Deck 3: Planning Business Messages

Question 1

________ must be stated as precisely as possible,identifying which audience members should respond,how they should respond,and when.

A)The audience preferences
B)The general purpose
C)The audience needs
D)The specific purpose
E)The scope of the message

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following sets of activities is undertaken after a message is composed?

A)organizing information and adapting the message to the audience
B)gathering and organizing information
C)revising and producing the message
D)analyzing the situation and adapting the message
E)selecting the medium and producing the message

Answer 2

C
Explanation: C)After it is composed, a message must be revised to make sure that it is clear and concise. Producing the message involves the use of design elements to give it a professional appearance.

Question 3

Amy needs to draft an email explaining income tax procedures to all the employees of her company.Which of the following should she find out to help her decide what to write?

A)the primary audience
B)the age structure of the company
C)the needs and expectations of the employees
D)the expected reaction from readers
E)the key decision-makers among the employees

Answer 3

C
Explanation: C)Amy should find out if members of the audience expect complete details or just a summary of the main points.

Question 4

Business messages usually have general and specific purposes.Which of the following is a specific purpose of a business message?

A)informing the audience
B)persuading the audience
C)collaborating
D)initiating a conversation
E)achieving precise sales goals

Question 5

Which of the following purposes of a business message helps define the overall approach needed,from gathering information to organizing the message,without setting precise goals?

A)variable purpose
B)general purpose
C)explicit purpose
D)relative purpose
E)logical purpose

Question 6

Which of the following correctly lists the steps in the three-step writing process?

A)writing; revising; adapting
B)organizing; revising; writing
C)planning; writing; completing
D)designing; planning; writing
E)composing; organizing; selecting a medium

Question 7

Which of the following questions will NOT help determine the audience profile?

A)What is the audience composition?
B)What are the audience's expectations and preferences?
C)Where is the audience located?
D)How many people does the message need to reach?
E)Will the message change anything?

Question 8

At which of the following stages in the three-step writing process do you step back to review the message to make sure it is clear,concise,and correct?

A)planning
B)writing
C)completing
D)allotting
E)approaching

Question 9

Cosmetics company Go Beaux has a new competitor,Fresh & Clear.To help retain its market share,Go Beaux releases an ad campaign focusing on the unique features of its products in order to convince consumers to stay loyal to the brand.Which of the following is the general purpose of Go Beaux's ad campaign?

A)to persuade
B)to identify
C)to collaborate
D)to negotiate
E)to converse

Question 10

An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be to ________.

A)impart information to the audience
B)inform employees about the new vacation policy
C)persuade readers to take an action
D)obtain audience participation and collaboration
E)initiate a conversation about a product

Question 11

Brian needs to create a business message for a new savings scheme for a bank.He develops an audience profile and gathers the information that must be included in the message.According to the three-step writing process,which of the following should be Brian's next step?

A)distributing the message
B)proofreading the message
C)selecting the medium
D)revising the message
E)analyzing the situation

Question 12

The first stage of the writing process includes ________.

A)selecting the right medium
B)producing the message
C)composing the message
D)adapting the message to the audience
E)proofreading the message

Question 13

Which of the following activities takes place during the planning stage of the writing process?

A)composing the message
B)adapting the message to the audience
C)organizing the information
D)reviewing the message
E)producing the message

Question 14

The second stage of the writing process includes ________.

A)gathering information that will inform, persuade, or motivate the audience
B)adapting the message to the audience and composing the first draft
C)revising and rewriting until the message is clear and effective
D)proofreading the message
E)selecting the right medium

Question 15

A news website wants visitors to make a donation to a children's charity for Christmas.The site places banner ads on every page to encourage donations.Some ads stress the need for donation,others explain how to donate.The site aims to have at least 5 percent of the visitors donate to the charity as a result of the campaign.Which of the following is the specific purpose of the campaign?

A)to inform visitors about the need to donate
B)to inform visitors about the ways in which they can donate
C)to persuade at least 5 percent of the visitors to donate to the campaign
D)to raise money for the children's charity by 15 percent
E)to raise awareness about the plight of children

Question 16

The activities of revising,producing,proofreading,and distributing a message take place in the ________ stage of the writing process.

