Question 1

When an employee learns about his or her company's ethical violations, whistle blowing

Accepted Answer

A) is the only course of action that the employee should consider. 
B) is an employee's safest course of action. 
C) should be considered carefully by the employee, whose career may be in jeopardy. 
D) should never be considered because it always endangers the employee's career. 
A) is the only course of action that the employee should consider. 
B) is an employee's safest course of action. 
C) should be considered carefully by the employee, whose career may be in jeopardy. 
D) should never be considered because it always endangers the employee's career. C

Question 2

Ethical employees should always owe their greatest loyalty to

Accepted Answer

A) themselves. 
B) clients and customers. 
C) their company. 
D) their co-workers. 
A) themselves. 
B) clients and customers. 
C) their company. 
D) their co-workers. B

Question 3

Workplace writing is legally regulated by

Accepted Answer

A) libel laws that censure negative reports about illegal or unethical practices. 
B) copyright laws for written documents and software. 
C) disclosure laws that require a certain level of detail in technical reports. 
D) laws that regulate the kind of phrasing allowed in reports and manuals. 
A) libel laws that censure negative reports about illegal or unethical practices. 
B) copyright laws for written documents and software. 
C) disclosure laws that require a certain level of detail in technical reports. 
D) laws that regulate the kind of phrasing allowed in reports and manuals. B

Question 4

Documents that may be read outside the workplace are primarily responsible for

Accepted Answer

A) conveying the company's perspective. 
B) conveying the client's perspective and favoured results. 
C) honestly reporting all pertinent facts and interpretations. 
D) phrasing the facts so that the public doesn't grasp the document's full implications. 
A) conveying the company's perspective. 
B) conveying the client's perspective and favoured results. 
C) honestly reporting all pertinent facts and interpretations. 
D) phrasing the facts so that the public doesn't grasp the document's full implications.

Question 5

Whistle blowing is defined as

Accepted Answer

A) keeping your own behaviour "clean as a whistle." 
B) ceasing your own unethical behaviour when someone points it out. 
C) telling your employer or an external watchdog about unethical acts you have observed. 
D) whistling with amazement when unethical behaviour is exposed. 
A) keeping your own behaviour "clean as a whistle." 
B) ceasing your own unethical behaviour when someone points it out. 
C) telling your employer or an external watchdog about unethical acts you have observed. 
D) whistling with amazement when unethical behaviour is exposed.

Question 6

The following is not a good criterion for making ethical judgments

Accepted Answer

A) obligations to ourselves, our clients, our company, and the community. 
B) ideals or standards of accepted behaviour. 
C) consequences of our actions for those who may be affected. 
D) financial implications for our company. 
A) obligations to ourselves, our clients, our company, and the community. 
B) ideals or standards of accepted behaviour. 
C) consequences of our actions for those who may be affected. 
D) financial implications for our company.

Question 7

Legal guidelines for writers include

Accepted Answer

A) laws against libelous statements. 
B) copyright laws. 
C) laws protecting software. 
D) all of the above. 
A) laws against libelous statements. 
B) copyright laws. 
C) laws protecting software. 
D) all of the above.

Question 8

The law

Accepted Answer

A) usually provides adequate guidelines for ethical actions. 
B) occasionally provides adequate guidelines for ethical actions. 
C) never provides adequate guidelines for ethical actions. 
D) provides guidelines only in cases of libel and plagiarism. 
A) usually provides adequate guidelines for ethical actions. 
B) occasionally provides adequate guidelines for ethical actions. 
C) never provides adequate guidelines for ethical actions. 
D) provides guidelines only in cases of libel and plagiarism.

Question 9

Clear critical thinking can help workers write and act ethically, because

Accepted Answer

A) it sharpens one's ability to see others' errors. 
B) it helps avoid the fallacy of realism. 
C) it helps avoid the fallacy of absolutism. 
D) it makes workers slow down and think about their statements. 
A) it sharpens one's ability to see others' errors. 
B) it helps avoid the fallacy of realism. 
C) it helps avoid the fallacy of absolutism. 
D) it makes workers slow down and think about their statements.

Question 10

Pressure to engage in or comply with company-sanctioned unethical behaviour could come from

Accepted Answer

A) a desire to engage in politically correct behaviour. 
B) misunderstanding about what constitutes unethical behaviour. 
C) a highly developed sense of social responsibility. 
D) loyalty to the company and its culture. 
A) a desire to engage in politically correct behaviour. 
B) misunderstanding about what constitutes unethical behaviour. 
C) a highly developed sense of social responsibility. 
D) loyalty to the company and its culture.

Question 11

Which of the following situations most likely contains the potential for unethical communication?

Accepted Answer

A) A company presents warranted claims about its technological developments. 
B) A drug commercial shows images of happy, smiling people while listing the drug's possible side effects. 
C) A nuclear power plant reports potential leaks in its fuel supply. 
D) The favourable report of a product's clinical trials is delayed until confirmatory testing is completed. 
A) A company presents warranted claims about its technological developments. 
B) A drug commercial shows images of happy, smiling people while listing the drug's possible side effects. 
C) A nuclear power plant reports potential leaks in its fuel supply. 
D) The favourable report of a product's clinical trials is delayed until confirmatory testing is completed.

Question 12

People act ethically, and "do the right thing," often because

Accepted Answer

A) they subscribe to the moral, "treat others as you would have them treat you." 
B) they're individualists who will not be bullied. 
C) they consider how their behaviour will affect their own well-being. 
D) it's usually the easiest route to follow. 
A) they subscribe to the moral, "treat others as you would have them treat you." 
B) they're individualists who will not be bullied. 
C) they consider how their behaviour will affect their own well-being. 
D) it's usually the easiest route to follow.

