BCOMM exam 2

Which of the following should you do to quickly manage your nervousness before a presentation?

Go for a strenuous physical workout right before the presentation.
Think of all the things that could go wrong in the presentation so you can prepare.
Take several deep breaths to quickly alleviate your anxiety.
Drink a lot of caffeinated beverages so you will feel energized.
Review your notes and avoid making eye contact with audience members.

Take several deep breaths to quickly alleviate your anxiety.

People often misread body language so you should

stand behind a podium and grip it to keep from waving your hands.
avoid making gestures as much as possible.
pay attention to the audience so you can adjust what you are doing.
plan your gestures ahead of time the way you would choreograph a dance.
smile as much as possible to show that you have good intentions.

pay attention to the audience so you can adjust what you are doing.

Hector wants to practice a relaxation technique before his presentation. Which of the following options should he avoid using?

counting backward from 100
listening to his favorite music
thinking about the things he wants to achieve
meditating
stretching

thinking about the things he wants to achieve

Which of the following is the most appropriate type of handout to pass out during a presentation?

a printout of a complex budget
a copy of the presentation slides
a hard copy of the text of the message
a pie chart or bar chart
a list of the key takeaway messages

a printout of a complex budget

According to the SOFTEN model of nonverbal communication, you should

go through your presentations quickly to show respect for the audience members’ time.
face the audience directly with a slight forward lean and upright posture during a presentation.
avoid making eye contact with your audience as you could lose your train of thought.
point to the audience whenever you want them to remember a key point.
gesture constantly with your hands, arms, body, and head to keep the audience engaged.

face the audience directly with a slight forward lean and upright posture during a presentation.

Geneva has joined a small design firm that prides itself on having a non-hierarchical, creative work environment. Which type of business dress would most likely be appropriate for this office?

a tailored business suit with a skirt and a dress shirt
a tailored business suit with pants and a dress shirt
a blazer, a tailored shirt, and tailored pants
a blazer, a tailored shirt, and a tailored skirt
a tailored shirt with either pants or a skirt

a tailored shirt with either pants or a skirt

Which of the following presenters interacts most effectively with the audience during a question-and-answer session?

Barry answers questions without taking the time to think about them.
Ricardo changes the subject if someone asks him a question he does not know.
Malik always provides elaborate answers to audience members’ questions.
Rebecca believes reframing questions to match her agenda is unethical.
Judith thanks each member of the audience who asks a question.

Judith thanks each member of the audience who asks a question.

Which of the following techniques will help you make your presentation about people?

reading from your slides and letting the audience interpret them as they like
introducing colleagues and referring to them by name during your presentation
engaging in frequent name-dropping to show your network of contacts
using examples from your personal life rather than from business contexts
avoiding the use of charts and tables in your slides because numbers are impersonal

introducing colleagues and referring to them by name during your presentation

Which of the following is a guideline connected with the SOFTEN model of nonverbal communication?

Go through your presentation quickly because most audiences have a short attention span.
Lean back and lower your shoulders to convey self-confidence while presenting.
Use your facial expressions to connect with your audience and show enthusiasm for your topic.
Speak in a steady tone and avoid dramatic modulation of your voice as much as possible.
Avoid gesturing with your hands, arms, body, and head as it is distracting.

Use your facial expressions to connect with your audience and show enthusiasm for your topic.

When you lose your train of thought during a presentation, you should

start your presentation all over again.
announce a short break that will allow you to collect your thoughts.
read from your slides instead of trying to interpret them.
tell a few jokes to distract the audience.
pause until you regain your composure and your line of thinking.

pause until you regain your composure and your line of thinking.

Business casual dress is intended to project

a comfortable, relaxed feel while maintaining a high standard of professionalism.
executive presence and seriousness along with a sense of authority.
a balance between a sense of inaccessible authority and a flair for creativity.
creativity and a strong sense of individuality.
an image of importance, power, and rigidity.

a comfortable, relaxed feel while maintaining a high standard of professionalism.

Which technique helps team presentations to be more seamless?

working independently on research and writing up until the presentation
using transitional phrases to pass speaking roles from one to the next
keeping your head down when other team members are speaking to keep the focus on them
assigning team roles to people who need to improve in the particular skill that the task requires
avoiding reference to each other’s names to present more of a team identity

using transitional phrases to pass speaking roles from one to the next

In order to focus your presentation on people, you should

avoid using presentation software or other technology.
use a lot of "I" statements.
include as many photographs as possible in your slides.
make individuals and groups the subject of your sentences.
stand where you will not be the center of attention.

make individuals and groups the subject of your sentences.

