Deck 12: Research and Business Proposals and Planning for Business Proposals

Question 1

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

Answer 1

False
Explanation: The bar chart,with its many forms,is the most versatile type of chart since it can be used to compare many types of data.

Question 2

Lata always tends to see business problems from the perspective of middle management.This is an example of a bias.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Biases are tendencies to see issues from particular perspectives.

Question 3

Ted is compiling a survey on consumer preferences.In order to achieve the most accurate snapshot of their likes and dislikes,he should include more than 20 questions and ask respondents to spend approximately 30 minutes answering the questions.

Answer 3

False
Explanation: Generally,surveys should be short.Rarely can you get accurate data from surveys that take longer than five minutes to complete.Most consumer research questionnaires contain fewer than five or six questions.

Question 4

Generally,charts are the least effective way of quickly demonstrating a key point or relationship.

Question 5

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.

Question 6

Researchers should state their objectives in general,targeted,and achievable statements.

Question 7

Each of a chart's focal points should support several ideas.

Question 8

Hector wants to present a comprehensive set of data precisely illustrating several important industry trends.This information would be best presented in a chart.

Question 9

Maxim Industries has a very specific business problem related to the unique characteristics of its workforce.To obtain the necessary data to analyze this problem,the company should do primary research.

Question 10

Kate creates a survey that includes the following question: "With traffic accidents on Main Street at an all-time high,do you believe that the city should reduce the speed limit to 35 miles per hour?" This question is non-leading.

Question 11

As you collect,analyze,and present data to others,you should provide all the relevant facts,even if they do not fit into convenient conclusions.

Question 12

Most industry reports,especially the most reliable,are widely available for free or at little cost.

Question 13

Using percentages in tables,as opposed to counts,makes it difficult for readers to make effective comparisons quickly.

Question 14

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

Question 15

When you analyze data in a group,you are less likely to inadvertently misinterpret the data.

Question 16

Data that directly applies to your specific business problem is considered reliable.

Question 17

The title should explain the primary point of a chart.

Question 18

The first step in developing research-based business reports is identifying what decision makers want to accomplish.

Question 19

Tony is creating a survey on customer satisfaction.An appropriate question to include would be "Please describe your ideal customer service experience and tell us whether your experience with Sailboat Hospitality lived up to your expectations."

Question 20

For business research,the information you can access through business databases and other sources at your library is generally the most reliable.

Question 21

Which of the following statements about primary research is true?

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

Question 22

In order to be effective,a consumer survey should contain

A) answers that appeal to respondents' biases.
B) questions that cover multiple ideas.
C) at least 15 questions.
D) exhaustive answer choices for each question.
E) leading questions that suggest a correct answer.

Question 23

A leading question is one that

A) contains more than one idea.
B) is difficult for respondents to answer.
C) does not include all possible survey choices.
D) suggests an answer to the respondents.
E) has more than one appropriate answer.

Question 24

Which of the following makes a chart ineffective?

A) giving a short title to the chart
B) adding a subtitle for the chart
C) highlighting the chart's focal points
D) keeping the chart title nondescriptive
E) placing a callout box on the chart

Question 25

Noelle,assistant manager at Green Gardens Restaurant,is preparing a questionnaire to help her evaluate customer satisfaction.She wants her survey to only include closed questions.Which of the following questions can Noelle use?

A) How would you describe your most recent experience at Green Gardens?
B) How would you suggest that we improve our customer service?
C) On a scale of 1 to 5,how would you rate your level of satisfaction with your most recent meal at Green Gardens?
D) What types of food would you like to see served at Green Gardens?
E) What factors influence you while choosing a restaurant?

Question 26

Who is the primary audience for most business reports?

A) people who own stock in the company
B) low-level workers within the company
C) customers of the company
D) decision makers within the company
E) suppliers of the company

Question 27

Which of the following is least important when analyzing data related to a business problem?

A) understanding statistical and quantitative analysis
B) understanding database design
C) using statistical software over spreadsheet software
D) analyzing data with colleagues in a group
E) focusing on tangential issues

Question 28

Yunus,the sales manager at Road Trip Magazine,wants to compare sales of the company's Spring issue on the West Coast to those in the Midwest and on the East Coast.This comparison will best be illustrated through a

A) line chart.
B) pie chart.
C) bar chart.
D) flowchart.
E) cone chart.

Question 29

Elise,the owner of Power Hour Gym,wants to know how customers feel about the new strength and conditioning classes that she is offering.Which of the following questions should she incorporate into her survey questionnaire?

