Q&A Hero

Q: The work plan section of a formal proposal A) is presented in the conclusion. B) is contractually binding if the proposal is accepted. C) delineates the costs involved in your proposed solution. D) describes your organization's experience, personnel, and facilities. E) points out the advantages that your company can offer.

Q: In the body of a proposal, you should describe A) what you have to offer. B) any advantages you have over your competitors. C) the methods or resources you will use. D) all of the above. E) none of the above.

Q: The delimitations section in a proposal A) explains why your company should be awarded the proposed project. B) reveals the inadequacies of your project team and proposed solution. C) states the scope of your proposal—what you will and will not do. D) includes the "bail-out clause" of a typical business proposal. E) presents disclaimers that protect you from negligent statements in a proposal.

Q: Which of the following is not an element normally included in the introduction of a proposal? A) Background/statement of the problem or opportunity B) Proposed solution to the problem C) The scope of the report D) Statement of qualifications E) All of the above are normally included.

Q: The introduction of a solicited proposal A) need not be as detailed as that of an unsolicited proposal. B) should refer specifically to the RFP that initiated it. C) should downplay the magnitude of the problem you're addressing. D) is expected to be much longer than that of an unsolicited proposal. E) should always shock the audience in order to get their attention.

Q: Generally speaking, an effective proposal can A) follow the AIDA model. B) follow the plan for good-news messages. C) avoid the "you" attitude. D) be as vague as possible. E) rely entirely on primary evidence.

Q: If you end up with multiple conclusions, recommendations, or actions in your report, it is best to A) go back to the drawing board and cut them down to one or two, at the most. B) combine similar items to make it easy on your readers. C) number and list them. D) leave them out of the report itself and include them in an appendix. E) admit that you really aren't sure what to do.

Q: In the close of a report intended to prompt sales personnel to meet specific goals, you should A) provide hints on what the audience should do so that you don't sound like you're giving orders. B) instruct your audience to contact you about what they should do next. C) make sure your readers understand exactly what's expected of them and when it's expected. D) imply that they will be fired if the goals are not achieved. E) state clearly that failing to meet the goals will result in dismissal without pay.

Q: A public health expert is writing a report on lead hazards for a widespread audience. Any terms in the report that are unfamiliar to her audience should be defined in the A) introduction. B) body. C) explanatory notes. D) any of the above. E) none of the above, since doing so would insult the audience.

Q: In the introduction to a report on how to establish a paperless office, explaining the historical conditions or factors that led up to the report A) enables readers to understand how the opportunity developed. B) is unnecessary in internal reports. C) diminishes your credibility by wasting readers' time. D) is necessary only in very formal reports. E) is likely to convince the audience without any further information.

Q: The close of a report should A) emphasize the main points of the message. B) summarize reader benefits if the document suggests a change. C) bring all action items together and give details about who should do what, when, where, and how. D) achieve all of the above. E) do none of the above.

Q: The detailed proof needed to support your conclusions and recommendations should appear in the ________ of your report. A) opening B) body C) close D) appendix E) index

Q: The introduction (or opening) of a business report or proposal should always A) outline your conclusions or recommendations. B) list all the sources from which you draw information. C) provide a detailed description of your qualifications to write the report. D) indicate why the subject of the report is important. E) begin with a humorous anecdote.

Q: When you're writing a report, you can adapt to your intended audience by A) focusing on the "you" attitude. B) being sensitive to the audience's needs. C) building strong relationships with the audience. D) controlling your style and tone. E) all of the above.

Q: When writing business reports for outsiders (such as customers or suppliers), it is best to A) use a more formal tone than you would for an internal audience. B) use a less formal tone than you would for an internal audience. C) include personal references such as "you" and "us." D) use a great deal of idiomatic language. E) use contractions whenever possible.