Which of the following is an important principle for effectively interacting with the audience during presentations?

Never pause before answering a question.
Give short responses as they are more effective.
Never admit that you do not know the answer.
Reframe questions to match the audience’s agenda.
Restrict the number of questions to a minimum.

Give short responses as they are more effective.

Which of the following will help you maintain a flexible approach during your presentation?

arriving just before the presentation to avoid nervousness
reading your entire message so you do not lose your place
focusing on your agenda rather than the needs of the audience
explaining any problems that disrupt the presentation
knowing the key messages of your presentation

knowing the key messages of your presentation

Which of the following should be avoided during most presentations?

turning off the lights
using blank slides
standing to the side of the projection area
interpreting the slides
speaking before the slide show

turning off the lights

How can you be a supportive audience member?

Avoid eye contact with the presenter as this may cause him or her to lose focus.
Avoid behaviors such as yawning that may distract the presenter.
Ask repeated questions during and after the presentation.
Point out any errors or typos that you notice in the presentation.
Publicly offer the presenter advice on making the presentation more useful.

Avoid behaviors such as yawning that may distract the presenter.

Which of the following is one of the best ways to relax immediately before a presentation?

gazing at someone who looks skeptical to motivate yourself
speaking with audience members to break the ice
imagining what could go wrong so you can develop a plan
pacing around the room to work off tension
drinking milk because it is calming

speaking with audience members to break the ice

If someone asks you something you do not know during a question-and-answer session, what should you do?

Reframe the question and then give an answer that fits your agenda.
Make up the best answer you can.
Change the subject as quickly as possible.
Admit that you do not know and offer to find the information.
Ask the questioner why he or she wants to know.

Admit that you do not know and offer to find the information.

Which of the following audience members is being rude to the presenter?

Candace nods at points she agrees with.
Karl sits up straight throughout the presentation.
Ralph keeps his eyes directed toward the PowerPoint slides.
Lei watches the speaker except when she jots down important notes.
Frank pulls up his cuff to check his watch every five minutes.

Frank pulls up his cuff to check his watch every five minutes.

Cathy works for a multinational company and has to make a presentation in a large conference room. To make sure that she uses the room to her advantage while delivering her presentation, Cathy should

sit at the table with her colleagues so she appears equal to them.
stand as close to her seated colleagues as possible so they look up to her.
pace around the room so everyone has a chance to see her.
stand upright behind a podium where she can place her notes.
position herself in a corner so the attention is on her slides.

stand upright behind a podium where she can place her notes.

According to the SOFTEN model of nonverbal communication, during a presentation you should

attempt to read your audience and get a sense for how much energy they have.
speak very slowly to show how well you know your topic and how much you prepared.
put your hands on your hips and fold your arms to convey authority.
dress a little more casually than the audience is dressed.
smile as much as possible to express your enthusiasm for your topic.

attempt to read your audience and get a sense for how much energy they have.

Which of the following professionals is making effective use of slides during a presentation?

Martha starts her presentation with a slide of a chart rather than with opening remarks.
Amy stares at her slides and reads them word for word to the audience.
Colin stands in front of the slide projection and talks about the content.
Roger uses animated effects every time he switches from one slide to another to jazz up the presentation.
Juan displays a blank screen when he speaks for lengthy periods without referencing his slides.

Juan displays a blank screen when he speaks for lengthy periods without referencing his slides.

Which of the following should you do during a presentation?

Keep the previous visual on the screen when you speak for lengthy periods.
Interpret your slides rather than just reading them.
Stand in front of the slide projection area so you can point to it.
Avoid making a personal connection with your audience.
Stand still as you talk to avoid distracting the audience.

Interpret your slides rather than just reading them.

Which of the following statements is a helpful guideline for presenting with slides?

Do not practice your slides more than once or the presentation will go stale.
Do not start your slides until after you have made preliminary remarks to your audience.
Turn out the lights so that the audience can view your slides easily.
Create slides that are complete enough not to need any interpretation.
Avoid using blank slides as they may cause the audience to lose interest.

