Questions and Answers of Excellence In Business Communication

Imagine that you have just been asked to construct four microblog posts (which must not exceed 140 characters each) with the intent of supporting a class on the importance of communication for your
Why is the “you” attitude particularly important with long or complex reports and proposals?a. The “you” attitude takes less time to write, so you’ll save considerable time with long
Which of these sentences has the most formal tone?a. We discuss herein the possibility of synergistic development strategies between our firm and U.S. Medical.b. This report explores the potential
If packaging and presentation are only superficial, why are they so important in proposal writing?a. Readers tend to prejudge the quality of your products and services based on the quality of your
Which of the following is the most effectively worded link to a web page that describes a company’s products and services?a. Click here to learn more about what we do.b. Learn more about our
Why is consistency important in visual design?a. It shows the audience that you’re not wasting precious time doing artistic designs.b. It reduces confusion by eliminating arbitrary changes that
Which of the following is not a good reason to use a visual in a report?a. To communicate more effectively with multilingual audiencesb. To help unify the separate parts of a process, an
Which of the following sections should be included in any résumé, regardless of the format you’ve chosen?a. Contact information, education, and work experienceb. Contact information, education,
A company’s stakeholders area. any individuals or groups affected in a significant way by the company’s activities.b. anyone who owns shares in the company.c. employees, except for unionized
Which of the following is the best definition of professionalism?a. Adding an extra touch of polish to every communication projectb. Always doing at least 10 percent more than is expected of youc.
The ability to evaluate evidence completely and objectively in order to form logical conclusions and make sound recommendations is known asa. precision research.b. critiquing.c. critical thinking.d.
The informal communication network in an organizationa. consists of all communication that occurs outside the formal communication network.b. encompasses all business communication, as long as it
Senders________ ideas into messages, and receivers________ those messages to extract the ideas.
In the communication process, feedback refers toa. negative criticism in response to miscommunication.b. positive evaluations at any level of the organization.c. verbal or nonverbal messages sent
Which of the following is not listed in the chapter as a type of communication barrier?a. Attendance policiesb. Noise and distractionsc. Competing messagesd. Filters
Selective attention is defined asa. focusing on a subset of incoming stimuli or information sources and ignoring others.b. focusing on only positive, stimulating messages.c. a computer-assisted
Which of the following does the chapter list as a potential disadvantage of the social communication model?a. The inability to share live camera imagesb. The reluctance of new employees to engage on
Which of these is not one of the benefits of business communication technology listed in the chapter?a. Making communication more effectiveb. Giving companies more ways to monitor employees and
The situation in which people receive more information than they can effectively process is known as________ ________.
Which of these best describes the use of artificial intelligence in business today?a. Only high-tech companies use AI today, although others might in the future.b. AI is now used extensively in
Giving computers the ability to understand language in the ways humans tend to speak and write is known asa. human language processing.b. natural language processing.c. computer speak.d. artificial
Ethical communicationa. is the same thing as legal communication.b. costs more because there are so many rules to consider.c. is important only for companies that sell to consumers rather than to
The set of skills that include the ability to access, assess, interpret, manipulate, summarize, and communicate data is known as ________ ________.
Why are communication skills important for your career in relation to the changing nature of employment?
Should managers try to shut down the informal communication network if they discover that employees are spreading negative gossip or false rumors? Why or why not?
How do competing messages interfere with the process of communication and lead to misunderstanding?
Why are businesses investing in AI-driven communication tools?
You’re part of an interview panel for a unique and pivotal position in your organization and have reached the point where the final choice is between two candidates.Candidate 1 is from outside your
Write a short personal statement of three to five lines for an online job application, CV, or professional social media site. Demonstrate how your skills and abilities benefit the organization that
Write four tweets to persuade other college students to take the business communication course. Think of the first message as the “headline” of an advertisement that makes a bold promise
Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness Identify a video clip (on YouTube or another online source) that you think represents an example of effective communication. It can be in any
Planning: Assessing Audience Needs, Chapter 3 Assume that you are running for the position of the president of a local sports club, and there is another contender.Although you have administrative
Communication Etiquette: Communicating with Sensitivity and Tact You wish to explore the functions of a more senior role in another department in your organization so that you can decide whether it
Collaboration: Team Projects; Planning: Assessing Audience Needs, Chapter 3, Chapter 5 Your boss has asked you to research and report on corporate child-care facilities. Working with two team members
Planning: Constructing a Persuasive Argument, Chapter 11 In your recent annual development review with your manager, you demonstrated a higher-than-average performance and discussed the possibility
Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness Using a mobile device, visit the websites of three companies that make products or provide services you buy or might buy in the future. Which of
Technology: Using Communication Tools Find two examples of organizations marketing products to you via a platform such as Twitter or Facebook or by email. Using this chapter to help you, identify the
Technology: Using Communication Tools Try the free emotion recognition AI tools at www.affectiva.com/experience-it. Summarize your experience as an end user and offer your thoughts on the business
Communication Ethics: Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Lapses A colleague prone to exaggeration and playing pranks tells you that they borrowed an important piece of the company’s
Communication Ethics: Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Lapses [LO-5] Briefly explain why you think each of the following is or is not ethical.a. Keeping quiet about a possible
Communication Ethics: Providing Ethical Leadership Cisco, a leading manufacturer of equipment for the internet and corporate networks, has a code of ethics that it expects employees to abide by.