Q: Effective report writers use ________ to introduce sections that include important or complex topics and ________ to help readers absorb the information they just read. A) foresight, reflection B) inclusive ideas, deductive reasoning C) hedging sections, forecasting sections D) informational taglines, summary statements E) preview sections, review sections

Q: The writing style for a report should be more formal if A) you know your readers reasonably well. B) your report is internal. C) the subject is controversial or complex. D) the report is relatively short. E) you are not confident in your conclusions.

Q: When you write in a formal style, you should A) eliminate references to I and me. B) open with a humorous anecdote. C) use many colorful adjectives or adverbs. D) still include contractions such as we've to retain a conversational tone. E) use as much jargon as possible.

Q: To gain credibility with your audience in business reports, do all of the following except A) research all sides of your topic. B) make the report longer than it really needs to be. C) avoid setting unrealistic expectations. D) document your findings with credible sources. E) All of the above will increase your credibility.

Q: Unlike feasibility reports, justification reports A) explain a decision that's been made already. B) explore potential outcomes of a pending decision. C) help readers troubleshoot problems. D) evaluate the likelihood of success for new products. E) none of the above.

Q: Making generous use of descriptive labels, subheads, and other similar devices on a website A) confuses and frustrates online readers. B) helps online readers get oriented to your website. C) is fine for amateurs, but professional web designers avoid it. D) is unnecessary if your primary audience can speak English. E) none of the above.

Q: For most audiences, reading online is ________ than reading from a printed page. A) easier B) more difficult C) neither easier nor more difficult D) much faster E) more comfortable

Q: A business plan A) is useful only before a company is launched. B) always contains the same elements. C) should not identify risks and problems, since these might discourage potential investors. D) is sometimes prepared after a company is up and running. E) is just another name for a justification report.

Q: A writer who wants to use a ________ to build an informational report can choose from a number of arrangement patterns, such as geography, sequence, chronology, category, or importance. A) talking pattern of organization B) topical pattern of organization C) demonstrative pattern of organization D) tectonic pattern of organization E) All of the above are included

Q: A contractor submitting a weekly report on work done to date would be providing the client with A) a progress report. B) a compliance report. C) a justification report. D) a periodic operating report. E) a position paper.

Q: A public corporation filing a quarterly tax report would be providing A) a progress report. B) a compliance report. C) a justification report. D) a periodic operating report. E) unnecessary information.

Q: Most compliance reports are required by A) parent companies. B) accounting departments. C) government agencies. D) marketing departments. E) unreasonable bosses.

Q: The 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 A) personal activity report. B) work plan. C) compliance report. D) policy report. E) business plan.

Q: An employee who writes a report on her experiences during last week's sales calls is preparing A) an analytical report. B) an informational report. C) a status update. D) a work plan. E) a justification report.

Q: Which of the following is not a useful strategy in preparing business reports? A) Clarify the problem or opportunity at hand. B) Use the same format for reports, regardless of length. C) Develop a work plan. D) Consider delivering reports through multiple media. E) All of the above are useful strategies.

Q: When you're outlining your report, using ________ requires you to think through the content, whereas using ________ simply requires you to identify topic areas. A) informative headings, descriptive headings B) prescriptive headings, parallel headings C) specific headings, nonspecific headings D) multilateral headings, unilateral headings E) subject headings, transitional headings

Q: Ask ________ to solicit opinions, insights, and information; ask ________ to elicit yes or no answers. A) direct questions; indirect questions B) closed questions; open-ended questions C) open-ended questions; closed questions D) reflective questions; descriptive questions E) incisive questions; circuitous questions

Q: When selecting the right medium for a report, you should A) choose the one that's most convenient. B) pick the one that's most cost effective. C) choose the one that reflects your audience's expectations. D) always select a high-tech option. E) none of the above.