Do not start your slides until after you have made preliminary remarks to your audience.

Which of the following guidelines makes a presentation more effective?

speaking to your audience not the screen
standing still as you talk so as not to distract the audience
using the slides as the primary source of information
reading your slides rather than interpreting them
starting your slides right away without preliminary remarks

speaking to your audience not the screen

Which of the following professionals is following one of the guidelines for effective slide presentations?

Maria uses several fancy fonts to highlight key terms and concepts in her presentation.
Leo turns off the lights in the room so his slides will be easier for the audience to see.
Amanda uses a remote control to move from slide to slide so she can move around while presenting.
Fred draws his audience’s attention to his slides as the primary source of information.
Sean displays abstract images on the screen when he speaks for lengthy periods without referencing his slides.

Amanda uses a remote control to move from slide to slide so she can move around while presenting.

Which of the following is the best example of a transition between speakers?

Jerry sits down, and Angela stands up and starts speaking.
Zelda introduces Leonard by previewing his three main points.
Bill introduces Cheri by telling a funny story about her.
Leah introduces Trish by saying what general topic she will discuss.
Marc sits down. After a pause, Harold says, "I guess it’s my turn."

Leah introduces Trish by saying what general topic she will discuss.

Generally, formal business attire projects

trustworthiness.
creativity.
friendliness.
competence.
approachability.

competence.

Which of the following is the best way to deliver presentations with authenticity?

engaging in frequent name-dropping throughout the presentation
talking about your abilities and achievements to impress your audience
finding ways to present your real self to your audience
attempting to learn the presentation techniques of great speakers
avoiding the use of notes as they can be perceived as a sign of weakness

finding ways to present your real self to your audience

Nathaniel recently joined Anderson Enterprises, a multinational firm. He is confused about what to wear for a business meeting where he will have to make a presentation to important clients. Which of the following should Nathaniel wear?

Nathaniel should wear tailored pants and a button-down, collared shirt without a tie.
Nathaniel should wear a conservative business suit with a dress shirt and a necktie.
Nathaniel should wear chinos with a button-down, collared shirt and no tie.
Nathaniel should wear a sports coat or blazer and khaki pants.
Nathaniel should wear a polo-type shirt with khakis and conservative footwear.

Nathaniel should wear a conservative business suit with a dress shirt and a necktie.

You and your coworker Cho sit through a presentation that Cho laughingly describes as "death by PowerPoint." When you discuss the presentation afterward, you can think of only one thing the presenter did correctly. Which of the following characteristics of the presentation helped rather than hindered ease of processing?

using low-contrast backgrounds and colors
providing as much information as possible on every slide
using 10-point fonts for body text
eliminating most white space
using simple charts and diagrams

using simple charts and diagrams

You have created a presentation for work, and you ask a colleague to review it. Which of the following will your colleague tell you must be improved for ease of processing?

You have only four to six lines of text of every slide.
You used 14-point fonts for titles and 12-point fonts for body text.
You kept a margin of white space as a border on every slide.
You used bold to accent key ideas and italics to accent key terms.
You used light yellow for the background and black for the text.

You used 14-point fonts for titles and 12-point fonts for body text.

Your coworker LaRita has asked you to review her slide presentation. You notice that it is difficult to recognize and process the most important ideas and information. To help her fix this, what will you recommend that she change?

She should limit her text to five words per line and three to four lines per slide.
She should choose dark backgrounds and text colors.
She should include a compelling image every few slides.
She should use bold or italics to highlight key ideas.
She should make sure her charts are large and complex.

She should use bold or italics to highlight key ideas.

Why might a writer decide to create a business report in a slide deck format?

to avoid the need for navigational tools like headings
to allow decision makers to see it in a presentation rather than read it
to carry most of the recommendations in visuals rather than in text
to eliminate the cover and executive summary
to make it visually stronger and more creative

to make it visually stronger and more creative

Problem statements are most effective when

the contextual details in the statements conceal the urgency of the problem.
they provide the unique context of the problem for the organization.
they are placed at the end of the report as a review.
they avoid using predictions and cause-effect statements.
APA style is used for documentation instead of MLA style.

they provide the unique context of the problem for the organization.

