Deck 1: Succeeding in Business Communication

Question 1

How quickly a document can be read is determined by the difficulty of the subject matter and by the document's organization and writing style.

Answer 1

True
Explanation: Bad writing takes longer to read as we struggle to understand what we are reading. How quickly we can do this is determined by the difficulty of the subject matter and by the document's organization and writing style.

Question 2

Conventions are constant and remain unchanged over time.

Answer 2

False
Explanation: Conventions change over time. The key to using conventions effectively, in spite of their changing nature, is to remember that they always need to be adjusted for a particular audience, context, and purpose.

Question 3

Interpersonal nonverbal communication consists of e-mail messages,memos,and letters.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Interpersonal nonverbal signals include how people sit at meetings, how large offices are, and how long someone keeps a visitor waiting.

Question 4

It is best to use a legalistic style of writing which helps create a good document.

Question 5

Conventions in business communication help people recognize,produce,and interpret different kinds of communications.

Question 6

While preparing a document,it is recommended that the main point be placed in the middle of a long first paragraph which prevents a reader from skipping information.

Question 7

A message meets the five criteria of a good business communication irrespective of the audience,the purpose of the message,and the situation.

Question 8

Individual communications are not liable to any legal hassles like communication by organizations.

Question 9

Oral communication is always for internal audiences in an organization whereas written communication is strictly created for external audiences.

Question 10

A message will be more successful if the writer focuses on his own needs instead of the larger context of shareholders,customers,and regulators.

Question 11

Poor writing may need to be rewritten and frequently cycled to other people for help.

Question 12

Good communication helps in making efforts more effective.

Question 13

Oral channels are better for group decision making,and allow misunderstandings to be cleared up more quickly.

Question 14

Good communication treats the receiver of a document as a person,instead of as a number.

Question 15

It is mandatory to follow the same,standard conventions in all organizations across the world.

Question 16

Electronic mail systems are a more formal mode of communication than presentations.

Question 17

Entry-level jobs in contrast with senior-level jobs do not require skills in reasoning,mathematics,and communicating.

Question 18

The cost of hardware in e-mail storage is much higher compared to the cost in administering and maintaining archives.

Question 19

Good business and administrative communication are created as quickly as possible which helps save a writer's time.

Question 20

Poor messages make an audience guess what a writer wants to convey.

Question 21

Using long paragraphs of more than eight lines makes a document more visually appealing.

Question 22

All characteristics of an audience are important and one should avoid eliminating some which may seem irrelevant.

Question 23

According to the survey conducted by the National Commission on Writing,_____ is considered to be a writing ability which all employees must know.

A) technical writing
B) blogging
C) instant messaging
D) e-mailing
E) tweeting

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of an internal audience?

A) Suppliers
B) Stockholders
C) Clients
D) Funders
E) Peers

Question 25

Natalia who works for Trends,a fashion house,needs to give a presentation to her superiors on the marketing plan for the newly launched,Vogue line of clothing.Once she receives an approval on it,she will be sharing details of the launch with distributors,clients,and fashion houses with which they have tie-ups.In addition,she will also be presenting the plan to the press to spread word about the line.Which among the following is Natalia's internal audience?

A) Other Fashion Houses
B) Clients
C) Superiors
D) Distributors
E) Press

Question 26

An example of an external audience is a _____.

A) human resource team
B) subordinate
C) supervisor and manager
D) colleague
E) potential employee

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of verbal communication?

A) Logos
B) Gestures
C) Eye contact
D) Pictures
E) Tweets

Question 28

Pete Riley works at Rowland Bank in California.He recently gave a presentation on "Benefits of Investing in Unit Link Plans" to the subordinates in his team,the sales team,and the marketing team.He also showed the presentation to the superiors before making a few changes and presenting it to his customers.Which of the following comprises Pete's external audience?

A) Sales Team
B) Marketing Team
C) Superiors
D) Customers
E) Subordinates

Question 29

It is important to use me-attitude while creating a document which shows confidence in one's piece of writing.

Question 30

Reasons for a decision and audience benefits in a message are always financial in nature.

Question 31

An example of an interpersonal nonverbal signal of authority would be a company executive:

A) sitting at the head of a conference table at a board meeting.
B) speaking on behalf of the company at a community event.
C) writing a progress report on a campaign activity.
D) sending out an e-mail announcing a new policy.
E) presenting a report on a project recently completed.

Question 32

While writing a message,it is important to ensure that benefits are adapted to the needs of the audience.

Question 33

The best way to place information without emphasizing it is to put it in the middle of a paragraph.

Question 34

While receiving feedback on a message,it is important not just to know if a message succeeded or failed but also knowing the reason behind it.

