Question 1

Richard is the marketing manager of a company that manufactures and retails bicycles.The company,started by an ardent cyclist with $50 in his pocket,has an interesting history.Richard has framed this as an inspiring story that highlights the victory of small-business over big corporations and put it on the company's website.Identify the compositional mode used by Richard for this message.
A)orientation
B)conversation
C)summary
D)narrative
E)tutorial

Accepted Answer

D)Narratives use storytelling techniques effectively in a wide variety of situations, from company histories to product reviews and demonstrations. Narratives work best when they have an intriguing beginning that piques readers' curiosity, a middle section that moves quickly through the challenges that an individual or company faced, and an inspiring or instructive ending that gives readers information they can apply in their own lives and jobs.

Question 2

In the context of social networking,brand communities are ________.
A)technological barriers created to secure a network from incoming and outgoing traffic
B)groups of individuals who do not realize that they are the target segment in the marketing campaign
C)a group of people that form an interest group around a specific product
D)online journals that are easier to personalize and update than conventional websites
E)groups of individuals who seek and attract a pool of people from which qualified candidates for job vacancies can be chosen.

Accepted Answer

C)Social networks are a natural tool for bringing together communities of practice, people who engage in similar work, and communities of interest, people who share enthusiasm for a particular product or activity. Communities of interest that form around a specific product are sometimes called brand communities, and nurturing these communities can be a vital business communication task.

Question 3

Which of the following is true about using the various compositional modes for electronic media?
A)When posting status updates, you should actively engage with the audience by posting even the most trivial information that you find interesting.
B)Avoid using phrases such as "for beginners" or "advanced level" in the titles of your tutorials as doing so will alienate readers looking for different learning levels.
C)When writing reference material, organize your material in a way that discourages skimming.
D)Narratives work best when they have an intriguing beginning that piques readers curiosity, a good middle, and an inspiring or instructive ending that gives readers useful information.
E)Teasers are effective ways of generating readers interest and must be used extensively to help your material stand out from the clutter.

Accepted Answer

D)Narratives work best when they have an intriguing beginning that piques readers' curiosity, a middle section that moves quickly through the challenges that an individual or company faced, and an inspiring or instructive ending that gives readers information they can apply in their own lives and jobs.

Question 4

________ is a research technique in which companies track social networks and other media with automated language-analysis software that tries to take the pulse of public opinion and identify influential opinion makers.
A)Free-writing
B)Mind-mapping
C)Critical path analysis
D)Transactional analysis
E)Sentiment analysis

Accepted Answer

E)Sentiment analysis is an intriguing research technique in which companies track social networks and other media with automated language-analysis software that tries to take the pulse of public opinion and identify influential opinion makers.

Question 5

Which of the following is true about using the various compositional modes for electronic media?
A)When writing reference material, organize your material in a way that discourages skimming.
B)To be an effective commenter, focus on short chunks of information that a broad spectrum of other site visitors will find helpful.
C)Teasers are effective ways of generating readers interest and must be used extensively to help your material stand out from the clutter.
D)Conversational modes are best suited for communicating reports with large amounts of factual information.
E)Avoid using phrases such as "for beginners" or "advanced level" in the titles of your tutorials as doing so will alienate readers looking for different learning levels.

Accepted Answer

B)To be an effective commenter, focus on short chunks of information that a broad spectrum of other site visitors will find helpful. Rants, insults, jokes, and blatant self-promotion are usually of little benefit to other visitors.

Question 6

Yolanda runs an online store that sells maternity wear.Her business has grown significantly over the past couple of years and Yolanda needs additional funding to scale up her operations further.She draws up a detailed business plan to present to potential investors and has it printed and bound.Her best friend Sasha feels that using printed documents is outdated and that Yolanda would make a better impression by mailing out soft copies of her plan to potential investors.Which of the following arguments best rationalizes Yolanda's choice of medium?
A)This business plan needs to reach several groups of investors spread across the country.
B)I need to make a formal impression with this business plan.
C)I need to be able to update content frequently and in real time to keep investors updated of new developments.
D)An interactive discussion is required in order to convince investors of the potential of my business model.
E)I need a relatively inexpensive medium of communication to communicate with multiple investors.

Accepted Answer

B)Although most of your business communication is likely to be via electronic means, there are several situations in which you should choose a printed message over electronic alternatives. You should do so when you want to make a formal impression, when you are legally required to provide information in printed form, when you want to stand out from the flood of electronic messages, or when you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record.

Question 7

As a compositional mode for electronic communication,________ intentionally withhold key pieces of information as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or other document.
A)conversations
B)summaries
C)teasers
D)reference materials
E)critiques

Accepted Answer

C)Teasers intentionally withhold key pieces of information as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or other document. Teasers are widely used in marketing and sales messages. Although they can be effective, teasers need to be used sparingly and with respect for readers' time and intelligence.