The table of contents in a report contains

topic sentences from each paragraph.
all of the preview statements from each section of the report.
all first-level headings and sometimes all second-level headings.
section numbers with their corresponding page numbers.
the introduction from each section of the report.

all first-level headings and sometimes all second-level headings.

Lori is using secondary research to develop a business report. How can she write her report in a way that demonstrates originality in thought?

cite all her research sources
generate her own conclusions and recommendations
use the most current documentation guidelines
adopt a methodical approach to decision making
be careful when making predictions and cause-effect statements

generate her own conclusions and recommendations

You should use direct quotation when

a paraphrase will not flow smoothly into the text of your paper.
you want to avoid documenting references to others’ ideas.
the quotation contains a particularly compelling combination of words.
you want to express the idea of another speaker in your own words.
the quotation does not emphasize the credibility of the original speaker.

the quotation contains a particularly compelling combination of words.

What is the probable effect of using too many bullet points in a report?

It makes the report seem like it lacks direction.
It can create a choppy, staccato-like effect.
It makes the report difficult to navigate.
It casts a shadow of doubt on the quality of data.
It demonstrates your lack of originality in thought.

It can create a choppy, staccato-like effect.

Which of the following statements about cover pages is true?

Cover pages should summarize the most important contents of a report.
Cover pages consist of a list of first-level and second-level headings.
Formal reports, regardless of length, always include a cover page.
The cover page is generally the least emphasized aspect of document design.
Cover pages typically include the names of all the recipients.

Formal reports, regardless of length, always include a cover page.

Which of the following statements about headings is true?

If a report contains a table of contents, headings are unnecessary.
At a minimum, you should include third-level headings.
All types of reports, except survey reports, should include headings.
Reports over five pages long are likely to require second-level headings.
Headings should be structural, not descriptive of content.

Reports over five pages long are likely to require second-level headings.

Shuai is writing a report with a great deal of complicated numerical information. To clarify and simplify this information for decision makers, she should put it into

bulleted lists.
a preview statement.
an executive summary.
appendices.
charts or tables.

charts or tables.

To project objectivity in a report, you should

ensure that your enthusiasm and strong positive emotion do not appear to cloud your judgment.
use paraphrases instead of quotations to make sure ideas are in your own words.
use bulleting and enumerated lists whenever you have a particularly dense chunk of information.
use headings throughout the report to make the structure readily apparent.
combine information from your various sources in novel and insightful ways.

ensure that your enthusiasm and strong positive emotion do not appear to cloud your judgment.

Why should the important contents of a long business report be summarized in an executive summary?

to signal that you have been methodical in collecting, analyzing, and reporting data
to convey that proper documentation has been used throughout the report
to provide supporting details for your conclusions
to allow decision makers to judge the quality of your data
to enable decision makers to quickly understand and act on the report findings

to enable decision makers to quickly understand and act on the report findings

Gemma is writing a business proposal that suggests taking a customer satisfaction survey. Which of the following actions will make it more likely that Gemma’s proposal will succeed?

negotiating some details verbally with decision makers before writing the proposal
focusing mostly on the philosophy behind the idea
avoiding including distracting details such as timelines or required resources
using a factual rather than persuasive structure
avoiding mention of budget until after the general idea is approved

negotiating some details verbally with decision makers before writing the proposal

Which of the following is a guideline for reviewing business reports?

Make sure that the report projects more positivity than objectivity.
Avoid discussing the report with the ultimate decision makers.
Run through the report numerous times, each time considering a different perspective.
Avoid getting others’ perspectives on the report because different people have different opinions.
Review the report only if it deals with sensitive marketing strategies.

Run through the report numerous times, each time considering a different perspective.

Orlando wants to start a task force to explore ways that his company could improve its energy efficiency. To do so, he will need permission to work with other employees and to use work time for meetings. He also needs a budget so the task force members can attend useful training and seminars. Orlando needs to write up and submit a

business report.
business proposal.
spreadsheet analysis.
white paper.
development timeline.

business proposal.

Which of the following raises the credibility of a report?

avoiding the use of cause-effect statements
providing supporting details for your conclusions
designing the report for ease of use
using direct quotations rather than paraphrases
eliminating choppy bulleted lists

providing supporting details for your conclusions

Which of the following aspects of writing business reports relates to the component of credibility known as character?

providing facts that help decision makers
providing positions that help decision makers
involving decision makers in the process
addressing the needs of decision makers
reporting information transparently

reporting information transparently

Which of the following statements about business reports is true?

