Deck 12: Step Two: Planning and Programming

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT true of the action strategy?

A)Results from knowing how an organization's policies and procedures contribute
B)Does not relate to two-way symmetrical public relations
C)Concentrates on adjustment and adaptation within the organization
D)Includes changes within the organization
E)Should be coordinated with the communication strategy

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which one of the following terms represents treating an abstraction as if it exists as a concrete entity?

A)Strategies
B)Tactics
C)Goals
D)Objectives
E)Reification

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which one of the following is NOT an advantage of pretesting?

A)It can predict future responses in other settings and for other publics.
B)It can provide estimates of how the program will work.
C)It allows practitioners to compare results of alternative programs.
D)It can help increase the audience's understanding of the message.
E)It can help to eliminate backlash effects.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Planning and programming constitute which step in the public relations strategic-planning process?

A)First step
B)Second step
C)Third step
D)Fourth step
E)Fifth step

Question 5

Which one of the following types of publics are unaware of their relationships with an organization and others on a given issue?

A)Nonpublics
B)Stakeholder publics
C)Target publics
D)Latent publics
E)Active publics

Question 6

Of the ways of determining public relations budgets, which one reinforces the impression that public relations is an optional activity?

A)Percentage of total income
B)Task or goal basis
C)Competitive necessity
D)Portion of total operating budget
E)Profit or surplus after "breaking even"

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a useful concept in public relations programs?

A)"Target" public
B)"Strategic" public
C)"Latent" public
D)"General" public
E)"Active" public

Question 8

Which one of the following presents the specific knowledge, opinion, and behavioral outcomes to be achieved for each well-defined target public?

A)Strategies
B)Tactics
C)Goals
D)Objectives
E)Reifications

Question 9

Which one of the following is the grandest and least useful reification used in public relations?

A)So-called "strategic planning"
B)"General public"
C)"Working theory"
D)"Nonpublics"
E)Demographics

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a variable in Grunig's situational theory of publics?

A)Problem recognition
B)Constraint recognition
C)Information seeking
D)Level of involvement
E)Cognitive organization

Question 11

Which of the following approaches to defining publics identifies "knowledgeables" or "influentials" based on others' perceptions of these individuals?

A)Psychographics
B)Reputation
C)Covert power
D)Position
E)Role in the decision process

Question 12

Mission statements become simply cosmetic additions to brochures, reports, lobby exhibits, speeches, and other communications if they do not have which one of the following?

A)Clear and concise wording
B)Effective illustrations
C)Management commitment
D)Government enforcement
E)Good employee benefits

Question 13

Which one of the following refers to individual values and lifestyles?

A)Psychographics
B)Role in the decision process
C)Position
D)Demographics
E)Geographics

Question 14

Which statement below meets the criteria of useful program objectives?

A)To publish 12 issues of an employee newsletter in order to inform them of the benefits of not having a union.
B)To increase the number of employees who are loyal to the company and who vote against having a union.
C)To decrease the number of employees who are receptive to unionization by March 1
D)To decrease the number of employees who believe that they would benefit from union membership from 60 percent to 40 percent by March 1
E)To change employee perceptions by issuing 12 issues of the new employee newsletter by March 1

Question 15

Skimping on the strategic planning step may result in which one of the following?

A)Reinforcing controversy rather than resolving it
B)Spending money on nonexistent audiences
C)Increasing misunderstanding
D)Creating unintended consequences
E)All of the above

Question 16

Which one of the following is true about public relations goals?

A)They should reflect the problems or opportunities defined in the research step.
B)They should be independent of the organization's mission.
C)They should focus on public relations issues regardless of what is the organization's broader vision.
D)All of the above are true.
E)None of the above is true.

Question 17

Useful definitions of publics describe them based on which one of the following?

A)Cross-situational predisposition
B)Latent knowledge of problem
C)Levels of education
D)Involvement with the problem situation
E)Reifications based on demographics

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT an example of a cross-situational public?

A)Nuclear waste protestors
B)Women
C)Canadians
D)Minor children under age 18
E)African Americans

Question 19

When introducing others in the organization to the public relations plan and selling it to gain their support, which one of the following points is generally made first?

A)Say that management has already endorsed the plan.
B)Specify harm that will occur if the problem is left unattended.
C)Specify remedial steps to be taken immediately.
D)Tell each individual his or her personal responsibilities in the plan.
E)Explain the results of the pretests.

Question 20

A practitioner's "working theory" represents which one of the following?

A)An idea of what has to be done to achieve a desired outcome
B)A proposition presented in a scholarly research journal
C)Just a "theory" that really does not apply in the actual practice
D)Something one would find in Chapter 7 of the text but not in a program plan
E)Something one uses until gaining practical experience in the field

Question 21

Why do some experienced planners argue against labeling one planning scenario as "most likely" or "probable"?

A)Because it is better to assess more precise probabilities in contingencies
B)Because it does not provide a quantitative basis for differentiating this scenario from "optimistic, surprise-free, and pessimistic" labels
C)Because futurists have concluded that unlabeled scenarios are always better
D)Because program planners tend to develop strategy only for the most likely contingency
E)Because developing contingencies that have a low probability of happening is viewed by management as a waste of time.

Question 22

As part of a crisis communication strategy, you have been asked to set up a "public information center." Which of the following criteria does NOT apply?

A)The public information center should be separate from the press center.
B)A log should be kept of what information is released by the center.
C)It should be set up as soon as a crisis happens and closed when not needed.
D)Employees at all levels should be advised to direct all calls to the information center.
E)Those operating the center should report to a coordinator who gathers, verifies, and obtains permission to release information.