BAM 312 Unit 1-4 Exam Multiple Choice Questions with Answers................

Unit 1

1. When it comes to communication skills, employers express particular frustration with ____________.

a. male workers

b. employees whose first language is not English

c. experienced workers who shun new technologies

d. recent college graduates who haven’t learned how to adapt to a professional environment

2. Which of the following is not a characteristic of effective business messages?

a. They provide practical information.

b. They highlight and summarize essential information.

c. They state precise audience responsibilities.

d. They present the writer’s opinions as facts.

3. The term corporate culture refers to ____________.

a. a company’s sponsorship of events such as concerts and plays

b. the extent to which corporations dominate a particular culture

c. the mixture of values, traditions, and habits that give a company its atmosphere and personality

d. the number of organizational levels within a corporation

4. Every organization has a(n) ____________.

a. intranet

b. extranet

c. tall communication structure

d. informal communication network

5. In the first step of the communication process, the sender ____________.

a. has an idea

b. chooses a communication channel

c. decides what to say

d. chooses a communication medium

6. Whereas Business Communication 1.0 tends to emphasize ______, Business Communication 2.0 focuses more on _____________.

a. collaboration; isolation

b. discussion; lecture

c. control; influence

d. permission; intrusion

7. All of the following are examples of unethical communication except

a. distorting visuals

b. plagiarism

c. selective misquoting

d. using jargon

8. To help establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior, many companies provide employees a written _____________.

a. code of ethics

b. ethics audit

c. ethical lapse

d. ethical dilemma

9. Which of the following is not a way teams help organizations to succeed?

a. increase information and knowledge

b. increase groupthink among members

c. increase diversity of views

d. increase performance levels

10. Groupthink refers to ____________.

a. the willingness of individual group members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions, even when those objections are legitimate, and to favor majority opinion

b. the basic rules that underlie a group’s behavior and guide the group to make its decisions that operates primarily in large groups but can also be seen in small groups

c. software programs that help groups make decisions

d. the four-step decision-making process in groups

11. You and several coworkers serve on a task force charged with updating the company personnel policy manual. To proceed effectively, you should concentrate on_________.

a. ensuring that all members have a clear and shared sense of purpose

b. pointing out as many typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors as possible

c. making other team members feel good

d. doing all of the above

12. ___________ are informal standards of conduct that team members share.

a. Rules of parliamentary procedure

b. Group maintenance roles

c. Robert’s Rules

d. Group norms

13. If you are engaging in critical listening, your goal is to ____________.

a. understand and retain information

b. appreciate the speaker’s point of view

c. understand the speaker’s feelings, needs, and wants

d. evaluate the logic and validity of the message

14. In part, poor listening occurs because listeners ____________.

a. concentrate on each word the speaker says rather than the overall point

b. can think faster than speakers can speak

c. are unable to think originally

d. do all of the above.

15. When introducing yourself to someone in a business context, you should always include a brief description of ____________.

a. your company’s history

b. one of your personal interests or hobbies

c. your role in the company

d. all of the above

16. Using mobile phones during meetings is _____________.

a. an effective way to show your professionalism

b. now restricted or prohibited in many organizations

c. routine in today’s high-tech workplace

d. all of the above

17. Culture influences a person’s understanding of _____________.

a. nonverbal signals

b. use of time and space

c. words

d. all of the above

18. To convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany, people rely more on ____________.

a. explicit verbal communication

b. indirectness and metaphors

c. situational cues

d. gestures and vocal inflection

19. Women executives who travel abroad ____________.

a. should insist on meeting only with other female executives

b. can count on being treated with respect, regardless of the countries they visit

c. may not be taken seriously as businesspeople, depending on the culture

d. should always assume that they will not be taken seriously as businesspeople

20. When writing letters to businesspeople in other countries, you should

a. make generous use of transitional words and phrases

b. be vague and general in your wording

c. use an informal, friendly tone

d. keep your sentences and paragraphs long

21. When preparing a message to someone from another culture, you should__________.

a. be careful to express numbers and dates in the format used in that person’s culture

b. never write more than a single paragraph

c. be sure to remove all graphics, in case they might offend someone

d. assume that the audience is familiar with common U.S. phrases and references

22. The three primary steps involved in preparing a business message are ____________.

a. defining the purpose, the main idea, and the topic

b. satisfying the audience’s informational, motivational, and practical needs

c. planning, writing, and completing

d. informing, persuading, and collaborating

23. In developing business messages, the step during which you step back to see whether you have expressed your ideas clearly is ____________.