Precision in most business reports is the result of using the right documentation system.
It is important to strike a balance between objectivity and positivity in a report.
A business report should always use as many bulleted or numbered lists as possible.
A title page should be used in a business report to preview the report’s most important contents.
Preview statements help decision makers judge the quality of the data provided in business reports.

It is important to strike a balance between objectivity and positivity in a report.

Which of the following aspects of writing business reports relates to the component of credibility known as caring?

providing facts that help decision makers
providing conclusions that help decision makers
addressing the needs of decision makers
reporting information honestly
reporting information transparently

addressing the needs of decision makers

Felicia is creating a 60-page report for the senior managers in her department. To help her managers navigate such a lengthy report, she should

include a SWOT analysis in her report.
use several cause-effect statements throughout the report.
provide a structure that decision makers are familiar with.
use paraphrasing instead of direct quotation.
use the MLA documentation system instead of APA style.

provide a structure that decision makers are familiar with.

Which of the following will help you ensure that your report is fair and effective?

reviewing the entire report in just one sitting
avoiding the use of direct quotations
giving more importance to positivity rather than objectivity
reviewing your report from the perspective of decision makers
giving the emotional reasons for your recommendations

reviewing your report from the perspective of decision makers

Carlo is preparing a report on recent trends in his business, and he has done extensive secondary research. To avoid plagiarism on a sentence and paragraph level, he should

include the problem statement at the end of the report.
include a table of contents at the beginning of the report.
avoid including any attachments in the report.
document all references to the ideas of others.
include an executive summary in the report.

document all references to the ideas of others.

Which of the following can damage the objectivity of a business report?

putting numerical data in tables
using bullets to separate related points
quoting experts on the subject
eliminating the use of emotional adjectives
recommending a rush to action

recommending a rush to action

How has report writing changed over the years?

In recent years, reports have become more minimal with regard to aesthetic standards.
In recent years, style and design have gained more importance over content.
Reports are much smaller and more compact today than they were in the past.
Reports must now be accessible to many different clients and constituents.
Professionals used to be more competitive about using their reports to advance their careers.

Reports must now be accessible to many different clients and constituents.

In a business report, recommendations

address difficult-to-find secondary information.
allow readers to know exactly where the information came from.
are based on needs and opportunities described in the body of the paper.
allow decision makers to examine the data themselves.
are expressed in exaggerated language for effect.

are based on needs and opportunities described in the body of the paper.

Ernie has to submit a progress report about his project to his manager. What component should he put in the progress report that does not usually appear in other types of business reports?

an executive summary
an introduction
accomplishments
business objectives
headings

accomplishments

What does it mean to demonstrate originality in thought when using secondary research to develop reports?

to combine information from a variety of sources in novel and insightful ways
to use indirect quotations when the quotation contains a particularly compelling combination of words
to raise the credibility of your report by carefully dealing with cause-effect statements
to provide citations to indicate the information you have drawn from other sources
to meld the ideas from two different sources in a way that keeps their true meaning

to combine information from a variety of sources in novel and insightful ways

Decision makers are unlikely to take your report seriously when you

combine information from various sources in novel ways.
use verbatim restatements from another source.
make recommendations that are not explicitly linked to facts and conclusions.
express in your own words the original idea of one of your research sources.
weave together information from more than three sources.

make recommendations that are not explicitly linked to facts and conclusions.

In order to ensure the effectiveness and fairness of your report, you should

review the entire report in just one sitting to maintain consistency.
review the entire document several times to check for accuracy and precision in logic.
avoid using any gimmicky formatting like bulleted or numbered lists.
avoid asking colleagues to review it because they will dilute the perspective.
avoid discussing the report with decision makers because that might sway their opinions.

review the entire document several times to check for accuracy and precision in logic.

Why do reports frequently include appendixes?

to help decision makers judge the quality of report data
to help readers process and group dense information
to help the readers navigate the report
to establish the purpose and value of the report
to provide reference materials

to provide reference materials

At his last review, Lazar was told that his reports succeed at projecting a positive tone but do not seem objective enough. Lazar has asked you, as a trusted colleague, to give him advice on how to improve that aspect of his work. Which of the following will you tell him?

