Deck 5: Communicating Electronically

Question 1

A company's intranet and extranet restrict access only to visitors who have authorization.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

One of the purposes of a subject line in an email message is to allow recipients to sort through and prioritize the reading of messages.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A good rule of thumb when composing web pages is to use as many graphics as possible, and the bigger the better.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Rajhad would like to invite several employees of different departments to attend a new product planning meeting. A good subject line for her invitation e-mail message would be "Meeting for Brainstorming New Products."

Question 5

Most companies prohibit the use of wikis among employees as a form of internal communication.

Question 6

Jarrod deleted an email message that documented problems with the company's safety procedures. In court, this lack of evidence will be likely dismissed as an innocent mistake that is frequently made by employees.

Question 7

Federal laws ensure that email messages employees send at work are private.

Question 8

Text messaging is a viable alternative to phone calls for those with hearing impairment.

Question 9

Jargon and acronyms are found more commonly in e-mail messages than in business letters that go to parties outside the company.

Question 10

Email is a channel of choice for business messages that must be sent to several recipients in a timely manner.

Question 11

Given the informality of a business email message, grammar and spelling are not as critical as they might be in a business letter.

Question 12

Because e-mail messages are written efficiently, they should be organized in a direct, deductive style.

Question 13

Enumerated lists, bulleted lists, tables, graphs, and pictures can all be used in email messages to strengthen communication.

Question 14

Anonymous blog postings can lead to irresponsible behavior, harassment, and gossip.

Question 15

Under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, employers need only provide a legitimate business reason for monitoring employee email communication and are not required to notify employees of the monitoring.

Question 16

The word "Meeting" is an example of an efficient and effective subject line for an email message.

Question 17

When leaving a phone message, you should give only your name and number to improve efficiency.

Question 18

Repeating the information in the subject line in the first sentence of an email is redundant and should be avoided.

Question 19

When using instant messaging, spelling and grammar matter less than when using e-mail.

Question 20

A business person should carefully consider whether to send a formatted documents as an attachment to an email message because of the time required for downloading.

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT good advice for handling e-mail efficiently?

A) Set up separate accounts for receiving messages that require your direct attention.
B) Keep all messages in the event that you ever need to verify information from them.
C) Set up folders that organize messages you need to keep.
D) Investigate the purchase of an e-mail handler to assist with sorting and prioritizing messages.

Question 22

Email and cell phone calls are preferred channels for communicating information that is private or sensitive.

Question 23

An email message with the subject "Meeting Notes Attached: Crescent City Grill Launch Party" might use which of the following as its first sentence,

A) Please remember to include the mayor on the guest list.
B) Attached are the notes from our Monday meeting discussing the Launch Party of the Crescent City Grill on March 3.
C) BTW, what time did we decide for the buffet to open?
D) The meeting notes are attached.

Question 24

Text messaging is a social communication tool and not applicable for business communication.

Question 25

Email messages should be limited to one topic because

A) some computers cannot display longer messages.
B) an email message should not contain competing ideas.
C) the recipient might forget to respond to multiple points discussed.
D) messages with multiple topics take too long to type.

Question 26

A company legally owns the electronic communications of its employees.

Question 27

To protect computer systems from e-mail viruses and hoaxes,

A) open attachments and then command your computer to scan them for virus activity.
B) forward questionable messages to the e-mail administrator.
C) forward all emailed warnings to those in your address book just in case the threat is real.
D) keep in mind that unsolicited e-mails with an ".exe" extension are usually safe to open.

Question 28

Which of the following is the most effective passage in an email message to managers concerning new procedures for locking up the building when leaving at night?

A) When you leave the plant at night, here are a few things to remember: • Close and lock all secondary plant doors.
• Key your personal code into the security pad to the right of the door.
• Open the main plant door and go outside.
• Close the door.
• Use your key to lock the door.
• Press enter on your personal plant remote to arm the security system.
B) When you leave the plant at night, follow these procedures: 1. Close and lock all secondary plant doors.
2) Key your personal code into the security pad to the right of the door.
3) Open the main plant door and go outside.
4) Close the door.
5) Use your key to lock the door.
6) Press enter on your personal plant remote to arm the security system.
C) When you leave the plant at night, follow these procedures-close and lock all secondary plant doors, key your personal code into the security pad to the right of the door, open the main plant door and go outside, close the door, use your key to lock the door, and press enter on your personal plant remote to arm the security system.
D) All are equally effective.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT an example of good email etiquette?

A) Answer every email message as soon as it is received.
B) Forward an email from another person only with the permission of the original writer.
C) Send short, direct messages that would typically be sent through memos.
D) Avoid sending messages when you are angry.

Question 30

Electronic messages as a communication channel would NOT be appropriate for which of the following situations?

