Deck 4: Analyzing Your Audience and Purpose

Question 1

which approach is best when writing for multiple audiences?

A) a linear approach
B) an experiential approach
C) a modular approach
D) an attitudinal approach

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the factors listed below did the writer of the following memo fail to take into account?
TO: University Faculty Advisers
FROM: David Gates, Ph.D., Department of Psychology
SUBJECT: New course offered-PSYC 499, Self-Fulfillment in a Global Society
Enclosed is a flyer briefly describing PSYC 499. After you read through the flyer, post it in a conspicuous place, e.g., on your door. Or, better yet, make copies and hand it out in your class. The course will explore how our society can maintain a sense of self in these increasingly uncertain times. So tell students in your courses and your advisees about this new timely course.

A) reader's attitude toward the writer
B) reader's attitude toward the subject
C) reader's expectations about the subject
D) reader's expectations about the document
E) All responses are correct.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following mistakes did McDonald's make when it printed takeout bags decorated with flags from around the world?

A) The bags showed a pair of hands holding a flag in a way that customers in some cultures would interpret as an obscene gesture.
B) The bags showed a Saudi flag, which depicts holy scripture from the Koran. The Saudis were offended because these bags would be thrown out.
C) The writing on the bags was in English, which offended numerous nonnative speakers.
D) All responses are correct.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of these is an example of a workplace document?

A) a podcast about Internet servers
B) an oral presentation about selecting appropriate insurance coverage
C) a video describing how a piece of equipment works
D) All responses are correct.

Question 5

Which phrase best defines the purpose of a workplace document?

A) what you want to accomplish with the document you are producing
B) what you propose to do when you receive permission
C) what you want to display in words or images
D) what you want to document for clarity

Question 6

Which of these is NOT a cultural variable "beneath the surface"?

A) distance between ranks
B) need to spell out details
C) prevalence of technology
D) distance between business and private life

Question 7

Chapter 4 identifies seven categories of cultural variables "on the surface." One category is political. Which of these is NOT a category of cultural variables that lie on the surface?

A) economic
B) social
C) religious
D) philosophical
E) technological

Question 8

You work for a semiconductor manufacturer. You are writing a quarterly report on the activities within your section of the company. One of the people who will read your report is Lila Waltman, divisional vice president. You search online for information about her. Which piece of information is most likely to help you as you write the report?

A) Lila is an active member of the local chapter of IEEE, a professional society for the electronics industry.
B) Lila is an active member of the local chapter of her university's alumni association.
C) Lila is an active member of the community board for a local animal shelter.
D) Lila is an active member of a distance-running group.

Question 9

which of these is a question you should ask to learn about the primary reader of a document you are writing?

A) What are the reader's political views?
B) What are the reader's cultural characteristics?
C) How many times will the reader read your document?
D) What is the reader's attitude toward the subject?

Question 10

Which of these is a cultural variable "on the surface"?

A) tolerance of uncertainty
B) distance between ranks
C) distance between business and private life
D) prevalence of religion

Question 11

One way to learn about the primary reader of your document is to interview people who know him or her. Which of these questions is NOT likely to help you learn useful information about your primary reader?

A) Does this person prefer to read hard-copy documents or electronic documents?
B) Does this person prefer to read detailed information or a summary that provides a big picture?
C) Does this person tend to review the sources listed in a bibliography after reading a report?
D) Does this person attend chapter meetings of professional associations?

Question 12

You are writing a report about new regulations that affect your company. Your primary audience of company executives is very busy and will read your report quickly, but the secondary and tertiary audiences are likely to read more slowly and carefully. Which of the following options is most appropriate for your situation?

A) Include detailed footnotes on each page.
B) To save time, omit the executive summary and put more details in the body of your report.
C) Follow the patterns of writing that were successful for you in college English and history classes.
D) Break your report into modules and put highly detailed information in an appendix.

Question 13

Chapter 4 suggests that you consider five other individual characteristics of readers in addition to education. Which two of the following characteristics does the chapter suggest you consider?

A) the reader's professional experience
B) the reader's gender
C) the reader's temperament
D) the reader's job responsibility
E) None of the above responses are correct.

Question 14

Which terms below are used in Chapter 4 to describe types of audiences?

A) supplemental
B) primary
C) secondary
D) fundamental

Question 15

Which of these statements about communicating across cultures is NOT true?

A) Cultures that are group oriented tend to see a smaller distance between business life and private life.
B) The format for writing out and abbreviating dates used in the United States is different from that used in most other cultures.
C) Business customs vary from culture to culture.
D) People who speak the same language share the same cultural values.