A)writing
B)completing
C)planning
D)approaching
E)allotting

Question 17

Milkman Foods has developed a malted milk powder for children.Which of the following questions is MOST relevant in helping the company identify the target audience for the promotional campaign of this product?

A)Who are Milkman's competitors in the market?
B)How often do people buy groceries?
C)What is the average consumption of milk in the area?
D)Who makes the buying decisions in households?
E)What do consumers expect from the product?

Question 18

Which of the following activities follows the writing step in the process of writing business messages?

A)developing an audience profile
B)selecting a medium
C)gathering information
D)revising the message
E)organizing the information

Question 19

Over the last 8 months,consulting firm G&B has been in talks with Wattersons Inc.over a potential merger.During this time,G&B employees were kept abreast of their company's plans and all their concerns regarding the merger were thoroughly addressed.As the company had assured them that their jobs would be safe,the employees were generally supportive of the move.Once the decision was finalized,G&B's top management issued a statement to the employees confirming the merger.Which of the following is the general purpose of the message issued by G&B's top management?

A)to persuade
B)to inform
C)to collaborate
D)to initiate a conversation
E)to negotiate

Question 20

Amber Consulting decides to organize a public service ad campaign as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR)initiatives.The company chooses the issue of water conservation and aims to inform people about the problem through its ad campaign.Which of the following will MOST weaken Amber Consulting's decision to start the campaign?

A)Statistics reveal that 60 percent of all industrial waste is dumped untreated in to natural water sources.
B)The company's previous CSR effort in the field of education did not yield as positive a response as was expected.
C)The water conservation campaign complements the company's long-running clean energy campaign.
D)This issue of water conservation has been in the news for the past several months and has been the subject of numerous campaigns.
E)Research suggests that most people are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and are willing to act on their beliefs.

Question 21

A primary advantage of written media is that they ________.

A)increase control over the message
B)are less expensive
C)allow for immediate feedback
D)are brief and to-the-point
E)allow recipients to ask questions

Question 22

D& J Ltd.is in the process of developing a new organization structure.The company wants inputs and feedback from the management of various departments about possible options.The topic is expected to generate some differing opinions,but the managers will need to work together to reach a consensus.Which of the following classes of media will be the most appropriate for this situation?

A)written
B)oral
C)electronic
D)multimedia
E)visual

Question 23

Creating audio signals from computer data is known as ________.

A)voice synthesis
B)augmented reality
C)voice over IP
D)Internet telephony
E)voice recognition

Question 24

Which of the following types of media is most effective when immediate feedback is required?

A)written
B)oral
C)electronic
D)visual
E)multimedia

Question 25

Telephone calls,teleconferencing,voice-mail messages,and audio recordings such as compact discs and podcasts are collectively known as ________.

A)electronic versions of written media
B)multimedia
C)visual media
D)electronic versions of oral media
E)electronic versions of visual media

Question 26

Which of the following is an advantage of visual communication methods over oral and written media?

A)They tend to be more persuasive.
B)They reach a large number of people efficiently.
C)They are easy to transmit and store.
D)They allow immediate feedback.
E)They convey complex ideas and relationships quickly.

Question 27

Which of the following is true for gathering information for written communication?

A)Information for simple messages can be gathered using informal techniques.
B)Only formal methods of gathering information can be used for complex messages.
C)Informal research techniques are not reliable sources of information.
D)Asking the audience for input is not an acceptable method of gathering information.
E)Formal research techniques are always necessary in the case of simple messages.

Question 28

________ give people the ability to see,hear,and react to each other,thereby encouraging people to ask questions,make comments,and work together to reach a consensus or decision.

A)Written media
B)Multimedia
C)Oral media
D)Visual media
E)Sensory media

Question 29

Which of the following reflects providing pertinent information to the audience?

