Unit 1When it comes to communication skills, employers express particular frustration with…

Unit 1When it comes to communication skills, employers express particular frustration with ____________.male workersemployees whose first language is not Englishexperienced workers who shun new technologiesrecent college graduates who haven’t learned how to adapt to a professional environmentWhich of the following is not a characteristic of effective business messages?They provide practical information.They highlight and summarize essential information.They state precise audience responsibilities.They present the writer’s opinions as facts.The term corporate culture refers to ____________.a company’s sponsorship of events such as concerts and playsthe extent to which corporations dominate a particular culturethe mixture of values, traditions, and habits that give a company its atmosphere and personalitythe number of organizational levels within a corporationEvery organization has a(n) ____________.intranetextranettall communication structureinformal communication networkIn the first step of the communication process, the sender ____________.has an ideachooses a communication channeldecides what to saychooses a communication mediumWhereas Business Communication 1.0 tends to emphasize ______, Business Communication 2.0 focuses more on _____________.collaboration; isolationdiscussion; lecturecontrol; influencepermission; intrusionAll of the following are examples of unethical communication exceptdistorting visualsplagiarismselective misquotingusing jargonTo help establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior, many companies provide employees a written _____________.code of ethicsethics auditethical lapseethical dilemmaWhich of the following is not a way teams help organizations to succeed?increase information and knowledgeincrease groupthink among membersincrease diversity of viewsincrease performance levelsGroupthink refers to ____________.the willingness of individual group members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions, even when those objections are legitimate, and to favor majority opinionthe basic rules that underlie a group’s behavior and guide the group to make its decisions that operates primarily in large groups but can also be seen in small groupssoftware programs that help groups make decisionsthe four-step decision-making process in groupsYou and several coworkers serve on a task force charged with updating the company personnel policy manual. To proceed effectively, you should concentrate on_________.ensuring that all members have a clear and shared sense of purposepointing out as many typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors as possiblemaking other team members feel gooddoing all of the above___________ are informal standards of conduct that team members share.Rules of parliamentary procedureGroup maintenance rolesRobert’s RulesGroup normsIf you are engaging in critical listening, your goal is to ____________.understand and retain informationappreciate the speaker’s point of viewunderstand the speaker’s feelings, needs, and wantsevaluate the logic and validity of the messageIn part, poor listening occurs because listeners ____________.concentrate on each word the speaker says rather than the overall pointcan think faster than speakers can speakare unable to think originallydo all of the above.When introducing yourself to someone in a business context, you should always include a brief description of ____________.your company’s historyone of your personal interests or hobbiesyour role in the companyall of the aboveUsing mobile phones during meetings is _____________.an effective way to show your professionalismnow restricted or prohibited in many organizationsroutine in today’s high-tech workplaceall of the aboveCulture influences a person’s understanding of _____________.nonverbal signalsuse of time and spacewordsall of the aboveTo convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany, people rely more on ____________.explicit verbal communicationindirectness and metaphorssituational cuesgestures and vocal inflectionWomen executives who travel abroad ____________.should insist on meeting only with other female executivescan count on being treated with respect, regardless of the countries they visitmay not be taken seriously as businesspeople, depending on the cultureshould always assume that they will not be taken seriously as businesspeopleWhen writing letters to businesspeople in other countries, you shouldmake generous use of transitional words and phrasesbe vague and general in your wordinguse an informal, friendly tonekeep your sentences and paragraphs longWhen preparing a message to someone from another culture, you should__________.be careful to express numbers and dates in the format used in that person’s culturenever write more than a single paragraphbe sure to remove all graphics, in case they might offend someoneassume that the audience is familiar with common U.S. phrases and referencesThe three primary steps involved in preparing a business message are ____________.defining the purpose, the main idea, and the topicsatisfying the audience’s informational, motivational, and practical needsplanning, writing, and completinginforming, persuading, and collaboratingIn developing business messages, the step during which you step back to see whether you have expressed your ideas clearly is ____________.writingfeedbackplanningcompletingA knowledge-management system ____________.is a tool for creating a bibliography when writing long reportshelps companies limit the amount of information employees store on the networkis a centralized database of experiences and insights of employees throughout anorganizationenables organizations to test employees periodically to ensure they are doing adequateresearchAfter sending project cost estimates to a longtime client, you realize you failed to include information on some discount options. The best thing to do is ____________.take no actionblame someone elsestart looking for a new jobcontact the primary audience immediately and correct the errorExplain the increasing dependence on knowledge workers in business and provide at least two examples that illustrate the value of information in today’s economy.Unit 2In part because of limited opportunities for feedback, written and most forms of electronic communication require _____________ than oral communication.more informalityfewer nounsless caremore tactSelect the sentence with the most positive emphasis:Because of Joan’s inaccurate figures on the Haymen project, we are not finished withthe process audit.We haven’t completed the process audit.We hope to complete the process audit by Friday.We failed to complete the process audit on time.A euphemism is a word or phrase that is ____________.possibly offensivegeneral or abstract in meaninga milder term for one with negative connotationshighly technicalThe preferred title for women in business is ______________, unless the individual says otherwise.MadamMrs.MissMs.In business messages, using terms such as “if,†“hope,†and “trust†is __________.usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writer’s credibilitycommon courtesya good way to show your modestyacceptable for very formal contextsWhich of the following is not an example of pompous language?We wish to inform youPlease be advised thatWe are in receipt ofPlease let us knowWhich of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording?Given the parameters of the situation, the most propitious choice would be to makeadjustments in certain budget areas.Someone’s going to need to do some budget cutting around here or heads will roll.We need to cut the operating budget by 12 percent or profits will plummet.Perusal of budgetary figures reveal that a 12 percent reduction in operations is called for if we are to stave off a negative impact on profits.The rules of grammar and usage ____________.used to be very complex but have become simpler than everare complex and some evolve over timeno longer matter in business writinghave not changed in decades and tend to remain constant over timeBoilerplate is ____________.a piece of computer hardware used to increase modem speeda standard block of text used in various documents without being changeda machine used in professional printinga list of most-used email addressesWhen evaluating the work of others, you should ____________.make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you begin suggesting or makingchangesavoid talking with the writer about the document since other readers may not have thatopportunitycompare the other person’s writing style with your own, and if yours is better, rewrite the document in your own styletalk with the writer about his or her intent only after you suggest changes since this is a good way to test the effectiveness of the document“Visible to the eye†is an example of _____________.a clichéthe passive voiceobsolete languageredundancyStarting a sentence with “It is†or “There are†is _____________.a sign that you are using active voicea sign that you are using passive voiceperfectly acceptable and you need not try to rewrite the sentenceusually a sign that the sentence could be shorter and more activeA spell checker ____________.cannot automatically correct misspelled words as you typehas eliminated the need for proofreadingsuggests synonymshighlights words it doesn’t recognizeA computer thesaurus _____________.suggests correct spellinghighlights phrases in passive voicecan help you find just the right word for a given situationcatches punctuation as well as grammar errorsCentered margins _____________.are best for headings and tablesmake the document easier to readcreate a cleaner look because of increased white space along the right marginhelp get audience members’ attention, even before they start to readWhich of the following is not true of instant messaging?It is widely utilized in businessIt allows a rapid response to urgent messagesIt is less susceptible to security and privacy problemsIt costs more than phone calls or emailWhen it comes to writing messages in today’s business environment, _____.printed letters are obsoleteemail has completely replaced printed memos for all internal communicationprinted letters are still best for some forms of communicationprinted letters are used primarily for negative messagesOverusing the “cc†function when sending email ____________.is a violation of email hygieneis a good way to protect yourself in a hostile work environmentcan waste a great deal of time by generating more reply messages than necessaryis no longer a big deal since very few people pay attention to these messagesEmail ____________.should follow the convention of other business writing in formal situationsis the best medium for internal messages, regardless of their contentshould never be longer than one screendoes not need to be proofreadWhich of the following is an example of an effective subject line for an email requesting information about the August inventory for bananas?Please send the August banana inventoryBanana inventoriesBanana information neededInformation neededOne of the greatest drawbacks to using podcasts in business is ____________.the high cost of distributing themthe difficulty of scanning back and forth to find specific parts of the messagethey require costly, specialized equipment you’ll need to purchase regardless of the production quality you wantpeople find online video and audio to be intimidatingIn the body of a routine request, you should ____________.explain and justify your requestexplain what will happen if the audience does not do what you are askingbeg the reader to grant your requestgive your sales pitchBefore volunteering someone’s name as a reference, always ____________.list that person’s address and phone number for ease of contactask that person’s permissionassume you have permission to do sodescribe your relationship with that personIf you have serious concerns about the qualifications of a job candidate who has asked you for a recommendation, it is best to ____________.keep them to yourselfstate your opinion strongly since it is protected by the First Amendmentrefuse to write the recommendationinclude others’ criticisms to support your statementsExcluding important negative information about a candidate in a recommendation letter _____________.is expected; otherwise, no one would be able to get a good jobhas led some employers to sue after hiring the candidate and discovering problemsis okay, as long as you explain to the candidate that you are doing itis the only way to prevent the candidate from suing youBriefly explain the difference between the active voice and the passive voice. Include an example of each one.Unit 3Instead of beginning your negative message with a blunt