Deck 11: Planning Reports and Proposals

Question 1

When outlining the content of your report,

A)it is preferable to use informative headings as opposed to descriptive ones.
B)you should use complex language for all headings.
C)keep in mind that you will have to use this same outline for your final report.
D)identify general topic areas.
E)start with vague ideas and build up to ideas with more depth.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The best way to phrase the purpose statement of a report is with

A)complex language.
B)an infinitive phrase.
C)a controversial statement.
D)jargon.
E)compelling arguments.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Whereas ________ reports focus on facts,________ reports offer interpretation and can also include recommendations.

A)internal; external
B)assessment; documentation
C)solicited; unsolicited
D)informational; analytical
E)direct; analytical

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The direct approach and the indirect approach ________; therefore,businesspeople ________.

A)are unrelated; use them randomly
B)are both inadequate; never use them
C)both have merit; often combine them
D)both have merit; never combine them
E)are both unique; never combine them

Question 5

An executive dashboard is a customized online presentation of highly summarized business information.

Question 6

Which of the following is a useful strategy in preparing business reports?

A)Understand and meet audience expectations.
B)Use the same format for reports,regardless of topic.
C)Keep your report as detailed as possible.
D)Write the report for delivery through one media outlet.
E)Use an indirect approach whenever possible.

Question 7

Briefly explain the primary function of a statement of purpose,and then indicate the most useful way to phrase one.

Question 8

The ________ for a report describes what you plan to accomplish and outlines the boundaries of your work.

A)mission brief
B)statement of purpose
C)outcome forecast
D)intention statement
E)scope

Question 9

Internal reports are more likely to be misinterpreted than external reports.

Question 10

The statement of purpose for analytical reports will usually need to be more comprehensive than one for informational reports.

Question 11

When you're preparing a formal work plan,include a ________ to clarify the problem you face and a ________ to describe what you plan to accomplish.

A)statistical analysis; hypothesis
B)problem statement; purpose statement
C)yardstick; problem statement
D)descriptive standard; goal analysis
E)hypothesis; work plan

Question 12

In addition to offering information and analysis,________ can also include recommendations.

A)indirect reports
B)analytical reports
C)informational reports
D)directive reports
E)socioeconomic reports

Question 13

When you're outlining your report,using ________ requires you to really think through the content,whereas using ________ simply requires you to identify topic areas.

A)prescriptive headings; parallel headings
B)effective headings; ineffective headings
C)informative headings; descriptive headings
D)multilateral headings; unilateral headings
E)subjective headings; transitional headings

Question 14

When selecting the right medium for a report,

A)you should choose the ones that are most convenient.
B)you should choose the ones that are most economical.
C)your decisions should reflect your audience's expectations.
D)you should always present your report in writing.
E)you should choose the one easiest to store.

Question 15

In business reports,it is never appropriate to combine the direct and indirect approaches by revealing conclusions and recommendations as you go along.

Question 16

An employee who describes the data she collected from six different plant managers without drawing any conclusions is preparing

A)an analytical report.
B)an informational report.
C)a proposal.
D)a work plan.
E)a justification report.

Question 17

The basic purpose of informational reports is

A)to persuade the audience to act.
B)to present recommendations and conclusions to a superior for how to solve a particular problem.
C)to present data,facts,feedback,and other types of information,without analysis or recommendations.
D)to convince the reader of the soundness of your thinking.
E)to change the audience's opinion on your topic.

Question 18

All of the following except ________ are elements in the planning phase of the three-step writing process.

A)analyzing the situation
B)adapting to your audience
C)gathering information
D)selecting the right medium
E)organizing information

Question 19

When preparing content for mobile devices,a(n)________ will help leadership easily locate key variables and other report content.

A)intranet
B)hard copy report
C)email
D)chart or graph
E)executive dashboard

Question 20

The direct approach is the most popular strategy for business reports.

