Communication for Business Professionals Study Guide Questions
Course Introduction
Communication for Business Professionals explores the essential principles and practices of effective communication in a business context. The course covers verbal and non-verbal communication, writing professional emails and reports, conducting presentations, and navigating interpersonal dynamics in diverse workplace settings. Emphasis is placed on developing skills necessary for negotiation, conflict resolution, teamwork, and cross-cultural interactions. Through practical exercises, case studies, and real-world scenarios, students learn to tailor their communication strategies to various audiences, ensuring clarity, professionalism, and ethical standards in all business interactions.
Recommended Textbook
Excellence in Business Communication 5th Canadian Edition by John V. Thill
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1500 Verified Questions
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication
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Sample Questions
Q1) Setting aside time to attend to email and telephone messages all at once is one way to help minimize distractions.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Sending more messages is usually better than not sending enough.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) There are many new technologies available to improve Business Communications.Which of the list below are NOT among them?
A)Blogging
B)Email
C)Online chats
D)Ergonomic offices
Answer: D
Q4) Increased globalization and workforce diversity mean that employees must be able to communicate with people from other cultures.
Answer: diversity
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Chapter 2: Communicating in Teams and Mastering
Listening and Nonverbal Communication Skills
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe three dysfunctional team roles and how these roles do NOT aid the team in achieving project goals.
Answer: Dysfunctional roles = (1)Controlling (dominating others by exhibiting superiority or authority); (2)Withdrawing (Retiring from the team either by becoming silent or by refusing to deal with a particular aspect of the team's work); (3)Attention seeking (calling attention to oneself and demanding recognition from others).Possible alternate answer: Diverting (focusing the team's discussion on topics of interest to the individual rather than on those relevant to the task.
Q2) Discuss four strategies to use when planning an effective meeting.
Answer: The first task is to decide whether the meeting will serve mostly informational or decision-making purposes,and whether it will achieve both.Next,meeting participants should be chosen carefully,limiting selections to those whose presence is absolutely essential.Then the location must be selected and reserved.Finally,the meeting planner should develop a suitable agenda and distribute it among the participants several days before the meeting.
Q3) In the evaluating stage of listening,you apply critical thinking skills and separate fact from opinion.
Answer: evaluating
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Chapter 3: Communicating Interculturally
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Sample Questions
Q1) IBM's Corporate Service Corps has so far sent more than __________ teams to more than 30 countries.
A)1000
B)50
C)200
D)160
Answer: C
Q2) What is ethnocentrism,and how can it be overcome?
Answer: NO Answer
Q3) Using humour in communication is discouraged because _______________
A)it's unprofessional.
B)it's considered unethical.
C)it usually relies on intimate knowledge of a particular culture.
D)humour is not a part of the communication process.
Answer: C
Q4) High-context cultures view adherence to laws as being more flexible.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 4: Planning Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) When choosing between the direct and indirect approaches,analyze your audience's likely reaction to your purpose and message.
A)True
B)False
Q2) If audience members have different levels of understanding of the topic,aim your message at the most influential decision makers.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The only way to plan a business message is to use a formal alphanumeric outline.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In any kind of business communication,it's best to emphasize the points that you think will have the most impact on your audience.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Major supporting points clarify your main idea.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Good organization saves your audience time .
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Chapter 5: Writing Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) A compound sentence is one that contains one main thought (independent clause)and one or more subordinate thoughts (dependent clauses).
A)True
B)False
Q2) The connotative meaning of a word is ______________
A)its dictionary meaning.
B)its literal meaning.
C)all the associations and feelings the word evokes.
D)its objective meaning.
Q3) Bragging about your company's accomplishments can be offensive to readers.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Plain English is a style of writing ______________
A)used only for casual correspondence.
B)designed to make technical materials more understandable to the audience.
C)aimed primarily at readers for whom English is a second language.
D)inappropriate for business communication.
