Quiz 5 – Business Writing – Flashcards

The use of we-voice in a business message a) indicates that the writer is slanting the message. b) indicates that the writer has not reached any conclusions. c) fails to reflect the interests of the audience. d) emphasizes the writer's shared interests with the reader. e) decreases the credibility of the message.

In a business message, the function of a call to action is to a) summarize your message in a short, memorable away. b) explicitly state what you want readers to do. c) support the main message with evidence and opinions. d) outline the organizational structure for the reader. e) orient the message to the needs of the readers.

Which of the following is typically included in the drafting stage of writing an effective business message? a) double-checking everything b) setting a positive and other-oriented tone c) identifying the primary message and key points d) sending the message to be proofread e) ensuring the communication is fair

Jorge, the shipping manager at Durable Products, writes a memo proposing that that they stop using RoadHog Trucking Company and ship everything by L.B. Haines. The reason he gives is that two of the accounts that have been shipping by L.B. Haines during the last year increased their orders by more than 10%, so he is certain that switching trucking firms will cause other accounts to grow too. The executives of the company do not accept Jorge's suggestion. Why was his memo unconvincing? a) exaggeration b) weak analogy c) faulty cause/effect argument d) slanting of facts e) either/or logic

Roberto, a manager at GBN, has to prepare a report about the advantages of introducing a counseling program for employees in his company. In his report, he makes the claim that introducing a counseling program would reduce voluntary turnover because employees would be happier with their pay packages, but he offers no evidence linking counseling with pay. This report failed to effectively deliver the message that Roberto had intended. Which of the following is most likely to be the reason behind this failure? a) either/or logic b) slanting of facts c) exaggeration d) unsupported generalization e) weak analogy

In all business messages, communicators should ideally aim at a) avoiding the other-oriented approach. b) effectively using either/or arguments. c) appropriately exaggerating facts. d) projecting positivity. e) slanting facts to their benefit.

For the past couple of months, many employees working at Exterior Inc. have been quitting their jobs. Jason from the human resources department is given the responsibility of analyzing the reasons behind this problem. After conducting a thorough research, Jason finds that the employees were not happy with their salary and hence had no motivation to work. How will Jason structure his message if he wants to use the deductive, or direct, approach? a) start with a call to action; state the primary message; lay out the supporting reasons b) state the primary message; give the call to action; lay out the supporting reasons c) state the primary message; lay out supporting reasons; conclude with a call to action d) lay out the supporting reasons in careful order; state the primary message e) start with a call to action; lay out the supporting reasons; conclude with the primary message

Sending mixed signals is most likely to a) cause the reader to feel confused. b) result in positive meta messages. c) resolve the conflict between the content and tone of a message. d) increase the credibility of a message. e) increase the flexibility of encoding and decoding.

In the context of writing business messages, which of the following is true? a) Displaying a can-do attitude reduces the credibility of business messages. b) Using diplomatic terms related to your relationships and interactions makes business messages sound phony. c) The practice of slanting increases the credibility of a business message. d) Emphasizing what products and services are, rather than what they are not, makes business messages more positive. e) Using accurately negative terms related to your relationships and interactions makes business messages more other-oriented.

Analyzing a business problem typically involves a) deducing conclusions from facts. b) being flexible and not taking positions. c) imposing your priorities on the situation. d) exaggerating the problem. e) ignoring audience constraints.

Which of the following is most likely to lower a person's credibility? a) slanting facts b) refusing to exaggerate c) using other-oriented approach d) asking for more responsibility e) using strong analogies

To break out of the reputation of an inexperienced newcomer, a person should a) be careful not to waste time on extras like creating a professional blog. b) attend a lot of meetings to get to know as many colleagues as possible. c) incorporate the I-voice in business messages as often as possible. d) avoid taking on higher-responsibility projects. e) stand out from the corporate culture in terms of dress and communication.

______ is the overall evaluation that a reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content. a) Outline b) Tone c) Layout d) Structure e) Framework

Which of the following is the first step in the AIM planning process for developing influential messages? a) idea development b) audience analysis c) message review d) message structuring e) idea analysis

Facts are statements that a) can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty. b) are fictitious in nature. c) are subjective and differ from situation to situation. d) are based on assumptions. e) are inherently ambiguous in nature.

What do the deductive approach and inductive approach to structuring business messages have in common? a) In both, the primary message comes first. b) In both, the arrangement of supporting ideas is important. c) In both, the call to action must be 15 words or less. d) In both, the call to action comes in the middle. e) In both, the supporting ideas come last.

In the course of creating an effective business message, excellent business thinkers are most likely to a) gather information from one strong source rather than from a variety of sources. b) encourage one-way linear thinking and a rigid approach to business problems. c) begin jotting down a rough draft right away to capture their ideas. d) avoid using the other-oriented tone in their text. e) make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions.

_____ involve ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks. a) Facts. b) Conclusions. c) Values. d) Priorities. e) Positions.

Rich needs to choose someone to analyze the following problem and suggest potential solutions: The company is having trouble recruiting employees with the right skills. Which of the following employees should he choose? a) Sonia usually bases her ideas on a single, very popular, human resources journal. b) Vern has a logical mind that generally sees issues as linear, step-by-step processes. c) Will has a knack for explaining complex issues in a clear, understandable way. d) Alexia is the fastest writer in the department and can whip out a draft in no time. e) Berthe is very conventional in her thinking, and she distrusts innovation.