Business Communication Exam Preparation Guide
Course Introduction
Business Communication explores the principles and practices of effective communication within a business environment. This course covers key topics such as written and oral communication, professional presentation, intercultural communication, and the use of digital tools for business correspondence. Students will develop skills in crafting clear messages, conducting meetings, negotiating, and collaborating in diverse teams. Emphasis is placed on understanding audience needs, constructing persuasive arguments, and navigating complex communication scenarios within organizational settings to foster productive and professional business relationships.
Recommended Textbook
Excellence in Business Communication 4th Canadian Edition by John V. Thill
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18 Chapters
1541 Verified Questions
1541 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Achieving Success Through Effective Business
Communication
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98 Verified Questions
98 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) After getting a message,a receiver responds by giving the sender __________. Answer: feedback
Q2) __________ is interference in the communication process that distorts or obscures the sender's meaning.
Answer: Noise
Q3) Describe three things you can pay attention to in an attempt to improve the odds that your message will be successfully perceived by your audience. Answer: Consider audience expectations (deliver messages using the media and channels your audience expects),ensure ease of use (don't make messages hard to find as in a poorly designed website),emphasize familiarity (use words,images,and designs that are familiar to your audience),practice empathy (address your audiences' wants and needs),design for compatibility (technical compatibility with your audience).
Q4) Collectively,the people with whom you interact-your colleagues,employees,supervisors,customers,and so on-are referred to as
Answer: stakeholders
Q5) An ethical __________ involves making a clearly unethical or illegal choice. Answer: lapse
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Chapter 2: Communicating in Teams and Mastering
Listening and Nonverbal Communication
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Sample Questions
Q1) Companies today are looking for people who can work alone,since the trend in business is for most employees to function independently.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) One of the characteristics of effective teams is that one leader tends to take charge and make all the major decisions.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) __________ contributors need to let go of traditional expectations of authorship,including individual recognition.
Answer: Wiki
Q4) In an informational meeting,______________
A) the participants share information and coordinate actions.
B) the group rarely arrives at some kind of decision.
C) brainstorming sessions are avoided.
D) participants dress casually.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Communicating Interculturally
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Sample Questions
Q1) Recent immigrants-those who have arrived in Canada in the last 10 years-account for 70 percent of labour market growth.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) You are working on a team with a new colleague from another country.Describe two things you can do to help him adapt to your culture.
Answer: Offer advice on the appropriate words and phrases to use in a respectful manner.Instead of asking the foreign colleague to provide information in a conference call,you could set up an intranet site where the person can file a written report.Similarly,instant messaging,email,or blogging is often easier for colleagues with different native languages than participating in live conversations.Writing gives foreign language speakers time to revisit what they have said and correct it if necessary.
Q3) A company's cultural diversity affects how its business messages are conceived,composed,delivered,received,and interpreted.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 4: Planning Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) If audience members have different levels of understanding of the topic,_________________
A) give a brief overview only.
B) aim your message at the most influential decision makers.
C) aim your message at the lowest common denominator.
D) give a lot of detail to ensure everyone fully understands.
Q2) 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.
Q3) If you expect your audience to be skeptical,you will need to provide more proof and introduce your conclusions and recommendations more gradually.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The direct approach is used for short messages,such as memos and letters; the indirect approach is used for long messages,such as reports and proposals.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What are the four tasks involved in planning business messages?
Q6) Briefly describe how to meet an unfamiliar audience's informational needs.
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Chapter 5: Writing Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) Define bias-free language.
Q2) To avoid embarrassing blunders in language related to gender,race,ethnicity,age,or disability,use __________ language.
Q3) Enlivening business messages with humour will always please your readers,especially if they don't know you very well.
A)True
B)False
Q4) You are scheduled to discuss a negative performance evaluation with one of your employees.How can you use the "you" attitude during your conversation?
Q5) Avoid using euphemisms because they are inherently dishonest.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Plain English is a style of writing used primarily for communicating to those for whom English is a second language.
A)True
B)False
Q7) List three situations in which the passive voice can help you demonstrate the "you" attitude.
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Chapter 6: Completing Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) A template is _____________
A) a type of computer software used to help sort files.
B) a preset design or standard format.
C) an unethical means for plagiarizing the work of others.
D) a cumbersome, time-consuming series of actions required by some word processors.
Q2) Because computers have become so powerful,grammar checkers can easily determine whether your document states your message correctly and communicates it clearly.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A camouflaged verb is a verb that has been turned into a noun or an adjective. A)True B)False
Q4) Explain why editing for conciseness is important; then list the four steps it involves.