Question 13

Groupthink occurs when group members

Accepted Answer

A) vote on important decisions. 
B) rely on each other to interpret data. 
C) succumb to group pressure and do not critically examine issues. 
D) make joint decisions and recommendations. 
A) vote on important decisions. 
B) rely on each other to interpret data. 
C) succumb to group pressure and do not critically examine issues. 
D) make joint decisions and recommendations.

Question 14

The Walkerton Inquiry concluded that responsibility for Walkerton's water deadly contamination in May 2000 rests with

Accepted Answer

A) the Walkerton water manager who failed to report that the water was unsafe. 
B) unethical behaviour at various levels of the Ontario government, from the Walkerton water manager all the way up to the Premier and his cabinet. 
C) the Walkerton water manager and maintenance foreman, who had routinely falsified water reports for years. 
D) no identifiable officials or workers. 
A) the Walkerton water manager who failed to report that the water was unsafe. 
B) unethical behaviour at various levels of the Ontario government, from the Walkerton water manager all the way up to the Premier and his cabinet. 
C) the Walkerton water manager and maintenance foreman, who had routinely falsified water reports for years. 
D) no identifiable officials or workers.

Question 15

Proprietary information includes any document that

Accepted Answer

A) can be considered the exclusive property of the company in which it originated. 
B) deals with titles, deeds, and other documents that identify property ownership. 
C) uses "proper" or socially acceptable phrasing to report controversial findings. 
D) is printed but not published online. 
A) can be considered the exclusive property of the company in which it originated. 
B) deals with titles, deeds, and other documents that identify property ownership. 
C) uses "proper" or socially acceptable phrasing to report controversial findings. 
D) is printed but not published online.

Question 16

By definition, ethical communication

Accepted Answer

A) is always effective in achieving its informative and persuasive goals. 
B) may be effective in achieving its informative and persuasive goals. 
C) cannot be totally effective in achieving its informative and persuasive goals. 
D) is all that matters and a message's persuasive component is irrelevant. 
A) is always effective in achieving its informative and persuasive goals. 
B) may be effective in achieving its informative and persuasive goals. 
C) cannot be totally effective in achieving its informative and persuasive goals. 
D) is all that matters and a message's persuasive component is irrelevant.

Question 17

The following exemplifies unethical behaviour:

Accepted Answer

A) you carefully describe your work experience on your résumé. 
B) you fail to report test data that reveals potential equipment failure. 
C) in a reference letter, you praise a friend's work ethic. 
D) in a report, you use strong phrasing to present your recommendations. 
A) you carefully describe your work experience on your résumé. 
B) you fail to report test data that reveals potential equipment failure. 
C) in a reference letter, you praise a friend's work ethic. 
D) in a report, you use strong phrasing to present your recommendations.

Question 18

Technical communicators face hard ethical choices in

Accepted Answer

A) knowing whether their evasions or untruths will be discovered. 
B) choosing how much information to honestly reveal. 
C) setting their fees for services rendered. 
D) choosing the technical level of their vocabulary. 
A) knowing whether their evasions or untruths will be discovered. 
B) choosing how much information to honestly reveal. 
C) setting their fees for services rendered. 
D) choosing the technical level of their vocabulary.

Question 19

Which of the following guidelines for ethical communication is considered "practical"?

Accepted Answer

A) Always give complete, candid feedback and criticism in feasibility reports. 
B) Express your personal opinion, never your company's official line. 
C) In reports, give the audience everything it needs to know. 
D) In reports, give the audience everything it needs to know, but only if the knowledge does not compromise your organization's objectives. 
A) Always give complete, candid feedback and criticism in feasibility reports. 
B) Express your personal opinion, never your company's official line. 
C) In reports, give the audience everything it needs to know. 
D) In reports, give the audience everything it needs to know, but only if the knowledge does not compromise your organization's objectives.

Exam 6: An Overview of the Technical Writing Process

When an employee learns about his or her company's ethical violations, whistle blowing

Ethical employees should always owe their greatest loyalty to

Workplace writing is legally regulated by

Documents that may be read outside the workplace are primarily responsible for

Whistle blowing is defined as

The following is not a good criterion for making ethical judgments

Legal guidelines for writers include

The law

Clear critical thinking can help workers write and act ethically, because

Pressure to engage in or comply with company-sanctioned unethical behaviour could come from

Which of the following situations most likely contains the potential for unethical communication?

People act ethically, and "do the right thing," often because

Groupthink occurs when group members

The Walkerton Inquiry concluded that responsibility for Walkerton's water deadly contamination in May 2000 rests with

Proprietary information includes any document that

By definition, ethical communication

The following exemplifies unethical behaviour:

Technical communicators face hard ethical choices in

Which of the following guidelines for ethical communication is considered "practical"?

Introduction to Technical Communication

Meeting the Needs of Specific Audiences

Persuading Your Audience

Weighing the Ethical Issues

Teamwork and Global Considerations

Thinking Critically About the Research Process

Evaluating and Interpreting Information

Summarizing Research Findings and Other Information

Organizing for Readers

Editing for a Professional Style and Tone

Designing Visual Information

Designing Pages and Documents

Email

Workplace Memos and Letters

Résumés and Other Job-Search Materials

Technical Definitions

Technical Descriptions, Specifications, and Marketing Materials

Instructions and Procedures

Informal Reports

Formal Analytical Reports

Proposals

Oral Presentations and Video Conferencing

Blogs, Wikis, and Web Pages

Social Media

Filters