announcement of the news, you can use ___________.a buffera combination of the direct and indirect approachesthe direct approachthe deductive approachIf up to now you have failed to respond to a request, a buffer ____________.automatically misleads the readerexplains why you have so far not responded to the requestignores the request altogethercomes right out and says no to the requestAn effective indirect opening for a negative message would be:Your résumé clearly shows why you are interested in becoming a management traineewith our company.I’m sorry to say I have some bad news.In reply to your application for the management position, I am sorry to say that we can not use you.We have no openings at this time.One way to be tactful when giving your reasons for bad news is to ____________.explain that the decision is based on company policyexplain why the decision is good for you and your companyhighlight, if possible, how your negative decision benefits the recipientapologize for having to be the bearer of bad newsIn the close of a negative message, you should ____________.express concern over possibly losing the reader’s businessask for feedback on whether the decision is acceptable to the readerencourage the person to write or call to discuss the situation furtheravoid uncertaintyTo avoid being accused of defamation, you should ____________.refuse to communicate with unhappy clientsfrequently refer to company policymake it clear to disgruntled customers that you refuse to be intimidatedavoid any kind of behavior that could be considered abusiveWhen you need to inform employees that a benefit or privilege will be eliminated, ____________.use as many hedging words as possiblethe best approach is to leak the news as a rumor rather than make a public announcementuse the direct approachminimize the impact of the bad news by presenting it in as positive a light as possibleA letter rejecting a job applicant should ____________.be as long as possibleavoid explaining why he or she was not selectedbe as personal as possiblepoint out the applicant’s shortcomingsThe purpose of the interest section of a persuasive message is to ____________.increase the audience’s desire to take the action recommended in the messageget the reader to act immediatelyshow that your product is well-suited to your audiencecapture attentionAn effective ending for a persuasive message would be which of the following?Be sure to tell all your friends about this exciting offer.Wouldn’t you like to save some money?Please respond as soon as possible because this offer is not likely to last very long.Simply take the enclosed coupon to any of our service centers by June 15 for your freeoil and filter change.The key to a successful action phase in the AIDA model is ____________.creating a win-lose situation, with you as the winnergetting readers to change their mindsincreasing the audience’s awareness of your product or servicemaking the action you propose simple and easyWhen writing a persuasive request for action, you should ____________.avoid flatteryask for more than you actually want so that you’ll have a cushion for negotiationdemonstrate that helping you will solve a significant problemuse the hard-sell approachWhich of the following would not be an effective technique for gaining audience attention in sales messages?explaining how your product offers a solution to a problememphasizing how badly you need some sales to remain openpromising savingsstating your product’s strongest benefitThe interest phase of a sales message should ____________.emphasize attractive features and important detailshelp the audience understand how your idea will benefit themavoid any attempts at answering potential objectionsbegin with a “hard sell†that makes audiences want to hear moreUnlike more traditional promotional messages, those written for social media ____________.enable companies to engage in conversations about their products and servicessave money by allowing companies to rely on the news media to distribute importantmessagesallow for less transparency and openness with customersare less interactiveA problem statement ____________.defines the purpose of your researchshould be long and complexis an unsupportable claim or assertionoutlines all the potential drawbacks of your researchSources of secondary information include ____________.first-hand observationnewspapers and periodicalsin-person interviewsexperimentsIn evaluating material you have gathered for a report, you should _____________.assume that any information taken from a webpage will be credible and reliablecheck to make sure the material is currentignore government documentsthrow out any information whose source is an organization that might be biasedWhich of the following is not true of conventional search engines?They return to previously identified websites to look for changes.Not all search engines operate in the same way.They travel the web automatically, identifying new websites.They access the deep Internet or hidden Internet.Recommendations differ from conclusions in that recommendations _____________.always come at the end of the reportsuggest a clear course of actioninterpret evidenceare always acceptable to readersThe recommendations you make in a report should be _____________.what the audience wants to hearthe same as the conclusionspractical and offer clear guidance on next stepseasy to implementU.S. government research shows that about _____________ percent of the adult population in the U.S. has the literacy skills needed for success in today’s workplace.7550101A surface chart is ____________.used to show interrelationships within an organizationa type of three-dimensional pie charta form of line chart in which all the lines add up to the top linea type of map showing various terrainsA bar chart would be particularly useful for ____________.comparing sales totals of three breakfast cereals from 2007 to 2009illustrating what percentages of a company’s monthly budget are spent on utilities andother expensesshowing the stages in production of a jet enginedepicting links between employees at a large firmA chart that uses symbols or graphic images instead of words or numbers to portray data is called a ____________.pictogramcombination chartGantt chartsurface chartQues. List the three major disadvantages of Internet search engines, then briefly describe other electronic research tools that overcome those shortcomings.Unit 4The best way to phrase the purpose statement of a report is with ____________.a controversial statementan infinitive phrasecomplex languagejargonWhich of the following is not an infinitive phrase?to determineto think clearlyto our loyal customersto prioritize and organizeWhich of the following is the least clear statement of purpose?