Use tables and charts in your report to represent numerical information.
Provide a well-designed table of contents.
Use bulleted or enumerated lists to reduce the density of information.
Provide information, analysis, and advice that is sound, reliable, and unbiased.
Include an executive summary that provides the quick story of the report.

Provide information, analysis, and advice that is sound, reliable, and unbiased.

Which of the following statements about a table of contents is true?

A table of contents demonstrates the basic credibility of a report.
A table of contents is expected for nearly any report over ten pages long.
A table of contents typically summarizes the most important contents of a report.
A table of contents helps establish the purpose and value of the report.
A table of contents is typically part of the glossary.

A table of contents is expected for nearly any report over ten pages long.

Lenora is looking for research on ways to cut down on the amount of time employees use non-work-related social media during working hours. Which of the following sources is least likely to provide her with useful information?

scholarly journals
industry publications
external blogs
business periodicals
white papers

scholarly journals

A drawback of online databases is that they

are more expensive than primary research.
provide outdated information.
take time to navigate.
contain sparse business-related information.
are not found in university libraries.

take time to navigate.

Which of the following formatting guidelines increases the effectiveness of all types of charts?

using many bright colors as a way to highlight focal points
using darker colors to represent the most important data series
using unusual fonts or many special effects
using 3-D charts to attract attention
using white type on dark backgrounds

using darker colors to represent the most important data series

Which of the following is a disadvantage of conducting primary research into a business problem?

It is less pertinent to a business’s particular problem.
It is less reliable than secondary research.
It cannot make use of open-ended questions.
It is more time consuming than secondary research.
It cannot be influenced by preexisting opinions.

It is more time consuming than secondary research.

Who is the primary audience for most business reports?

people who own stock in the company
low-level workers within the company
customers of the company
decision makers within the company
suppliers of the company

decision makers within the company

Placing data labels on each slice of a pie chart makes it difficult to interpret.

True
False

False

Galaxy Corp. has hired Jason to conduct business research on recent trends in the healthcare industry. Jason regularly uses word processing software to document the information sources he uses. This practice will increase the ______ of Jason’s research.

bias
accessibility
relevance
credibility
adaptability

credibility

Which type of visual should you use to display stock prices over time?

a line chart
a pie chart
a bar chart
a clustered-column chart
a table

a line chart

In a pie chart, the largest slice should begin at 12 o’clock and go counterclockwise, and the second-largest slice should begin at 12 o’clock and go clockwise.

True
False

False

Carl heads the in-house market research department at Cook Champion Foods. He is planning a study of the relationship between television commercials for a product and children’s desire to buy the product after viewing the commercials. Which of the following is the best way for Carl to define his research problem?

determine how children are influenced by the media they watch
understand the psychology of children who watch television
understand what makes for effective television commercials
determine the effect of television commercials
determine how television commercials affect children’s desires

determine how television commercials affect children’s desires

Luxuria Island Resort has hired Sharon to conduct business research for the company. Sharon’s research findings suggest that, of the four, five-star resorts in the area, respondents rank Luxuria Island Resort last. How should Sharon present her findings to the company’s board?

Make the information look more positive by adjusting the scale of charts.
Disclose the data fully to foster transparency in the organization.
Provide only the facts that will make the board feel good.
Point out how the board is responsible for the company’s plight.
Tell the board the data is inconclusive and refuse to share it.

Disclose the data fully to foster transparency in the organization.

Which of the following statements about primary research is true?

Primary research refers to data collected by others outside an organization.
Primary research provides feedback directly related to an organization and its needs.
Primary research is less time-consuming and expensive to carry out than secondary research.
Primary research is always free from biases toward preexisting opinions and beliefs.
Primary research is generally less useful for your business problems than secondary research.

Primary research provides feedback directly related to an organization and its needs.

Which of the following statements about online research is true?

The information found on the Internet tends to be of uniformly good quality.
None of the information sources on the web are informed and accurate.
It is not necessary to document information sources found on the web.
Speeches and presentations provided in video and audio format have no usefulness for business research.
Industry sites list a variety of sources that may be more current than the information in business databases.

Industry sites list a variety of sources that may be more current than the information in business databases.

