BA 1500 Chapter 5

To break out of the reputation of an inexperienced newcomer, a person should

attend a lot of meetings to get to know as many colleagues as possible.

In the course of creating an effective business message, excellent business thinkers are most likely to

identify and articulate key questions and problems.

In order to make business messages more positive, business writers should focus on actions they can accomplish and demonstrate a realistic optimism. However, they should be careful

not to set unrealistic expectations.

Which of the following is typically included in the planning stage of writing an effective business message?

generating the best ideas to address a business issue

Excellent business thinkers explore issues deeply by gathering information from a variety of sources.

true

Which of the following should be one of the goals of a business communicator?

to express the message in ways that inspire others

Which of the following is most likely to lower a person’s credibility?

slanting facts

Latisha perceives that the writer respects the reader and feels concern about the content of the message. Latisha’s perception relates to the writer’s

tone

In content and form, a business message should typically

avoid any form of self-centeredness.

Readers will respond better to a business message that has an objective, uninvolved tone.

true

Dale is developing a business message that he hopes will convince his colleagues to keep common areas clean. He wants to focus on employees’ shared efforts, interests, and problems. Which voice should he use?

we-voice

While analyzing the advantages of orientation programs for new employees, Carter learns that these programs can make new employees more comfortable in their jobs and thus help them focus on their work. This in turn increases employee efficiency and reduces the likelihood that they will quit their jobs. Which of the following statements should Carter avoid making because it exaggerates the facts?

Orientation programs eliminate the likelihood of new employees quitting their jobs.

Which of the following is most likely to be true about excellent business writers?

They spend a significant amount of time reviewing their work.

In all business messages, communicators should ideally aim at

projecting positivity.

Katya is developing a business message about a green initiative that her company is hoping to launch. In the process of creating the business message, she studies the background of the employees and considers their needs and priorities. This action belongs to which step of the AIM planning process?

audience analysis

Good business writers maintain a listener-centered approach.

true

The most important stage of creating effective business messages is planning.

true

Which of the following illustrates a characteristic of an excellent business thinker?

Boris uses a variety of sources such as journal articles and colleagues’ expertise.

Which of the following techniques is most likely to make business messages more positive?

using constructive terms

Calvin, a human resources manager of K5 Textiles believes that the company can improve employee retention rates by improving employee benefits. In outlining his argument to the company’s leadership team, he points out that a large technology firm had success with such a strategy. Calvin’s message fails to convince K5’s leadership team. Which of the following is the likely cause of their reaction?

weak analogy

In the course of creating an effective business message, excellent business thinkers are most likely to

make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions.

A meta message is

the overall but often underlying message people take away from a communication.

_____ involve ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks.

Priorities

Jorge, the shipping manager at Durable Products, writes a memo proposing that that they stop using RoadHog Trucking Company and ship everything by L.B. Haines. The reason he gives is that two of the accounts that have been shipping by L.B. Haines during the last year increased their orders by more than 10%, so he is certain that switching trucking firms will cause other accounts to grow too. The executives of the company do not accept Jorge’s suggestion. Why was his memo unconvincing?

faulty cause/effect argument

The priorities of a message’s targeted audience

tend to shift more often than values.

Using diplomatic language is important because it

avoids implying an adversarial relationship.

Amal is preparing a report about a planned wave of layoffs at the plant where she works. She wants to use the inductive method. How should she structure the report?

lay out the supporting reasons in careful order; state the primary message

For the past few months, Capital Carpets has experienced high employee turnover. After investigating, human resource manager Kareem discovered that most employees are unhappy with their salaries and therefore unmotivated to work. Kareem plans to craft a message using the deductive, or direct, approach. How should he structure it?

state the primary message; lay out supporting reasons; conclude with a call to action

Productivity at the Michigan branch of Brite Paper Manufacturing has decreased significantly over the last twelve months. Aiden, the branch manager, researches the problem and finds that many employees are spending significant time on social media while at work. He wants to construct a report for the company’s leadership team, using the deductive approach. How should he structure the report?

state the primary message; lay out supporting reasons; conclude with a call to action

What do the deductive approach and inductive approach to structuring business messages have in common?

In both, the arrangement of supporting ideas is important.

Which of the following is most likely to show that the writer of a business message has concern for the audience?

respecting the autonomy of the reader

Statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty and can be observed objectively are known as

facts

What is the most likely impact of slanting facts?

It reduces the credibility of a business message.

Starting each sentence with "I," helps create a connection with the audience.

false

Which of the following should be a goal of a business communicator?

to express the message in a way that respects others

Which of the following is typically included in the reviewing stage of developing an effective business message?

removing distractions from the message

Which of the following is something an excellent business writer would do?

spend more time planning than writing

An indirect approach is often effective for delivering bad news.

true

While examining the pros and cons of introducing a smoking-cessation program for the employees of Hip Glass Inc., Suyin does extensive research and learns that the pros far outnumber the cons. She decides to recommend that the company implement the program. Which of the following statements will increase the positivity of her proposition?

The smoking cessation program would lead to reduced healthcare costs and employee sick days.

Analyzing a business problem typically involves

deducing conclusions from facts.

One tip for building well-reasoned business positions is to

avoid faulty cause/effect claims.

In the context of writing business messages, which of the following is true?

Emphasizing what products and services are, rather than what they are not, makes business messages more positive.

Which of the following suggestions should be followed to build a well-reasoned business position?

Use strong analogies.

Facts are statements that

can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty.

