Deck 12: Research and Business Proposals and Planning for Business Reports

Question 1

The title should explain the primary point of the chart.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: Most readers look first at the chart's title to grasp its message. Thus, the title should explain the primary point of the chart.

Question 2

Charts are generally better for highlighting a key idea, and tables are generally better for comprehensiveness and precision.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Charts are generally better for highlighting a key idea, and tables are generally better for comprehensiveness and precision.

Question 3

In a pie chart, the largest slice should begin at 12 o'clock and go counterclockwise, and the second-largest slice should begin at 12 o'clock and go clockwise.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: In a pie chart, the largest slice should begin at 12 o'clock and go clockwise and the second-largest slice should begin at 12 o'clock and go counterclockwise. Refer to table 12.6.

Question 4

Relevance of the data relates to how well it applies to your specific business.

Question 5

Survey choices should be complete, exhaustive and unambiguous.

Question 6

Histograms allow you to show frequencies that often reveal data relationships not easily visible by looking at averages.

Question 7

The first step in developing research-based business reports is identifying what decision makers want to accomplish.

Question 8

For business research, the information you can access through business databases and other sources at your library is generally the least reliable.

Question 9

High-low charts allow you to show who various personnel report to in an organization.

Question 10

It is possible to tailor primary research to suit specific business problems.

Question 11

Chevron lists or charts allow you to show a set of sequential steps and provide subpoints for each step.

Question 12

Generally, charts are the least effective way of quickly demonstrating a key point or relationship.

Question 13

Each of a chart's focal points should support one main idea.

Question 14

The bar chart, due to its limited forms, is less versatile than the pie chart and the line chart.

Question 15

Presence of data labels on each slice makes a chart difficult to interpret.

Question 16

When you analyze data in a group, you are less likely to inadvertently misinterpret the data.

Question 17

Industry reports are generally expensive, ranging from several hundred dollars to thousands of dollars.

Question 18

Generally, surveys that are long tend to provide accurate data.

Question 19

The use of percentages, instead of counts, in tables makes it difficult for readers to make effective comparisons quickly.

Question 20

Biases are tendencies to see issues from particular perspectives.

Question 21

Generally, bar charts are best suited for:

A)depicting a project's progress.
B)illustrating the pieces within a whole.
C)depicting events and trends over time.
D)comparing amounts or quantities.
E)representing organizational hierarchy.

Question 22

A survey becomes ineffective when it includes questions that:

A)are short.
B)are simple to answer.
C)have exhaustive choices.
D)focus solely on one idea.
E)are leading.

Question 23

In order to be effective, a consumer research survey should contain:

A)questions that are difficult to answer.
B)questions that cover multiple ideas.
C)at least 15 questions.
D)questions that have exhaustive answer choices.
E)questions that are leading.

Question 24

Stock prices over time would make the most sense when presented in the form of a(n):

A)line chart.
B)pie chart.
C)bar chart.
D)log graph.
E)area graph.

Question 25

The _____ is relatively the most versatile chart since it can be used to compare many types of data.

A)pie chart
B)X-Y chart
C)line chart
D)bar chart
E)Gantt chart

Question 26

Which of the following makes a chart ineffective?

A)Giving a short title to the chart
B)Adding a subtitle for the chart
C)Highlighting the chart's focal points
D)Placing the graph legend on the right side
E)Placing a callout box at the center of the char

Question 27

Which of the following statements is true about primary research?

A)Primary research refers to the analysis of data collected by others outside an organization.
B)Primary research provides feedback directly related to an organization and its needs.
C)Primary research is less time-consuming and economical to carry out than secondary research.
D)Primary research is free from biases toward preexisting opinions and beliefs.
E)Primary research is generally less reliable and useful for your business reports than secondary research.

Question 28

A leading question is one that:

A)contains more than one idea.
B)is difficult for respondents to answer.
C)does not include all possible survey choices.
D)suggests an answer to the respondents.
E)has more than one appropriate answer.

Question 29

Carl heads the in-house market research department at Cook Champion Foods.He is planning a study that will help him understand the relationship between television commercials of a product and children's desire to buy the product after they have watched the commercial.Which of the following is the best way for Carl to define his research problem?

A)Determine how children are influenced
B)Understand child psychology
C)Understand the nature of television commercials
D)Determine the effect of television commercials
E)Determine the effect of television commercials on children

Question 30

Which of the following statements is true about charts?