Turn to the Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage at the end of this book and review all of Section 1.1 (Nouns). Then look at the following 10 items and select the preferred choice within each
Each of the following sentences contains at least one error in spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviation, number style, word division, or vocabulary. Rewrite each sentence,
The following paragraphs contains a variety of errors, potentially involving spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviation, number style, word division, or vocabulary.Identify them
Which of the following is not one of the unique challenges of listening discussed in the chapter?a. The fact that listening is a real-time experienceb. The lack of emphasis that mid- and upper-level
How does the brain’s ability to process language faster than people can speak present a challenge to effective listening?a. The mind has a lot of excess processing capacity while listening, and if
__________ listening occurs when people try to protect their egos by tuning out anything that doesn’t confirm their beliefs or their view of themselves.
If you are analyzing the logic behind a speaker’s conclusions and recommendations, which style of listening are you using?a. Content listeningb. Defensive listeningc. Empathic listeningd. Critical
Making a conscious effort to engage with other people and to turn off your internal filters and biases to truly hear and understand what they are saying is known as __________ __________.
Which of the following is true about nonverbal signals?a. They convey 93 percent of the information in a spoken exchange.b. They convey 7 percent of the information in a spoken exchange.c. They can
Which of the following is not one of the categories of nonverbal signals discussed in the chapter?a. Facial expressionsb. Vocal characteristicsc. Gesture and postured. Positional power
Which of the following is the best general advice about touch in the workplace?a. Touch is a complex subject best left to individual interpretation.b. Avoid touching anyone under any circumstances.c.
Which of these is the best strategy for interpreting nonverbal signals while you are listening to someone speak in person?a. Use nonverbal signals as a guide to interpretation, but don’t assume
Which of these is not one of the potential benefits identified in the chapter of unplanned, informal conversations that take place during a typical workday?a. They present rare opportunities to get a
How should you prepare yourself for a conversation that might involve unwelcome information, such as a performance review from your boss?a. Remind yourself where you stand in the corporate
Which of these is a good reason to ask questions indirectly rather than directly during a conversation?a. To indicate that you are listening with empathyb. To avoid stirring up trouble by being too
Why is it important to prepare thoroughly before having a difficult conversation?a. Preparation helps ensure that the conversation won’t get sidetracked with heated arguments over details.b.
Which of these is not one of the categories of conflict causes discussed in the chapter?a. Structuralb. Psychologicalc. Situationald. Interpersonal
Conflict can be __________ if it forces important issues into the open, increases the involvement of team members, or generates creative ideas for solving a problem.
Conflict is __________ if it saps productivity, damages morale, or threatens to spread to other people in the organization.
