Chapter 7a
A bad-news message, whether delivered in person or in writing, is usually better received when you
Select one:
a.
provide the reasons and explanations but conceal the bad news.
b.
immediately share the bad news.
c.
give the reasons before the bad news.
d.
combine the buffer and bad news.
c.
give the reasons before the bad news.
Business communicators have many goals in conveying negative news. Which of the following is not a goal in communicating negative news?
Select one:
a.
Being fair
b.
Demonstrating the company's superiority in the global marketplace
c.
Explaining clearly and completely
d.
Maintaining friendly relations
b.
Demonstrating the company's superiority in the global marketplace
In deciding to share negative information about another employee to your supervisor, what question should you consider first?
Select one:
a.
Will I profit personally (promotion, bonus pay, or honors)?
b.
How should I time the information delivery (before or after a meeting)?
c.
Was the act criminal or hostile behavior or just a one-time mistake?
d.
How can I avoid being identified as the tattle tale by other employees?
c.
Was the act criminal or hostile behavior or just a one-time mistake?
Personally delivering bad news is sometimes recommended, but written messages are important to establish a record of the incident, to formally confirm follow-up procedures, and
Select one:
a.
to allow you to identify your organization and position.
b.
to denote your leadership rank.
c.
to persuade the receiver to follow your recommendations.
d.
to promote good relations.
d. to promote good relations.
The bad feelings associated with disappointing news can be reduced if the receiver feels that the news was revealed sensitively, believes that the matter was treated seriously and fairly, and
Select one:
a.
receives the bad news via certified mail.
b.
understands the legal implications of the bad news.
c.
knows the reasons for the rejection clearly.
d.
learns of the bad news directly.
c.
knows the reasons for the rejection clearly.
All businesses deal with unhappy customers at some point, and they typically follow this pattern in these situations: call the customer, describe the problem and apologize, offer an explanation and resolution, and
Select one:
a.
suggest a face-to-face meeting to resolve any remaining issues.
b.
follow up with a message that documents the phone call and promotes goodwill.
c.
come to an agreement on a refund or compensation.
d.
provide resale information or promote products and services.
b.
follow up with a message that documents the phone call and promotes goodwill.
Constructing messages saying no to emotionally involved receivers is a challenging communication task. Which of the following is the best advice for this task?
Select one:
a.
Place blame where blame is due, including on the customer if he or she is responsible.
b.
Use neutral, objective language to explain the reason the claim is refused.
c.
Use the refusal-before-reason pattern to present the information artfully.
d.
Avoid offering resale information because it may weaken customer confidence.
c. Use neutral, objective language to explain the reason the claim is refused.
Kenesha must respond to a negative comment written by a customer on Twitter. What advice should she follow?
Select one:
a.
Suggest a refund or a discount on future services.
b.
Kenesha should follow all these tips.
c.
Admit that her company errored if the complaint is legitimate and try to remedy the problem.
d.
Investigate the situation thoroughly before responding.
b. Kenesha should follow all these tips.
Porter Grace, RN, is declining an invitation to speak about the health benefits of juice bars at the fall conference of the Health and Fitness Trainers Association (HAFTA). Which of the following is the most effective buffer?
Select one:
a.
HAFTA members must be looking forward to the annual fall conference in Phoenix this year.
b.
Because you requested only the benefits of juice bars and because I am only a registered nurse, I am not the speaker you need; perhaps you should contact a juice-bar salesperson.
c.
I cannot speak at your annual conference.
d.
I must decline HAFTA's invitation to speak at its fall conference.
a.
HAFTA members must be looking forward to the annual fall conference in Phoenix this year.
The buffer in a bad-news message is a
Select one:
a.
denial of the requested action.
b.
statement completely unrelated to the bad news so that receivers will not know that bad news is coming.
c.
hint that good news will follow.
d.
statement that reduces shock or pain and encourages the receiver to continue reading.
d. statement that reduces shock or pain and encourages the receiver to continue reading.
All of the following are effective techniques for softening bad news except
Select one:
a.
suggesting a compromise or an alternative.
b.
positioning the bad news at the beginning or end of a paragraph.
c.
placing the bad news in a subordinate clause.
d.
using passive-voice verbs.
b.
positioning the bad news at the beginning or end of a paragraph.
Corbin must inform employees that overtime pay will be reduced from the current 2.0 factor to a 1.5 factor. Because he anticipates a hostile reaction, which of the following sequences should Corbin use for the parts of his message?
Select one:
a.
Buffer, explanation, reasons, and closing
b.