Question 21

At the beginning of a research project,you need to

A)develop a formal outline that you plan to stick to throughout your researching and writing.
B)familiarize yourself with the subject.
C)just jump in by finding resources on the Internet and taking notes.
D)develop the conclusion you want to reach and start looking for evidence that supports that conclusion.
E)try Google to see if it provides enough information,and if not proceed to databases and other sources.

Question 22

A cause-and-effect relationship between factors that can be easy to assume but difficult to prove is called

A)mode.
B)correlation.
C)causation.
D)trends.
E)mean.

Question 23

A writer who wants to use a ________ to build an informational report can choose from a number of arrangement patterns,such as geography,sequence,chronology,category,or importance.

A)talking pattern of organization
B)topical pattern of organization
C)demonstrative pattern of organization
D)representative pattern of organization
E)direct pattern of organization

Question 24

Unlike a summary,a paraphrase

A)restates the original material in your own words and with your own sentence structures.
B)presents the gist of the original material in fewer words.
C)does not require complete documentation of sources.
D)is never acceptable in business documents.
E)is more difficult to understand.

Question 25

When using information from sources,________ helps you maintain a consistent tone while using vocabulary familiar to your audience.

A)paraphrasing
B)quoting
C)summarizing
D)concluding
E)correlating

Question 26

When analyzing data,looking at ________ will indicate patterns taking place over time.

A)mean
B)causation
C)median
D)correlation
E)trends

Question 27

A ________ is a logical interpretation of the facts and a ________ suggests an action in response to the facts.

A)paraphrase; quote
B)cause; correlation
C)cross-tabulation; response
D)conclusion; recommendation
E)trend; summary

Question 28

Describe several benefits and one potential drawback of organizing business reports using the direct approach.

Question 29

When evaluating sources for quality,consider

A)sources that are new or obscure.
B)using only those sources that support your goal.
C)the use of strong and specific word choices.
D)the potential bias of the source.
E)primary sources.

Question 30

A metasearch engine is

A)a highly specialized directory that focuses on a specific subject matter area.
B)a search engine that examines only newsgroup messages.
C)a type of aggregator that offers subscribers all-day information on their desktops.
D)a special type of engine that searches several search engines at once.
E)a search engine that can access the hidden Internet.

Question 31

How do executives utilize an executive dashboard?

Question 32

Which of these documents would not qualify as primary research?

A)A recent survey of your company's top clients
B)The most recent issue of a trade magazine in your industry
C)Notes from a conversation you recently had with a local government official
D)Your company's latest balance sheet
E)Current budget figures

Question 33

The ________ will define the purpose of your research.

A)primary sources
B)receiver expectation
C)problem statement
D)knowledge management system
E)organization of information

Question 34

One task in effective paraphrasing is to

A)avoid using any business language or jargon.
B)check your version against the original to make sure that you didn't alter the meaning.
C)make sure your version is the same length as or longer than the original.
D)write in the passive voice.
E)omit quotation marks.

Question 35

A web directory differs from a search engine in that

A)it doesn't allow keyword searches.
B)it can't equal the precision of a general search engine.
C)it relies on human editors to evaluate and select content.
D)it usually locates more sites than a search engine.
E)it formats the request for multiple search engines.

Question 36

Sources of secondary information include

A)first-hand observation.
B)in-person interviews.
C)newspapers and periodicals.
D)experiments.
E)an online survey designed specifically for your project.

Question 37

When creating a work plan,it's important to begin by developing a problem statement.

Question 38

Unlike Internet search engines,online databases can often be more reliable search engines because they

A)can be accessed only from a library.
B)often provide access to various parts of the hidden Internet.
C)are often based on popular opinion.
D)do not require a subscription.
E)are often current.

Question 39

When evaluating material you've gathered for a report,you should

A)assume that any information taken from a webpage will be credible and reliable.
B)throw out any information published by an organization that might be biased.
C)check the material for currency.
D)ignore government documents.
E)assume blogs are objective sources.

