Q&A Hero

Q: If you include an attention line in a business letter, you should place it A) at the top of the page, centered under the letterhead. B) below the salutation. C) two lines below the complimentary close. D) on the first line of the inside address. E) none of the above.

Q: Galaxy Foods, a large manufacturer of snack products, learns that some of the items it labels as nut-free may actually have been contaminated by tree nuts. A press release expressing this news needs to be drafted, and the PR department decides to use the indirect organizational plan. This plan ________. A) is a good idea under the circumstances, as it will soften the impact of the bad news B) is a strategic and forward-thinking move, to preserve the positive image of the company C) is inappropriate, as it runs the risk of obscuring the bad news that could endanger people's health D) is not the best decision as it will immediately alert the audience to the seriousness of the bad news E) will ensure that while the audience may be surprised by the bad news, it will not be upset

Q: Which one of the following is NOT a dysfunctional team role? A) Controlling B) Diverting C) Initiating D) Withdrawing

Q: Which of the following is a salutopening? A) Dear Professor Milford: B) Dear Esteemed Professor Milford, It has come to our attention that you are interested in joining our research team in Winslow, Arizona. We think you can be a good fit! C) Thank you, Professor Milford, for your prompt response. D) Attention: Professor J. J. Milford E) To whom it may concern:

Q: In which of the following situations should the indirect organizational method be avoided? A) a message telling an employee that his approved vacation, which is due to start in a day, must be rescheduled due to an emergency in the office that will require his presence B) a message informing a customer that her faulty product cannot be replaced due to the shortage of stock C) a message informing a client that due to an unexpected personal situation you will not be able to meet your deadline D) a message stating that the package a customer has ordered specially as a birthday gift will not be ready on time E) a message communicating the recall of a particular model of car seat because of a defective latch

Q: A ________ usually has a long life span and typically deals with regularly recurring tasks. A) task force B) work group C) committee D) problem-solving team

Q: The proper sequence for the standard parts of a letter is A) heading, date, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close, signature block. B) date, heading, inside address, salutation, body, typewritten name, complimentary close. C) salutation, date, heading, inside address, body, complimentary close, signature block. D) inside address, heading, date, salutation, body, complimentary close, typewritten name. E) heading, inside address, salutation, date, body, complimentary close, signature block.

Q: In which of the following situations is the direct organizational method the preferred way to deliver bad news? A) The news is likely to upset or anger the audience. B) The news is irrelevant to health and safety. C) The news is difficult to explain and understand. D) It is important that the audience sees the news immediately. E) The news is unexpected.

Q: All of the following except ________ are elements of the group development process. A) anticipation B) emergence C) brainstorming D) reinforcement

Q: The quality of paper is measured by A) length and width. B) weight and cotton content. C) color and texture. D) style of letterhead and corporate logo. E) how much it costs per ream.

Q: In participative management A) employees are involved in the company's decision making. B) all top-level managers participate in profit sharing. C) teams are discouraged in favor of individual achievement. D) an authoritarian management model is used.

Q: If you're asked to submit to alcohol testing and drug screening during the hiring process, remember that A) only government agencies can require those tests. B) a majority of companies require them of all applicants. C) what you do in your free time will not affect your on-the-job performance. D) the Supreme Court has determined that they violate workplace privacy laws. E) companies with fewer than 500 employees cannot legally perform them.

Q: Which of the following is true about the indirect organizational plan? A) It abruptly places the bad news in the beginning. B) It is used when the message is relevant to health and safety. C) It may confuse, upset, or anger your audience as it conveys the bad news too abruptly. D) It is used when the audiences are unlikely to be surprised by the news. E) It is appropriate when the bad news is unexpected.

Q: A large company has been experiencing a steady decline in business over the past year and its employees have been informed that there is a freeze on salary increases for at least the next six months. The talks of layoffs have been going on among employees, although the company has vowed to do whatever it can to avoid this. As the year draws to a close Kat, an executive in the corporate headquarters, needs to inform the regional managers that there is no budget for year-end bonuses. She schedules a conference call with them to discuss year-end issues. When Kat considers how to deliver this news, she is most likely to come to the conclusion that ________. A) she should not end this discussion with goodwill because she will be delivering bad news to the audience B) the direct approach would be a good idea C) the indirect approach is her only option because she has to deliver bad news D) she should provide detailed explanation before putting forward the bad news E) she should use the indirect approach because this bad news will come as a surprise for the audience

Q: In general, employers are looking for two things: proof that a candidate can handle the responsibilities of the position and A) excellent references. B) high employment test scores. C) evidence that the person will fit in with the organization. D) long-term commitment to the organization. E) advice on how their company can meet the candidate's needs.

