Bovee Bct9 Tif 04

Chapter 4PLANNING BUSINESS MESSAGES

Multiple Choice

1. The three primary steps involved in preparing a business message are a. planning, writing, and completing.b. informing, persuading, and collaborating.c. defining the purpose, the main idea, and the topic.d. satisfying the audience's informational, motivational, and practical

needs.

ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 90; TYPE: concept

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

a. planning stage.b. writing stage.c. completing stage.d. feedback stage.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 91; TYPE: concept

3. In preparing business messages, you should devote about ______ percent of your time to planning.

a. 10b. 20c. 50d. 70


4. Which of the following is not a general purpose common to business communication?

a. To informb. To persuadec. To negotiated. To collaborate


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5. An example of a specific purpose for a business message would be a. to impart information to the audience.b. to inform employees about the new vacation policy.c. to persuade readers to take an action.d. to obtain audience participation and collaboration.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 92; TYPE: application

6. Most messages should not be sent unless they will a. bring about a change.b. increase your chances of being promoted.c. please your boss.d. do all of the above.

ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 92; TYPE: concept

7. A message should be deferred or canceled if a. your news is bad.b. someone else wants to deliver it.c. your audience is highly receptive.d. the timing is wrong.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 93; TYPE: concept

8. Audience analysis is relatively easy when you are communicating with a. strangers.b. co-workers.c. large groups of people.d. customers on a mailing list.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 93; TYPE: concept

9. The primary audience for your message is made up of a. all who receive it.b. the key decision makers in the audience.c. those people with the highest status.d. those people who represent the opinions and attitudes of the majority.


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10. Messages should be especially detailed if a. you expect a favorable response.b. you are unsure about the audience’s level of understanding.c. you and your audience share the same general background.d. all of the above are the case.


11. Educating your audience requires a. providing as much information as possible.b. giving only enough information to accomplish the purpose of the message.c. providing little information, as long as you indicate that you’re open to

any questions that may arise.d. gearing your message to the least informed segment of the audience, even if they are not the key decision makers.

ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 93; TYPE: concept

12. If you face a skeptical audience, try to a. be as straightforward as possible about stating your conclusions and recommendations.b. avoid stating your conclusions and recommendations.c. use less evidence in support of your points.d. introduce your conclusions and recommendations gradually with more proof.


13. Which of the following is not an informal method of gathering information to meet your audience’s needs?

a. Reading reports and other company documentsb. Chatting with supervisors and colleaguesc. Conducting library researchd. Asking your audience for input


14. When meeting your audience’s informational needs, you emphasize ideasa. of greatest interest to the audience.b. that are uncontroversial.c. that will have the least impact on the audience.d. that don’t need supporting evidence.


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15. A good way to test the thoroughness of your business message is to check it for

a. a main idea.b. a purpose.c. the who, what, when, where, why, and how.d. accuracy.


16. If you make an honest mistake, such as giving incorrect information, the best thing to do is

a. take no action.b. blame someone else.c. contact the primary audience immediately and correct the error.d. start looking for a new job.


17. When choosing the appropriate medium for your message, your choices include

a. oral media.b. written media.c. electronic media.d. all of the above.

ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 98; TYPE: concept

18. When you must reach a dispersed audience quickly, which media are most effective?

a. Written mediab. Oral mediac. Electronic mediad. Presentations


19. Telephone calls area. considered an outdated medium by many businesspeople.b. now acceptable only for external communication.c. still a vital communication link for many organizations.d. no longer practical when compared to e-mail.


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20. Which of the following electronic media would be best for sending a brief, unambiguous message that does not require an immediate response?

a. videoconferencingb. voice mailc. videotaped. CD-ROM


21. PDF is aa. widely used format for sending documents electronically.b. popular telephone connectivity service. c. highly technical videoconferencing program.d. type of voice-to-text translation software.


22. In part, media richness refers to a. the cost of sending a message through a particular medium.b. the popularity of a specific medium.c. a medium’s ability to facilitate feedback.d. the difficulties involved with using a particular medium.