“To answer the question, ‘Which of four investments will provide the highest return?’ ““To analyze four potential investments.â€â€œTo evaluate and make recommendations based on data.â€â€œTo determine which of four alternative investments will have the highest return.â€A formal work plan includes all of the following except ____________.a statement of the purpose and scope of your investigationplans for following up after delivering the reporta statement of the problem or opportunity addressed in your reportplans for what will happen if funds for the project are cancelledWhen selecting media for a report, ____________.you should choose the ones that are most economicalyou should choose the ones that are most convenientyour decisions should reflect your audience’s expectationsyou should always present your report in writingThe CEO of a pharmaceutical company asks you to assess the company’s adherence to laws governing television ads for prescription drugs. The CEO has requested a ____________.compliance reportwork planpolicy reportpersonal activity reportFor most audiences, reading online is _______ than reading from a printed page.easiermore difficultmuch fasterneither easier nor more difficultWhich of the following is not a common organizational format for analytical reports?focusing on conclusionsfocusing on logical argumentfocusing on informationfocusing on recommendationsThe 2 + 2 = 4 approach _____________.is far more complicated than any other organizational strategygenerally works only with lengthy, no routine reportsis the first logical argument strategy to tryis the only approach that is appropriate for any business reportThe writing style for a report should be more formal if ____________.you know your readers reasonably wellthe report is relatively shortthe subject is controversial or complexyour report is internalIn the close of a report intended to prompt sales personnel to meet specific goals, you should ____________.make sure your readers understand exactly what’s expected of them and when it’sexpectedimply that they will be fired if the goals are not achievedinstruct your audience to contact you about what they should do nextprovide hints on what the audience should do so you don’t sound like you’re givingordersThe introduction of a solicited proposal ____________.should downplay the magnitude of the problem you’re addressingneed not be as detailed as that of an unsolicited proposalshould refer specifically to the RFP that initiated itis expected to be much longer than that of an unsolicited proposalIn a proposal to install an air conditioning system, statements such as “Our company has over 25 years of experience installing heating, plumbing, and air conditioning systems†should appear in what section?CloseBodyIntroductionAppendixSmooth transitions between sections and links to other documents and sources of information are important ____________.in any report longer than 2 pagesin print reports, but not in those published onlinewhether your report appears in print or onlinein online reports, but not usually necessary in written onesWhich of the following would be the most effective review in a formal report?Now that the body of the report is finished, supporting evidence needs to be provided.The next segment illustrates potential challenges that our company faces in the comingdecade.As this section has shown, our current marketing strategy is highly effective.Having outlined the details, I will now offer a few other points.When drafting content for online reports, it is helpful to use the inverted pyramid style of organization in which you ____________.make readers believe you are headed in one direction and reveal your true intentions atthe endcover the most important information first and then gradually reveal more detailwalk readers through arguments you don’t support and then explain whycover the least important information first and work your way to the main ideaA letter of ____________ is a specialized cover letter that introduces your report to the audience.acceptancetransmittalauthorizationintroductionThe recommended format for a table of contents for a complex formal report should include ____________.everything but prefatory partsevery level of heading in the report plus all illustration and table titleseverything but supplementary partstwo tables: a high-level table with only major headings and a detailed table with allother headingsWhich of the following is not a typical function of the introduction to a report?telling the audience what the report is aboutoutlining how the report is organizeddocumenting sourcesexplaining to readers why they should be concerned about the topicThe prefatory parts of a formal proposal may include ____________.an indexa copy of the RFPvisual elementsa letter of authorizationYou’re sending an unsolicited proposal to a local restaurant in an effort to become their primary food vendor. The letter of transmittal to accompany the proposal should follow the format for ____________ messages.bad-newspersuasivegood-newsroutineSpeeches and oral presentations are much like any other messages in that _________.the interaction between the audience and speaker is similarthey deal with emotional or personal issues to a similar extentthey require no planningthey require similar planning“Now that we’ve identified the problem, let’s take a look at some solutions†is an example of a ____________.transition that can link two sentences, but not two sections of speechgood transition between major sections of a speechtransition that is overly specific and promises too muchtransition that fails to use the proper transitional phraseAt the close of a business presentation, ____________.you should avoid making it obvious that you’re about to finishbe clear about what you want the audience to do nextaudiences resent being reminded of the presentation’s main ideasaudience attention tends to reach its lowest pointThe most effective and easiest mode of speech delivery in nearly all situations is ___________.memorizationimpromptu speakingspeaking from an outline or notes