Q: As an approach to resolving conflict during team activities, a ________ proposes that both sides can satisfy their goals (at least to some extent) and seeks to minimize losses for everyone involved. A) lose-win strategy B) lose-lose strategy C) win-win strategy D) break-even strategy

Q: Trevon has considered his situation and has already decided what information he must include in the bad-news email he is about to draft. However, he is now stuck trying to decide whether he should jump right to the bad news or build up to it gradually. Which stage of the ACE process is Trevon engaged in? A) analyzing B) assessing C) composing D) contending E) evaluating

Q: Employers can use sophisticated job simulations during online interviews to A) identify good candidates. B) give applicants an idea of what the job is like. C) reduce the risk of employment discrimination lawsuits. D) all of the above. E) none of the above.

Q: Ethics can be defined as not doing anything illegal.

Q: In the context of the ACE process, the ________ questions help you develop what to say in a bad-news message whereas the ________ questions focus on how to say it. A) composing; analyzing B) analyzing; composing C) composing; evaluating D) evaluating; composing E) analyzing; evaluating

Q: When you're participating in a video interview with a prospective employer A) make eye contact with the camera. B) concentrate on your computer screen. C) read from a carefully prepared script. D) dim the lights in the room to minimize glare. E) multitask on Twitter and Facebook.

Q: The more two people or two groups of people share experiences (personal, professional, and cultural) the more likely it is that receivers will get the intended meanings senders encode into their messages.

Q: When using ACE for bad-news messages, which of the following should be considered during the composing stage of the process? A) Can I do anything else to project a positive image and maintain goodwill? B) How can I close the message appropriately? C) What is the best medium for this message? D) Have I avoided legal complications? E) Does the message project a good image of me?

Q: The 2.0 approach to business communication emphasizes interaction and conversation among senders and audiences.

Q: Which type of interview would be likely to include a question such as, "You seem wholly unqualified for this job, and your answers have been terrible so far. Why should we continue with this?" A) Stress B) Structured C) Screening D) Situational E) Panel

Q: The only thing a person needs to receive a message is technical compatibility with the person who's sending the message.

Q: In a working interview, A) the candidate meets with an interviewer as the interviewer performs normal duties. B) no questions are asked—the candidate simply shows up and begins working so that those involved with the hiring decision can evaluate him or her. C) interviewers avoid asking about anything other than work: hobbies and other personal matters are not addressed. D) the candidate "shadows" several employees, and is asked to explain which job seems best and why. E) the candidate actually performs a job-related activity during the interview.

Q: Using email to communicate bad news ________. A) is never a good choice B) doesn't give your audience time to analyze the bad news before replying C) makes it more likely that the person communicating will sugarcoat the bad news D) frees the communicator from worrying about being confronted by an angry audience E) has been unanimously justified by human resource professionals in the case of firings and layoffs

Q: Questions such as, "What is one job-related achievement that best illustrates your work ethic?" are likely to be asked during a ________ interview. A) structured B) stress C) behavioral D) situational E) working

Q: Human or technological interventions between the sender and the receiver can block or distort messages.

Q: Stacey runs a small technology company. She has tried to retain all her staff, but her business is losing money and she has no alternative but to let several employees go. These workers are professional, loyal, and highly effective, but Stacey can no longer bear the expense of their salaries and benefits. She feels terrible about letting these employees go, and even somewhat guilty that she couldn't improve the bottom line enough to save their jobs. As the business is a technology company, much of the communication is done via email, text messaging, etc. While thinking about how to deliver the bad news, Stacey considers letting the employees know via a text message. In this case, which of the following statements is most accurate regarding the use of text messages? A) While Stacey may justify using a text message to fire the employees since, as a technology company, the staff is comfortable with that medium, it would be more appropriate to deliver the news in person. B) Stacey should use a text message to deliver the message, since delivering the message in such a way will make it easier for her to sugarcoat the bad news. C) While the employees might find this method impersonal, there are no other repercussions that Stacey might face as a result of using a text message to fire the employees. D) It would be appropriate since it allows Stacey to quickly deliver the news while also avoiding a potentially uncomfortable situation. E) This method will be appropriate because employees would always prefer to receive bad news via a text message.