Q5) When preparing your first draft,you are not concerned about style or tone.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Completing Business Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) To reduce words,some writers make liberal use of such directional points as "the latter," "the former," "the aforementioned," and "as mentioned above." The reduction in words this way helps to make the meaning clearer to the reader.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Redundancies are useful to readers because repetition leads to better recall of information.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Spell-checkers,grammar-checkers,and computerized thesauruses are taking the place of good writing and editing skills.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A spellchecker ____________
A)compares your document with an electronic dictionary.
B)comes in English only.
C)identifies and corrects all spelling errors within a document.
D)automatically rewrites paragraphs for improved readability.
Q5) List four characteristics of effective document design.
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Chapter 7: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) Viral marketing refers to spreading the word about your company and its products in much the same way that biological viruses are transmitted from person to person.
Q2) Email should have lots of white space that makes it look easier to read so short paragraphs and double spacing between the paragraphs is expected.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The IM version of email spam is known as spim .
Q4) Which of the following is an example of an effective email subject line?
A)Website redesign is falling behind schedule
B)Status Report
C)Employee Parking
D)Please read
Q5) In an email message,"cc" refers to courtesy copy.
Q6) Give three situations in which you should use a printed message over electronic alternatives.
Q7) In business contexts,what are the primary benefits and disadvantages of instant messaging?
Q8) List five ways businesses are using blogs.
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Chapter 8: Writing Routine and Positive Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) The middle of a routine request provides justification,explanation,and details.
Q2) When making a claim (a complaint)or requesting an adjustment (a settlement of claim)you only need to explain the problem and give details because the person or company to whom the claim or adjustment is directed will know exactly what to do to address your concerns.
A)True
B)False
Q3) List the three major categories of common routine requests.
Q4) Before volunteering someone's name as a reference,always _____________
A)assume you have permission to do so.
B)describe your relationship with that person.
C)ask that person's permission.
D)list that person's address and phone number for ease of contact.
Q5) 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.
Q6) A letter telling someone that she or he got the job is a(n)legal document,so make sure all statements are accurate.
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Chapter 9: Writing Negative Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the close to a bad-news message,you repeat the bad news.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In a bad-news message,the reasons for the decision _____________
A)are so obvious that you don't need to mention them.
B)come directly after the buffer and follow naturally from it.
C)are glossed over quickly.
D)are long and roundabout to cushion the negative aspects.
Q3) List three things a company should do to communicate in a crisis situation.
Q4) A good way to de-emphasize bad news is to _____________
A)maximize the space devoted to it.
B)say,"I trust our decision is satisfactory."
C)avoid stating it and hope that the reader understands what you mean.
D)bury it in the middle of a sentence or paragraph.
Q5) In the indirect approach for bad-news messages,the negative decision comes after the reasons supporting the decision.
Q6) An advantage of the direct approach for communicating bad news is that it keeps the message shorter.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Writing Persuasive Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) When writing a persuasive claim letter _____________
A)assume that the other person is trying to cheat you.
B)use a calm and reasonable tone.
C)mention as many additional complaints as possible about the company.
D)do all of the above.
Q2) Describe each of the four phases of the AIDA plan for persuasive messages.
Q3) When writing persuasive messages,one way to avoid faulty logic is to
A)avoid induction.
B)avoid deduction.
C)avoid praising your opponent.
D)avoid hasty generalizations.
Q4) What are three methods of reasoning you can use when making a logical appeal?
Q5) To motivate action by the recipients of your message you need to make the desired action simple,risk-free,and quickly done for maximum benefit.
A)True
B)False
Q6) The purpose of a sales letter is to motivate people to spend money on products.
A)True
B)False
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Planning Reports and Proposals
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most informational reports use a(n)topical organization for arranging material.
Q2) When conducting an interview,you use open-ended questions to get the interviewee to offer an opinion and insights not just a yes-or-no answer.
Q3) A good paraphrase should be the same length as or slightly longer than the original passage.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A Policy report may be ________________
A)used as a compliance report.
B)an external report only.
C)a document listing changes over time.
D)a brief description of business procedures.
Q5) When using the Internet to conduct research,you can be reasonably sure that any information you find will be accurate.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Briefly explain problem factoring.
