Deck 10: Writing Across Media

Question 1

The primary form of business communications is

A) social media.
B) memos.
C) email.
D) texts.
E) letters.

Answer 1

email.

Question 2

Email is best used for ________ messages.

A) sensitive
B) routine
C) unusual
D) critical
E) opinion-based

Answer 2

routine

Question 3

Which of the business messages described below is best suited for an email?

A) Toni wants to convey her opinion about a sensitive issue to her boss.
B) Francois has to notify an employee that he is on probation.
C) Nina needs to send a report about possible sexual abuse in the company.
D) Charles wants to send a summary of yesterday's meeting to those that attended.
E) Catherine wants to send a harsh critique of a colleague's economic analysis.

Answer 3

Charles wants to send a summary of yesterday's meeting to those that attended.

Question 4

Every week, Nathan has to send a routine update of the progress his team has made on a marketing plan. This type of information would best be sent

A) by email.
B) by texting.
C) face-to-face.
D) by letter.
E) through social media.

Question 5

Which of the following actions should most likely be taken if an email conversation extends to six replies?

A) The conversation should be terminated.
B) The conversation should move to social media with privacy security in place.
C) The conversation should switch to text messaging.
D) The conversation should continue via email.
E) The conversation should switch to a face-to-face talk.

Question 6

Which of the following examples of a subject line is most effective for a business email?

A) Here's how we're doing concerning the environmental issues as well as the trade relations with Mexico.
B) Annual report with changes on pages 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, and 42
C) My Revisions to the Annual Report
D) Annual Report
E) Be sure to read it!

Question 7

Good subject lines for emails are usually ________ words long.

A) 1 to 2
B) 3 to 5
C) 5 to 10
D) 8 to 12
E) 12 to 15

Question 8

In emails, the most critical information should be placed

A) in the subject line.
B) at the beginning.
C) near the middle.
D) close to the end.
E) at the end.

Question 9

Carrie writes an email to a customer that has a very brief subject line. The paragraphs in the message average about 80 words each. It has the most important information at the beginning and implies but does not explicitly state what actions the recipient needs to take. It is signed with her name. What did Carrie handle correctly in this email?

A) length of the subject line
B) the position of the most important information
C) length of the paragraphs
D) description of actions that should be taken
E) use of a descriptive signature block

Question 10

Which practice in writing emails would most likely enhance your professional reputation?

A) using short subject lines
B) including a helpful signature block
C) using numerous attachments
D) placing your most important information near the end of your messages
E) writing wordy messages that feature jargon

Question 11

Which example would most likely cause information overload?

A) Liza writes a 40-word email message.
B) Ramon includes a five-line signature block below his email signature.
C) Herbert includes several interesting but nonessential attachments with his email.
D) Claudia attaches a short document to her email and sends a long document via Dropbox.
E) Sven clearly explains his intended action in his email.

Question 12

Which example would be recommended when using email?

A) Gregor sends a colleague an email that is fun to read but not really important.
B) Dinah sends several emails to a co-worker even though they could be summed up in one email.
C) Nancy sends an email that has vital information to her boss, even though he is very busy.
D) Niyi sends an email about his recent vacation to a business friend.
E) Farley includes important business information as well as personal information in an email to a colleague.

Question 13

Which option is usually the most effective when sending an urgent email?

A) Mention that the email is important in the subject line.
B) Apply the priority flag to the email.
C) Mention that the email is important at the beginning of the message.
D) Mention that the email is important in a P.S. at the end of the message.
E) Apply a cute logo to the email.

Question 14

Because she is facing a tight deadline, Anya will not be able to respond to an email she just received as soon as she would like. Considering this, what should Anya do?

A) inform everyone concerned face-to-face why the response will be delayed
B) tell a co-worker to send an email explaining her situation
C) ask for an extension of the deadline
D) wait until she is ready to make a thorough response
E) send a short email immediately stating how long it will take to respond

Question 15

You are likely to cause information overload when emailing your co-workers if you

A) forward messages specifically to people who need to see them.
B) make use of the blind carbon copy feature.
C) limit your use of the reply all feature.
D) use the copy feature liberally.
E) make frequent use of the priority flag feature.

Question 16

The neutrality effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages with an intended ________ as neutral.

A) positive emotion
B) negative emotion
C) lack of emotion
D) objective emotion
E) subversive emotion

Question 17

Ernesto sends an email to his co-worker Greta. In it, he intends to indicate his approval about the progression of Greta's project. However, Greta views the email as just an objective summary of the project so far. This phenomenon is called the

A) positivity effect.
B) neutrality effect.
C) negativity effect.
D) emotional effect.
E) pessimism effect.

Question 18

Which of the following pairs often leads to conflict escalation, confusion, and anxiety in businesses?

A) the objectivity and negativity effects
B) the positivity and objectivity effects
C) the neutrality and positivity effects
D) the positivity and negativity effects
E) the neutrality and negativity effects

Question 19

Patricia receives an email from her boss that objectively summarizes a recent meeting. However, Patricia views the email as being critical of her participation at the meeting. This is an example of the

A) neutrality effect.
B) positivity effect.
C) negativity effect.
D) reactionary effect.
E) burnout effect.

