Business Communications (Test 1)

Which of the following statements about writing skills is most accurate?

The 21st-century economy depends mainly on ________.

Thinking critically means ________.

The most significant trends in today's dynamic workplace include global competition, team-based projects, flattened management hierarchies, new communication technologies, and ________.

Which of the following statements about social media is most accurate?

What type of technology makes it possible to locate and identify a computing device as soon as users connect to the network?

Gerard's company will no longer store its data using in-house hardware and software; instead, data will be stored online at a remote location. This type of technology is called ________.

Kendra is responsible for updating her company's Facebook page with information about products, promotions, and special events. Kendra is using a communication medium called ________.

"Around-the clock availability"

The three basic functions of business communication are to ________.

Which of the following statements about communication in today's business organizations is most accurate?

Which of the following is an advantage of written communication?

Which of the following statements comparing oral and written communication is most accurate?

The most prevalent communication channel in the workplace today is

Which of the following is an example of an internal organizational communication?

Which of the following is an example of external organizational communication?

Of the following, the least rich (or leanest) communication media are ________.

Daniel must handle a complex organizational issue. Which of the following media would be best for this purpose?

Social presence is defined as

Mina wants to use the communication medium with the highest social presence. Which of the following should she choose?

A free exchange of information helps organizations

Which of the following is an example of horizontal communication in an organization?

Which of the following is an example of upward communication in an organization?

Which of the following is an example of downward communication in an organization?

Bert is CEO of an organization with many layers in the chain of command. He is looking for ways to reduce these layers so that he can communicate more directly with the first-line employees. What organizational communication barrier is he trying to overcome?

Which of the following is an example of an informal organizational communication channel?

Which of the following statements about formal and informal communication channels is most accurate?

Covering up incidents, abusing sick days, lying to a supervisor, taking credit for a colleague's ideas, and inflating grades on a résumé are examples of _______

Which of the following statements about laws is least accurate?

Ethical business communicators strive to tell the truth, label opinions so that they are not confused with facts, are objective, communicate clearly, use inclusive language, and ________.

When faced with an ethical dilemma, what is the first question you should ask?

Because your department has not reached its sales quota, your boss has asked you to change figures to show that sales were higher than they actually were. Which of the following questions is not important as you decide what to do?

Achieving literacy in the digital age requires using multimedia applications, staying connected to people and knowledge via technology, using technology thoughtfully and professionally, and ________.

Which of the following is the first step in solving business problems competently?

The term used to describe the overall impression you continue to build throughout your career is your "professional ________."

The impact of mobile technology and globalization on today's workplace includes the need for communication skills to be adapted to various cultures, workers expected to be accessible 24/7, multinational companies adjusting their products to meet cultural tastes and practices, and ________.

?"Flattening" of management hierarchies most directly refers to ________.

An important benefit of "flat" organizational structures is that ________.

The "grapevine" is most accurately described as ________.

Managers can use the grapevine productively by respecting employees' desire to know, acting promptly to correct misinformation, and ________.

Media richness most directly refers to ________.

Media with high social presence ________.

Language is discriminatory when it ________.

Teleworkers, employees who remain outside of the office most of the time, and self-employed individuals now represent roughly ________ percent of the workforce.

In addition to possessing strong communication skills, today's workers must also be media savvy, which means ________.?

A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers revealed that a majority of employers consider a minimum GPA of ________ as a cutoff point when screening candidates.

You can manage and protect your professional "brand" online by posting thoughtfully to blogs, writing competent e-mails?, and ________.

Sensitive communicators know the difference between facts and opinions. Which of the following statements would be considered factual?

?In which part of the globe do today's workers put in the longest hours on average?

A ________ is a website that allows multiple users to create and edit pages collaboratively.?

Etiquette expertise, effective nonverbal messages, and oral communication skills are all examples of _____.

Businesses form teams because teams make better decisions, respond faster, and

What is the most accurate statement about workplace teams?

Malcolm is part of a team developing a new smartphone app to track traffic patterns. Because team members are located throughout the country, they don't meet in person. Instead, they use communication technology to collaborate on the project. Because members use technology to stay connected, Malcolm is part of a

A task force charged with reducing overhead costs meets to define their roles and responsibilities and develop ways to reach the group's goals. Tension is fairly high among group members. The team is in the ____ phase of team development.

A working group was formed to rewrite the company's mission statement. The members have been meeting for quite some time. They are extremely loyal to one another and have figured out how to solve any conflicts that might arise. Information is flowing freely, they are happy with their results, and they will soon meet the deadline set by management. What phase of team development are they experiencing?