Buffer, reasons, bad news, and closing
c.
Bad news, explanation, reasons, and closing
d.
Bad news, reasons, buffer, and closing
b. Buffer, reasons, bad news, and closing
Matt must send a refusal letter to Ryan, who recently interviewed for a job. Which of the following will be the best closing?
Select one:
a.
Again, Ryan, we truly regret being unable to offer you this position.
b.
If you had the required five years' experience in social work, we could have included you in the final slate of candidates.
c.
We wish you all the best in your job search.
d.
If you have any questions, Ryan, please do not hesitate to call me.
c. We wish you all the best in your job search.
Receivers are far more likely to accept negative news when you show that the decision was
Select one:
a.
impartial.
b.
All answer choices are correct.
c.
fair.
d.
rational.
b. All answer choices are correct.
The indirect strategy works best when the bad news is personally upsetting, when the news will prompt a hostile reaction, and when
Select one:
a.
firmness is necessary.
b.
the message arrives unexpectedly.
c.
the bad news is not damaging.
d.
the receiver may overlook the bad news.
b. the message arrives unexpectedly.
Allison is declining a request for a monetary contribution from a charitable organization to which her employer, BMI Industries, usually donates. Which of the following mosteffectively implies the refusal?
Select one:
a.
Although we cannot contribute this year, we may be able to next year.
b.
Unfortunately, we are prevented from contributing this year, but we may be able to in the future.
c.
BMI Industries regrets that it cannot contribute this year, but the company hopes to be able to next year.
d.
Although our profits are being reinvested in BMI Industries this year, we hope to be able to contribute next year.
d.
Although our profits are being reinvested in BMI Industries this year, we hope to be able to contribute next year.
Every business person will need to write a negative business message that may disappoint, irritate, or anger a receiver; these messages must be written
Select one:
a.
deceitfully.
b.
by top-level management only.
c.
using only the direct organizational strategy.
d.
carefully.
d. carefully.
Maya has decided to apologize briefly in the buffer of her bad-news message to a client. Which of the following is the best apology?
Select one:
a.
We know that you rely on your espresso machine to function properly.
b.
We sincerely apologize for the problems you experienced with your espresso machine. To prevent recurrence of this problem, we will recalibrate the heating element at no charge to you.
c.
It is unfortunate that you are unhappy with your espresso machine.
d.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
b. We sincerely apologize for the problems you experienced with your espresso machine. To prevent recurrence of this problem, we will recalibrate the heating element at no charge to you.
Taylor must send a bad-news message to a client and indicate to her that he will be unable to meet a delivery deadline. What should Taylor do first?
Select one:
a.
Select a soothing color of stationery for the message.
b.
Write the opening of his message.
c.
Gather information about his reasons for not meeting the deadline.
d.
Analyze the bad news to see how it will affect his reader.
d.
Analyze the bad news to see how it will affect his reader.
To convey empathy and sensitivity when delivering bad news, you should
Select one:
a.
show that you are human by using strong, forceful language.
b.
accept blame and apologize when appropriate.
c.
always cite company policy.
d.
avoid explaining the reasons for the bad news.
b. accept blame and apologize when appropriate.
Although you may worry about using the indirect strategy to communicate bad news, one benefit it has is
Select one:
a.
disguising the bad news.
b.
ensuring that your reasoning will be read while the receiver is still receptive.
c.
placing the bad news before the explanation.
d.
demonstrating your writing abilities.
b. ensuring that your reasoning will be read while the receiver is still receptive.
Human Resource Specialist Julie Woodard must inform employees of a major reduction in health care benefits. When delivering this announcement, she should apply all the following techniques except
Select one:
a.
deliver the news personally, if possible.
b.
let the employees find out through the office grapevine.
c.
be honest.
d.
inform the employees promptly.
b. let the employees find out through the office grapevine.
One of your goals in sending messages is to project a professional and positive image. One technique to project the proper image is by
Select one:
a.
using forceful or aggressive language.
b.
employing an irate tone.
c.
controlling your emotions.
d.
responding briefly without providing clear details.
c. controlling your emotions.
The ability to understand and enter into the feelings of another is called
Select one:
a.
sympathy.
b.
buffering.
c.
audience demographics.
d.
empathy.
d.
empathy.
What is the best advice for presenting the bad-news portion of your negative message to employees?
Select one:
a.
Place the bad news in the first sentence of a paragraph.
b.
Position the bad news so that it does not stand out.
c.
Use subjective language.
d.
Strive to sugarcoat the message to ease the employees' pain.
b. Position the bad news so that it does not stand out.