a. writing

b. feedback

c. planning

d. completing

24. A knowledge-management system ____________.

a. is a tool for creating a bibliography when writing long reports

b. helps companies limit the amount of information employees store on the network

c. is a centralized database of experiences and insights of employees throughout an

organization

d. enables organizations to test employees periodically to ensure they are doing adequate

research

25. After sending project cost estimates to a longtime client, you realize you failed to include information on some discount options. The best thing to do is ____________.

a. take no action

b. blame someone else

c. start looking for a new job

d. contact the primary audience immediately and correct the error

1. Explain the increasing dependence on knowledge workers in business and provide at least two examples that illustrate the value of information in today’s economy.

Unit 2

1. In part because of limited opportunities for feedback, written and most forms of electronic communication require _____________ than oral communication.

a. more informality

b. fewer nouns

c. less care

d. more tact

2. Select the sentence with the most positive emphasis:

a. Because of Joan’s inaccurate figures on the Haymen project, we are not finished with

the process audit.

b. We haven’t completed the process audit.

c. We hope to complete the process audit by Friday.

d. We failed to complete the process audit on time.

3. A euphemism is a word or phrase that is ____________.

a. possibly offensive

b. general or abstract in meaning

c. a milder term for one with negative connotations

d. highly technical

4. The preferred title for women in business is ______________, unless the individual says otherwise.

a. Madam

b. Mrs.

c. Miss

d. Ms.

5. In business messages, using terms such as “if,” “hope,” and “trust” is __________.

a. usually a bad idea since it takes away from the writer’s credibility

b. common courtesy

c. a good way to show your modesty

d. acceptable for very formal contexts

6. Which of the following is not an example of pompous language?

a. We wish to inform you

b. Please be advised that

c. We are in receipt of

d. Please let us know

7. Which of the following sentences contains the strongest and most effective wording?

a. Given the parameters of the situation, the most propitious choice would be to make

adjustments in certain budget areas.

b. Someone’s going to need to do some budget cutting around here or heads will roll.

c. We need to cut the operating budget by 12 percent or profits will plummet.

d. Perusal of budgetary figures reveal that a 12 percent reduction in operations is called for if we are to stave off a negative impact on profits.

8. The rules of grammar and usage ____________.

a. used to be very complex but have become simpler than ever

b. are complex and some evolve over time

c. no longer matter in business writing

d. have not changed in decades and tend to remain constant over time

9. Boilerplate is ____________.

a. a piece of computer hardware used to increase modem speed

b. a standard block of text used in various documents without being changed

c. a machine used in professional printing

d. a list of most-used email addresses

10. When evaluating the work of others, you should ____________.

a. make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you begin suggesting or making

changes

b. avoid talking with the writer about the document since other readers may not have that

opportunity

c. compare the other person’s writing style with your own, and if yours is better, rewrite the document in your own style

d. talk with the writer about his or her intent only after you suggest changes since this is a good way to test the effectiveness of the document

11. “Visible to the eye” is an example of _____________.

a. a cliché

b. the passive voice

c. obsolete language

d. redundancy

12. Starting a sentence with “It is” or “There are” is _____________.

a. a sign that you are using active voice

b. a sign that you are using passive voice

c. perfectly acceptable and you need not try to rewrite the sentence

d. usually a sign that the sentence could be shorter and more active

13. A spell checker ____________.

a. cannot automatically correct misspelled words as you type

b. has eliminated the need for proofreading

c. suggests synonyms

d. highlights words it doesn’t recognize

14. A computer thesaurus _____________.

a. suggests correct spelling

b. highlights phrases in passive voice

c. can help you find just the right word for a given situation

d. catches punctuation as well as grammar errors

15. Centered margins _____________.

a. are best for headings and tables

b. make the document easier to read

c. create a cleaner look because of increased white space along the right margin

d. help get audience members’ attention, even before they start to read

16. Which of the following is not true of instant messaging?

a. It is widely utilized in business

b. It allows a rapid response to urgent messages

c. It is less susceptible to security and privacy problems

d. It costs more than phone calls or email

17. When it comes to writing messages in today’s business environment, _____.

a. printed letters are obsolete

b. email has completely replaced printed memos for all internal communication

c. printed letters are still best for some forms of communication

d. printed letters are used primarily for negative messages

18. Overusing the “cc” function when sending email ____________.

a. is a violation of email hygiene

b. is a good way to protect yourself in a hostile work environment

c. can waste a great deal of time by generating more reply messages than necessary

d. is no longer a big deal since very few people pay attention to these messages

19. Email ____________.

a. should follow the convention of other business writing in formal situations

b. is the best medium for internal messages, regardless of their content

c. should never be longer than one screen

d. does not need to be proofread

20. Which of the following is an example of an effective subject line for an email requesting information about the August inventory for bananas?

