Deck 7: Delivering Bad-News Messages

Question 1

In credit denials, the major portion of the message should be an explanation for the denial.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

"I have received and read your letter of April 12" is an effective, neutral way to begin the first paragraph of a bad-news message.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Delivering constructive criticism can be beneficial by alerting management that changes need to be made.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Because of the legal implications involved in refusing credit, you should avoid telling applicants the specific reason(s) why you must deny them credit.

Question 5

Exceptions to the use of inductive approach for bad-news messages include:

A)messages addressing a significant matter.
B)messages intended to demonstrate the sender's authority.
C)messages responding to legal and ethical requests.
D)messages containing constructive criticism.

Question 6

By placing bad news in the first sentence, receiver support is more likely than when it is presented after giving reasons.

Question 7

Email is typically the most effective channel for communicating negative organizational news.

Question 8

When communicating negative organizational news, it is advisable to tone down the news to minimize its severity.

Question 9

Which of the following is an advantage of delivering bad news personally?

A)It carries no discomfort.
B)It stops any potential escalation of emotion.
C)It enables immediate feedback.
D)It eliminates nonverbal cues.

Question 10

Which of the following is an idea that can be incorporated into effective beginning paragraphs?

A)A counterproposal
B)A criticism
C)A redaction
D)A resale

Question 11

Using passive voice and complex sentences are effective ways to de-emphasize bad news.

Question 12

Placing a refusal in the first sentence is justified if the message is the second response to a repeated request.

Question 13

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, and marital status.

Question 14

Nancy, a recruiter at Zendyll Inc., often has to deliver negative news to job applicants who were not hired by the company. Which of the following techniques could Nancy use to subordinate bad news?

A)Focus on the pleasant instead of the unpleasant.
B)Position the bad news in the first sentence.
C)Use active voice and action verbs.
D)Use definite statements about the bad news.

Question 15

Offering a counterproposal in a bad-news message can assist in preserving future relationships with the audience.

Question 16

"We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you" is a recommended way to close a refusal letter.

Question 17

If the bad news appears in the first sentence of a message, the receiver will:

A)easily accept the reasons that follow.
B)curb the urge to counter-argue.
C)react in a negative manner.
D)​concentrate on understanding the supporting details.

Question 18

To minimize disappointment and maintain a positive relationship, the deductive strategy is the best way to organize messages that refuse requests.

Question 19

The best reason to give the receiver for a refusal is "company policy" because it requires no further explanation.

Question 20

Sharing bad news via telephone minimizes the misinterpretation of highly sensitive messages.

Question 21

When writing a message offering constructive criticism, one's primary consideration should be to _____.

A)identify who made the error
B)offer input that could benefit others
C)get even for the mistake that was made
D)receive recognition for pointing out the error

Question 22

Explain how a counterproposal may be used to preserve a positive relationship when denying a request or when delivering bad news.

Question 23

The final sentence of a bad-news message should _____.

A)restate the refusal tactfully
B)emphasize the unpleasant part of the message
C)include a forward-looking proposal
D)encourage future controversy

Question 24

Which of the following sentences is a good example of a buffer for a bad-news message?

A)I am writing in response to your claim request.
B)I can understand how you felt when you had to pay $168.
C)Your credit application was reviewed by two loan officers.
D)Your timely bill payments are greatly appreciated.

Question 25

Digichrone is a company that plans to downsize over the next year. Which of the following actions should it perform when downsizing its employees?

A)Delay sending emails to employees that a layoff is scheduled, to give time for rumors to start up.
B)Send a letter to its employees stating that emotional confrontations will not be tolerated.
C)Use focus meetings to make employees aware of the downsizing before it happens.
D)Call a staff meeting and layoff as many employees as possible without giving them time to react.

Question 26

Which of the following is an effective strategy to break bad news to employees?

A)Minimize the severity of the news by sugarcoating it.
B)Give little time for employees to react to the bad news.
C)Provide information as soon as possible.
D)Avoid the discomfort of follow-up queries.

Question 27

Which of the following should a manager do while communicating negative information?

A)Recognize that employee morale is easy to repair.
B)Avoid transparency while communicating the message.
C)Share the information when the employees are unprepared.
D)Communicate the information in a sensitive, honest, and timely way.

Question 28

Mark's department has hired a marketing manager to help increase the sale of the company's products. However, he believes that the marketing manager adds no value to the company and simply plays back what the company wants to hear. Mark must write a letter to the marketing manager offering constructive criticism. Which of the following should Mark include in the letter to avoid litigation charges?