Q: You want to share some important bad news with one of your clients in a way that does not seem impersonal or evasive. Which of the following would be the best choice in this case? A) text message B) IM C) news letter D) email E) website

Q: Staging mock interviews can help you identify undesirable nonverbal behaviors and speech mannerisms.

Q: Multitasking generally enhances the quality of employees' communication.

Q: In the context of sharing bad news, a text message ________. A) is not considered to be appropriate under any circumstances B) is typically used to share the news with the public C) is used so that the news does not seem impersonal or evasive D) may be seen as an informal approach E) avoids immediate discussion of the news

Q: When resolving problems, successful organizations usually avoid the need for feedback.

Q: Part of preparing for a job interview involves anticipating the questions that an interviewer will ask and rehearsing answers to each one.

Q: Your boss is in a hurry to leave and she quickly delegates an assignment to you. She needs you to communicate some bad news to a number of people at different geographic locations. Though she wants the message to spread instantaneously, she wants to give the audience time to carefully consider a response. It's also a priority for her that the message doesn't come across as impersonal or evasive. After she has left, you realize that she didn't specify which medium she wants you to use for the message. Taking her considerations into account, you determine that a(n) ________ would be an appropriate medium. A) newsletter B) email C) letter D) blog post E) text message

Q: When you're applying for jobs, assume that potential employers will search online to learn more about you.

Q: The basic communication process consists of only two steps: sending and receiving messages.

Q: If you want to encourage immediate discussion of your bad-news message, which of the following would be an appropriate choice for delivering your message? A) website B) memo C) email D) IM E) letter

Q: The nature of business communication hasn't changed much in the past decade.

Q: You should prepare for a video interview in much the same way you would prepare for an in-person interview.

Q: A manufacturing company realizes that one of its products has a serious defect and wants to quickly disseminate this news to the public. Which of the following would be an appropriate way to accomplish this? A) websites B) memos C) telephone D) letter E) group meeting

Q: If an incoming message doesn't fit into a person's view of reality, then he or she may use ________ to distort or ignore that information. A) myopic introspection B) cognitive reconstruction C) selective perception D) creative interpretation

Q: One challenge in a screening interview is to keep your answers short while distinguishing yourself from other candidates.

Q: Due to a family emergency, you will be unable to fulfill your contract to cater for an upcoming party for your client. The event is several weeks away, but you know that the client will not be able to reschedule it. When you contact your client to share this news you should ________. A) not include an apology, since this emergency was beyond your control B) expect them to understand, as everyone deals with family issues from time to time C) inform them that you will be happy to cater the event if they reschedule it D) consider first communicating that you might have a problem fulfilling your contract, and then waiting a few days before actually canceling to try and soften the blow E) tell the client that you will contact some other catering companies you work with to see if they can take over the job

Q: The purpose of a typical screening interview is to measure a job candidate's personality and personal qualities.

Q: In the communication process, ________ describes the step in which the audience extracts the idea from a message. A) extracting B) encoding C) translating D) decoding

Q: Your bid to set up the computer system at Evergreen, a small local business, was accepted. Today you found out that the software that Evergreen's systems require just had a price increase, so your bid will need to increase to reflect this change. Including which of the following in your message communicating the price increase to Evergreen will best ensure that your audience will accept the bad news? A) a justification that the increase is due to an unexpected jump in the price of the software B) a statement that the increase is unavoidable and due to circumstances beyond your control C) a profuse apology that you must increase your price D) an acknowledgement that the customer will be disappointed by this news E) a comment that the price increase will result in hidden benefits

Q: Most employers interview an applicant multiple times before deciding whether to offer a person a job.

Q: When a sender puts an idea into a message, the sender is ________ the idea. A) implanting B) encoding C) supplanting D) decoding

Q: How does appealing to your audience's emotions help improve teamwork?