a. Please send the August banana inventory

b. Banana inventories

c. Banana information needed

d. Information needed

21. One of the greatest drawbacks to using podcasts in business is ____________.

a. the high cost of distributing them

b. the difficulty of scanning back and forth to find specific parts of the message

c. they require costly, specialized equipment you’ll need to purchase regardless of the production quality you want

d. people find online video and audio to be intimidating

22. In the body of a routine request, you should ____________.

a. explain and justify your request

b. explain what will happen if the audience does not do what you are asking

c. beg the reader to grant your request

d. give your sales pitch

23. Before volunteering someone’s name as a reference, always ____________.

a. list that person’s address and phone number for ease of contact

b. ask that person’s permission

c. assume you have permission to do so

d. describe your relationship with that person

24. If you have serious concerns about the qualifications of a job candidate who has asked you for a recommendation, it is best to ____________.

a. keep them to yourself

b. state your opinion strongly since it is protected by the First Amendment

c. refuse to write the recommendation

d. include others’ criticisms to support your statements

25. Excluding important negative information about a candidate in a recommendation letter _____________.

a. is expected; otherwise, no one would be able to get a good job

b. has led some employers to sue after hiring the candidate and discovering problems

c. is okay, as long as you explain to the candidate that you are doing it

d. is the only way to prevent the candidate from suing you

Briefly explain the difference between the active voice and the passive voice. Include an example of each one.

Unit 3

1. Instead of beginning your negative message with a blunt announcement of the news, you can use ___________.

a. a buffer

b. a combination of the direct and indirect approaches

c. the direct approach

d. the deductive approach

2. If up to now you have failed to respond to a request, a buffer ____________.

a. automatically misleads the reader

b. explains why you have so far not responded to the request

c. ignores the request altogether

d. comes right out and says no to the request

3. An effective indirect opening for a negative message would be:

a. Your résumé clearly shows why you are interested in becoming a management trainee

with our company.

b. I’m sorry to say I have some bad news.

c. In reply to your application for the management position, I am sorry to say that we can not use you.

d. We have no openings at this time.

4. One way to be tactful when giving your reasons for bad news is to ____________.

a. explain that the decision is based on company policy

b. explain why the decision is good for you and your company

c. highlight, if possible, how your negative decision benefits the recipient

d. apologize for having to be the bearer of bad news

5. In the close of a negative message, you should ____________.

a. express concern over possibly losing the reader’s business

b. ask for feedback on whether the decision is acceptable to the reader

c. encourage the person to write or call to discuss the situation further

d. avoid uncertainty

6. To avoid being accused of defamation, you should ____________.

a. refuse to communicate with unhappy clients

b. frequently refer to company policy

c. make it clear to disgruntled customers that you refuse to be intimidated

d. avoid any kind of behavior that could be considered abusive

7. When you need to inform employees that a benefit or privilege will be eliminated, ____________.

a. use as many hedging words as possible

b. the best approach is to leak the news as a rumor rather than make a public announcement

c. use the direct approach

d. minimize the impact of the bad news by presenting it in as positive a light as possible

8. A letter rejecting a job applicant should ____________.

a. be as long as possible

b. avoid explaining why he or she was not selected

c. be as personal as possible

d. point out the applicant’s shortcomings

9. The purpose of the interest section of a persuasive message is to ____________.

a. increase the audience’s desire to take the action recommended in the message

b. get the reader to act immediately

c. show that your product is well-suited to your audience

d. capture attention

10. An effective ending for a persuasive message would be which of the following?

a. Be sure to tell all your friends about this exciting offer.

b. Wouldn’t you like to save some money?

c. Please respond as soon as possible because this offer is not likely to last very long.

d. Simply take the enclosed coupon to any of our service centers by June 15 for your free

oil and filter change.