23. The richest communication medium is a. a phone call.b. a memo.c. an e-mail.d. a face-to-face conversation.


24. As a new supervisor, you need to introduce yourself to your team of ten employees. The best medium for this type of nonroutine message would be

a. a face-to-face meeting.b. an e-mail.c. a memo. d. a conference call.

ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 100; TYPE: application

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25. Leaner media are best used for messages that a. are routine.b. are highly emotional.c. are nonroutine.d. require feedback.


26. A key advantage of oral communication is a. the ability to plan and control the message.b. the opportunity to meet an audience's information needs.c. the ability to transmit highly complex messages.d. the opportunity to get immediate feedback.


27. A written message is preferable to an oral one when a. immediate feedback is desired.b. the audience is large and geographically dispersed.c. the message is relatively simple.d. the information is controversial.


28. One of the drawbacks of using e-mail is a. its high cost.b. its slow speed.c. its lack of privacy.d. all of the above.

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 101; TYPE: concept

29. Which of the following is not a disadvantage of electronic media?a. High costb. Potential for inadvertently creating tension and conflictc. Tendency for employees to overuse themd. All of the above


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30. In high-context cultures, _________________ media are often more effective than _________________ ones.

a. leaner, richerb. oral, writtenc. foreign, domesticd. none of the above


31. Which of the following formats is most formal?a. E-mailb. Memoc. Blogd. All are equal in formality


32. Which of the following is not an important factor to consider when choosing a medium for your message?

a. Urgencyb. Costc. Gender of the audienced. Confidentiality


33. Which of the following is an example of a message topic? a. “To get the board of directors to increase the research and development budget”b. “Competitors spend more than our company does on research and

development”c. “Funding for research and development”d. “The research and development budget is inadequate in our competitive marketplace”

ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 104-05; TYPE: application

34. When you know your audience will be receptive to your message, it is generally best to organize it using a(n)

a. complex approach.b. indirect approach.c. direct approach.d. none of the above


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35. Whatever the length of your message, you should limit the number of major support points to roughly

a. two.b. three.c. six.d. ten.


True or False

36. When allocating your time among the three stages of the writing process, you should use about a fourth of the time for planning, half the time for writing, and a quarter of the time for completing.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 91; TYPE: concept

37. The three general purposes of business messages are to inform, to persuade, and to collaborate.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 92; TYPE: concept

38. If your message is intended strictly to inform, you control the message and need little interaction with your audience.


39. If the general purpose of your message is to persuade, you will have little control over your message but will have a maximum of audience interaction.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 92; TYPE: concept

40. Collaborative messages are high in audience participation but low in communicator control.


41. There is no point in sending a message if its purpose is not realistic.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 93; TYPE: concept

42. Once you have established your purpose, it’s best to consider whether it is worth pursuing at this time.


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43. No matter how you feel personally about a situation, your communication should reflect your organization’s objectives.


44. When analyzing your audience, you should focus on the key decision makers.


45. As long as your message is clear, the size of your audience should not affect your approach.


46. If you don’t know who your audience will be, there’s no point in trying to guess what would be of interest to them.


47. If you expect your audience to be skeptical, you will need to provide more proof and introduce your conclusions and recommendations more gradually.


48. One informal method for learning more about your audience’s information needs is to ask them directly for input.


49. When you get a vague request for information, the best way to handle it is to provide all the information you can and allow the audience to pick and choose what is useful to them.


50. Good communicators include only the information that their audience has specifically requested.


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51. A helpful way to test the thoroughness of your message is to use the journalistic approach: asking yourself whether you have covered the who, what, where, when, why, and how.


52. Accuracy of information is less important in business communication than in other types of communication.


53. Online sources generally require more careful evaluation than other media.


54. Messages can be unethical simply because certain details have not been included.


55. If you provide inaccurate information in a business message, the best course of action is to say nothing and hope that no one notices.


56. As long as your message is clear, the medium you choose won’t really matter.


57. If you want to emphasize the confidentiality of a message, the preferred medium would be a fax or a memo.


58. In today’s fast-paced environment, traditional business messages rely primarily on visual images, with occasional support from text.


59. Media richness refers to the relative costs of advertising in the various mass media.


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60. Face-to-face communication is the richest medium.


