreeing.
B. nods for no reason at all.
C. wants to mislead you.
D. agreed with you until the last point you made in the argument.
14) Your subordinates tell you that a project will not be completed on time because they are behind schedule. Which of the following is the best response?
A. "Could you finish it if you had some more help?"
B. "You should have told me sooner."
C. "What's wrong with you people? Don't you know what a deadline is?"
D. "If it isn't on my desk by Friday, I'll fire every one of you."
15) Which of the following statements does NOT show evidence of active listening in response to a co-worker who says “Dave has to be kidding if he thinks we can finish this project by Friday.”?
A. “Is there anything I could do to help?”
B. “Our next project is going to involve working collaboratively with the marketing department.”
C. “It sounds like your department has been overwhelmed with all you have been asked to do.”
D. “It seems that you need a bit more time to really do a good job on this project.”
16) Business communication practices in the United States place importance on the written word, and this indicates that our culture:
A. is polychronic.
B. is monochronic.
C. has low-context preferences.
D. has high-context preferences.
17) Which is NOT a true statement about diversity?
A. More and more, women, people of color, and Latinos are relegated to low-status and low-paying jobs, to agricultural or domestic work, or to staff rather than management.
B. Companies with high levels of racial and ethnic minorities have the highest profits, the highest market shares, and the highest number of customers.
C. A diverse workforce helps companies adapt their communications and products for diverse segments of the global economy.
D. Minorities introduce new perspectives and catalyze new thinking among others.
18) Which of the following is NOT related to global business?
A. Firms are increasing international management, and managers often find they need international experience if they want top-level jobs.
B. The last two decades have seen a growing emphasis on diversity, with more and more women and people of color joining the U.S. workforce.
C. Many companies depend on vendors or operations in other countries.
D. Exports are essential both to the success of individual businesses and to a country’s economy as a whole.
19) The success of which phase determines how well the group’s decision will be implemented?
A. Formation
B. Coordination
C. Aggregation
D. Formalization
20) Positive roles and actions of individuals that help the group build loyalty, resolve conflicts,and function smoothly include:
A. asking questions and identifying gaps in the group’s knowledge.
B. comparing group processes and products to standards and goals.
C. demonstrating openness and acceptance.
D. taking every opportunity to be the first to speak and insisting on personally responding to everyone else’s comments.
21) Positive roles and actions of individuals that help the group achieve its task goals include:
A. restating major points, pulling ideas together, and summarizing decisions.
B. showing group members that they have been heard and that their ideas are being taken seriously.
C. recognizing the contributions of members.
D. disagreeing with everything that is proposed.
22) Which of the following sentences would be appropriate toward the beginning of a professional business report?
A. “I would like to point out that the drop in sales in May 2007 was due to unusually rainy weather.”
B. “The local college offers many Gen. Ed. courses that employees may take to enhance their communication skills.”
C. “You can’t determine the cause of the problem if you don’t know who’s involved.”
D. “Members of ACE (Association of Creative Enterprises) were invited as speakers at the conference.”
23) Which of the following is NOT a consideration when choosing words to communicate an idea?
A. the audience you are addressing
B. the amount of time you have to prepare the message
C. the words you have already used
D. the context of the situation
24) Which of the following sentences that begin a letter is appropriate for contemporary business communication?
A. “Enclosed please find the application forms you requested.”
B. “Pursuant to you request, we are forwarding you the application forms you requested.”
C. “Here are the application forms you requested.”
D. “Your application forms have been enclosed herewith.”
25) Halfway through the process of drafting a memo, Jacob stops to think about how to word his next paragraph. What part of the writing process does this activity represent?
A. Planning
B. Gathering
C. Revising
D. Editing
26) Lauren has confirmed flight information, printed directions from the Internet, and spoken with the Human Resources Department to clarify specific details. She will include this information in a letter to a job candidate she is inviting for an interview. What part of the writing process does this activity represent?
A. Writing
B. Gathering
C. Revising
D. Editing
27) Ben chooses a pattern of organization before he begins a letter. What part of the writing process does this activity represent?
A. Planning
B. Getting feedback
C. Brainstorming
D. Editing
28) Which of the following would NOT be considered a violation of a convention?
A. A business letter is hand written.
B. A resume is presented in an electronic format.
C. Clipart is included throughout a loan contract.
D. An attorney’s business card is printed in red font on a yellow background.
29) Which of the following would be the BEST place to put your most important visual in a newsletter?