Question 20

Emails or other digital communications with hostile intentions are called

A) cyber bombs.
B) cyber heat.
C) flames.
D) sabotage.
E) daggers.

Question 21

At work, Hinata receives an anonymous email laced with racial insults and profanity. This is an example of

A) a flame.
B) a dagger.
C) negativity effect.
D) reactionary effect.
E) a time bomb.

Question 22

Which of the following most likely contributes to cyber incivility?

A) the time lag of email messages
B) the breakdown of computer systems
C) the quick pace of many high-tech interactions
D) the slow pace of loading computer software
E) the free time caused by fast-paced digital communications

Question 23

Farouk has sent his co-worker, Jewel, several emails over the past two days, but she has yet to respond to any of them. At first, Farouk thought she might be busy, but it has become clear to him now that she is simply choosing not to respond to him. Farouk is experiencing

A) cyber harassment.
B) passive incivility.
C) flaming.
D) the neutrality effect.
E) active incivility.

Question 24

After receiving a hostile email, Jan took a 15-minute break and did deep-breathing exercises to release her anger. This is an example of

A) reinterpretation.
B) relaxation.
C) avoidance.
D) defensiveness.
E) passive incivility.

Question 25

Which of the following is an example of defusing?

A) After receiving an angry email from Harry, Sophia has a meeting with him to clear up their differences.
B) After getting a hostile text, Yuto meditates for 10 minutes.
C) After listening to an insulting phone message, Juanita counts to ten to ease her anger.
D) After reading an angry email from a customer named Karen, Dan imagines the situation from her perspective.
E) After getting an insulting video, Leslie reports the incident to her boss.

Question 26

The communication and information hub of a company's internal digital platform is known as

A) the blog.
B) the dashboard.
C) the flame.
D) the cyber space.
E) the digital notebook.

Question 27

The most prominent feature on your dashboard should most likely be

A) a blog.
B) email.
C) press releases.
D) status updates.
E) a phone and email directory.

Question 28

________ are posts arranged chronologically, similar to a journal format.

A) Flames
B) Texts
C) Emails
D) Dashboards
E) Blogs

Question 29

Micah's firm has a set of employee-only websites and applications that are dedicated to organizing and facilitating communication among its employees. This is an example of

A) shared files.
B) a professional profile.
C) a dashboard.
D) a corporate blog.
E) an internal digital platform.

Question 30

Which of the following is an accurate statement about professional profiles?

A) The rarely include a personal photograph.
B) They can increase business contacts.
C) They often include detailed descriptions of hobbies.
D) They provide little detail about a person's expertise.
E) They require little updating.

Question 31

Which of the following is an accurate statement about blogs?

A) They are intended for employee-to-employee communication, rather than manager-to-employee communication.
B) They tend to reduce the interactivity of teams.
C) They often enhance transparency with decision making.
D) The information overload caused by blogs means they are usually counterproductive.
E) They are among the best channels for communicating sensitive information.

Question 32

Status updates that consist of short comments are called

A) team blogs.
B) project blogs.
C) microblogs.
D) macroblogs.
E) flame blogs.

Question 33

Boris writes the following blog: "Just received shipment of gaskets. Will distribute to manufacturing this week." This is most likely an example of a(n)

A) microblog.
B) project blog.
C) team blog.
D) macroblog.
E) expert blog.

Question 34

Which of the following is typically established by a temporary team?

A) an external blog
B) a macroblog
C) a microblog
D) an expert blog
E) a project blog

Question 35

Frank is the leader of a permanent group that focuses on employee training. He wants to set up a blog specifically for his group. This is an example of a(n)

A) internal company blog.
B) company crisis blog.
C) microblog.
D) team blog.
E) project blog.

Question 36

Which of the following groups or individuals would have the most use for a project blog?

A) a formal team that focuses on brainstorming ideas for advertising
B) a temporary team that meets for three months to handle the excess workflow during the holiday season
C) a manager whose job it is to deal with emergency situations in her department
D) a human resources manager who provides updates for the entire company
E) an employee who wants to exchange comments with other employees about current movies

Question 37

Tammy had difficulty locating a shared file on the team blog. Which of the following did the manager of the team blog most likely fail to do?

A) discuss protocols for sharing
B) manage permissions
C) organize files by project
D) do his review of the file in a timely manner
E) add constructive comments

Question 38

Which of the following options is the most helpful comment to add to a shared file on a team blog?

A) Vague
B) More needed for business model.
C) More evidence is needed to support the new business model.
D) Prove it!
E) Sloppy job.

Question 39

Which of the following guidelines is likely to enhance team communication on blogs?

A) Use leading posts.
B) Acknowledge competing points of view.
C) Use strong language.
D) Blame people when appropriate.
E) Introduce off-topic points.

Question 40

Which of the following people is most likely to cause problems with his or her discussion forum conversations?