61. Voice mail is a particularly effective medium for lengthy messages.


62. The main advantage of written communication is that the writer has an opportunity to plan and control the message.


63. The biggest drawback to e-mail is that it is underutilized.


64. One advantage of e-mail is its high level of privacy.


65. Instant messaging has quickly become the best medium for sending complex business messages.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 102; TYPE: concept

66. The urgency of your message should help you decide what medium to use.

ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 102; TYPE: concept

67. The best time to organize a message is after you’ve put a draft of it on paper—that way you know exactly what you’re working with.

ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 102-03; TYPE: concept

68. The topic and main idea of a message are basically the same thing.


69. Brainstorming is helpful when working alone but is not an effective way to generate ideas if you are working with others.


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70. In most cases, routine messages should be organized using the indirect approach.


Fill-in-the-Blank

71. Step one of the writing process is ____________________, in which you analyze the situation, gather information, select the right medium for the message, and organize the information.

ANSWER: planning; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 90; TYPE: concept

72. The final step in the writing process is ____________________ your message, which involves revising, producing, and distributing it.

ANSWER: completing; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 91; TYPE: concept

73. The three general purposes of business messages are to inform, to persuade, or to ____________________ with the audience.

ANSWER: collaborate; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 92; TYPE: concept

74. In addition to having a general purpose, each business message has a (an) ____________________ purpose.

ANSWER: specific; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 92; TYPE: concept

75. During the planning step you need to analyze your ____________________, including its size and composition, existing knowledge about the subject, and probable reaction to your message.

ANSWER: audience; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 93; TYPE: concept

76. A good way to test the thoroughness of your message is to use the ____________________ approach and ask whether the message answers who, what, when, where, why, and how.

ANSWER: journalistic; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 95; TYPE: concept

77. Speeches, presentations, and meetings are all examples of ____________________ media.

ANSWER: oral; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 98; TYPE: concept

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78. Media ____________________ is the ability of a medium to convey a message using more than one informational cue, facilitate feedback, and establish personal focus.

ANSWER: richness; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 100; TYPE: concept

79. Every medium has ____________________ that make it inappropriate for certain messages.

ANSWER: limitations OR drawbacks; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 102; TYPE: concept

80. Factors you should consider in choosing a communication ____________________ include formality, confidentiality, feedback, time, and cost.

ANSWER: medium; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 102; TYPE: concept

81. Including ____________________ material is an organization problem that frustrates your audience.

ANSWER: irrelevant; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 102; TYPE: concept

82. Your entire message supports, explains, or demonstrates your ____________________ ____________________ —a specific statement about the topic of your message.

ANSWER: main idea; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 104; TYPE: concept

83. The ____________________ of your message is the range of information you present, the overall length, and the level of detail—all of which need to correspond to your main idea.

ANSWER: scope; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 105; TYPE: concept

84. No matter how long your message is, you should limit the number of major support points to roughly ____________________.

ANSWER: six; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 106; TYPE: concept

85. An alternative to creating an outline of your message is to use a(n) ____________________ ____________________ similar to those used to show a company’s management structure.

ANSWER: organization chart; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 109; TYPE: concept

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Short Answer

86. Describe at least three of the tasks involved in developing an audience profile.

ANSWER: Developing an audience profile involves identifying your primary audience and determining its size, geographic distribution, and composition. It also requires gauging your audience’s level of understanding, considering their expectations and preferences, and forecasting their probable reaction to your message.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 93-94; TYPE: concept

87. List at least four methods of gathering information to include in your message.

ANSWER: Strategies for gathering information include (1) considering other viewpoints; (2) reading reports and other company documents; (3) talking with supervisors, colleagues, or customers; and (4) asking your audience for input.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 94; TYPE: concept

88. How can the journalistic approach help you include all required information in you business messages?

ANSWER: The journalistic approach enables you to check the thoroughness of your message by seeing whether your message answers who, what, when, where, why, and how.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 95; TYPE: concept

89. List at least three strategies to help ensure the accuracy of information you in include in business messages.

ANSWER: You can minimize mistakes by double-checking every piece of information you collect. If you are consulting sources outside the organization, ask yourself whether they are current and reliable. Be particularly careful when using sources you find on the Internet. Be sure to review any mathematical or financial calculations. Check all dates and schedules, and examine your own assumptions and conclusions to be certain they are valid. DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 95; TYPE: concept

90. Briefly describe how to meet an unfamiliar audience’s informational needs.

ANSWER: When you don’t know your audience, use common sense to identify points of particular interest. Audience factors such as age, job, location, income, and education can give you a clue.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 96; TYPE: concept

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91. Briefly define media richness, and provide at least one example of a rich medium and a lean medium.