A. In the center of the page to indicate that the image is central to the newsletter.
B. In the bottom left of the page to emphasize material that appears in the top half.
C. Parallel to two or more smaller visuals to create balance.
D. In the top left of the page because the top is a position of emphasis.
30) A business plan is divided into two primary sections. On the page just before each of these sections begins, there is a page with the name of the section in large font. In addition, each primary section includes several sub-sections. These are indicated within the report by centered headings just before each sub-section begins. This is an example of which of Communications Professor Charles Kostelnick’s levels of communication design?
A. Intra
B. Inter
C. Extra
D. Supra
31) Which would NOT be a consideration when choosing a medium for a superior delivering bad news to subordinates?
A. the severity of the message
B. the complexity of the explanation
C. the relationship between the superior and subordinates
D. the superior’s desire not to have to deal with the situation
32) Crystal agreed to serve on a company’s advisory board and now has to contact them to say she cannot attend a scheduled meeting where she was to be one of several key speakers. What should she do?
A. Offer to send a knowledgeable colleague in her place.
B. Resign from the advisory board before the meeting date.
C. Let the company know she cannot not attend and that they will have to make arrangements for another speaker.
D. Ask the company to cancel the meeting.
33) Is "I am sure that you will agree with our decision" appropriate in a letter to a client in which you refuse a request?
A. No, because the client will then feel silly for having made the request
B. No, because you should not assume that you know how the reader feels
C. Yes, as long as you had no choice about the decision you made
D. Yes, because it will prevent psychological reactance
34) Is the subject line "Improving Customer Service" appropriate in a message to superiors?
A. No, because the boss is likely to think that you caused the problem
B. Yes, because it makes it look like you "bought into" the goals of the organization
C. Yes, because it focuses on solving the problem
D. No, because the word "service" makes the subject line seem negative
35) Which of the followings sentences would NOT be considered a buffer at the beginning of a bad-news letter to a new customer who will ultimately be denied a line of credit?
A. “We understand how important it is for a new business like yours to acquire all the supplies and inventory it takes to get up and running.”
B. “Congratulations on opening your new business!”
C. “Thank you for your order. We are glad to have you as a customer.”
D. “Until your credit application has been approved, you will need to prepay for your orders before they ship.”
36) In a bad-news memo to subordinates, you should open with:
A. a request that the employees form teams to find a solution.
B. an alternative.
C. a buffer.
D. a clear statement of the problem.
37) Which of the following should NOT be included in a bad-news memo to your superior?
A. A buffer in the opening paragraph
B. A request for approval for the solution you want to implement
C. The underlying factors that led to this specific problem
D. The advantages and disadvantages of all the options if one is not clearly the best
38) Which of the following is NOT a purpose in a negative message?
A. To reduce or eliminate future correspondence on the same subject
B. To make the reader accept personal responsibility for his or her faults
C. To build a good image of the writer
D. To build a good image of the writer's organization
39) Which is an appropriate way for a subordinate to begin a message to her supervisor letting him know that the company has been fined due to safety violations in their department?
A. “Something horrible has happened!”
B. “We received notice today that we are being fined $1,500 for being out of compliance with safety standards.”
C. “Our department has come so far this past year and there are only a few things left that we need to work on.”
D. “I think we ought to start taking measures to make our department safer.”
40) A presentation designed to entertain and validate the audience is a(n):
A. persuasive presentation
B. informative presentation
C. oral presentation
D. goodwill presentation
41) Which of the following is an informative presentation?
A. Training new employees on how to use computer software
B. Convincing people to contribute to a worthy cause
C. Encouraging the audience in order to promote team spirit
D. Promoting a product to prospective customers
42) You must explain to a group of employees the different pension funds they can now choose. You expect the group to have many questions because many of them will be retiring within ten years and want to maximize their retirement income. You should probably:
A. send them each a written package of material and ask them to call if they have questions.
B. give an oral presentation with lots of visuals.
C. send them a package of self-explanatory written material and cover different material at the presentation.
D. give them written material to look at ahead of time and go over that material as part of your presentation.
43) You are writing a report that recommends renovation projects in several buildings on your campus. The most appropriate organizational pattern would be:
A. pro and con.
B. functional.
C. geographic or spatial.
D. chronological.
44) Which of the following patterns of organization is characterized by a movement from the problem as it affects the organization to a discussion of the parts of the problem and solutions to each of these parts?
A. Particular to general
B. General to particular
C. Eliminating alternatives
D. Problem-solving
45) In a comparison-contrast report, it is best to:
A. focus on alternatives when the superiority of one alternative over another depends largely upon which criteria are most important to the reader.
B. focus on alternatives when one alternative is clearly much better than the others.
C. focus on alternatives when the criteria are easy to separate.
D. focus on criteria when the reader will intuitively grasp the alternative as a whole rather than the sum of its parts.
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