Anita, an executive at Glaciers, Inc., wants to introduce a profit-sharing program. She needs to convince other executives that it is a good idea for their company. She has considered her audience and gathered information. Next she should

decide how to frame her primary message.

Carlos has been assigned the task of creating an effective business message aimed at encouraging healthy habits in the workplace. He uses the AIM planning process. Which of the following should he do during the information gathering stage?

identify problems that prevent employees from making healthy choices

While writing business messages, avoid terms that unnecessarily focus on differences.

true

Which of the following is typically included in the planning stage of writing an effective business message?

identifying the primary message and key points

The difference between the deductive approach and the inductive approach is that

in the inductive approach, the supporting reasons are placed before the primary message.

______ is the overall evaluation that a reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content.

Tone

Abbad works as a managing editor. It is very important to him to maintain the quality of his work. He has set a very high standard for his team. Abbad’s high ideals are referred to as

values

Extensive use of the I-voice in a business message

fails to convey the interests of the audience.

In a business message, the function of a call to action is to

state explicitly what you want readers to do.

The inductive approach to writing a business argument

provides the supporting reasons before the primary message.

Entry-level professionals usually have very high professional credibility.

false

Alan is mentoring Pat, a younger colleague, in how to be a better business writer. As Pat was writing her last memo, she did the following things. Which one will Alan tell her she needs to change?

Pat drew primarily on her own opinions and expertise.

Carlton finds that a geographic restructuring would have a positive effect on his insurance company and increase its efficiency. He draws up a report for the board of directors in which he mentions that separate departments should be set up for each of the company’s 10 sales territories. Which of the following statements is most likely to increase the positivity of his proposition?

I look forward to putting together a detailed plan to restructure the company geographically.

Values of readers are likely to shift more often than their priorities.

false

In the context of dealing with business problems, which of the following should ideally be the first step?

identifying the business problem

Most business arguments employ an indirect approach because it is more persuasive.

false

Positions are stances that you take or recommendations that you make based on a set of conclusions.

true

Use either/or logic to strengthen business positions.

false

Salina, the expeditor at RingPro Gasket Manufacturer, writes a memo asking her manager to buy her a new computerized system for tracking customer orders. She claims that if she does not get this system, chronically late deliveries will ensue. Her manager turns down her request. Salina made the mistake of using

either/or logic.

Enduring beliefs and ideals that individuals hold are called

values

Ansel has been asked to analyze the benefits and feasibility of implementing a stress-reduction program on a fixed budget. Through research, Ansel learns that the cost of a stress reduction program exceeds the proposed budget. He also learns that such programs are linked to increased employee health and morale. Based on this information, he advises company leadership that the program should be implemented immediately. Ansel is guilty of

slanting the facts.

Meta messages are the overall messages people take away from a communication.

true

Jamal is writing a business communication to advocate for an onsite daycare at his office. "Argument for a New Daycare" would be an effective title for his communication.

false

Omar is the marketing manager at PLM. In his market survey, he finds that customers are not happy with PLM’s inefficient customer service. How will Omar structure his message if he wants to use the inductive, or indirect, approach?

lay out the supporting reasons in careful order; state the primary message

In the context of the AIM planning process, which of the following tends to be the single most important planning step?

identifying reader benefits and constraints

Sending mixed signals is most likely to

cause the reader to feel confused.

Rich needs to choose someone to analyze the following problem and suggest potential solutions: The company is having trouble recruiting employees with the right skills. Which of the following employees should he choose?

Will has a knack for explaining complex issues in a clear, understandable way

It is important to avoid analogies when constructing arguments.

false

Exaggeration adversely impacts readers’ perception of the credibility of a business message.

true

The process of developing business messages involves planning, writing, and distributing.

false

Which statement describes how writers should address the priorities of their targeted audience during the AIM planning process?

Assign importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks

Readers are more likely to react positively to a message if the writer

is clearly concerned about the issues discussed.

Which of the following is most likely to lower a person’s credibility?

exaggeration of facts

In content and form, a business message should show that you have the interests of your audience in mind.

true

The use of we-voice in a business message

emphasizes the writer’s shared interests with the reader.

Which of the following is most likely to be included in the writing stage of developing an effective business message?

making the message easy to read

Which of the following is typically included in the writing stage of developing an effective business message?

setting a positive and other-oriented tone

The deductive approach is also known as the _____ approach.

direct

Most business arguments employ a deductive approach. When employing this approach, you are most likely to

begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a recommendation.

Which of the following is typically included in the reviewing stage of writing an effective business message?

ensuring that the communication is fair

Analyzing a business problem typically involves

uncovering relevant facts.

The art of creating effective frames involves capturing your primary message in a short, memorable statement of 15 words or less.

true

Pete, the marketing manager at Regal, believes that an employee should always act ethically and should also report instances of unethical behavior that he or she encounters. This belief held by Pete is an example of a

value.

A business message that primarily relies on the _____ shows that the message is self-centered.

I-voice

Typically, tone influences readers over the entire course of a message.

true

To break out of the reputation of an inexperienced newcomer, you should

ask your boss for ideas about improving your professional reputation.

Roberto, a manager at GBN, has to prepare a report about the advantages of introducing a counseling program for employees in his company. In his report, he makes the claim that introducing a counseling program would reduce voluntary turnover because employees would be happier with their pay packages, but he offers no evidence linking counseling with pay. This report failed to effectively deliver the message that Roberto had intended. Which of the following is the most likely reason for its failure?

unsupported generalization

Which of the following is a goal of the AIM planning process?

to unleash good ideas

During which step in the AIM planning process should you consider the constraints your readers face?

audience analysis