Q5) A computer __________ gives you alternative words.
Q6) Describe what is meant by,"For effective design,pay attention to: consistency,balance,restraint,and detail."
Q7) Explain at least three of the steps involved in editing documents for clarity.
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Chapter 7: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) To capture your audience's attention,make sure your subject line is compelling and __________.
Q2) Give three situations in which you should use a printed message over electronic alternatives.
Q3) One advantage of blogging for business is that it makes it so easy to stand out from the crowd.
A)True
B)False
Q4) For basic podcasts,your computer probably has most of the hardware you already need,and you can download recording software.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Video podcasts are often called vidcasts or vodcasts.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Explain how inappropriate use of email at work can lead to legal problems.
Q7) Compared to blogs,podcasts require more work to create.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Writing Routine and Positive Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the past,news releases were ______________
A) typed on regular company letterhead.
B) written as blogs.
C) crafted in a way to provide information to reporters.
D) offered directly to the public.
Q2) Dissatisfied customers rarely tell others about their complaints. A)True B)False
Q3) When offering condolences,it is appropriate to mention your shock and dismay. A)True B)False
Q4) Adapt to your audience's needs by being sensitive to their needs and maintaining a __________ attitude.
Q5) The __________ of a routine request states what you want.
Q6) List the three major categories of common routine requests.
Q7) List three guidelines to follow in preparing the opening of a routine request in the direct format.
Q8) In a goodwill message,honesty and sincerity must come across above all else. A)True B)False
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Chapter 9: Writing Negative Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the five main goals when delivering bad news?
Q2) List three things a company should do to communicate in a crisis situation.
Q3) Briefly describe five guidelines to follow in writing effective conclusions to negative messages.
Q4) Avoid words such as wrong,fault,and unfortunately because _____________
A) they create a negative tone and are counterproductive.
B) they are too abstract.
C) they imply that you are apologizing.
D) they are impersonal and passive.
Q5) Briefly describe at least five strategies that can help avoid being accused of defamation based on negative messages.
Q6) List three techniques for de-emphasizing bad news.
Q7) Briefly describe the elements of a negative message that uses the direct approach.
Q8) When refusing a routine request,it's a good idea to imply that other assistance or information might be available,even if it isn't,in an attempt to calm the customer.
A)True
B)False
Q9) __________ hiding behind company policy to cushion bad news.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Writing Persuasive Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) The best persuasive messages always employ the indirect approach.
A)True
B)False
Q2) When making a persuasive request,you can offer no benefits to the reader and thus must appeal to his or her altruistic tendencies.
A)True
B)False
Q3) __________ is reasoning from a generalization to a specific conclusion.
Q4) Sending an email is just as good as sending a letter when delivering a persuasive message; the delivery method is not an important consideration.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The purpose of the interest section of a persuasive message is to _____________
A) capture attention.
B) stress how the information in the message will benefit the audience.
C) increase the audience's desire to take the action that is recommended in the message.
D) get the reader to act immediately.
Q6) What are three methods of reasoning you can use when making a logical appeal?
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Planning Reports and Proposals
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Sample Questions
Q1) When taking notes on your research material ______________
A) bookmark, download, or print out pages from library databases.
B) avoid trying to use computer programs for this task, as they get in the way more than they help.
C) you do not need to include subject headings.
D) avoid highlighting or marking up your notes because they may be difficult to read later.
Q2) The longer the message,the more effective the indirect approach is likely to be.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Unsolicited proposals offer less flexibility than solicited proposals since recipients are expecting to receive them.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Evidence is the support for the thinking behind your conclusion.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Informational reports use a(n)__________ organization.
Q6) Define "work plan" and briefly describe the elements it often contains.
Q7) Describe the basic function of internal proposals.
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Chapter 12: Writing Reports and Proposals
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Sample Questions
Q1) Flowcharts are used to ______________
A) summarize large amounts of statistical data.
B) show the relative sizes of the parts of a whole.
C) show how something looks or operates.
D) illustrate processes and procedures.
Q2) Because of the costs of reproduction,photographs are not used in business reports.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Pie charts are a good way of illustrating the composition of a whole.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The best type of visual aid for showing trends over time is ______________
A) a table.
B) a pie chart.
C) a line chart.
D) an organization chart.
Q5) When writing a business report,how can you make your tone less formal?
Q6) __________ problems can range from photos that play on racial or gender stereotypes to images that imply cause-and-effect relationships that may not exist.
