Free Online Business Communication Quiz - 42

1. The content of a memo should depend on its objectives. These objectives will help determine the type of memo that should be used: request, confirmation, periodic report, ideas and suggestions or informal study results. In which of the following ways should an idea and suggestions memo be written?
[A]Deductively
[B]Inductively
[C]Vaguely
[D]Aggressively



2. A report’s success depends not only on how well you have collected the information through research, but also on how well you have presented it using visual aids. Multi-range bar charts are useful when
[A]You have to present detailed, numerical information
[B]You have to compare more than one quantity over time
[C]You are displaying time relationships
[D]You are depicting changes in quantitative data over time and illustrating trends



3. Visual aids help communicate the subject matter clearly. Imagine reading a paragraph of text describing your company’s share of sales and your competitor’s share of sales per sales region. It should be unreadable and incomprehensible. If the same information were tabulated, the information would not only be crystal clear, it would also be easy for the reader to make the necessary comparisons of differences in market share. Visual aids thus clarify and simplify data. Tables are ideal when an audience need to understand
[A]The relative size of the parts of a whole
[B]Detailed information
[C]Changes over time
[D]The interaction of two variables



4. There are many types of reports prepared for different purposes. Monthly cost control reports and quartely sales reports are examples of
[A]Request report memos
[B]Periodic report memos
[C]Confirmation memos
[D]Informal survey results memos



5. Listening is the most frequent, perhaps the most important type of on-the-job communication. But, there are many barriers to effective listening. Which of the following is not an attitudinal barrier to listening?
[A]Prejudices
[B]Preoccupation with other matters
[C]Unclear, nonspecific message
[D]A casual attitude



6. Which of the following key topics should be covered in an effective meeting agenda?
I Welcome/Introduction.
II Apologies for absence.
III Minutes of the last meeting.
IV Date of next meeting.
[A]Only (I) above
[B]Both (I) and (III) above
[C](I), (III) and (IV) above
[D]All (I), (II), (III) and (IV) above



7. The length of the introduction depends on the length of the report. As a result, the length of the introduction can vary from one or two paragraphs to several pages. Which of the factors are covered in the limitations part of introduction?
[A]The factors affecting the quality of the report
[B]The factors that have led up to the report
[C]What is and what is not going to be covered in the report
[D]When, how and by whom the report was authorized



8. To physically transmit your message you select a communication channel and a medium. The medium could be telephone, computer, fax, letter, memo, report, face-to-face, etc. The richest communication medium is
[A]A phone call
[B]A memo
[C]An e-mail
[D]A face-to-face conversation



9. Your boss has been telling the staff that he would welcome suggestions about how to improve the organization. You take him at his word and meet him to discuss some of your ideas with him. As you begin to outline the changes you propose, he fixes you with an icy stare and folds his arms across his chest; as you go on, the frown on his face gathers intensity. When you finish, he gets up abruptly and says, with barely suppressed menace in his voice, “Thank you very much. Your ideas are priceless.” The way we stand and sit, i.e., position of the body may convey many unspoken things. Closed body position conveys that you are being
[A]Open to new ideas
[B]Defensive
[C]Noncommittal
[D]Disrespectful



10. “Passing the building, the vandalism was clearly visible” The sentence is burdened with dangling modifiers. Which of the following is true regarding dangling modifiers?
I. They are illogical.
II They are confusing.
III They are modifiers that do not clearly modify a specific word.
[A]Only (I) above
[B]Only (II) above
[C]Both (I) and (II) above
[D]All (I), (II) and (III) above



11. Listening on the job is not only frequent, it is very important as well. In fact, most managers agree that “active listening” is the most crucial skill for becoming a successful manager. To increase one’s listening involvement, one should
[A]Think about other tasks that one needs to complete only when the speaker is pausing between thoughts
[B]Lean forward and maintain eye contact with the speaker
[C]Take advantage of the lag time before the speaker's next idea by discussing key points with other team members
[D]Ask the speaker a question and then immediately offer an answer based on her own experience



12. By implying the “no” answer, the foregoing responses use positive language and seem more respectful. Which of the following is not a part of the indirect plan for writing bad-news messages?
[A]A buffer statement
[B]A straight statement of the main idea
[C]Reasons supporting the negative decision
[D]A clear, diplomatic statement of the negative decision



13. In the job market we have competition with thousands of other applicants, all vying for the same jobs we are aspiring to get. Hence, we need to have a resume which will properly convey our strengths. Building blocks of your resume are
[A]Results
[B]Your character traits
[C]Your self-analysis
[D]Your employment history



14. A memo is a written message designed to provide a quick, convenient way for personnel to communicate with each other. Which of the following is not a standard part of a memo?
[A]Heading
[B]Salutation
[C]Body
[D]Authentication



15. Which of the following criteria should all business and administrative messages fulfil?
[A]Messages should build in unanswered questions, to prompt readers to respond
[B]Messages should build momentum, with the best point being last
[C]Messages should build good will, presenting a positive image of the writer
[D]Messages should build respect by using formal and legalistic language