Question 16

Chapter 4 discusses certain variables that lead to differences among cultures. Which of these statements about cultural variables is true?

A) Different organizations within the same culture can vary greatly.
B) Cultural variables line up in clear, predictable patterns.
C) Each variable represents a small number of attitudes.
D) An organization's cultural attitudes tend to be static over time.

Question 17

You are writing a proposal to restructure your department's organizational chart. Your manager was a member of the committee that originally set up the department's current structure. Which purpose statement would be best for a proposal to your manager?

A) The purpose of this proposal is to show how we can reorganize our department to improve our efficiency while keeping intact the values that have allowed us to succeed to this point.
B) The purpose of this proposal is to show how to solve all of our productivity problems and remove all the barriers to effective communication.
C) The purpose of this proposal is to show why it's time for "out with the old and in with the new."
D) The purpose of this proposal is to explain why we have no choice but to scrap our ineffective organizational structure.

Question 18

Why should you use an audience profile sheet for a writing project?

A) It prompts you to ask questions about your target audience.
B) It helps you remember what you've learned about your target audience.
C) It helps you realize when you need to learn more about your target audience.
D) All responses are correct.

Question 19

Your company has completed an audience analysis for the manual you are writing for users of a new accounting system. The manual will be given to the 750 employees in the company's accounting department. Some members of the audience are experienced accountants and others are not; some have MBA degrees and others have bachelor's or associate's degrees; some were recently hired and some are long-term employees; some are managers and some are bookkeepers. How might you best accommodate your audiences?

A) Include different sections for the different audiences.
B) Write the manual to the lowest level of the audience.
C) Write the manual to the highest level of the audience.
D) Prepare an audience profile sheet.

Question 20

You are writing a report advocating that your company increase its use of social media. Your manager has said several times that she does not like to mix social media and business. She has pointed out several social-media problems that other companies have created for themselves. Which purpose statement would be best for a report to your manager?

A) The purpose of this report is to show how the coolest social-media apps can deliver content to a hip, urban audience.
B) The purpose of this report is to prove that social-media disasters rarely happen and that social media are the wave of the future.
C) The purpose of this report is to demonstrate how the speed and flexibility of social media can help our company reach a growing audience of young adults with controlled, targeted messaging.
D) The purpose of this report is to show how our company can get on the social-media bandwagon before it is too late.

Question 21

The point of learning about your audience is to use that information to tailor a document to fit the audience's needs.

Question 22

What mistake did McDonald's make when it printed takeout bags decorated with flags from around the world?

Question 23

if you think your document will have a number of readers, you should consider writing a variety of documents addressed to different kinds of readers.

Question 24

Chapter 4 lists three specific reasons a writer should analyze his or her audience during the planning phase. One is so that the document appeals to the audience's interests and needs. What are the other two reasons?

Question 25

Why are LinkedIn profiles a particularly useful resource for learning about one's audience?

Question 26

how do public agencies use social-media data?

Question 27

Why are graphics especially useful when communicating with people from other cultures?

Question 28

for what primary purpose do private companies use social-media data?

Question 29

Interviews are great for learning from your audience but not for learning about your audience.

Question 30

Chapter 4 describes three categories of audience. What are they?

Question 31

Although many aspects of private life and business life differ from culture to culture, in most developed countries business is conducted in more or less the same way.

Question 32

Chapter 4 lists seven categories of cultural variables that lie "on the surface." Two of these categories of variables are political and economic. Name two more.

Question 33

The following passage would be appropriate for a document aimed at a multicultural audience:
Two companies found themselves in the financial equivalent of sudden-death overtime. The first to raise the necessary capital would be the one to survive.

Question 34

Chapter 4 suggests that, in addition to educational background, you should consider five other individual characteristics of readers. What is one other individual characteristic listed in the chapter?

Question 35

In some cultures, it would be considered rude to create a document that contains information the audience already knows.

Question 36

When considering your readers' expectations for a document you are planning, it is not essential to think about the level of detail they expect the document to go into.

Question 37

When working with a reader who is hostile to your subject or to your approach to the subject, you should first state your position, followed by your rationale for that position.

Question 38

Social-media searches can provide an organization with significant information about members of their target audiences.

Question 39

a good way to learn about your readers' preferences is to read documents they have written.

Question 40

As you complete assignments, why should you consider not only your instructor's expectations but also the audience and purpose specified in those assignments?