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Completing Reports and Proposals
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Sample Questions
Q1) List the three parts of the text of a formal proposal; then explain the primary functions of each part.
Q2) The prefatory parts of a formal proposal may include ___________________
A) a letter of authorization.
B) a copy of the RFP. C) an index.
D) visual aids.
Q3) Explain the difference between a title fly and a title page.
Q4) Most proposals have many supplementary parts. A)True B)False
Q5) The appendix,bibliography,and index make up the __________ parts of a formal report.
Q6) When should you include a separate list of illustrations with your report?
Q7) Computer tools make it easy for virtually anyone to create handsome reports.Discuss the pros and cons of this.
Q8) List at least three elements normally included in the body of a formal proposal.
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Q9) A(n)__________ is a list of sources consulted when preparing a report.
Q10) The letter of __________ conveys the report to the readers.
Q11) What three main parts make up the text of a report?
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Page 16
Chapter 14: Designing and Delivering Oral and Online Presentations
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Sample Questions
Q1) The speaking outline is not an appropriate place to include notes about the visual aids.
A)True
B)False
Q2) As a general guideline,when delivering a speech allow yourself 10 minutes per slide.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Analyzing your audience helps you ___________________
A) gear the style and content of your speech to audience needs and interests.
B) remember to keep your speech or oral presentation short.
C) define your purpose.
D) prepare a detailed, informative outline.
Q4) When preparing a detailed planning outline for your speech,keep in mind that
A) you may want to prepare a simpler speaking outline.
B) you should keep each item to two- to three-word descriptions of what you will say.
C) you can leave out all transitions.
D) this is not the place to include "stage directions."
Page 17
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Chapter 15: Building Careers and Writing Résumés
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Sample Questions
Q1) To prepare an electronic résumé,you need to make its format appropriate for __________ into an electronic database.
Q2) Lifetime employability means that there will always be a job available during your lifetime.
A)True
B)False
Q3) All résumés should be organized chronologically.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Employers do not struggle with the ups and downs of the economy,just as employees do.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What potential risk do some experts associate with including a career objective on your résumé?
Q6) Prospective employers do not like résumés that are gimmicky,boastful,or too slick. A)True B)False
Q7) Name at least three qualities you need to convey on any résumé.
Page 18
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Chapter 16: Applying and Interviewing for Employment
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Sample Questions
Q1) Part of your preparation for job interviews is an evaluation of your voice tone and speaking habits.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Within two days after an interview,you __________________
A) have a friend call to see whether you got the job.
B) write a follow-up letter (using the format for persuasive messages) and include another copy of your résumé.
C) write a short note of thanks (using the format for routine messages).
D) assume that you didn't get the job if you haven't heard anything.
Q3) In a letter of __________ from a job you use the bad-news plan.
Q4) The longest phase of a job interview is __________________
A) the warm-up.
B) the question-and-answer stage.
C) the close.
D) none; all are about the same length.
Q5) Describe each of the three stages of a successful employment interview.
Q6) A(n)solicited application letter is sent in response to an announced opening,whereas a(n)unsolicited application letter is sent to an organization that has not announced an opening.
Page 19
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Chapter 17: Format and Layout of Business Documents
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most envelopes used in Canadian business are No.10 (9 1/2 inches long).
A)True
B)False
Q2) Canada Post scanning equipment can ______________
A) read both handwritten and typed addresses.
B) recognize both upper and lower case letters.
C) identify addresses in both official languages.
D) adhere to all of the above guidelines.
Q3) "Sept.10th,1999" is the correct way to type the date in a letter.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In the simplified letter format,commas follow both the salutation and the complimentary close.
A)True
B)False
Q5) You may place the attention line ______________
A) at the top of the page, centered under the letterhead.
B) below the salutation.
C) two lines below the complimentary close.
D) on the first line of the inside address.
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Chapter 18: Documentation of Report Sources
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Sample Questions
Q1) In MLA,APA and Chicago style of bibliographies _____________________
A) use the author-page reference.
B) format entries as hanging indents.
C) entitle the page "References."
D) list author name first and title information second.
Q2) When preparing the list of references following the APA style ___________
A) include all the works you consulted, even if you didn't actually cite them anywhere in the text.
B) include full information on any personal communications or interviews you conducted in your research.
C) use the title "References."
D) do all of the above.
Q3) The MLA style is used widely in the humanities,especially in the study of language and literature.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In the humanities system,bibliographic citations are given in either footnotes or endnotes.
A)True
B)False
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