A)The mathematical formulas in a customer report has failed to include some important data during calculation.
B)A speaker mentions his tips for writing effective reports to business students at a college.
C)The manager did not include a few weekly errors in the monthly accuracy report that goes to the top management of the company.
D)Due to personal problems, an employee sends an email communication for her manager that does not contain all the required information.
E)A popular men's health magazine launches a marketing campaign that provides free samples of a health supplement to everyone at the local mall.

Question 30

A travel agency is advertising a new holiday package.Which of the following information about the destination is NOT pertinent for the target audience?

A)the climate of the place
B)the modes of transport there
C)the national income of the country
D)the scenic points along the route
E)the language and culture of the country

Question 31

Which of the following is a disadvantage of oral media?

A)spontaneity
B)increased control over the message
C)wide reach
D)face-to-face interaction
E)giving people the ability to react to each other

Question 32

________ are brief printed documents traditionally used for the routine,day-to-day exchange of information within an organization.

A)Proposals
B)Letters
C)Instant messages
D)Mind maps
E)Memos

Question 33

A multinational company has a presence in several countries,and its employees come from different cultures and speak a variety of languages.The company needs to communicate information about a complex process to all its employees across the world.Which of the following classes of media should the company use for this purpose?

A)written media, so that the company has a record of the message it sends out
B)oral media, because a complex topic can best be explained through interpersonal communication
C)visual media, which require less language processing and can be standardized
D)electronic media, because these are the cheapest means of communication
E)multimedia, as it enables audience interaction

Question 34

Which of the following is an advantage of oral media?

A)increased control over the message
B)ability to revise and rework the message
C)wide audience
D)ability to express the emotions behind a message
E)minimal chances of message distortion

Question 35

The term ________ refers to a centralized database that collects the experiences and insights of employees throughout the organization.

A)social-network platform
B)business intelligence system
C)knowledge-management system
D)teleconferencing system
E)workflow-management system

Question 36

Ethan was commissioned to research the market potential for a new fast food chain in a particular area.A trained market researcher,Ethan used complex statistical methods to analyze his data.He is in the process of preparing his research report with conclusions and recommendations for the top management of the fast food chain,who are located at the firm's headquarters in Boston.Which of the following must Ethan necessarily be aware of in order to draft his conclusions and recommendations in the most effective manner?

A)the median age of the audience
B)the audience's level of understanding
C)the geographic distribution of the audience
D)the latest market research tools and techniques
E)the male-to-female ratio of the audience

Question 37

An organization has recently introduced radical changes in its methods of working.Managers of various departments must now ascertain employees' views on the changes and gauge morale.However,there is a concern that employees may not be fully honest about their reactions and may tend to present a positive picture of the situation.Which of the following communication media can managers use to obtain an accurate impression of the situation?

A)multimedia
B)written media
C)oral media
D)electronic media
E)visual media

Question 38

Converting audio signals to computer data is known as ________.

A)voice synthesis
B)teleconferencing
C)augmented reality
D)voice recognition
E)voice activation

Question 39

The New York headquarters of a multinational company typically houses a number of employees from its various branches across the world.English is the common language of communication,but most employees are not native speakers.How does this fact affect business communications addressed to all the employees located at the company's headquarters?

A)The primary audience will be difficult to determine.
B)Geographic location will be important in determining message composition.
C)Gathering information for the message will be difficult.
D)Cultural factors may inhibit understanding of the message.
E)The size of the audience will play an important role in determining message composition.

Question 40

Which of the following types of communication is best for encouraging interaction,expressing emotion,or monitoring emotional responses?

A)print
B)oral
C)visual
D)electronic
E)multimedia

Question 41

Which of the following approaches asks who,what,when,where,why,and how questions to distill major thoughts from unorganized information?

A)the storytelling approach
B)the journalistic approach
C)the brainstorming approach
D)the question-and-answer chain approach
E)the mind-mapping approach

Question 42

________ is a medium's ability to convey a message through more than one informational cue,facilitate feedback,and establish personal focus.

A)Media richness
B)Media versatility
C)Media synthesis
D)Media scalability
E)Media leanness

Question 43

Brainstorming ________.