A) When you need to send a message to someone outside the company
B) When you need to send sensitive or extremely confidential information
C) When you need to send one message to several different people
D) When you need a quick response to a simple question

Question 31

Your employee in another location is perpetually late submitting work. You must confront him about his lateness and discuss a solution for the problem. Your email to him says:

A) I am tired of your work being late. Fix the problem or you're fired!
B) Can we chat today about your upcoming project deadlines and your plans to meet them?
C) Do you know what time it is? Time for you to get to work! Ha! Ha! (JK!!!)
D) Your late submissions have become intolerable.

Question 32

Which of the following is true concerning instant messaging (IM)?

A) Most companies use IM in some way.
B) Special hardware is needed to IM.
C) Spelling and grammar are as important in IM as in email.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 33

As vice president of sales, you would like to send company personnel a good-news message about the company's first quarter sales results. Which of the following would be the best subject line for your message?

A) Good News!
B) FYI
C) Sales Figures
D) First Quarter Sales Exceed Projections

Question 34

The subject line of an email message should do all of the following, EXCEPT

A) warn the recipient of the message of the bad news.
B) allow the recipient to prioritize the message.
C) expedite understanding of the message.
D) provide a point of reference for future use.

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of e-mail?

A) E-mail reaches people more quickly than letters or memorandums.
B) E-mail can be easily discarded when the message does not have to be kept.
C) E-mail relieves the recipient from playing "telephone tag."
D) E-mail is private because it requires the use of a password to access it.

Question 36

When communicating with a colleague about the hiring or firing of an employee, you would be well advised to not use a cell phone.

Question 37

Your intern forwards a message to you about a new computer virus that you discover is a hoax from a reliable source. What should you do?

A) Reply to the email message and tell the intern he is irresponsible for believing virus hoaxes.
B) Reply to the message and tell him that you have discovered the virus is a hoax. Also send him the web address for the hoax information.
C) Ignore the message.
D) Forward the message to your supervisor, telling her that the intern is violating company policy about forwarding hoax messages.

Question 38

When composing an email message,

A) ideas should be organized inductively when the message contains good news or routine information.
B) just be direct, since such communications are routine.
C) present the information in the order it is likely needed or will be best received.
D) avoid repeating information that is in the subject line in the opening sentence.

Question 39

A manager is faced with having to lay off some of his staff due to financial losses that the company has suffered. Which of the following channels of communication would be MOST appropriate for sharing this news, given the sensitive nature of the message?

A) A well-written, empathetic letter
B) A face-to-face meeting with each employee
C) A phone call
D) An email message

Question 40

Which is the following is true concerning text messaging?

A) The Chinese language is especially well-suited to text-messaging.
B) The Japanese commuters prefer phone conversations to texting.
C) In the U.S., texting is most popular among people age 30 to 50.
D) Southeast Asia has not yet acquired texting technology.

Question 41

You have been instructed to develop a cell phone policy for members of your organization. What are the major elements you will include in the policy?

Question 42

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of a company weblog?

A) Enhances business and build customer loyalty.
B) Helps service teams troubleshoot current problems.
C) Provides dynamic, rapidly changing communication channels.
D) Allows employees to vent frustrations anonymously.

Question 43

During a business lunch with a client, a colleague calls with bad news about another project. You should

A) answer the call at the table and discuss the situation without leaving the table.
B) answer the call at the table, listen to the news calmly, and tell your colleague you will call him back later.
C) excuse yourself from the table, take the call somewhere unobtrusive, handle anything you can handle quickly, and then tell your colleague you will call him back later.
D) let the phone continue to ring at the table without answering.

Question 44

Ben, a supervisor who works for you, does not understand why he does not often receive effective replies to his email messages. He asks you to review some messages he has sent over the past several weeks and to provide constructive criticism. What should you look for as you review his messages?

Question 45

According to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, firms may check the email messages of their employees

A) to determine if employees are using the email system for legitimate work-related purposes.
B) and publicize their content in any way the employer chooses.
C) to determine whether the messages are originated at work or home.
D) only if they suspect company espionage or theft.

Question 46

Convenience Store Chain Emails Good News
You are the vice president of operations for a large convenience store chain that is located throughout approximately half of the United States. The chain has undergone some tough financial times, but sales from the first quarter have exceeded expectations. The company had planned to sell $600 million in merchandise during the quarter and instead sold $650 million. The Western Region was largely responsible for the increase in overall company sales. George Winter, the director of the Western Region, ran a sales promotion contest that boosted his sales results by 20 percent. The contest, called "Just Ask!" required all participants to conduct suggestive selling of merchandise infrequently purchased by customers, such as milk, juice, and bread. The winning district in the contest received $1,000 in prize money, to be split among employees in that store.
Required:
Write an email message to all employees that conveys the good news and congratulates George Winter.

Question 47

You receive an email message from a co-manager concerning the negative performance of an employee. How do you respond?