Question 8

Green Specialist is a small-scale clothing and apparel manufacturer.The vice president argues that social networking is not beneficial to the company because it brings down workforce productivity.Which of the following,if true,weakens the argument?
A)Researchers noted that 65% of those surveyed said that they use social media at least once a day.
B)According to a study by Nucleus Research, companies that allow employees to use Facebook during the work day lose 1.5 percent productivity.
C)Social networks help employees overcome structural barriers in communication channels, brings employees together, and fosters collaboration by identifying the best people.
D)Life4U sued five former employees and their employer, QST International, for disparaging comments about Life4U's new products and marketing campaign.
E)Public, specialized networks like LinkedIn emphasize on career-related networking.

Accepted Answer

C)This statement weakens the argument by highlighting the benefits of social networking within the context of employee productivity.

Question 9

As a compositional mode for electronic media,________ help people find their way through an unfamiliar system or subject; they don't give away the key points in the collection of information but rather tell readers where to find those points.
A)critiques
B)summaries
C)narratives
D)teasers
E)orientations

Accepted Answer

E)As a compositional mode for electronic media, orientations help people find their way through an unfamiliar system or subject. Unlike summaries, they don't give away the key points in the collection of information, but rather tell readers where to find those points.

Question 10

Which of the following electronic media provides a variety of communication tools including status updates,user comments,and personal profiles?
A)text messaging
B)social networking
C)email
D)instant messaging (IM)
E)VoIP

Accepted Answer

B)Social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, user-generated content (UGC)sites such as Flickr and YouTube, and community Q&A sites provide a variety of communication tools, including status updates, user comments, and personal profiles, that support brief messages.

Question 11

AttachED! is an online service that enables individual and organizational members to form connections and share information.It addresses the needs of small scale businesses,industries,and focuses on sales-related communication.AttachED! is an example of a(n)________.
A)electronic data interchange
B)social network
C)firmware
D)podcast
E)integrated development environment

Accepted Answer

B)Social networks are online services that enable individual and organizational members to form connections and share information. They have become a major force in business communication in recent years.

Question 12

Which of the following is true about creating content for social media?
A)Write informally and include sloppiness, so that readers can relate to your message.
B)Headlines and teasers should focus on clever wordplay.
C)It is best to withhold information and create a virtual barricade to avoid public attack in social media.
D)Ensure control over the messages to discourage conversation.
E)Focus on a feeling of conversation in the social media landscape.

Accepted Answer

E)One of the greatest appeals of social media is the feeling of conversation, or people talking with one another instead of one person talking at everyone else. Remember that it's a conversation, not a lecture or a sales pitch.

Question 13

When communicating on social networks,you should ________.
A)use conventional promotional efforts extensively in social networking conversations
B)stimulate and facilitate new conversations instead of joining existing ones
C)change your company's personality to the unique environments of different social networks
D)avoid using the group feature as this will lead to the creation of special-interest groups within your networks
E)choose the best compositional mode for each message, purpose, and network

Accepted Answer

E)As you visit various social networks, take some time to observe the variety of message types you see in different parts of each website and choose a compositional mode that suits the message, purpose, and network.

Question 14

At the beginning of an article or webpage,a(n)________ functions as a miniature version of the document,giving readers all the key points while skipping over details.This compositional mode can also function as a review,reminding readers of the key points they've just read.
A)summary
B)orientation
C)critique
D)teaser
E)narrative

Accepted Answer

A)At the beginning of an article or webpage, a summary functions as a miniature version of the document, giving readers all the key points while skipping over details. In some instances, this is all a reader needs. In other instances, the up-front summary helps a reader decide whether to invest the time needed to read the full document. At the end of an article or webpage, a summary functions as a review, reminding readers of the key points they've just read.

Question 15

In response to a request for proposal (RFP)from a company looking to outsource food and beverage services at its office cafeterias,Zoe develops a tender,prints it out,and has it delivered to the company's corporate office.Vivian,on the other hand,sends an electronic copy of her tender.Which of the
A)The final contract decision is made jointly by several people from across departments and offices.
B)Making a formal and professional impression is critical to being offered this contract.
C)The company has been inundated with electronic messages responding to the RFP.
D)The company is an investment banking firm and most of its employees are college graduates.
E)The contract work requires just a basic degree of familiarity with using office software.

Accepted Answer

B)Although most of your business communication is likely to be via electronic means, there are several situations in which you should choose a printed message over electronic alternatives. You should do so when you want to make a formal impression, when you are legally required to provide information in printed form, when you want to stand out from the flood of electronic messages, or when you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record.

Question 16

________ is an/are online service(s)that enable(s)individual and organizational members to form connections and share information.
A)Electronic data interchanges
B)Firmware
C)Social networks
D)Black swans
E)Integrated development environments

Accepted Answer

C)Social networks are online services that enable individual and organizational members to form connections and share information. They have become a major force in business communication in recent years.

