Elephants
Which of the following statements is true about email?
A. | Email came into existence during the 1950s. |
B. | Email has entirely replaced the need for phone conversations. |
C. | Email is the primary form of oral communication. |
D. | Email allows a communicator to reach out to only one person at a time. |
E. | Email is the most heavily used communication medium in business. |
E. Email is a relatively new medium, and it is the most heavily used communication medium in business.
Communication with an external audience should be undertaken with careful attention to both content and tone because _____.
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D. Every act of communication with an external audience can be regarded as a public-relations message, conveying a certain image of the company. For this reason, all such acts should be undertaken with careful attention to both content and tone.
Communication ranks at or near the top of the business skills needed for success. |
True
Communication is a major and essential part of the work of business. Communication ranks at or near the top of the business skills needed for success
Personal communication interferes with good business relationships and should be prohibited in the workplace
False
Personal communication is essential in the workplace since it helps make and sustain the relationships upon which business depends. Personal communication is the exchange of information and feelings in which we human beings engage whenever we come together
You must be honest about your feelings and blame the reader when resolving a problem concerning him or her.
False
You must avoid the temptation to blame the reader when you are resolving a problem. No one likes being accused of negligence, wrongdoing, or faulty thinking. It is better to objectively explain the facts and then move on to a solution
Social intelligence is best defined as the ability to _____.
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B. Social intelligence is the ability of people to quickly assess the emotions of those around them and adapt their words, tone, and gestures accordingly. New media require that employees be "highly conversant with digital networking and virtual collaboration." They are also increasing the need for employees who have social intelligence.
Which of the following best exemplifies personal communication?
A. | A team's discussion of how to improve work performance |
B. | An acknowledgement that an order has been received |
C. | A note to a supplier thanking him for the Christmas card he sent |
D. | A business proposal written to the general manager of a company |
E. | A team meeting to discuss the progress of an ongoing project |
C. A note to a supplier thanking him for the Christmas card he sent best exemplifies personal communication. Personal communication is the informal exchange of information and feelings in which we human beings engage whenever we come together—or when we just feel like talking to each other. Although not an official part of the business's operations, personal communication can have a significant effect on their success.
The importance of communication skills is the same at all levels of an organization.
False
Whatever position you have in business, your performance will be judged largely on the basis of your ability to communicate. If you perform and communicate well, you are likely to be rewarded with advancement. And the higher you advance, the more you will need your communication ability.
No two people have identical contexts or mental "filters."
True
No two people have precisely the same values, backgrounds, and verbal worlds. All of these elements, called mental "filters," influence how people perceive new situations and how they communicate.(
Because the center parts of a message receive major attention, this part carries more emphasis than the other parts
False
The beginnings and endings of a writing unit carry more emphasis than the center parts. This rule of emphasis applies whether the unit is the message, a paragraph of the message, or a sentence within the paragraph.
Cross-cultural competency is best defined as the ability to _____.
A. | understand and adapt to the preference for individualism or collectivism, religious beliefs, political environment, and ideas about social hierarchy of different countries |
B. | interact with data, see patterns in data, make data-based decisions, and use data to design for desired outcomes |
C. | determine the deeper, underlying meaning or significance of messages |
D. | manipulate people into accepting one's viewpoint regarding religion |
E. | create and interpret graphics |
A: Cross-cultural competency is best defined as the ability to understand and adapt to the preference for individualism or collectivism, religious beliefs, political environment, and ideas about social hierarchy of different countries.
The first step in the communication process is to _____.
A. | compose a message |
B. | interpret the message |
C. | sense the need for communication |
D. | select a course of action |
E. | decide on a response |
C. The first step in the communication process involves the primary communicator sensing a communication need. It occurs when a problem has come to the communicator's attention, or he/she has an idea about how to achieve a certain goal.
Written communication has replaced oral communication in business settings
False
Oral communication is a major part of the information flow in businesses. So, too, are various types of written communication—instant messaging, text messaging, online postings and comments, email, memos, letters, and reports, as well as forms and records.
To communicate clearly, you must use words that your readers are familiar with.
True
As words that are familiar to some people may be unfamiliar to others, you will need to decide which ones your readers will understand and use them.
Which of the following sentences does NOT use slang or a cliché?
