Deck 7: Writing Routine Reports

Question 1

Form reports are appropriate when a manager must repeatedly get the same kinds of information from her or his supervisees.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which statement about production reports is LEAST accurate?

A) The time covered must be identified clearly.
B) They are a form of employee-to-manager feedback.
C) The reports flow only from subordinate to superior.
D) In some situations, they involve no more than completion of a form.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Videoconferencing is meant to be used in auditoriums while Web conferencing is appropriate for small meeting rooms and private offices.

Answer 3

USER

Question 4

When a business requires frequent reporting of the same categories of information-

A) data remain relatively constant from one reporting period to the next.
B) a form report may increase the report writer's efficiency.
C) employees are often excused from reporting regularly.
D) the data have little value to management.

Question 5

Many Web conferencing programs allow meeting participants to see a presentation and the presenter's slides at the same time.

Question 6

A simple report is one for which the writer needs to do little research.

Question 7

Because the primary data sources for many routine reports are the writer's memory or notes, the writer should take special care to write objectively.
B. Multiple Choice - For the following items, select the most appropriate choice (a-d).

Question 8

Meeting agendas are unnecessary for virtual meetings where the software provides the structure.

Question 9

Most medium-sized and large organizations make good use of virtual meetings.

Question 10

Most supervisors have little interest in trip reports.

Question 11

Routine reports carry little weight in the management of most businesses.

Question 12

Videoconferencing and Web conferencing are inappropriate for problem-solving when participants have no bond.

Question 13

A progress report should include only positive information about the project to which it is related.

Question 14

Issuing a form report to a client represents a breach of business etiquette.

Question 15

Which statement BEST describes routine reports?

A) They should be written in an informal style.
B) Few employees are required to prepare them.
C) They have little value in the overall management of a business.
D) They are often based on the writer's experience and related notes or files.

Question 16

The main purpose of a production report is to inform a supervisor about subordinates' accomplishments on their assigned tasks.

Question 17

Before a virtual meeting, it's a good idea to call a few participants about key items to be discussed during the meeting.

Question 18

Videoconferencing and Web conferencing are inappropriate for meetings requiring attendees to participate actively.

Question 19

Minutes of meetings may appropriately include the recorder's opinions about actions taken at the meeting.

Question 20

One may appropriately distribute a meeting agenda by e-mail.

Question 21

Which of the following is a reason for business people to replace face-to-face meetings with virtual ones (videoconferencing or Web conferencing)?

A) employees who work from home
B) increasing travel costs
C) terrorist threats
D) all of the above (a-c)

Question 22

Which statement about minutes of a committee meeting is LEAST accurate?

A) All committees prepare minutes of their meetings.
B) The minutes should contain summaries of actions taken.
C) The recorder should avoid descriptive terms when recording actions taken.
D) The minutes may be sent to individuals who are not members of the committee.

Question 23

Explain each of the following statements, using examples to support your discussion.
a. Although formats for minutes vary among organizations, the format used should enable readers to focus easily on those items that are of special interest to them.
b. A meeting agenda should provide meeting participants with the information needed to prepare for the meeting.
c. A progress report is similar to yet differs from a production report.

Question 24

A progress report-

A) is unrelated to a job contract.
B) enables a manager to evaluate the status of a job.
C) usually relates to routine production activities.
D) includes no discussion of problems encountered on a job.

Question 25

The recent focus of videoconferencing companies like Hewlett-Packard has been on-

A) developing cameras that display more than one participant at a time
B) improving audio technology so that participants can talk at the same time
C) making the equipment more affordable for small businesses and nonprofits
D) making virtual (video) meetings more like actual meetings

Question 26

Study the attached status (progress) report template from Microsoft Word 2010's Available Templates gallery. Analyze the template as follows:
a. Identify strengths of the template that would help you write an effective progress report. Include features of the template pointed out in your textbook as well as those not cited in the text.
b. Identify weaknesses of the template and/or potential problems with it. Include deviations from the format standards presented in Chapter 6. Think in terms of the changes you would make to the template.
Instructor's Note: Print page 4 of this Test Bank or download and print the template from the Microsoft Word gallery, following these steps: (1) In Word, on the File tab, click New; (2) in the Available Templates gallery, scroll to Reports. (3) Click Reports; then, Project and status reports. (4) Now scroll, to Project Status Update. (5) Click this report and then click Download. Print and/or save the template.
Status Update for
This is a template to be used with regular status updates on a large project, meant to be sent in email. It keeps both team members and management informed of current status, and aligns everyone on dates, goals and risks. Can be used weekly or every two weeks. It's also an excellent forcing function: people don't want to have their names next to items that are in trouble, especially when their executive is on the To: line.
Fill out the template every week, copy and paste it into an email and send to everyone on the team as well as managers as high up as you think will care. It may take a round of reviews from team members before it gets sent (especially if someone's name is going to be next to a late item) but even that is good.
Overall status: Green
Color code this so it's easy to see at a glance. This overall status has little use as a means of communicating information, but it has a lot of value in forcing conversations to happen in the team.
Overview


Details




_….

Question 27

Sometime soon, your supervisor will solicit tips from employees on using the organization's Web conferencing software that's being installed this week. To be ready, create a formal outline of five tips you will give her/him. Instructor's Note: If students need help recalling formal outline, refer to page 41. Students' responses should reflect Illustration 7.9 Guides for Virtual Meetings but may include points from the bulleted list on page 197 and elsewhere in the Videoconferencing and Web Conferencing section.

Question 28

Which of the following names is NOT a brand of Web conferencing software?

A) Go-to-Meeting
B) Microsoft Office Live
C) Yahoo! Meetings
D) Yugma

Question 29

Which statement BEST describes meeting agendas?

A) Few organizations or committees use agendas.
B) Agendas waste time and effort because people seldom read them.
C) Agendas are intended to keep a meeting moving toward its objective.
D) A committee chairperson should allow no deviation from a published agenda.

Question 30

A major ethical challenge related to the preparation of routine reports is-

A) trying to write in an interesting style about routine matters.
B) the fact that routine reports contain insignificant data.
C) the need to maintain objectivity in routine reports.
D) deciding who should receive the report.