A)wastes valuable time
B)is useful in the completing stage of writing messages
C)is not helpful when several people are collaborating on a message
D)can be effectively used by one person or many people
E)uses a graphic method to organize information

Question 44

Diane needs to send out a certain query to a number of clients.She must also keep a record of the responses.Which of the following communication methods is the most appropriate for the purpose?

A)telephone calls
B)videoconferencing
C)letters
D)instant messaging
E)email messaging

Question 45

Which of the following is a disadvantage of written media?

A)restricts participation of those physically present
B)provides no permanent, verifiable record of the communication
C)reduces communicator's control over the message
D)offers no opportunity to revise or edit
E)offers no opportunity for nonverbal communication

Question 46

Stella is working on a tourism brochure for the Bahamas.She needs to find new and interesting ways of presenting information that has been covered many times before.She begins to write as many ideas,questions,and possibilities she can think of,without considering order or importance.She looks for connections among the various ideas to help her find the best way to present the information.Which of the following methods is Stella using?

A)the journalistic approach
B)mind-mapping
C)brainstorming
D)a question-and-answer chain
E)a storyteller's tour

Question 47

Richness is a medium's ability to ________.

A)maintain a permanent record
B)minimize the cost of transmitting the message
C)send the message as quickly as possible
D)deemphasize inappropriate emotional cues
E)establish personal focus

Question 48

Which of the following forms of communication is the richest?

A)a phone call
B)a memo
C)an email
D)a face-to-face conversation
E)a letter

Question 49

When writing,Alyssa finds it best to talk through a communication challenge before beginning to write.She records herself describing what she intends to write.When she listens to the playback,she identifies ways to tighten and clarify the message.The process Alyssa uses is known as ________.

A)brainstorming
B)mind mapping
C)the journalistic approach
D)a question-and-answer chain
E)the storyteller's tour

Question 50

Which of the following allows reports and other documents,that were once distributed on paper,to be transferred as electronic documents?

A)Skype
B)IM
C)VoIP
D)Flash
E)PDF

Question 51

One of the drawbacks of using email is its ________.

A)high cost
B)slow speed
C)privacy risks
D)formality
E)urgency

Question 52

Dan needs to explain the new leave policy to the 50 employees in his company.Which of the following will NOT be appropriate for the message?

A)IM
B)email
C)letter
D)memo
E)in-person presentation

Question 53

In which of the following methods of communication are privacy and security concerns the highest?

A)electronic
B)visual
C)oral
D)written
E)audio

Question 54

Jeremy writes articles on personal finance for a local paper.He often needs to simplify financial concepts and reduce them to everyday terms to reach his audience.In order to structure his articles,he starts with a key query from the audience's perspective,and works back toward the message.Each solution generates new queries,until he can identify the information that needs to be in the article.Jeremy's method of working is known as ________.

A)groupthinking
B)mind mapping
C)the question-and-answer chain
D)storyteller's tour
E)augmented reality

Question 55

________ media communicate in the simplest ways,provide no opportunity for audience feedback,and aren't personalized.

A)Direct
B)Traditional
C)Lean
D)Uniform
E)Rich

Question 56

Leaner media are best used for messages that ________.

A)are routine
B)are highly emotional
C)are non-periodic
D)require feedback
E)must be personalized

Question 57

________ is the technology used to superimpose computer-generated text,graphics,or sounds onto a user's physical domain,either on a device display or directly onto the physical world itself.

A)Mind mapping
B)Augmented reality
C)VoIP
D)Cloud computing
E)Internet telephony

Question 58

Which of the following types of messages sent by a company to its employees will require the richest media?

A)a message about smoking restrictions
B)a message welcoming a new manager
C)a message about a change in lunch times
D)a message about leave policy
E)a message conveying the organization's goals

Question 59

Media richness depends on ________.

A)the cost of using the medium
B)a medium's ability to facilitate feedback
C)how well a medium repeats the main idea
D)a medium's ability to quickly deliver the message
E)the formality of the medium

Question 60

________ is the richest medium of communication.

A)Telephonic communication
B)Face-to-face communication
C)Visual communication
D)Multimedia communication
E)Written communication

Question 61

In situations that require a report to be submitted to an audience whose needs are not apparent,it is best to avoid too many details because information was not specifically requested.