Which of the following formatting methods decreases the effectiveness of pie charts?

placing the data series names and data labels together in the pie slices
using boldface printing on the largest pie slice
locating the smallest pie slice at 12 o’clock
using a subtitle to support the main title
using the darkest color for the largest pie slice

locating the smallest pie slice at 12 o’clock

Which of the following statements about pie charts is true?

In a pie chart, the largest slice should begin at 6 o’clock and go counterclockwise.
Exploding slices should be used extensively in pie charts.
Pie slices should complete a whole, that is, add up to 100% of a data series.
The slices of the pie charts should be free from data labels.
3-D pie charts are used to represent complicated numerical data.

Pie slices should complete a whole, that is, add up to 100% of a data series.

Daniel, the owner of D’s Inn, wants to graphically represent a comparison of his restaurant’s market share with those of the top competitors in the same city. His research findings suggest that D’s Inn has the largest market share. In order to present this data most effectively, Daniel should

use a line chart instead of a pie chart.
use a legend instead of data labels.
make sure all segments of the pie chart have equal weight.
use a long, descriptive title with at least fifteen words.
highlight the focal point using color or labels.

highlight the focal point using color or labels.

The bar chart, due to its limited forms, is less versatile than the pie chart or the line chart.

True
False

False

Which of the following makes a chart ineffective?

giving a short title to the chart
adding a subtitle for the chart
highlighting the chart’s focal points
keeping the chart title nondescriptive
placing a callout box on the chart

keeping the chart title nondescriptive

Which of the following statements about charts is true?

Charts are meant solely for conveying simple numerical information.
Important business ideas or relationships should not be explained through charts.
Charts should not require much mental effort for the reader.
The title of a chart should be at least ten words long.
Charts have fewer limits than tables in the amount of information they can provide.

Charts should not require much mental effort for the reader.

Compared to charts, tables are better for

breaking a whole into parts.
showing change over time.
demonstrating a process with sub steps.
highlighting a key idea.
providing comprehensiveness and precision.

providing comprehensiveness and precision.

How can you make sure that your business report meets the needs of the target audience?

Consider updating them about progress and involving them in the process.
Find out their biases and tailor the primary research to support their preconceived ideas.
Save money by looking for already published reports that relate to the business problem.
Cherry-pick data to match what you know the decision makers want to hear.
Do the report as quickly as possible by using only information that already exists in databases.

Consider updating them about progress and involving them in the process.

When business professionals enter into primary research with preexisting assumptions or conclusions, they are likely to

avoid information that duplicates their conclusions.
interpret the data incorrectly.
increase the adaptability of the research.
look for information that contradicts their positions.
reduce the errors made in analyzing data relationships.

interpret the data incorrectly.

Walter, the senior sales analyst at Polka People Apparel, wants to compare the sales volume of the company’s Manhattan, Sacramento, and Las Vegas branches. This comparison will best be illustrated through a

line chart.
pie chart.
bar chart.
flowchart.
cone chart.

bar chart.

Leo wants to provide a comprehensive set of data to allow for more precise analysis. He should use a table, not a chart.

True
False

True

When considering possible sources of research to use, Kari rejects one company database because it was compiled by a summer intern who had little experience or education related to the business problem Kari hopes to address. Which aspect of data quality did Kari use to make this judgment?

reliability
relevance
adaptability
expertise
biases

expertise

For most business research, the information you can access through ______ is generally the most reliable.

external blogs and wikis
white papers
business databases
business books
business periodicals

business databases

Nathan’s boss has asked him to present a business report on "consumer shopping habits" in three days. Due to the time constraint, his boss wants him to use secondary research. In this situation, which of the following should Nathan do?

arrange for focus group discussions and interviews
survey consumers through online questionnaires
interview consumers over the phone
use data published in business journals
hire a consultant to conduct survey research

use data published in business journals

Which of the following is a deceptive research practice?

using charts and tables to communicate numerical information
asking a business librarian to help you identify online databases that match your needs
discussing a data relationship that you are unsure about with your colleagues
cherry-picking data and adjusting information in your favor
making numerical adjustments in the table by converting counts into percentages

cherry-picking data and adjusting information in your favor

Which of the following formatting methods decreases the effectiveness of pie charts?
placing the data series names and data labels together in the pie slices
using boldface printing on the largest pie slice
locating the smallest pie slice at 12 o’clock
using a subtitle to support the main title
using the darkest color for the largest pie slice

…