Question 35

In order to solve a problem,it is essential to develop several solutions and measure them against the audience and purposes.

Question 36

_____ are a type of nonverbal communication.

A) Pictures
B) Presentations
C) Electronic Mails
D) Memos
E) Informal Meetings

Question 37

It is vital to use experiences and common sense to understand how the real world affects a particular issue or problem while creating a message.

Question 38

Loretta recently gave a presentation on "Over-consumerism and its Impacts" at the University of Phoenix in California.The presentation was a huge success mainly because it used a lot of nonverbal communication which drew the audience's attention and made the presentation interesting.Which of the following did Loretta most likely use?

A) Anecdotes
B) Narrations
C) Quotations
D) Photographs
E) Chestnuts

Question 39

How detailed a message should be depends on the kind of message,purposes,audiences,and the corporate culture.

Question 40

It is important to list all purposes of a message,including major and minor ones.

Question 41

The best way to learn conventions in a particular workplace is by:

A) seeing what other workers are doing.
B) reading documents on office guidelines.
C) interacting with the human resource department.
D) getting updated by the manager or supervisor.
E) researching online about the organization.

Question 42

Every year in the month of April,Rowland and Co.files a report to the Securities and Exchange Commission of U.S.A.The report consists of details of their audited financial statements,executive compensation,and equities.Which of the following is the company filing?

A) Annual report
B) Quarterly Report
C) Claims adjustment
D) 10-K report
E) Quotation

Question 43

Which of the following should be followed while solving business communication problems?

A) Consciously developing one key solution instead of multiple ones
B) Understanding that even irrelevant features of an audience are important
C) Emphasizing information by placing it in the middle of a paragraph
D) Identifying one main audience benefit if it is a persuasive message
E) Ensuring that benefits are adapted well to the needs of the audience

Question 44

Roswell,a manager at a software firm,needs to ensure that the members of his team complete work on a project that has its deadline approaching.To remind them about the deadline,he writes an email stating,"You need to complete the work by Friday so that I can deliver the product to the client on time." His email,however,involves a writing flaw because of which he does not receive the results he would have otherwise achieved.What type of writing flaw does Roswell's email have?

A) Selfish tone
B) Vague request
C) Legalistic language
D) Misused words
E) Confusing words

Question 45

Written forms of communications are preferable over oral forms of communication when:

A) group decisions need to be made.
B) misunderstandings need to be cleared quickly.
C) communication needs to be personal.
D) conflicts need to be resolved immediately.
E) communication needs to be formal.

Question 46

Which of the following is true of good business and administrative communication?

A) Makes an audience guess a message a speaker or writer has presented
B) Leaves audience's questions unanswered to create challenges and interactions
C) Represents messages which are free from errors in spelling and grammar
D) Considers members of an audience as numbers instead of as groups of people
E) Takes a long time to decipher which challenges an audience's intellect

Question 47

A memo of congratulations is written to:

A) clients who have been with a company for over 10 years.
B) employees who have won awards or been promoted.
C) company partners when a project is successful.
D) external allies for a well implemented campaign.
E) suppliers who have been loyal to a company.

Question 48

Stella is presenting a report on "Negative Impacts of Genetic Engineering" at a conference on Food Security in Manhattan.The audience consists of scientists,government officials,and members of civil society groups of which some are skeptical about the subject.Which of the following would best help Stella handle the audience?

A) Present the good ideas at the end of the report
B) Present the main points of the report in the middle of the report
C) Approach the issue of genetic engineering indirectly
D) Make the milestones achieved section clear in the first paragraph
E) Identify one main audience benefit instead of several benefits

Question 49

Leah,a communications manager at a travel company,needs to evaluate her team members' work in the last financial year.She needs to prepare a report on the evaluation of objectives they helped achieve.Which of the following documents is Leah preparing?

A) Career assessment
B) Performance Appraisal
C) Quarterly Report
D) Memo of congratulations
E) Role-based assessment

Question 50

Which of the following is true of conventions?

A) They remain constant over long periods of time.
B) They are practices one encounters infrequently.
C) They apply to a general audience and context.
D) They can be best learnt by reading annual reports.
E) They are widely accepted practices.

Question 51

_____ is an external document granting or denying customer request to be given credit for damaged goods.

A) 10-K Report
B) Quarterly report
C) Policy and procedure bulletin
D) Transmittal
E) Claims adjustment

Question 52

Which of the following are ways in which a document can be made more visually inviting?

A) Avoid using subject lines since they disorient the reader.
B) Use headings to group unrelated ideas.
C) Use lists and indented sections to emphasize examples.
D) Avoid numbering the points to make the document look clean.
E) Use long paragraphs consisting of more than ten typed lines.