A)Charts are solely meant for conveying simple numerical information.
B)Important business ideas or relationships in business reports cannot be explained through charts.
C)Charts should not require much mental effort for the reader.
D)The title of a chart should be at least 20 words long.
E)Charts are less limited than tables in the amount of information they can provide.

Question 31

Which of the following statement is true about leading questions?

A)In surveys, it is better to incorporate leading questions rather than non-leading questions.
B)Leading questions allow respondents to provide their genuine thoughts or impressions.
C)In surveys, leading questions produce unreliable and unusable information.
D)Leading questions do not suggest or manipulate a response.
E)Leading questions are those that contain more than one idea.

Question 32

Which of the following terms best describes the process that involves the analysis of data collected by others with no direction from you or members of your organization?

A)Strategic maneuvering
B)Delphi method
C)Value chain analysis
D)Secondary research
E)Business process reengineering

Question 33

D's Inn's owner, Daniel, wants to graphically represent a comparison of his restaurant's market share with those of the top competitors in the same city.His research findings suggest that D's Inn has the largest market share.In order to present this data most effectively, Daniel has to:.

A)use a scatter plot instead of a pie chart.
B)use a graph legend instead of data labels.
C)treat all parts of the chart equally.
D)use a long title with at least fifteen words.
E)highlight the focal point using color, size, or callout boxes

Question 34

As you collect, analyze, and present data to others, ensure that you provide all the relevant facts, even if they don't fit into convenient conclusions.

Question 35

Walter, the senior sales analyst at Polka People Apparel, wants to compare the sales volume of the company's Manhattan, Sacramento, and Las Vegas branches.This comparison will best be illustrated through a:

A)line chart.
B)bar chart.
C)polar chart.
D)ring chart.
E)doughnut chart.

Question 36

Sarah, the owner of Food Folks Diners, wants to know how effective the new dinner menu has been.Which of the following questions should she incorporate in the survey questionnaire in order to keep it non-leading?

A)Do you think that the new dinner menu has a better variety of foods than the old one?
B)How good is the new dinner menu when compared to the previous one?
C)How do you feel about the new dinner menu compared to the old one?
D)How strongly do you agree that the new dinner menu is more interesting than the old one?
E)Do you think the new menu is better than the old one because it has better food choices?

Question 37

Rachael, a marketing assistant at Blue Pearl Resort, is preparing a questionnaire that will help her understand the resort's customers better.She wants to use only closed questions in her survey.Which of the following is a closed question that Rachael can use?

A)How would you describe your experience at Blue Pearl?
B)What would your suggestions be to improve our customer service?
C)On a scale of one to five, how would you rate your level of satisfaction at Blue Pearl?
D)What would be your idea of a perfect holiday in a five-star resort?
E)What factors influence you while choosing a resort?

Question 38

Nathan has been asked by his boss to present a business report on "consumer shopping habits" in three days' time.Due to the time constraint, his boss wants him to use secondary research.In this situation, which of the following should be done by Nathan?

A)Nathan should arrange for focus group discussions and interviews.
B)Nathan should survey consumers through online questionnaires.
C)Nathan should interview consumers over the phone.
D)Nathan should use the data published in business journals and reports.
E)Nathan should hire a consultant to conduct a survey research.

Question 39

Which of the following is of the least importance when analyzing data?

A)Understanding statistical and quantitative analysis
B)Understanding database design
C)Using statistical software over spreadsheet software
D)Analyzing data with colleagues in a group
E)Focusing on issues that are tangential to key research problems

Question 40

Samantha, the owner of Silver Butterflies Accessories, wanted to know what her customers felt about shopping at her stores.One of the questions in her survey questionnaire was framed as, "On a scale of one to five, where would you place the store's ambience, service, and jewelry collection?" This question is most likely to be ineffective because it is:

A)a leading question.
B)not limited to a single idea.
C)short, and effective questions should be long.
D)an open-ended question.
E)a question that requires minimal thinking from respondents.

Question 41

_____ is a criterion for evaluating the data quality of primary and secondary research sources.

A)Adaptability
B)Reversibility
C)Technological superiority
D)Accessibility
E)Outcome measurability

Question 42

Jordan, an assistant project manager at Helix Technology Inc., wants to graphically represent the progress of an ongoing project.Which of the following types of charts will be the most effective in representing this data?