Question 62

Oral media include face-to-face conversation,speeches,presentations,and meetings.

Question 63

Gathering information through formal or informal methods is usually done in the writing stage.

Question 64

Defining the purpose of your message,gathering the necessary information,and selecting the medium for delivering the message take place in the planning stage of the writing process.

Question 65

In the indirect approach to drafting a message,________.

A)the main idea is usually followed by the supporting points
B)the main idea requires no explanation or argument
C)the main idea is usually presented at the beginning of the message
D)the main idea usually appears towards the end of the message
E)the main idea is usually uncontroversial and routine

Question 66

The general purpose of a business message is to inform,persuade,or collaborate with the audience.

Question 67

The main advantage of oral communication over written communication is the ability to control the message.

Question 68

In which of the following cases will a direct approach be the appropriate message strategy?

A)when the audience is hostile to the message
B)when the audience's reaction to the message is unknown
C)when the message is extremely long
D)when the message is nonroutine or unusual
E)when the audience is likely to disbelieve or doubt the content of the message

Question 69

Which of the following is true of the direct approach to presenting information?

A)It is generally used when the audience is uninterested in the message.
B)It is used when the audience may react negatively to the message.
C)It generally presents evidence to build a case before reaching a conclusion.
D)It generally starts with the main idea and follows up with the evidence.
E)It is used when audience receptivity to the message is not known.

Question 70

Anna oversees the content management system for her company.She has to write a set of instructions for new employees,explaining how to add and edit content on the system.She begins by creating an outline of the major points to be included.Which of the following will be the most convenient way to structure this explanation?

A)Major points should deal with steps in the process.
B)Major points should represent events in the chronological chain of events.
C)Major points should develop a line of reasoning that proves the central message.
D)Major points should correspond to the sections of the system.
E)Major points should develop an argument that motivates the audience to act.

Question 71

One advantage of email is its high level of privacy.

Question 72

Written communication is best when you need to encourage interaction,express emotions,or monitor emotional responses.

Question 73

In business messages,you need to state your specific purpose as precisely as possible,including identifying which audience members should respond,how,and when they should respond.

Question 74

________ is the process of using a graphic method to generate and organize ideas.It begins with a main idea and then branches out,connecting all other related ideas to the main idea.

A)Groupthinking
B)Journalistic approach
C)Brainstorming
D)Mind mapping
E)Question-and-answer chain

Question 75

Leo needs to create a presentation on a controversial topic.Before beginning work,he outlines the major points and plans the flow of the presentation.Which of the following should Leo avoid in order to express his ideas clearly and concisely?

A)explaining the implications of the main idea
B)increasing the number of supporting points
C)limiting the scope of the presentation
D)providing examples and evidence
E)providing only a few strong examples

Question 76

The direct approach of presenting information is best when ________.

A)the audience is likely to be receptive to the message
B)the audience is likely to react negatively to the message
C)the writer does not know the audience well
D)the message is highly emotional
E)the message is controversial

Question 77

Which of the following is true of the indirect approach to presenting information?

A)Tough issues are avoided as the audience is hostile.
B)It usually begins with a conclusion or recommendation and follows up with evidence.
C)Messages which are routine and noncontroversial are usually presented using this approach.
D)The main idea is withheld until a logical and persuasive case can be built up.
E)It is used when a positive reception is expected from the audience.

Question 78

The second stage of the writing process involves adapting the message to the audience and composing the first draft.

Question 79

Which of the following statements about the scope of a message is true?

A)The amount of information in a message should be reduced for a skeptical or hostile audience.
B)A knowledgeable audience will necessitate a longer message with more supporting points.
C)Limit the scope of a message in order to convey the main idea as briefly as possible.
D)A greater number of supporting points will ensure that audience interest remains high.
E)Routine messages will generally be longer and more detailed than non-routine messages.

Question 80

________ is an important element in the storytelling technique for business communication because it helps readers personalize the message.

A)A real time update
B)Persuasive message
C)An outline structure
D)A knowledge-management system
E)An electronic medium