Q: In the middle part of an application letter, you should spell out your "selling points" and other potential benefits to your employer.

Q: The term ________ refers to groups that are affected by or have an interest in a company's actions. A) coalitions B) stakeholders C) confederacies D) partnerships

Q: You are crafting a message to grab your audience's attention about SecureYourself, an identify theft protection service. Give an example of a startling fact, a thought-provoking story, and a motivating question that could grab your audience's attention about this service.

Q: An application letter should follow the AIDA format for persuasive messages.

Q: ________ is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers. A) Reflection B) Projection C) Communication D) Illumination

Q: You are writing to persuade your boss that your department needs additional staff to achieve its annual goals. Presently a hiring freeze and a moratorium on overtime are in effect, so your recommendation will need to be very persuasive. You decide to send an email with your recommendation. Discuss how best to organize this message.

Q: A barrier to communication can be caused by A) the structure and culture of an organization. B) the common habit of multitasking. C) human or technological intervention between senders and receivers. D) all of the above.

Q: The opening paragraph of an application letter states the reason for writing and gives the recipient a reason to keep reading.

Q: Carol is trying to persuade her boss to let her take a training course. She says that her friend took a similar course and her sales increased by 25%, so it's likely that anyone who takes the course will accomplish the same increase. Discuss why or why not this is a logical argument to include in Carol's message.

Q: An unsolicited job application letter should begin with a statement designed to get the reader's attention.

Q: As a contemporary approach to business communication, the ________ is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. A) reflexive communication model B) computer-assisted communication model C) social communication model D) give-and-take communication model

Q: Select a couple of advertisements and discuss which higher need they appeal to and how.

Q: Use the model for positive messages when you write a A) letter of resignation. B) letter of acceptance. C) letter declining a job offer. D) letter of application. E) none of the above.

Q: Which of the following is an example of Business Communication 2.0 in action? A) A manager sends out weekly newsletters to employees. B) An electronics store invites customers to submit YouTube videos showing how to install home theater systems. C) An advertising firm creates a television commercial for a local automobile dealer. D) All of the above are examples of Business Communication 2.0.

Q: Anya argues that since credibility is hard to earn and easy to lose, it's not worth trying to establish. Discuss this statement.

Q: One major difference between traditional communication and the 2.0 approach to business communication is that in the 2.0 approach audiences are encouraged to be A) active participants in the communication. B) compliant listeners. C) passive recipients of the information the sender shares. D) all of the above.

Q: You could send a ________ after an interview if you haven't received the interviewer's decision by the promised date or within two weeks. A) thank you note B) formal complaint C) message of inquiry D) message of intent E) prospecting message

Q: John was asked to speak to a group of employees by a VP at their company, who is a former employer and mentor of John's. John is unknown to the audience before whom he will be speaking today. Discuss some of the ways in which John can build his credibility with this audience.

Q: During the question-and-answer stage of an interview A) stick with one-word, yes-or-no answers. B) let the interviewer lead the conversation. C) respond to all questions immediately. D) don't ask any questions of your own. E) be assertive and control the conversation.

Q: Companies can use ________ to identify and capitalize on market opportunities that are contained in large, complex, or dynamic sets of data. A) telepresence B) enterprise IM systems C) data visualization D) crowdsourcing

Q: Discuss how persuasion is a process.

Q: When you're staging mock interviews to polish your interview style, pay attention to A) your nonverbal behavior. B) the quality of your voice. C) the length of your answers. D) the clarity of your answers. E) all of the above.

Q: Maria says that you should always choose the communication medium preferred by your audience. Discuss this idea.

Q: Whereas traditional Business Communication tends to emphasize ________, Business Communication 2.0 focuses more on ________. A) discussion; lecture B) collaboration; isolation C) control; influence D) permission; intrusion

Q: The voice technology known as ________ converts human speech to computer commands. A) speech synthesis B) digital vocalics C) vocal mnemonics D) speech recognition

Q: During the selection stage of the interview processes, you should A) ask the interviewer when you can start the job. B) differentiate yourself from the other candidates. C) allow the interviewer to ask all of the questions. D) monopolize the conversation by telling your favorite stories. E) relate your skills and experience to the organization's needs.

Q: Describe the analyzing process for this message.