Question 40

A(n)________ is a set of technologies,policies,and procedures that a company can use to capture and share information throughout the organization.

A)big-data paradigm
B)desktop search protocol
C)recursive process model
D)intradepartmental database
E)knowledge management system

Question 41

A powerful search tool that searches all the files on a company's network is a(n)

A)desktop search engine.
B)enterprise search engine.
C)research and content manager.
D)social tagging or bookmarking manager.
E)media curation manager.

Question 42

Topical organization strategies for informational reports include all of the following except

A)complexity.
B)sequence.
C)importance.
D)comparison.
E)category.

Question 43

When you're selecting people to participate in a survey,it is critical to get a ________ of the population you want to survey.

A)stratified sample
B)crossover sample
C)sizeable sample
D)transparent sample
E)representative sample

Question 44

To conduct an effective database search,

A)choose one search engine and stick with it.
B)read instructions and pay attention to details.
C)limit search terms.
D)stay on the first page of results.
E)remember that the internet is neatly organized.

Question 45

Compliance reports are generally required by

A)parent companies.
B)accounting departments.
C)government agencies.
D)marketing departments.
E)midlevel managers.

Question 46

When conducting primary research by using interviews,which of the following will have the least effect on responses?

A)the ability to adapt the question set based on response
B)the subject's cultural and language background
C)the type of questions being asked
D)issues such as race,gender,age,and social status
E)the way the questions are framed

Question 47

You would not need to cite a source if you

A)used a direct quotation of under 250 words from a book titled Modern Economics.
B)used a table from the 1985 Farmer's Almanac.
C)described,in your own words,a plan for organizing production lines,which appeared in a professional journal.
D)used it to gather common knowledge about your topic.
E)found it on Google,Yahoo,or Bing.

Question 48

To solicit opinions,insights,and information,use

A)online surveys.
B)open-ended questions.
C)closed-ended questions.
D)focus groups.
E)leading questions.

Question 49

Describe how smartphones and tablets have changed the way we collect information for business reports and other communication purposes.

Question 50

A survey is ________ if it produces identical results when repeated under similar conditions.

A)valid
B)objective
C)representative
D)bias-free
E)reliable

Question 51

A contractor submitting a weekly report on work done to date would be providing the client with

A)a progress report.
B)a compliance report.
C)a justification report.
D)a periodic operating report.
E)a position paper.

Question 52

A public corporation filing a quarterly tax report would be providing

A)a progress report.
B)a compliance report.
C)a justification report.
D)a periodic operating report.
E)a policy and procedure report.

Question 53

One of the best ways to track the behavior of a test subject is through

A)surveying.
B)observation.
C)interviewing.
D)metasearch analysis.
E)representative sampling.

Question 54

An online survey is vulnerable to ________ because it captures only the opinions of those who visit the site and choose to participate.

A)sampling bias
B)backchannel static
C)circular reasoning
D)emotional manipulation
E)transactional dysfunction

Question 55

In reports focused on recommendations,it is best to avoid the direct approach.

Question 56

The CEO of a pharmaceutical company asks you assess the company's adherence to laws governing television ads for prescription drugs.The CEO has requested a(n)

A)personal activity report.
B)policy implementation report.
C)compliance report.
D)operating report.
E)business plan.

Question 57

When developing a survey questionnaire,

A)develop questions that must be answered with several sentences.
B)use leading questions.
C)make the survey adaptive.
D)use descriptors such as "often" or "frequently."
E)use compound questions.

Question 58

All of the following except ________ are categories of informational reports.

A)reports to monitor and control operations
B)reports to demonstrate compliance
C)reports to document progress
D)reports to assess opportunities
E)reports to implement policies

Question 59

When you're writing a business plan,the ________ section explains the purpose of your business and what you hope to accomplish.