Q: A ________ outlines an organization's official position on issues that affect its success. A) policy report B) position paper C) feasibility report D) work plan E) business plan

Q: As it relates to a formal business plan, the ________ defines how the company will generate revenue and produce a profit. A) marketing strategy B) business model C) operations plan D) financial projection E) work plan

Q: Which of the following is the least clear statement of purpose? A) "The purpose of this report to determine which of four alternative investments will have the highest return." B) "The purpose of this report is to analyze four potential investments." C) "The purpose of this report is to answer the question, 'Which of four investments will provide the highest return?'" D) "The goal of this report is to evaluate the return on four investments." E) "The primary purpose of this report is to evaluate the return on four investments."

Q: All of the following except ________ are elements in the planning phase of the three-step writing process. A) analyzing the situation B) organizing information C) gathering information D) selecting the right medium E) adapting to your audience

Q: The best way to phrase the purpose statement of a report is with A) complex language. B) an infinitive phrase. C) a controversial statement. D) jargon. E) humor.

Q: Despite the variety among them, many analytical reports include a A) standard opening. B) section of recommendations. C) "this is how it's done" quality. D) standard middle section. E) disclaimer on the last page.

Q: The basic purpose of informational reports is A) to persuade the audience to act. B) to present recommendations and conclusions. C) to present data, facts, feedback, and other types of information, without analysis or recommendations. D) to convince the reader of the soundness of your thinking. E) to change the audience's opinion on your topic.

Q: Explain the three basic categories of analytical business reports and provide at least one example of each type.

Q: Explain how information architecture functions as an outline for website design.

Q: What is the most significant difference between a solicited and an unsolicited proposal?

Q: The best general-purpose search engines are capable of reaching information on the hidden Internet.

Q: A landscaper bidding on a job at the request of a general contractor would submit an external, unsolicited proposal.

Q: The yardstick approach is best for organizing reports when you and your audience do not agree on the criteria you're using in your analysis.

Q: Focusing on conclusions in an analytical report involves using the direct approach to organization.

Q: Managers use feasibility reports to examine the ramifications of a decision they are about to make.

Q: A justification report is an internal report designed to persuade top management to approve a proposed investment or project.

Q: Website designers use the term informative nomenclature to describe the content, structure, labeling, and navigational flow of all the parts of a website.

Q: Sales call reports are a type of compliance report.

Q: Compliance reports, progress reports, and monitor/control reports are all types of informational reports.

Q: In business reports, it is never appropriate to combine the direct and indirect approaches by revealing conclusions and recommendations as you go along.

Q: The recommendations you make in a report should offer practical guidance on next steps.

Q: Conclusions differ from recommendations in that conclusions suggest what ought to be done about the facts.

Q: The number 29 is the mode in this set of figures: 25, 29, 34, 29, 29, 42, 8.

Q: $1,500 is the median for the following set of monthly salaries: $1,200, $1,200, $1,300, $1,500, $1,700, $2,000, $2,800.

Q: An analytical report often ends by presenting a recommendation.

Q: If the audience for your report is likely to accept what you have to say, focus on A) the logical arguments in your report. B) your conclusions or recommendations. C) the benchmarks used to compile your results. D) the criteria used in your decision-making process. E) none of the above.

Q: When you're writing a business plan, you must include a(n) ________ section to explain the purpose of your business, as well as what you hope to accomplish. A) mission and objectives B) design and development C) products and services D) opportunities and importance E) financial projections and requirements

Q: All of the following except ________ are categories of informational reports. A) reports to monitor and control operations B) reports to demonstrate compliance C) reports to document progress D) reports to assess opportunities E) reports to implement policies and procedures

Q: A ________ suggests an individualized solution for a potential customer and requests a purchase decision. A) grant proposal B) sales proposal C) solicited proposal D) project proposal E) managerial proposal

Q: In addition to offering information and analysis, ________ can also include recommendations. A) indirect reports B) analytical reports C) multipartite reports D) cross-functional reports E) socioeconomic reports

Q: You can use a five-phase process to help you find reliable information to support your workplace messages. All of the following except ________ will help you apply your research findings. A) developing a statement of purpose B) developing recommendations C) drawing conclusions based on what you've learned D) summarizing information for someone else's benefit E) none of the above

