Exam 9: Negative Messages

Without a sound explanation of the __________ for denying a request, refusing a claim, or revealing other bad news, a message will fail, no matter how cleverly it is organized or written.

Business communicators should use the ____________________ organizational pattern to deliver bad news when the news will be personally upsetting, will provoke a hostile reaction, will threaten the customer relationship, or is unexpected.

When you must turn down a job applicant, you can reduce the receiver's disappointment somewhat by using the ___________ organizational strategy.

An important part of a negative-news message is the section that explains the reasons for the bad news.

A good technique for de-emphasizing negative news is to place it at the end of a paragraph.

Capital Management is in a budget crunch and plans to make major layoffs next month. What statement reflects the best option for communicating this crisis to employees?

Ling was angry about something that happened at work and called her boss a "fraudster" and a "criminal" on her personal Facebook page. What has Ling done that might lead to legal difficulties?

Your smartphone cannot be repaired at our local facility uses ____________________-voice verbs to deliver the negative news.

Goldstar Investments has just learned that it is being sued for securities fraud. What should top management at Goldstar do?

Katelyn must turn down a request for a charitable contribution, and she's not sure how her reader will respond. She should, therefore, use the direct strategy for her message.

When communicating bad news, business communicators have five important goals. List and explain four of these goals.

Which of the following is the most effective strategy in a job refusal letter?

Which of the following is the most effective statement in a letter to a customer denying a claim?

Because Alexis knows her staff well, she should deliver all bad-news messages to them using the direct organizational pattern.

Victoria had to write a letter to a job applicant telling him that he was not selected for a position. Because she really liked the applicant, she wrote in the rejection letter, I thought you were our top candidate. What has Victoria done that might lead to legal difficulties?

Su-Mei must deny a request made by one of her employees. Which of the following would be the most effective statement in a bad-news message denying this request?

Michelle must write a bad-news message to her staff telling them that their hours next month will be reduced. She has just completed Phase 1 of the prewriting process and is beginning Phase 2. What should she do first?

Several techniques can be used to close a bad-news message positively. List four of these techniques and give an original example of each.

Which of the following is the best placement for a statement of bad news in a message?

A letter refusing credit might include a statement such as Cash purchases receive a 2 percent discount.