A) Are you excited to try one of our awesome new classes?
B) How good are the new,improved strength and conditioning classes compared to the previous offerings?
C) How do you feel about the new strength and conditioning classes compared to the old ones?
D) How strongly do you agree that the new classes are more fun and challenging than the old ones?
E) Do you think the new class offerings are better than the old ones because they features more innovative techniques for improving your strength and conditioning?

Question 30

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

A) It may not be pertinent to a business's particular problem.
B) It is less reliable than secondary research.
C) It cannot make use of open-ended questions.
D) It is more time consuming than secondary research.
E) It cannot be influenced by preexisting opinions.

Question 31

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

A) a line chart
B) a pie chart
C) a bar chart
D) a clustered-column chart
E) a table

Question 32

Which of the following statements about charts is true?

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

Question 33

Eric has been hired by Brooks Automotive to asses whether the company should air television commercials only in the local market.He is planning a study of the relationship between local television commercials and the sales of new vehicles.Which of the following is the best way for Eric to define his research problem?

A) Determine how consumers are influenced by the media they watch.
B) Understand the psychology of adults who watch television in this market.
C) Determine how effective television commercials are in convincing viewers to purchase new vehicles.
D) Understand what makes for effective television commercials.
E) Determine the process through which television commercials convince viewers to make purchases.

Question 34

Which of the following terms is used for the process that involves the analysis of data collected by others with no direction from you or members of your organization?

A) white papers
B) scholarly journals
C) primary research
D) secondary research
E) external blogs

Question 35

Generally,bar charts are best suited for

A) depicting a project's progress.
B) illustrating the pieces within a whole.
C) depicting events and trends over time.
D) comparing amounts or quantities.
E) representing organizational hierarchy.

Question 36

Serena,the owner of Cozy Cloud Spa,wants to know how her customers feel about the experience at her location.One of the questions in her survey questionnaire reads,"On a scale of 1 to 5,how would you rate our prices,comfort,and service?" This question is ineffective because it

A) is a leading question.
B) is too short to be effective.
C) is an open-ended question.
D) asks about multiple ideas.
E) uses a rating scale.

Question 37

Which of the following statements about leading questions is true?

A) In surveys,it is better to incorporate leading questions than non-leading questions.
B) Leading questions allow respondents to provide their genuine thoughts or impressions.
C) In surveys,leading questions produce unreliable and unusable information.
D) Leading questions do not have an exhaustive range of possible answers.
E) Leading questions are those that contain more than one idea.

Question 38

Which of the following chart types can be used to compare many types of data and is thus the most versatile?

A) line charts
B) pie charts
C) bar charts
D) clustered-column charts
E) flowcharts

Question 39

Marcus included the following question on a customer survey: "Do you prefer healthy,nutritious food,or food that is bad for you and will ruin your health?" The problem with that question is that it

A) is too short.
B) is simple to answer.
C) is leading.
D) has exhaustive choices.
E) focuses on one idea.

Question 40

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

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

Question 41

Which of the following formatting methods increases the effectiveness of tables?

A) using a large number of grid lines
B) ensuring that each grid line serves a distinct purpose
C) presenting comparative data series horizontally rather than vertically
D) using grid lines on all borders
E) alternating background colors on rows

Question 42

Leah is conducting secondary research into procedures for safely handling hazardous chemicals in the workplace.She is only interested in expert opinions on this matter.Which of the following types of secondary sources would be least helpful for Leah?

A) a white paper
B) a scholarly journal article
C) a wiki
D) an article from a business periodical
E) an industry report

Question 43

Industry publications tend to be characterized by a low level of

A) reliability.
B) relevance.
C) adaptability.
D) expertise.
E) biases.

Question 44

To ensure that the bar charts are formatted effectively,the bars should be about ______ the width of the space in between bars.

A) half
B) equal
C) twice
D) three times
E) four times

Question 45

A drawback of online databases is that they

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

Question 46

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?

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

Question 47

Myron maintains an exhaustive database on his research sources and findings,which he shares with decision makers at Timetable Pharmaceuticals when presenting his report on the marketing approach for a new drug.This practice will increase the ______ of Myron's report.

A) bias
B) accessibility
C) relevance
D) credibility
E) adaptability

Question 48

Which of the following statements about scholarly journals is true?