ANSWER: Media richness is the value of a communication medium in a given situation. It is determined by a medium’s ability to convey a message by means of more than one informational cue, facilitate feedback, and establish personal focus. Face-to-face conversation is the richest medium, while unaddressed documents such as posters and signs are the leanest.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 100; TYPE: concept

92. Describe at least two disadvantages of using electronic media for business messages.

ANSWER: Despite the speed convenience of electronic media, they are not without problems. These media help companies get input from a wider variety of people but people also tend to overuse them, leading to message overload. They can also lack privacy, and their use is so popular that it can diminish employees’ productivity.DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 101; TYPE: concept

93. Briefly explain the difference between the topic of a message and the main idea.

ANSWER: The topic of a message is its broad subject, condensed to one idea. In contrast, the main idea is a specific statement about the topic. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 104; TYPE: concept

94. In preparing a letter to a vendor regarding a missing part of your order, would the direct or indirect approach be preferable? Briefly explain your choice.

ANSWER: In this case, the direct approach would be best because the audience is likely to be receptive to the message. The indirect approach should be used when the audience will probably react with skepticism or resistance. DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 106-07; TYPE: application

95. Briefly distinguish between the deductive and inductive approaches to organizing business messages.

ANSWER: The deductive, or direct, approach starts with the main idea and then provides supporting evidence. The inductive approach builds a case with supporting evidence before presenting the main idea.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 106-07; TYPE: concept

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Essay

96. What are the four tasks involved in planning business messages?

ANSWER: Planning business messages involves (1) analyzing the situation by defining your purpose and developing a profile of your audience, (2) gathering information that will meet your audience's needs, (3) selecting the right medium to deliver your message, and (4) organizing the information by defining your main idea, limiting your scope, selecting a direct or an indirect approach, and outlining your contentDIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 90; TYPE: concept

97. Explain each phase of the three-step writing process.

ANSWER: The three-step writing process includes planning, writing, and completing the business message. Planning involves analyzing the situation, gathering information, selecting the right medium for your message, and organizing the information. Writing the message involves adapting to your audience and composing your message. Completing a business message includes revising, producing, proofreading, and distributing it.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 90-91; TYPE: concept

98. List at least three helpful questions to ask in evaluating the purpose of a message.

ANSWER: Once you have determined the specific purpose of a business message, you can decide whether that purpose merits the time and effort required for you to prepare and send the message. In order to test the purpose of a message, one should ask (1) Will anything change as a result of this message? (2) Is my purpose realistic? (3) Is the time right? and (4) Is the purpose acceptable to my organization?DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 93; TYPE: concept

99. How can your audience’s level of understanding help you determine the appropriate amount of information to include in a business message?

ANSWER: If audience members do not share your general background, your message will likely need to include an element of education. You should try to include only enough information to accomplish the specific purpose of your message. If the members of your audience have various levels of understanding, gear your coverage to your primary audience (the key decision makers).DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 93; TYPE: concept

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100. Briefly describe at least three factors to consider when choosing media for business messages.

ANSWER: A number of factors can help you to determine the best medium for a business message. One is media richness, which is a medium’s ability to convey a message through more than one informational cue, facilitate feedback, and establish personal focus. Another is formality, since your media choice governs the style and tone of your message. It is also important to consider media limitations, since every medium has drawbacks that make it inappropriate for certain messages. The medium you choose also influences your audience’s perceptions of your intentions as a sender. Urgency and cost are other important factors. Finally, it is vital to consider audience preferences when deciding which medium to use for a message.DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 100-01; TYPE: concept

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