A. | The company spent a fortune developing this cutting-edge technology. |
B. | This hotel has world-class amenities. |
C. | Are you for real? |
D. | Going forward, please ensure you direct all customer queries to me. |
E. | They decided to schedule the meeting at an earlier date. |
E. The sentence "They decided to schedule the meeting at an earlier date" does not contain slang or cliches. At any given time in any society, some slang words and cliches are in vogue. In the United States, for example, you might currently hear "for real" (or, "for real?"), "no worries," and "all over it" (in control), while other such expressions—"no way," "get out," and "bodacious"—now sound dated. Business cliches come and go as well. "State of the art," "cutting edge," and "world class" have given way to "moving forward," "thought leaders," and "best practices."
The widespread use of the Internet has _____.
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A. The widespread use of the Internet has forced companies into focusing harder on developing a socially responsible image. The Internet has brought a new transparency to companies' business practices, with negative information traveling quickly and widely. This has increased the emphasis on corporate social responsibility
Which of the following sentences is the best example of the use of familiar words?
A. | We are buying new computers this week. |
B. | We have a platonic relationship. |
C. | Karen was livid with anger because Rob was late for the meeting. |
D. | Please try to expedite the process. |
E. | He wore an immaculate suit to office. |
A. The sentence "We are buying new computers this week" uses familiar words. To communicate clearly, you must use words that your readers are familiar with. As words that are familiar to some people may be unfamiliar to others, you will need to decide which ones your readers will understand
Poor communication negatively affects big businesses, not small businesses
False
Poor communication costs businesses millions of dollars every single day in the form of wasted time, misunderstandings, eroded customer loyalty, and lost business. SIS International Research found that poor communication is a problem for small and midsized businesses, not just for big corporations.
The word "complement" refers to words of praise
False
The word "compliment," not "complement" refers to words of praise
Which of the following sentences is an example of a discriminatory sentence?
A. | Firefighters were immediately called after noticing a fire in the office lobby. |
B. | A repair technician was called to fix a broken machine. |
C. | The lawyers asked their clients to accept the deal. |
D. | The Hispanic manager at Arcadia Stores is always neatly dressed. |
E. | The secretary stops people from barging into the chairperson's chamber. |
D. The sentence "The Hispanic manager at Arcadia Stores is always neatly dressed" is a discriminatory sentence. These words suggest that a minority member has struggled to achieve something that is taken for granted in the majority group. Usually well intended, words of this kind can carry subtle discriminatory messages. A reference to a "neatly dressed Hispanic man" may suggest that he is an exception to the rule—that most Hispanics are not neatly dressed, but here is one who is.
Which of the following constitutes an internal audience for a business?
A. | The company's competitors |
B. | The company's customers |
C. | The company's employees |
D. | The company's suppliers |
E. | Government officials |
C. All the communication that occurs in conducting work within a business is internal operational. This is the communication among the business's employees that is done to perform the work of the business and track its success.
Cliches should be used sparingly because they _____.
A. | signal to other specialists that you are qualified to communicate on their level |
B. | create problems in cross-cultural communication |
C. | represent unpopular concepts |
D. | are short in length |
E. | are familiar to most people |
B. Cliches catch on because they represent popular concepts, but with overuse, they begin to sound like a replacement for thinking. Plus, they run the risk of sounding out of date, and they can create problems in cross-cultural communication
The widespread use of the Internet has increased companies' attention to social responsibility.
True
The Internet has increased companies' attention to social responsibility. It has brought a new transparency to companies' business practices, with negative information traveling quickly and widely. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as CorpWatch, Consumer Federation of America, and Greenpeace can exert a powerful influence on public opinion and even on governments.
Since positive words are the most effective for achieving desired effects, negative words should not be used in business messages.
False
Negative words sometimes have to be used in messages for clarity. Positive wording is questionable when it causes the reader to overlook an important negative point in the message—the discontinuation of a service, for example, or information about an unsafe product.
Lack of unity in sentences is usually caused by _____.
A. | unrelated ideas |
B. | the use of active verbs |
C. | the use of active voice |
D. | the elimination of two-word verbs |
E. | the elimination of cluttering phrases |
A. The ideas in a sentence must have a reason for being together and clearly convey one overall point. If they don't, you should separate them. If you believe they do go together, you should make clear how they're related. Placing unrelated ideas in a sentence is the most obvious violation of unity.