A)A chevron chart
B)A pie chart
C)A histogram
D)A scatter plot
E)A Gantt chart

Question 43

_____ are reports or guides that generally describe research about solving a particular issue-perhaps one similar to the one you are encountering; they are issued by governments and organizations.

A)Memorandums
B)White papers
C)Deeds
D)Business periodicals
E)Codicils

Question 44

In the context of quality of data obtained from secondary research, _____ of the data relates to how well it applies to your specific business problem.

A)expertise
B)reliability
C)adaptability
D)relevance
E)explicability

Question 45

Mathew, a sales analyst at Silver Eagle Ventures, wants to graphically represent the company's market share for the years 2011 and 2012 along with that of its two main competitors'.To effectively represent all of this data in one single chart, Mathew should use a:

A)flowchart.
B)Gantt chart.
C)chevron chart.
D)pie chart.
E)doughnut chart.

Question 46

Which of the following formatting methods increases the effectiveness of tables?

A)Using a large number of grid lines
B)Ensuring that each grid line serves a distinct purpose
C)Presenting comparative data series horizontally rather than vertically
D)Using grid lines on all borders
E)Alternating background colors on rows

Question 47

To ensure that the bar charts are formatted effectively, the bars should be about _____ the width of the space in between bars.

A)half
B)three times
C)twice
D)equal
E)four times

Question 48

In the context of data quality evaluation criteria, industrial publications tend to be characterized by low level of _____.

A)reliability
B)relevance
C)adaptability
D)expertise
E)biases

Question 49

A _____ allows you to include pairs of data on an x-y plot, and it usually contains trend lines to reveal data relationships.

A)pie chart
B)Bode plot
C)scatter plot
D)histogram
E)contour plot

Question 50

Which of the following formatting guidelines increases the effectiveness of all types of charts?

A)Using many bright colors as a way to highlight focal points
B)Using darker colors to represent the most important data series
C)Using unusual fonts or many special effects
D)Using 3-D charts to attract attention
E)Using white type on dark backgrounds in most cases

Question 51

_____ allow you to depict a series of steps in a process or procedure to help others make decisions.

A)Flowcharts
B)Pie charts
C)Line charts
D)Scatter plots
E)X-Y charts

Question 52

Which of the following charts is best suited to represent frequencies?

A)A chevron list
B)An org chart
C)A scatter plot
D)A Gantt chart
E)A histogram

Question 53

Which of the following formatting methods makes a pie chart ineffective?

A)Placing the data series names and data labels together in the pie slices
B)Highlighting the largest pie slice of the chart using bold text and color
C)Locating the smallest pie slice at 12 o'clock
D)Using a subtitle to support the main title
E)Replacing the graph legend with data labels in the pie slices

Question 54

Raven, a school teacher, wanted to show her students the relationship between the number of hours of study and the test marks scored.She plotted the hours of study on the x-axis, and the test scores of 30 students on the y-axis.The resulting trend line revealed a positive relationship between the two.In this case, Raven has used a:

A)Gantt chart.
B)pie chart.
C)flowchart.
D)chevron chart.
E)scatter plot.

Question 55

Which of the following statements is true about pie charts?

A)In a pie chart, the largest slice should begin at 6 o'clock and go counterclockwise.
B)Exploding slices should be used extensively in pie charts.
C)Pie slices should complete a whole, that is, add up to 100% of a data series.
D)The slices of the pie charts should be free from data labels.
E)3-D pie charts are used to represent complicated numerical data.

Question 56

Which of the following will best illustrate fluctuating stock prices?

A)A chevron chart
B)A high-low chart
C)A doughnut chart
D)A Gantt chart
E)A pie chart

Question 57

Grace, the owner of Butter Cups, a confectionary, wants to sequentially represent each step of the candy making process in a chart form.She also wants to provide subpoints for each step so as to make the production process easy and simple for her assistants while she is away from work.Which of the following types of charts will be the most effective in representing this data?

A)A Gantt chart
B)A chevron list
C)A doughnut chart
D)An X-Y chart
E)A histogram

Question 58

In the context of quality of data obtained from secondary research, the term "expertise" relates to:

A)how well the research can be altered or revised.
B)how current and representative the research data is.
C)the skill and background of the researchers.
D)how free the research data is from researcher biases.
E)the extent to which the research data can be applied to specific business problems.