Question 17

In response to a request for proposal (RFP)from a company looking to outsource food and beverage services at its office cafeterias,Zoe develops a tender,prints it out,and has it delivered to the company's corporate office.Vivian,on the other hand,sends an electronic copy of her tender.Which of the
A)The final contract decision is made jointly by several people from across departments and offices.
B)The company has indicated in its publicity material that all tenders should be submitted in electronic form and has, thereby, been flooded with a record number of applications.
C)The tender contains confidential information and it must be ensured that the information is not tampered with or changed.
D)The company is a software services firm and most of its employees are college graduates.
E)The contract work does not require an advanced level of technical expertise.

Accepted Answer

C)Although most of your business communication is likely to be via electronic means, there are several situations in which you should choose a printed message over electronic alternatives. You should do so when you want to make a formal impression, when you are legally required to provide information in printed form, when you want to stand out from the flood of electronic messages, or when you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record.

Question 18

Which of the following is true about creating content for social media?
A)Write informally, but avoid misspelled words and half-baked sentences to send a clear message.
B)Headlines and teasers should focus on clever wordplay.
C)It is best to withhold information and create a virtual barricade to avoid public attack in social media.
D)Ensure control over the messages to discourage conversation.
E)Remember that it's a sales pitch and not a conversation with the public.

Accepted Answer

A)Write informally, but not carelessly. Write as a human being with a unique, personal voice. However, don't take this as a license to get sloppy; no one wants to slog through misspelled words and half-baked sentences to find your message.

Question 19

In which of the following situations should you use a printed message over electronic alternatives?
A)when you are communicating with a person who is in a different location
B)when you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record
C)when you need to build a close interpersonal relationship
D)when you need to have an interactive discussion
E)when you need a relatively inexpensive medium of communication

Accepted Answer

B)Although most of your business communication is likely to be via electronic means, there are several situations in which you should choose a printed message over electronic alternatives. You should do so when you want to make a formal impression, when you are legally required to provide information in printed form, when you want to stand out from the flood of electronic messages, or when you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record.

Question 20

Writing for social media requires concise,specific,and informative headlines.Which of the following statements,if true,strengthens the argument?
A)Clever wordplay allow readers to spend time figuring out the message behind witty headlines.
B)For all its technological sophistication, in an important sense social media is really just a new spin on the age-old practice of word-of mouth communication.
C)Withholding information or hiding behind a virtual barricade only invite attack in the "public square" of social media.
D)Consumers and professionals are consuming large numbers of small pieces of information and bypassing larger documents that require more than a few minutes to read.
E)Social media have reduced the amount of control businesses have over the content and process of communication.

Accepted Answer

D)This statement is the strengthener because it highlights the importance of writing concise, specific, and informative headlines.

Quiz 6: Crafting Messages for Electronic Media

In the context of social networking,brand communities are ________.

Which of the following is true about using the various compositional modes for electronic media?

________ is a research technique in which companies track social networks and other media with automated language-analysis software that tries to take the pulse of public opinion and identify influential opinion makers.

Which of the following is true about using the various compositional modes for electronic media?

As a compositional mode for electronic communication,________ intentionally withhold key pieces of information as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or other document.

Green Specialist is a small-scale clothing and apparel manufacturer.The vice president argues that social networking is not beneficial to the company because it brings down workforce productivity.Which of the following,if true,weakens the argument?

As a compositional mode for electronic media,________ help people find their way through an unfamiliar system or subject; they don't give away the key points in the collection of information but rather tell readers where to find those points.

Which of the following electronic media provides a variety of communication tools including status updates,user comments,and personal profiles?

AttachED! is an online service that enables individual and organizational members to form connections and share information.It addresses the needs of small scale businesses,industries,and focuses on sales-related communication.AttachED! is an example of a(n) ________.

Which of the following is true about creating content for social media?

When communicating on social networks,you should ________.

At the beginning of an article or webpage,a(n) ________ functions as a miniature version of the document,giving readers all the key points while skipping over details.This compositional mode can also function as a review,reminding readers of the key points they've just read.

In response to a request for proposal (RFP) from a company looking to outsource food and beverage services at its office cafeterias,Zoe develops a tender,prints it out,and has it delivered to the company's corporate office.Vivian,on the other hand,sends an electronic copy of her tender.Which of the

________ is an/are online service(s) that enable(s) individual and organizational members to form connections and share information.

In response to a request for proposal (RFP) from a company looking to outsource food and beverage services at its office cafeterias,Zoe develops a tender,prints it out,and has it delivered to the company's corporate office.Vivian,on the other hand,sends an electronic copy of her tender.Which of the

Which of the following is true about creating content for social media?

In which of the following situations should you use a printed message over electronic alternatives?

Writing for social media requires concise,specific,and informative headlines.Which of the following statements,if true,strengthens the argument?