11. The key to a successful action phase in the AIDA model is ____________.

a. creating a win-lose situation, with you as the winner

b. getting readers to change their minds

c. increasing the audience’s awareness of your product or service

d. making the action you propose simple and easy

12. When writing a persuasive request for action, you should ____________.

a. avoid flattery

b. ask for more than you actually want so that you’ll have a cushion for negotiation

c. demonstrate that helping you will solve a significant problem

d. use the hard-sell approach

13. Which of the following would not be an effective technique for gaining audience attention in sales messages?

a. explaining how your product offers a solution to a problem

b. emphasizing how badly you need some sales to remain open

c. promising savings

d. stating your product’s strongest benefit

14. The interest phase of a sales message should ____________.

a. emphasize attractive features and important details

b. help the audience understand how your idea will benefit them

c. avoid any attempts at answering potential objections

d. begin with a “hard sell” that makes audiences want to hear more

15. Unlike more traditional promotional messages, those written for social media ____________.

a. enable companies to engage in conversations about their products and services

b. save money by allowing companies to rely on the news media to distribute important

messages

c. allow for less transparency and openness with customers

d. are less interactive

16. A problem statement ____________.

a. defines the purpose of your research

b. should be long and complex

c. is an unsupportable claim or assertion

d. outlines all the potential drawbacks of your research

17. Sources of secondary information include ____________.

a. first-hand observation

b. newspapers and periodicals

c. in-person interviews

d. experiments

18. In evaluating material you have gathered for a report, you should _____________.

a. assume that any information taken from a webpage will be credible and reliable

b. check to make sure the material is current

c. ignore government documents

d. throw out any information whose source is an organization that might be biased

19. Which of the following is not true of conventional search engines?

a. They return to previously identified websites to look for changes.

b. Not all search engines operate in the same way.

c. They travel the web automatically, identifying new websites.

d. They access the deep Internet or hidden Internet.

20. Recommendations differ from conclusions in that recommendations _____________.

a. always come at the end of the report

b. suggest a clear course of action

c. interpret evidence

d. are always acceptable to readers

21. The recommendations you make in a report should be _____________.

a. what the audience wants to hear

b. the same as the conclusions

c. practical and offer clear guidance on next steps

d. easy to implement

22. U.S. government research shows that about _____________ percent of the adult population in the U.S. has the literacy skills needed for success in today’s workplace.

a. 75

b. 50

c. 10

d. 1

23. A surface chart is ____________.

a. used to show interrelationships within an organization

b. a type of three-dimensional pie chart

c. a form of line chart in which all the lines add up to the top line

d. a type of map showing various terrains

24. A bar chart would be particularly useful for ____________.

a. comparing sales totals of three breakfast cereals from 2007 to 2009

b. illustrating what percentages of a company’s monthly budget are spent on utilities and

other expenses

c. showing the stages in production of a jet engine

d. depicting links between employees at a large firm

25. A chart that uses symbols or graphic images instead of words or numbers to portray data is called a ____________.

a. pictogram

b. combination chart

c. Gantt chart

d. surface chart

Ques. List the three major disadvantages of Internet search engines, then briefly describe other electronic research tools that overcome those shortcomings.

Unit 4

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

a. a controversial statement

b. an infinitive phrase

c. complex language

d. jargon

2. Which of the following is not an infinitive phrase?

a. to determine

b. to think clearly

c. to our loyal customers

d. to prioritize and organize

3. Which of the following is the least clear statement of purpose?

a. “To answer the question, ‘Which of four investments will provide the highest return?’ “

b. “To analyze four potential investments.”

c. “To evaluate and make recommendations based on data.”

d. “To determine which of four alternative investments will have the highest return.”