Question 59

Which of the following secondary research sources is most likely to be characterized by low data relevance?

A)Scholarly journals
B)Industry publications
C)External blogs
D)Business periodicals
E)White papers

Question 60

Which of the following guidelines increases the effectiveness of a bar chart?

A)Bars should be about half the width of the space in between bars.
B)Legend should only be used if the chart has two or more data series.
C)The baseline for bar charts should always be ten.
D)3-D bar charts should be used to represent complicated numerical information.
E)Use lighter colors to represent your most important data series.

Question 61

What are the criteria for evaluating data quality of secondary research sources?

Question 62

When business professionals enter into primary research with preexisting assumptions or even conclusions, they are likely to:

A)avoid information that matches their conclusions..
B)increase the adaptability of the research.
C)interpret the data incorrectly.
D)gather information that does not support their positions..
E)reduce the errors made in understanding data relationships.

Question 63

Scholarly journals are biased toward:

A)the mission of the editing team.
B)the mission of the publication team.
C)theoretical significance.
D)the writers' career objectives.
E)the mission and objectives of an organization.

Question 64

How do charts differ from tables?

Question 65

How can the FAIR test be applied to research data and charts?

Question 66

What are the options available for online research?

Question 67

Sharon has been hired by Luxuria Island Resort to conduct a business research for the company.Sharon's research findings suggest that the respondents view Luxuria Island Resort as the last five-star option to stay at during their holidays.If Sharon has to present these facts to the company's board, she should:

A)manipulate the information using charts.
B)focus on transparency and full disclosure.
C)provide the relevant facts , only if they fit into convenient conclusions.
D)point out the mistakes of the board for being responsible for the company's plight.
E)not grant access to the data to decision makers and others affected by the report.

Question 68

Differentiate primary research from secondary research.

Question 69

Jason has been hired by Galaxy Corp.to conduct a business research on the recent trends in the health industry.Jason ensures to regularly document the information sources he has used for his research on word processing software.This practice of Jason is typically done to increase the _____ of the research.

A)salability
B)accessibility
C)technical superiority
D)credibility
E)adaptability

Question 70

Discuss any two important secondary research sources.

Question 71

You can usually better assess the usefulness of _____ than other secondary sources because of the many online reviews available.

A)business and management books
B)external blogs
C)scholarly journals
D)industry publications
E)white papers

Question 72

Which of the following is a deceptive practice in planning for business reports?

A)Using charts and tables to communicate numerical information
B)Seeking a business librarian to help you identify those online databases that best match your interests and needs
C)Discussing a data relationship that you are unsure about with your colleagues
D)Cherry-picking the data and adjusting information in your favor
E)Making numerical adjustments in the table by converting the counts of respondents

Question 73

While conducting research, why is it important to keep a track of the information sources?

Question 74

How are closed questions different from open-ended questions?

Question 75

Describe the various guidelines that should be followed for effective formatting of tables.

Question 76

For most business research, the information you can access through _____ is generally the most reliable.

A)external blogs and wikis
B)white papers
C)business databases
D)online discussion forums
E)social networking websites

Question 77

A drawback of online databases is that:

A)they are more expensive than primary research.
B)they provide outdated information.
C)they take time to navigate.
D)they contain minimal information required for business reports.
E)they are not permitted by university libraries.

Question 78

What are the various guidelines that should be followed for creating effective survey questions?

Question 79

Which of the following statements is true about online research?

A)The information found on the Internet tends to be of good quality with very little variation in the range of the data quality.
B)All information sources on the web are informed and accurate.
C)It is not necessary to document the information sources found on the web.
D)Information in video and audio format provided through speeches and presentations has no application in business research.
E)Industry sites provide a variety of sources that can be more current than the information in business databases.

Question 80

Which of the following statement is true of scholarly journals?

A)Scholarly journals contain business research that is extremely reliable.
B)Scholarly business articles always provide useful information for business problems that you will focus on in the workplace.
C)Scholarly articles rarely focus on theoretical and abstract issues.
D)Scholarly journals are generally written with a level of statistical analysis and/or theoretical background that is easy to understand.
E)Scholarly journals rely on anecdotal evidence rather than carefully controlled experiments and survey research.