A)mission and objectives
B)design and development
C)products and services
D)financial projections and requirements
E)monitor-and-control

Question 60

The two most common primary research methods are

A)websites and books.
B)experiments and observations.
C)surveys and interviews.
D)test panels and experiments.
E)reports and memos.

Question 61

Some start-up investors do not believe a business plan is beneficial in the early stages because

A)it is too easy for anyone to write up a plan.
B)most of the information is available on the Internet.
C)investors spend too much time reading them.
D)there is no need if the product is going to work.
E)it is difficult to anticipate circumstances and obstacles that will be encountered.

Question 62

Because of its natural feel and versatility,the ________ approach is generally the most persuasive way to develop an analytical report for skeptical readers.

A)2 + 2 = 4
B)yardstick
C)direct
D)hypothetical
E)indirect

Question 63

A ________ studies events that happened in the past,with the hope of learning how to avoid similar failures in the future.

A)market analysis report
B)due diligence report
C)failure analysis report
D)feasibility report
E)business plan

Question 64

As a monitor-and-control mechanism,a business plan

A)is useful only before a company is launched.
B)always contains the same elements.
C)should not identify risks and problems,since these might discourage potential investors.
D)is sometimes prepared after a company is up and running.
E)is useful only when seeking additional funding.

Question 65

What are the four general categories of informational reports?

Question 66

Many businesses optimize their website to incorporate a

A)single-dimensional medium.
B)mobile-first strategy.
C)supply and demand strategy.
D)more linear medium.
E)one-page website.

Question 67

The structure and navigational flow of all parts of a website is the

A)vertical hierarchy.
B)horizontal division.
C)information architecture.
D)mobile-first strategy.
E)multidimension division.

Question 68

When a business plan is written after a company is up and running,it tends to

A)summarize the company's business model.
B)convince outsiders to invest in the company.
C)present a vision of what the company will be.
D)function as a monitor-and-control mechanism.
E)concisely describe products and services.

Question 69

A ________ is written to validate a decision that has already been made.

A)project proposal
B)progress report
C)compliance report
D)justification report
E)feasibility report

Question 70

Company websites often function as

A)informational reports.
B)business plans.
C)marketing strategies.
D)business models.
E)monitor and control reports.

Question 71

When you speculate about the cause of a problem,you are forming a ________,a potential explanation that needs to be tested.

A)hypothesis
B)prospectus
C)quandary
D)supposition
E)problem factor

Question 72

The 2 + 2 = 4 approach

A)generally works only with lengthy,non-routine reports.
B)convinces the reader by demonstrating that everything adds up.
C)is far more complicated than any other organizational strategy.
D)is the only approach that is appropriate for any business report.
E)works best if the reader is likely to accept the argument.

Question 73

As it relates to a formal business plan,the ________ defines how the company will generate revenue and produce a profit.

A)marketing strategy
B)business model
C)action forecast
D)financial projection
E)mission and objectives

Question 74

A ________ outlines an organization's official position on issues that affect its success.

A)policy report
B)position paper
C)feasibility report
D)business plan
E)compliance report

Question 75

How does the term topical organization pertain to informational reports?

Question 76

When defining the problems you need to address in an analytical report,ask yourself:

A)How long should this report be?
B)Why is this issue important?
C)What is my purpose is writing this?
D)Who will read the report?
E)How can I use this report to gain credibility?

Question 77

Describe the elements of a formal business plan.

Question 78

List three types of reports commonly used to monitor and control operations in business.

Question 79

One drawback of using the yardstick approach to structure business reports is that

A)the audience must agree with your criteria for analysis.
B)this approach is generally considered old-fashioned.
C)it forces you to ignore the fact that the problem may have multiple causes.
D)it eliminates repetition of key concepts.
E)it does not allow for the evaluation of multiple criteria at one time.

Question 80

All ________ are written in response to regulations of one sort or another.

A)compliance reports
B)operating reports
C)white papers
D)position papers
E)business plans