A)False information about the consultant
B)Statements that hurt the sentiments of the consultant
C)Personal opinions about the consultant's character
D)Specific facts about the consultant that can be verified

Question 29

Which of the following statements is true about a counterproposal?

A)It increases the need to state the refusal directly.
B)It transitions the reader from the bad news to its reasoning.
C)It helps preserve the relationship with the receiver.
D)It always precedes the refusal.

Question 30

Which of the following would be an appropriate closing sentence in a bad-news message?

A)We understand your disappointment in this decision.
B)We wish we could have helped you with regard to this matter.
C)Our sales representative will show you the samples in the coming week.
D)We trust that this explanation was satisfactory.

Question 31

Determine the different techniques that can be used to subordinate bad news in a bad-news message.

Question 32

When offering a counterproposal or silver lining statement, care must be taken to ensure that the idea _____.

A)does not seem superficial
B)minimizes the recipient's situation
C)restates the refusal directly
D)emphasizes the unpleasant part of the message

Question 33

A person must deny an unsubstantiated claim from a customer. Using a sentence such as "You are encouraged to make purchases at a discount next month" illustrates a _____.

A)counterproposal
B)review
C)compliment
D)criticism

Question 34

Which of the following steps should a company's plan of action for a crisis include?

A)It should account for all possible crises.
B)It should safeguard only the top management.
C)It should identify who will need to be blamed for a crisis.
D)It should establish emergency procedures.

Question 35

The _____ is a federal law that provides consumers the right to know the nature of the information in their credit file and gives them other protections when they apply for and are denied credit.

A)Equal Credit Opportunity Act
B)Fair Credit Reporting Act
C)Credit Proportioning Act
D)Credit Equality Administrative Act

Question 36

Melody is responding negatively to a request for a claim. Which of the following suggestions should she follow while composing her message to the customer?

A)Present reasons for the refusal objectively.
B)​Voice the refusal without an explanation.
C)Emphasize the mistake of the customer.
D)​Begin the letter with the negation of the claim.

Question 37

To avoid litigation, some companies that extend credit choose to:

A)ignore a customer's request for credit.
B)omit the explanation for credit denial.
C)indirectly hint at the credit denial.
D)blame the consumer reporting agency.

Question 38

When refusing a request, the writer should _____.

A)use the inductive approach
B)provide a vague reason to minimize the receiver's disappointment
C)use the direct approach
D)begin with a counterproposal​

Question 39

Describe the components of the inductive outline used in writing bad-news messages.

Question 40

Which of the following is a true statement about messages denying credit?

A)They do not maintain the goodwill of the recipient.
B)They are reviewed by legal counsel.
C)They do not include reasons for refusal.
D)They are written deductively.

Question 41

Show the ways in which a bad-news message can be ended on a positive note.

Question 42

Summarize the guidelines for breaking bad news to employees and the public.

Question 43

Describe the legal implications for denying credit.

Question 44

Improving on Constructive Criticism​A new medical assistant, Janelle, was hired at an outpatient medical center. Her supervisor found an error she made on a patient's record and sent Janelle the following email.Edit the email to make it a good example of constructive criticism.​"I just want you to know how angry I am to find an error you made on Mr. Smith's record yesterday. How can you be so careless about such an important thing
There is absolutely no room for carelessness in this job because people's lives depend on us! I've fixed the error, but if this ever happens again, you may lose your job."

Question 45

Identify the steps in a company's plan of action for a crisis.

Question 46

You recently hired a catering service for an important award ceremony for the members of your organization. Some of the menu choices were poorly prepared and the service was slow. You were dissatisfied with the service and would like to send a message to the owner of the catering business. How would this owner benefit from your constructive criticism
What tone should the message have?

Question 47

Under which circumstances can the inductive approach to writing a bad-news message be disregarded?

Question 48

Conference Hotel Changes​You manage a large hotel that is used by organizations and businesses for meetings and conferences. A recent storm has damaged part of your hotel, which means that you have fewer rooms available for meetings. You now have nearly 20 percent fewer guest rooms for conference participants and four less meeting rooms for smaller sessions. You estimate that room repairs will take nearly a month, but the Association of Intercultural Studies is scheduled to arrive for a three-day conference in two weeks and has booked all the rooms. Now there are not enough rooms for the conference.​Required: As manager of the hotel, write a letter to the meeting manager for the association. Tell the manager the bad news regarding the damage to the rooms and provide an alternative of using rooms at a nearby hotel.

Question 49

Describe the format for writing a message to deny a claim.