A) Juana blames a team member on her post for misguiding the team's focus.
B) Claude tries to make his posts neither too short or too long.
C) Mustafa uses an objective post that avoids conveying his opinion about the project.
D) Eino refrains from using sarcasm with his posts, even though it is tempting.
E) Venla does not use her posts to try and win arguments.

Question 41

What is the essence of public relations?

A) creating a brand
B) handling the media
C) satisfying investors
D) building relationships
E) maintaining an image

Question 42

The management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various publics on whom its success depends is called

A) cyber civility.
B) public relations.
C) defusing.
D) active civility.
E) public advertising.

Question 43

Which of the following shows the inverted pyramid style used for PR messages?

A) The first paragraph has supporting details; the second paragraph answers who, what, when, where, and why.
B) The first paragraph answers who, what, when, where, and why; the second paragraph has supporting details.
C) The first paragraph has broad supporting details; the second paragraph has more specific supporting details.
D) The first paragraph answers who, what, when; the second paragraph answers where and why.
E) The first paragraph answers where and why; the second paragraph answers who, what, and when.

Question 44

In a PR message, what offers background information about the company?

A) the boilerplate
B) the headline
C) the first paragraph
D) the second paragraph
E) the dashboard

Question 45

Why is it important to respect boundaries when using social media at work?

A) to convey admiration for your boss
B) to avoid employees who are annoying
C) to enhance personal communications
D) to keep private life and work life separate
E) to maintain a remote attitude

Question 46

Which is an effective approach to using social media at work?

A) contribute regularly and respond constantly to the comments of others
B) contribute constantly and respond constantly to the comments of others
C) contribute sporadically, but respond regularly to the comments of others
D) contribute, but respond sporadically to the comments of other
E) contribute regularly and respond to the comments of others

Question 47

Which of the following examples demonstrates an effective approach to creating a professional blog?

A) Santino maintains a somber tone to his posts.
B) Ebba changes topics with every post so people do not know what to expect.
C) Millie develops the theme of providing valuable media links with her posts.
D) Ilya posts interesting information whether or not he has time to check its accuracy.
E) Min-jun writes extremely long, detailed posts.

Question 48

Emails should usually be used to criticize employees.

Question 49

A good subject line for an email is similar to a newspaper headline.

Question 50

Paragraphs in a business email should be 20 to 40 words long.

Question 51

Very long documents are often more easily shared via Google Drive or Dropbox than via email.

Question 52

Most business professionals expect an email response within three days.

Question 53

Business emails should be treated as a form of casual conversation.

Question 54

A person should avoid conveying any emotion when writing a business email.

Question 55

The negativity effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages as negative that are meant to be neutral.

Question 56

A nonresponse to emails and other digital communications is called a cyber wall.

Question 57

Active incivility is more damaging than passive incivility.

Question 58

The internal digital platforms of most organizations include tools to help employees communicate with each other, such as a dashboard, blogs, and discussion forums.

Question 59

Most blogs include entries by just one or a few individuals, although many allow reader comments.

Question 60

Another name for blogs is channels.

Question 61

Discussion forums are a good place to resolve sensitive points with team members.

Question 62

When taking part in a discussion forum, it is advisable to use flexible, open, and inviting language.

Question 63

Using strong language and exaggerations in discussion forum posts signals an openness to new ideas.

Question 64

Most public relations messages are written in the press-release style.

Question 65

One of the primary reasons for using blogs at work is to enhance your professional credibility.

Question 66

A sample business email is shown below, beginning with its subject line. Revise the subject line so that it meets the guidelines for business communications.
Another bid
Hi Beth,
The final bid came in for the Jamison project. It is from Hernandez Inc., for $15,000, which makes it the lowest. I will send you a summary of all the bids by the end of the day.
Matt
[e-mail]
[phone]

Question 67

Explain why you should be careful about using the priority flag for business emails.

Question 68

The following email uses a casual style:
"hey carol, how r u? I just got back from the conference!! SO BORING! UGH! Meanwhile, what went down with the project? catch you later your best bud, Meg"
Rewrite this email using proper business style.

Question 69

Compare and contrast reinterpretation, relaxation, and defusing as methods of responding to electronic communications.

Question 70

Give an example of the neutrality effect and an example of the negativity effect. Both examples should involve a business setting.

Question 71

Compare and contrast microblogs, team blogs, and project blogs.

Question 72

Summarize the guidelines teams should follow when sharing files on a central platform.

Question 73

Rewrite the following post from a business discussion forum so that it is professional and effective.
"Organizing Teleconference meetings so that they do not bore participants and waste their time: The last teleconference meeting was the worst I ever attended. Jessica did a horrible job planning the session. It went on forever!!! Let's do something about this, PLEASE!!!"

Question 74

What is the difference between the press-release style and the op-ed style for PR messages?

Question 75

Imagine that you are the CEO of a company that manufactures helmets and other safety equipment for cyclists. Write a one-paragraph post for your company's PR blog on the topic of bike safety. Use the op-ed style for your post.