Q7) Breaking down a problem into a series of logical,connected questions that identify cause and effect is called factoring .
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Chapter 12: Writing Reports and Proposals
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Sample Questions
Q1) In what forms can previews and reviews be written in a business report?
Q2) Flowcharts are used to ______________
A)summarize large amounts of statistical data.
B)demonstrate the relative sizes of the parts of a whole.
C)show how something looks.
D)illustrate processes and procedures.
Q3) Pie charts are a good way of illustrating the parts of a whole.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The style and quality of your visuals doesn't have any influence on your relationship with your audience.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Which of the following is an example of a descriptive title for a visual aid?
A)How CamCo Reduces Costs
B)How Cost Reductions Have Been Made at CamCo
C)Reducing Costs is a Number-One Goal at CamCo
D)CamCo Cuts Costs Through Outsourcing and Downsizing
Q6) In a formal proposal,where does the Work Plan section normally appear and what information does it contain? Can it be changed later?
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Chapter 13: Completing Reports and Proposals
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Sample Questions
Q1) A proposal usually contains a(n)copy of the request for proposal issued by the client.
Q2) When checking over your report,you shouldn't consult others because they do not know your work.
A)True
B)False
Q3) You need to allow extra time for formatting and production of reports and proposals.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A(n)executive summary is a fully developed "mini" version of the report itself.
Q5) The letter of transmittal should use the indirect approach,especially if the report is an analytical one.
A)True
B)False
Q6) A good introduction will often invite the reader to continue reading by telling them what the report is about,why they should be concerned,and how the report is organized.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 14: Designing and Delivering Oral and Online Presentations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Printed handouts are an efficient way to offer your audience additional material without overloading your slides with information.
Q2) When you have covered all the main points in your speech,___________________
A)reinforce your theme by repeating and summarizing the key and supporting points.
B)wrap up as quickly as possible.
C)avoid using such phrases as "to sum it all up" and "in conclusion."
D)do all of the above.
Q3) If your speech or presentation requires the audience to reach a decision or take some specific action,___________________
A)go directly to the question-and-answer session after you cover the main points of your speech.
B)close your speech on a note of uncertainty.
C)close your speech by explaining who is responsible for doing what.
D)lead people to believe that the decision will be easy to carry out.
Q4) What three tasks should an effective speech introduction accomplish?
Q5) Transitional words and sentences are less important in longer presentations. A)True B)False
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Chapter 15: Building Careers and Writing Résumés
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the main sections or elements that are included on most résumés.
Q2) Do not include on your résumé items that could encourage discrimination,such as
A)race.
B)hobbies.
C)marital status.
D)military service.
Q3) Rewrite the following to make it a more active statement: "I was in charge of customer complaints and all ordering problems."
Q4) Networking is _________________________________
A)walking up to strangers at social events and handing over your résumé.
B)meeting prominent business people at business events and asking them about employment opportunities.
C)sharing of information between people who might be able to offer mutual help at some point in the future.
D)an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to solve problems,plan projects,and so on.
Q5) A(n)functional résumé is organized around a list of skills and accomplishments.
Q6) List four specific things that you would include in an employment portfolio.
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Chapter 16: Applying and Interviewing for Employment
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following would be the most effective opening for an unsolicited application letter?
A)"Hi! Let me introduce myself.My name is Clydene Desmond,and I'd like to apply for any positions you may have for graphic artists."
B)"I hear you've been looking for a graphic artist.Look no further."
C)"I've just graduated from the Pasadena School of Graphic Arts,and somebody gave me your name as a company that could use my services."
D)"As a recent honors graduate of one of the top graphic arts programs in the country,I could make a strong contribution to Westec's publications division."
Q2) Which of the following letters would follow the bad-news plan?
A)Letter accepting a job offer
B)Letter of resignation
C)Letter requesting a time extension
D)All the above
Q3) List at least five things that you might want to find out during a job interview.
Q4) Dress conservatively and be well groomed for every interview.
Q5) Briefly define "situational interview."
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