Question 53

Which of the following does good writing involve?

A) Keeps requests ambiguous which helps avoid arguments
B) Uses legalistic language to impress the readers
C) Analyzes the larger context in which words may appear
D) Presents the main point in the middle of a long paragraph
E) Requires a reader to gather additional information

Question 54

A _____ is a statement of company rules,guidelines,and instructions with a purpose to inform,build image,and goodwill.

A) policy and procedure bulletin
B) 10 K report
C) quarterly report
D) transmittal
E) monthly and annual report

Question 55

Which of the following should one do while analyzing business communication situations?

A) Avoid taking into account emotions of other people when stakes are high
B) Take into account the needs of the organization and not those outside the organization
C) Use written channels instead of oral channels for better decision making
D) Use detailed instructions to understand audiences and corporate culture
E) Consider one's own needs in addition to those of one's superior and audience

Question 56

Evelyn Jones who works for Lobo Events,an event management company,is preparing a document on the problems faced while hosting events and revenue generated.In the report,she explains unavailability of venues for events around season time and steep charges by music bands as challenges faced by them.In addition,she explains the company's performance and that it generated revenue of $25,00,000 in the last three months.Which of the following documents is Evelyn preparing?

A) Letter of transmittal
B) Performance appraisal
C) Quarterly report
D) Formative assessment
E) Summative assessment

Question 57

Samantha Carter who owns Blaze,a fashion house in Manhattan,recently received an e-mail from her client requesting for price details of her eco-friendly line of clothing.Now she needs to write a letter to him with the requested details.Which of the following is Carter writing?

A) 10-K Report
B) Thank-you letter
C) Quotation
D) Claims adjustment
E) Transmittal

Question 58

Rebecca,who works as a human resource executive,received a letter from her manager to organize an interactive program for some of the employees of the organization.Rebecca needs to call her manager to find out the objective of the program,when it needs to be organized,and which employees need to attend the program.Which of the following is the letter characterized by?

A) It allows the reader to act on it instantly.
B) It is incomplete in form.
C) It answers all queries that the reader has.
D) It saves the reader's time.
E) It prevents the reader from guessing.

Question 59

Which of the following does a request to deviate from policy and procedure bulletin state?

A) Explains that another approach is better for a specific situation rather than the standard approach
B) Discusses profitability and problems during a period and how it deviates from past figures
C) Summarizes financial information to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
D) Discusses the granting or denying of customer request to be given credit for defective goods
E) Explains why an organization's statistical figures deviates or varies from external market figures

Question 60

Ella,a human resource manager,has written a report for the organizational director on staffing needs of the company.Along with the report,she also sends a memo explaining why the document is being forwarded to him.What is this accompanying document called?

A) Monthly Report
B) Memo of Congratulations
C) Quarter Report
D) Transmittal
E) Policy and procedure bulletin

Question 61

Which of the following styles of writing should be followed to create a business document?

A) It should make the message as friendly and personal as possible.
B) It should use complex words if it is being addressed to strangers.
C) It should place positive information at the end of the document.
D) It should focus more on what is impossible so that it can tackle the problem.
E) Use me-attitude to show that one is confident about the document.

Question 62

How does poorly written document contribute to lost goodwill? Explain.

Question 63

What are some of the benefits of improving communication?

Question 64

Discuss some of the main costs of communication.

Question 65

What are some of the criteria for an effective message?

Question 66

Explain how verbal communication,nonverbal communication,and interpersonal nonverbal signals differ from each other.

Question 67

Explain how a friendly,positive style of writing helps in contributing toward a good business document?

Question 68

Explain in brief,the process to create good messages.

Question 69

What are the three basic principles that one should keep in mind while organizing information to fit audiences,the purposes,and the situation?

Question 70

How can poor communication lead to legal problems in an organization? Discuss.

Question 71

Jennifer recently gave a presentation for a group of college students on "How to choose the right career path." The presentation was a huge success and the students in their feedback form stated that the visual appeal of the presentation was a major factor that contributed to its popularity.What key guidelines did Jennifer most likely follow which helped her document be visually appealing?

Question 72

Johanna,who is going to join her first job as a software engineer,thinks that she will not need to have any writing ability for the job because she is joining as an engineer and not as a writer.Explain why this belief is flawed.

Question 73

What are the five key questions for analysis that one should ask in order to create good questions?

Question 74

Explain how a poor form of writing contributes to wasted time.

Question 75

What are conventions and how are they best learned?

Question 76

What are the two modes of communication channels that one can use to communicate?