The most effective groups and teams have members who are willing to

Morgan has just been appointed to a task force and wants to be a positive member. Which of the following is the best advice you can give her?

Marco has been appointed team leader of a committee that will develop a new process for submitting expense claims. He wants to ensure that his team avoids groupthink. What should he do?

An interview committee must decide which interviewee to hire as the company's new project manager. Committee members have decided to vote and then hire the candidate receiving the most votes. What method for reaching group decisions is this team using?

A team of top-level executives is rewriting the company's bylaws. Because this decision will have far-reaching and long-term effects, members want to have the most creative, high-quality discussion possible. What group decision-making method should they use?

Which of the following statements about conflict is most accurate?

During a meeting Matthew and Jennifer get into an argument about how to prepare a proposal. What is the first step they should take to try to resolve this conflict?

Select the most accurate statement about meetings.

Frederick manages the Human Resources Department for his company. The due dates for payroll reports will be changing slightly, and he needs to communicate this information to all company managers. Allan should

Lindsay is planning a meeting to develop a new procedure for handling employee grievances. How many participants should she invite?

Sam is in charge of conducting a meeting during which a major company decision about reorganization will be made. Whom should he invite?

Which of the following statements about meeting agendas is most accurate?

Brent will be leading a committee meeting and wants to make sure it is effective and efficient. What should Brent do to get the meeting started?

Typical ground rules for meetings include communicating openly, being supportive, listening carefully, participating fully, following the agenda, and ________.

Gwen is leading a meeting and wants to make sure that they stick to the agenda and end on time. What should she do to move the meeting along?

Alfonso has been invited to attend his first sales meeting and wants to be an active and productive member from the very beginning. Which of the following should he do to make a good impression?

Katelyn is in charge of a department meeting, and two of her colleagues are in conflict about a specific issue. What should Katelyn do?

Which of the following statements about ending a meeting is most accurate?

Renzo uses his computer to access an online meeting room where he takes part in meetings with his department members. In this meeting room, participants are able to present PowerPoint slides and Word documents, share spreadsheets, demonstrate products, visit Web pages, and use a white board. Renzo and his colleagues are using what type of collaboration technology?

Khalida is responsible for planning a virtual meeting with participants on three different continents. Prior to the meeting, she should make sure the technology being used is accessible to all participants, distribute materials that will be discussed, and ________.

Which of the following is a typical ground rule for virtual meetings?

Michela will be taking charge of her first virtual meeting. What should she do to make sure all participants are collaborating successfully during the meeting?

Nasim has come to you for advice about conducting a virtual meeting. What is the best advice you can give him?

Which of the following statements about listening is most accurate?

Experts say that we ignore, forget, distort, or misunderstand

Leaning forward, maintaining eye contact, and listening to more than a person's spoken words are ways to show that you are

Peter was just hired as an accounting assistant and wants to make a good impression in his new position. What should he do when listening to his supervisor?

Elizabeth spends a lot of time listening to her colleagues during meetings. Because she must remember what they say, she is always careful to identify main ideas and recognize the purpose of their messages. Elizabeth is engaging in

Richard is attending an important board meeting with his colleagues to discuss future plans for the company. Many ideas are being presented, and Richard is carefully judging and evaluating what he is hearing. He is also listening to decide whether the speaker's message is fact, fiction, or opinion. Richard is engaging in

People trained in listening to customers ______.

Riley is a customer service representative and has just gone through training to improve his listening skills. Which of the following skills was he most likely taught that will make him a better listener?

Alyssa wants to become a better listener in the workplace. Which of the following is the best technique she can do to improve her listening skills?

Which of the following is not a form of nonverbal communication?

Which is the most accurate statement about nonverbal communication?

Select the most accurate statement about eye contact.

Which of the following statements about facial expressions and posture is the most accurate?

Which of the following statements about time and space is the most accurate?

When your department head Ms. Westlake arranges chairs informally in a circle during a meeting, what kind of message is she sending?

Positive nonverbal messages include all but which of the following?

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about your workplace appearance and attire?

Which of the following is an effective way to improve your nonverbal communication skills?

Which of the following statements about manners and business etiquette is most accurate?

Which of the following statements most closely reflects an attitude of etiquette?

As part of the encoding process, the sender of a message must ________.

Zachary needs to deliver a sensitive message to a colleague and decides to deliver it face-to-face. Zachary is in the process of ________.

Phrases such as probably, usually, often, soon, and right away can contribute to the communication barrier known as ________.

Suzanne has just received an e-mail message from a client and is reading it carefully to determine her client's needs. She is involved in the ________ part of the communication process.

Which of the following is an example of an internal disruption in the decoding process?