A) Reply to the email, adding your comments to those of your co-manager.
B) Forward the email to the employee.
C) Meet with your co-manager and discuss the employee's weaknesses face to face.
D) Forward the email to your supervisor for her comments.

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT an acceptable situation for using email?

A) Providing all employees with information about the company's new computer system.
B) Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of a current employee.
C) Sending product meeting notes to all meeting participants.
D) Thanking a client for his continued business.

Question 49

Aricelli is in charge of writing for the web page of her service organization. Which of the following should she avoid when writing for a web audience?

A) Providing detailed text.
B) Writing the main idea or conclusion first, followed by details.
C) Listing the items in columns rather than in rows.
D) Writing directions in simple, numbered steps.

Question 50

Discuss five techniques for composing appropriate web content.

Question 51

An organization that wants to provide business partners with always-available information and contact should use which of the following?

A) Intranet
B) Extranet
C) Email
D) Voice mail

Question 52

The ABC Corporation is concerned about the legal problems of email being used for evidence in litigation. Employees must adhere to strict email guidelines. Which of the following should NOT be one of ABC's guidelines for email usage?

A) Avoid writing emotionally charged emails.
B) Organize emails in folders and subfolders for quick retrieval.
C) Delete unneeded emails regularly to avoid clutter
D) Use email for private messages.

Question 53

A company posts information to the Web for its business partners such as vendors, suppliers, and customers that they must access by using a password. This activity illustrates use of the company's

A) intranet.
B) extranet.
C) public web presence.
D) wiki.

Question 54

Which of the following is most accurate concerning the use of instant messaging in business situations?

A) Instant messaging is not a business tool and should be reserved for personal use.
B) Instant messaging can be used in some business situations but requires accurate spelling and grammar when it is used.
C) Instant messaging has wide business use, and spelling and grammar matter less than in other types of business communications.
D) Instant messaging can be used anytime that email is appropriate.

Question 55

Which of the following is true of cell phone communication?

A) Using your cell phone while driving is advisable because it is a wise use of time.
B) Federal law prohibits using a cell phone use while driving without a hands-free device.
C) You should generally answer your cell phone during a business meeting, when a call comes from a client.
D) None of the above is true.

Question 56

Explain the purpose of a subject line in an email message, and provide guidelines for writing an effective subject line.

Question 57

What questions should you ask yourself in determining whether electronic communication is an appropriate message channel?

Question 58

You have been asked to develop guidelines for your company's new weblog. What are the major elements that you will include in the guidelines?

Question 59

Text messaging should not be used for which of the following business messages?

A) An efficient delivery of a sales message.
B) A quick and silent updating message to a colleague in a meeting.
C) A confirmation of an appointment to a coworker on a business trip.
D) A less emotional way to tell a subordinate he did not receive a desired promotion.

Question 60

When leaving a voice mail for a client concerning an upcoming meeting, you should

A) discuss your schedule for the entire week, detailing each meeting you have.
B) start talking about the meeting immediately, without giving your name if your client should recognize your voice.
C) leave your name, telephone number, and enough details for the listener to understand what you want.
D) leave your name and telephone number and no other details to save time.

Question 61

Camponi Fashions Changes Employee Policy
Camponi Fashions gives its sales consultant a $2,000 wardrobe annually to be selected from the current lines. In addition, these employees may also purchase additional clothing at a 15 percent discount. The company recently has gone through serious financial difficulties. As part of its attempt to bring expenses down, management has decided to reduce the clothing allowance for the upcoming year to $1,000 and the purchase discount to 10 percent. When the company returns to normal profit levels, the original allowance and discount will be restored.
Required:
As the manager of the sales associates, write an email message conveying the change in policy for the upcoming year.

Question 62

Car Max Announces Top Salesperson
You are the vice president of sales for a Car Max dealership in southern Florida. Top sales people are annually recognized with Bronze, Silver, or Gold awards, depending on the level of their sales. Sales people are recognized at an annual banquet and presented with a certificate. The top sales person for the year is Brandon Spellman.
Required:
Write an email message to Car Max employees congratulating all award winners and announcing Brandon Spellman as the top salesperson of the year.

Question 63

Corrective Email to Staff
Analyze the following email message for content, formatting, and email practices. Revise the message.
It has come to my attention that some of you apparently do not have enough work to keep you busy. In the past six months since I assumed the position as your boss, I have observed many of you playing computer games, making personal phone calls, and spending far too much time in personal conversations with each other. We have far too much work in this department for all of you to waste time like this.
Effective immediately, the following changes will be enforced: 1)No personal use of the computer will be tolerated. 2)No personal phone calls unless emergency. 3)Conversations must be limited to break time and lunchtime, in the lunchroom only.
I expect your cooperation. Thank you.
Just a final reminder that we will have a staff meeting tomorrow at 3 p.m.