4. A formal work plan includes all of the following except ____________.

a. a statement of the purpose and scope of your investigation

b. plans for following up after delivering the report

c. a statement of the problem or opportunity addressed in your report

d. plans for what will happen if funds for the project are cancelled

5. When selecting media for a report, ____________.

a. you should choose the ones that are most economical

b. you should choose the ones that are most convenient

c. your decisions should reflect your audience’s expectations

d. you should always present your report in writing

6. The CEO of a pharmaceutical company asks you to assess the company’s adherence to laws governing television ads for prescription drugs. The CEO has requested a ____________.

a. compliance report

b. work plan

c. policy report

d. personal activity report

7. For most audiences, reading online is _______ than reading from a printed page.

a. easier

b. more difficult

c. much faster

d. neither easier nor more difficult

8. Which of the following is not a common organizational format for analytical reports?

a. focusing on conclusions

b. focusing on logical argument

c. focusing on information

d. focusing on recommendations

9. The 2 + 2 = 4 approach _____________.

a. is far more complicated than any other organizational strategy

b. generally works only with lengthy, no routine reports

c. is the first logical argument strategy to try

d. is the only approach that is appropriate for any business report

10. The writing style for a report should be more formal if ____________.

a. you know your readers reasonably well

b. the report is relatively short

c. the subject is controversial or complex

d. your report is internal

11. In the close of a report intended to prompt sales personnel to meet specific goals, you should ____________.

a. make sure your readers understand exactly what’s expected of them and when it’s

expected

b. imply that they will be fired if the goals are not achieved

c. instruct your audience to contact you about what they should do next

d. provide hints on what the audience should do so you don’t sound like you’re giving

orders

12. The introduction of a solicited proposal ____________.

a. should downplay the magnitude of the problem you’re addressing

b. need not be as detailed as that of an unsolicited proposal

c. should refer specifically to the RFP that initiated it

d. is expected to be much longer than that of an unsolicited proposal

13. In a proposal to install an air conditioning system, statements such as “Our company has over 25 years of experience installing heating, plumbing, and air conditioning systems” should appear in what section?

a. Close

b. Body

c. Introduction

d. Appendix

14. Smooth transitions between sections and links to other documents and sources of information are important ____________.

a. in any report longer than 2 pages

b. in print reports, but not in those published online

c. whether your report appears in print or online

d. in online reports, but not usually necessary in written ones

15. Which of the following would be the most effective review in a formal report?

a. Now that the body of the report is finished, supporting evidence needs to be provided.

b. The next segment illustrates potential challenges that our company faces in the coming

decade.

c. As this section has shown, our current marketing strategy is highly effective.

d. Having outlined the details, I will now offer a few other points.

16. When drafting content for online reports, it is helpful to use the inverted pyramid style of organization in which you ____________.

a. make readers believe you are headed in one direction and reveal your true intentions at

the end

b. cover the most important information first and then gradually reveal more detail

c. walk readers through arguments you don’t support and then explain why

d. cover the least important information first and work your way to the main idea

17. A letter of ____________ is a specialized cover letter that introduces your report to the audience.

a. acceptance

b. transmittal

c. authorization

d. introduction

18. The recommended format for a table of contents for a complex formal report should include ____________.

a. everything but prefatory parts

b. every level of heading in the report plus all illustration and table titles

c. everything but supplementary parts

d. two tables: a high-level table with only major headings and a detailed table with all

other headings

19. Which of the following is not a typical function of the introduction to a report?

a. telling the audience what the report is about

b. outlining how the report is organized

c. documenting sources

d. explaining to readers why they should be concerned about the topic

20. The prefatory parts of a formal proposal may include ____________.

a. an index

b. a copy of the RFP

c. visual elements

d. a letter of authorization

21. You’re sending an unsolicited proposal to a local restaurant in an effort to become their primary food vendor. The letter of transmittal to accompany the proposal should follow the format for ____________ messages.

a. bad-news

b. persuasive

c. good-news

d. routine

22. Speeches and oral presentations are much like any other messages in that _________.

a. the interaction between the audience and speaker is similar

b. they deal with emotional or personal issues to a similar extent

c. they require no planning

d. they require similar planning

23. “Now that we’ve identified the problem, let’s take a look at some solutions” is an example of a ____________.

a. transition that can link two sentences, but not two sections of speech

b. good transition between major sections of a speech

c. transition that is overly specific and promises too much

d. transition that fails to use the proper transitional phrase

24. At the close of a business presentation, ____________.

a. you should avoid making it obvious that you’re about to finish

b. be clear about what you want the audience to do next

c. audiences resent being reminded of the presentation’s main ideas

d. audience attention tends to reach its lowest point

25. The most effective and easiest mode of speech delivery in nearly all situations is ___________.

a. memorization

b. impromptu speaking

c. speaking from an outline or notes

d. reading from a prepared script

Ques. How does the primary function of upward-flowing communication differ from that of downward- flowing communication?