Jeanette is offended when she notices that only masculine pronouns are used in the company's human resources manual. This decoding problem is a result of ________.

Joe follows up with one of his direct reports by phone after sending an email with instructions for completing a project. During the call, he asks if the receiver has any questions about the e-mail. Joe is attempting to ensure successful communication with ________ .

As her supervisor explains a new procedure, Rachel nods her head. Rachel's response is an example of ________.

You are talking with the president of your company about a possible merger. After she finishes speaking, you respond, "If I understand you correctly, your recommendation is that we go through with the merger." You are providing what type of feedback?

Robert says that he will answer his client's questions "as soon as possible." Robert plans to answer the questions by early next week; his client expects the answers by the end of the day. This misunderstanding results from ________.

Hannah posts her résumé on the websites of several companies. Unfortunately, it is poorly formatted and contains several spelling and grammar errors. What kind of communication barrier may this cause?

Alex is having trouble concentrating on a report he is reading because his smartphone keeps ringing and his colleagues keep sending him text messages. What kind of communication barrier is this?

While conducting an orientation session for new employees, Clayton noticed looks of confusion on the faces of some listeners. He then paused and asked his audience, "What questions do you have so far?" Clayton was striving to overcome communication barriers by ________.

Which of the following statements about business writing is most accurate?

The best business writing is purposeful, economical, and ________.

Which of the following takes place during the first phase of the 3-x-3 writing process?

Which of the following occurs during the second phase of the 3-x-3 writing process?

As a technical support rep, Michael is responding to a customer's question sent to him via e-mail. What should Michael's first task be?

Sofia is an event planner and is responding to an e-mail request from a client. What should Sofia do during the second phase of the writing process?

Jorge is working on a sales brochure to promote a new product. Which of the following will Jorge do during the third phase of the writing process?

Which of the following statements about the 3-x-3 writing process is most accurate?

Deborah is writing a proposal to solicit business from a potential client. She should expect to spend the most time on ________.

The primary purpose of messages that explain procedures, announce meetings, answer questions, and transmit findings is to ________.

Victoria is writing an e-mail message to her colleagues to encourage them to take part in a charitable fund-raiser. Her primary purpose is to ________.

Devon is writing an e-mail message to a customer to tell him that the customer's order has been shipped. His primary purpose is to ________.

A company's annual report describes the company's efforts to give back to the community. The primary purpose of this report is to ________; the secondary purpose is to ________.

Which of the following statements about anticipating and profiling your audience is most accurate?

Omar is writing an e-mail message about a new delivery service. In anticipating and profiling the audience, he should ________.

You are in charge of preparing a sales brochure and must profile your audience. What question should you ask to profile your primary audience?

Determining whether a message will be transmitted by e-mail or delivered in person is part of ________.

When choosing the best channel for your message, you should consider the importance of the message, the amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required, the necessity of a permanent record, the cost of the channel, the degree of formality desired, the confidentiality and sensitivity of the message, and _________.

Because of budget cutbacks, you must lay off your receptionist. What is the best way for you to deliver this message?

________ is the process of creating a message that suits your audience.

So that your needs can better be met in the future, please complete the online survey about your recent flight with Southwest Airlines is an example of ________.

Which sentence best illustrates the "you" view?

Francis is starting his first full-time job after graduating from college, and he knows that his written messages will help him develop his professional brand. What is the best advice you can give him?

Which of the following sentences uses conversational, middle-level diction?

You want your writing to sound positive and courteous. Which of the following sentences has the best choice of wording?

Mary is responding to Jim's portion of a team document. Which of the following approaches would be most constructive in suggesting that he make a change? ?

Which of the following sentences uses bias-free language?

Which of the following is the best wording to avoid racial, ethnic, age, and disability bias?

You want to simplify your language and use short, familiar words that your audience will recognize. Which of the following sentences has the best wording?

You want to use precise, vigorous words to give your readers more information and keep them interested. Which of the following sentences has the best wording?

Select the most accurate statement about team writing.

Kendra is part of a team that will be preparing a presentation to the board of directors about a new product idea. What will her team likely do the first time they meet?

Anthony is part of a virtual team collaborating on a written proposal. Which of the following collaboration tools can help his team work together on this shared document?

Choose the most effective way to revise the following sentence for positive emphasis: Students cannot park in Lot C until August 25.?

Rodney wants to motivate his sales force to increase sales in the upcoming quarter. Which channel should he choose to be the most persuasive??

The suggestion to make business messages economical refers to? ________.

As her supervisor explains a new procedure, Lisa paraphrases the steps back to him over the phone. Lisa's response is an example of ________.