Why is it important to take the time required to identify the true source of conflict before attempting to resolve it?a. Failing to do so leaves a company vulnerable to legal action.b. Conflict is
If two people involved in a conflict about work methods decide to work together to create a new process that will be better for the entire team, which strategy of conflict resolution are they
Which of these best characterizes negotiation in a business context?a. If you don’t try to drive a hard bargain, you will always be taken advantage of.b. It is a process of mutual compromise, in
What are the three essential steps in preparing for a negotiation?a. Understanding and clarifying your own position, evaluating the other party’s position, and assessing the situationb. Itemizing
In negotiation, your __________ is the sum of values you would like to achieve through negotiation.a. final offerb. best alternativec. targetd. demands
The bargaining zone in a negotiation isa. the physical or virtual space in which the negotiation will take place.b. the overlap between the two parties’ individual negotiation ranges.c. the gap
You manage your company’s software development lab, which has added several dozen new employees over the past year. One of the senior developers runs into you at lunch and starts to unload his
Assume again that you are the lab manager from Question 2-1, and you have listened to the senior developer’s barely contained rant for five minutes or so. At this point, you’d like to shift the
Assume you are an art director at an advertising agency, where your responsibilities are partnering with various copywriters to brainstorm the concepts for new ads and then working on your own to
Interpersonal Communication: Listening Actively Your name has been proposed for the position of school representative for the next academic term.You have been told by management to improve your
Nonverbal Communication: Analyzing Nonverbal Signals Write a list of the categories of nonverbal communications identified in this chapter. Take this list, a notebook, and a pen into a public
Interpersonal Communication: Conversational Skills Think about the last two unscheduled, informal conversations you have had on matters related to work or school. Were the conversations satisfying or
Interpersonal Communication: Conversational Skills Pair off with another student and initiate a conversation in which one of you will express concerns about the way one of your courses is progressing
Interpersonal Communication: Conversational Skills Watch any TED video that interests you(www.ted.com/talks). As you are watching, imagine that you are in a live conversation with the presenter, and
Interpersonal Communication: Conflict Resolution In teams assigned by your instructor, identify a conflict that one of you has experienced during your college years, such as a lab project where the
Interpersonal Communication: Negotiation Visit www.salary.com and in the “Individuals” section, identify a job that you could conceivably apply for as you approach graduation, given your major,
Turn to the Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage at the end of this book and review all of Section 1.2 (Pronouns). Then look at the following 10 items and select the preferred choice within each
Has everyone supplied (his, their, his or her) Social Security number?6. After giving every employee (his, their,a) raise, George told(them, they, all) about the increased workload.7. Cherise and Tim
Each of the following sentences contains at least one error in spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviation, number style, word division, or vocabulary. Rewrite each sentence,
Which of these is a potential advantage of cross-functional teams?a. They help ensure that lines of responsibility remain distinct by keeping various functional areas within their own “silos.”b.
Which of these is not listed in the chapter as a characteristic of effective teams?a. A belief in the value of the team’s effortsb. A net reduction in managerial responsibilityc. A shared sense of
_________are informal standards of conduct that members share and that guide member behavior.
The storming stage of team development refers toa. tackling a big goal, as in “storming the castle.”b. when a team disbands because of internal conflict.c. when a team disbands because it has met
Which of these is not listed in the chapter as one of the potential disadvantages of virtual teams?a. Missing out on the random interactions that co-located teams experienceb. The sense of emotional
________ ________, also called ________ ________, focuses on the process and outcomes of communication, not on the people involved.
Which of these is an example of destructive feedback?a. I had to read the introduction twice to understand the key points.b. Can you expand on the reasoning behind your conclusion?c. This
How does change tracking differ from commenting tools in a word-processing or document publishing app?a. They are different terms for the same tool.b. Change tracking prevents editors from making
What is the first step in preparing for a meeting?a. Distribute a clear and detailed agendab. Decide who should attendc. Get approval from department or division managementd. Verify that a meeting is
Whose responsibility is it to make sure a meeting stays focused and moving toward its objective?a. The manager who called the meetingb. The meeting leader or facilitatorc. Everyone in the meetingd.
________ ________is a time-tested system of rules and guidelines for planning and running large meetings.
What is the written record of the discussion points and decisions from a meeting called?a. Records fileb. Minutesc. Paper traild. Meeting countdown
The mental exhaustion that can set in when people are expected to attend too many virtual meetings is commonly known asa. groupthink.b. Zoom fatigue.c. burnout.d. mental weardown.
What do effective listening, conversational skills, conflict resolution, teamwork, collaboration, and productive meetings have in common?a. Because they are listed on nearly all employee evaluation
Which of these is true about etiquette in a virtual workplace?a. Etiquette standards are much lower than in the physical workplace.b. Etiquette choices still matter and can still negatively affect
Which of these is a wise approach to social media etiquette?a. Unless you are posting on your company’s Facebook or Twitter account, you don’t need to worry about etiquette.b. Whenever you
How might team norms encourage groupthink?
If a team doesn’t “storm” when it starts working, is this necessarily cause for concern? Why or why not?
Why is it essential to start with a detailed outline if you are going to divide up the writing work on a collaborative project?
Does constructive feedback necessarily need to be positive?Explain your answer.
If the purpose of a meeting is to brainstorm new product names, does it make sense to have a structured agenda?Explain your answer.

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