A) Scholarly journals contain business research that is extremely reliable.
B) Scholarly business articles often provide useful information for common business problems.
C) Scholarly articles rarely focus on theoretical and abstract issues.
D) Scholarly journals generally include a level of theoretical background that is easy to understand.
E) Scholarly journals rely on anecdotal evidence rather than carefully controlled experiments and survey research.

Question 49

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

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

Question 50

Reports or guides that are issued by the government and organizations and that generally describe research about solving a particular issue are referred to as

A) business books.
B) white papers.
C) scholarly journals.
D) business periodicals.
E) industry publications.

Question 51

The ______ of data acquired through secondary research is how well it applies to your specific business problem.

A) expertise
B) reliability
C) adaptability
D) relevance
E) biases

Question 52

Adina is looking for concise,easy to understand research on ways to motivate Millennial workers at her workplace.Which of the following research sources is least likely to provide the kinds of information she needs?

A) scholarly journals
B) industry publications
C) external blogs
D) business periodicals
E) white papers

Question 53

When you evaluate how well secondary research can be revised to address your specific business problem,you are considering its

A) reliability.
B) relevance.
C) adaptability.
D) expertise.
E) biases.

Question 54

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

A) Use many bright colors as a way to highlight focal points.
B) Use darker colors to represent the most important data series.
C) Use unusual fonts for added impact.
D) Use 3-D charts to attract attention.
E) Use dark backgrounds with white type,not white backgrounds with dark type.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about pie charts is true?

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

Question 56

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

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

Question 57

Which of the following guidelines increases the effectiveness of a bar chart?

A) Bars should be about half the width of the space in between bars.
B) A legend should be used only if the chart has two or more data series.
C) The baseline for bar charts should always be the first increment of the scale you are using.
D) 3-D bar charts should be used to represent complicated numerical information.
E) Lighter colors should be used to represent your most important data series.

Question 58

A disadvantage of online surveys is that

A) it is difficult to access large numbers of potential respondents.
B) they are so common that respondents may get tired of answering them carefully.
C) the data is difficult to collect and organize.
D) its is an expensive and time-consuming method of collecting data.
E) it is impossible to target surveys toward specific demographic groups.

Question 59

You can usually better assess the usefulness of ______ than other secondary sources because of the many online reviews available.

A) business books
B) external blogs
C) scholarly journals
D) industry publications
E) white papers

Question 60

Ana wants to gather information on the sales potential for a new women's dietary supplement,and decides to purchase a report compiled by a research firm that is highly respected for its understanding of women's health issues.In this case,she is evaluating data quality in terms of its

A) reliability
B) relevance
C) adaptability
D) expertise
E) biases

Question 61

What are the guidelines for creating effective survey questions?

Question 62

Which of the following is a deceptive research practice?

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

Question 63

David has been asked to prepare a brief report on consumer trends for tomorrow's emergency sales meeting.With limited time,his only viable information source is the Internet.Beyond a simple Google search,what are some strategies David could use to find useful information online?

Question 64

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

A) external blogs and wikis
B) white papers
C) business databases
D) business books
E) business periodicals

Question 65

Discuss the pros and cons of any two important types of secondary research sources.

Question 66

What are charts effective at doing,and under what circumstances are tables a better choice?

Question 67

Differentiate primary research from secondary research.Explain how you would choose which to use.

Question 68

Which of the following statements about online research is true?

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

Question 69

How are closed questions different from open-ended questions?

Question 70

What five criteria should you use to evaluate the data quality of secondary research sources? Explain each one.

Question 71

Explain the guidelines that should be followed to format tables effectively.

Question 72

What is the relationship between documentation of research sources and credibility?

Question 73

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

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

Question 74

Simone,a sales analyst for Bundle of Joy Toys,is preparing a report for board members on the company's market share for action figures.Although Bundle of Joy has retained its spot as the market leader,several competitors have captured a larger share of the market over the preceding year and appear likely to overtake Bundle of Joy within the next three years.How should Simone present her findings to the board?

A) Shrink the timeline of her charts to emphasize Bundle of Joy's current position as market leader.
B) Point out how the board is responsible for the company's tenuous market position.
C) Disclose the data fully to foster transparency in the organization.
D) Focus on the company's historical successes to make the board feel good.
E) Tell the board the data is inconclusive and refuse to share it.

Question 75

Matt has conducted research on productivity within his company,and has identified a few employees that are underperforming on several key metrics.How can Matt apply the FAIR test to his research to ensure that the results are accurate,comprehensive,and unbiased?