Q: A(n) ________ is a set of technologies, policies, and procedures that a company can use to capture and share information throughout the organization. A) big-data paradigm B) desktop search protocol C) recursive process model D) intradepartmental database E) knowledge management system

Q: An online survey is vulnerable to ________ because it captures only the opinions of those who visit the site and choose to participate. A) sampling bias B) backchannel static C) circular reasoning D) emotional manipulation E) transactional dysfunction

Q: Ronnie has just started an internship with Finedum & Sellum, Inc., a provider of online surveys for retailers. One of Ronnie's first tasks involved drafting an online questionnaire for a local apparel store. After reviewing the questions she had written, her manager told her to revise a question that read, "Do you prefer that we extend our evening hours for customer convenience?" Why did Ronnie's manager want her to revise that question? A) It is a leading question. B) It is an open-ended question. C) It is an ambiguous question. D) It is a close-loop question. E) It is a rhetorical question.

Q: When you're selecting people to participate in a survey, be sure to get a ________ of the population you want to survey. A) stratified sample B) crossover sample C) sizeable sample D) transparent sample E) representative sample

Q: One task in effective paraphrasing is to A) avoid using any business language or jargon. B) check your version against the original to make sure that you didn't alter the meaning. C) make sure your version is the same length as or longer than the original. D) write in the passive voice. E) do all of the above.

Q: Unlike a summary, a paraphrase A) restates the original material in your own words and with your own sentence structures. B) presents the gist of the original material in fewer words. C) does not require complete documentation of sources. D) is never acceptable in business documents. E) is more difficult to understand.

Q: Which of the following is a closed-ended question? A) Do you think the proposed expansion plan is feasible? B) What do you see as the primary benefit of the proposal? C) What corporate goals does the expansion help achieve? D) How will the expansion affect day-to-day operations? E) What advantages do you see in this course of action?

Q: "What are your plans for expanding your sales to the European market?" is an example of A) a closed-ended question. B) an open-ended question. C) a restatement question. D) an inappropriate question. E) a conclusion.

Q: You create a survey and administer it five times under identical conditions. Because it yielded completely different results each time, you should conclude that this survey is A) not valid. B) not reliable. C) open-ended. D) leading. E) closed-ended.

Q: The two most common primary research methods are A) not appropriate for test marketing. B) experiments and observations. C) surveys and interviews. D) test panels and experiments. E) reports and memos.

Q: You would not need to cite a source if you A) used a direct quotation of under 250 words from a book titled Modern Economics. B) used a table from the 1985 Farmer's Almanac. C) described, in your own words, a plan for organizing production lines, which appeared in a professional journal. D) used it to gather general knowledge about your topic. E) found it on Google, Yahoo, or Bing.

Q: To conduct an effective database search, A) choose one search engine and stick with it. B) read instructions and pay attention to details. C) don't use a variety of search terms. D) don't look beyond the first page of results. E) remember that the internet is neatly organized.

Q: The ________ approach is generally the most persuasive way to develop an analytical report for skeptical readers. A) 2 + 2 = 4 B) yardstick C) direct D) hypothetical E) emotional

Q: The 2 + 2 = 4 approach A) generally works only with lengthy, non-routine reports. B) is the first strategy to try when writing reports that include recommendations. C) is far more complicated than any other organizational strategy. D) is the only approach that is appropriate for any business report. E) is also known as the 1, 2, 3 approach.

Q: Which of the following is not a strategy for structuring reports focused on logical arguments? A) 2 + 2 = 4 approach B) Direct approach C) Yardstick method D) Indirect approach E) None of the above

Q: Unlike those focused on conclusions or recommendations, reports focusing on logical arguments A) use the indirect approach. B) are not very convincing. C) emphasize the positive. D) do not include outside evidence. E) are too confusing for most audiences.