1 Chatper 1. What factors affect the communication level in an organization a) nature of the business b) the operating plan c) its environment d) the geographic dispersion of its members e) its people f) its organizational culture 2. What are the types of communication that takes place in an organization a) internal operational: the communicating done in conducting work within a business b) external-operational: work-related communication with people outside the business c) personal communication: non-business-related exchange of information and feelings among people 3. What is grapevine? how do you deal with it? grapevine: communication network that carries much gossip and rumor; fickle and inaccurate - you deal with it by finding out who the talk leaders are and give them the information that will do the most good for the organization, also make management decisions that will cultivate positive talk 4. How do you deal with personal communication at work place? - the kinds of personal communication allowed and encouraged in the company affect employee attitudes - personal communication elements can enhance internal and external business communication Chapter 2 1. what is adaptation adaptation: fitting every facet of your communication solution to your intended recipients 2. How does adaptation work when dealing with multiple audiences write in such a way that everyone can find and follow the parts of your message that are intended for and of value to them - ex: define any specialized vocab. you use spell out implications of your findings for their domains of interest provide clearly worded headings 3. What is active versus passive voice in writing ex: i broke the glass vs. the glass broke "to be" verbs saps the energy from sentences - strong verbs make your writing lively and interesting - passive is preferable to help avoid accusing the reader or if the performer is unknown ex: the color was not specified in your order ex: anonymous complaints have been received 4. What is the difference in effect in using verbs, adjectives, etc? your choice of words need to be guided by your audience and purpose. write in the reader's language, and don't sacrifice effectiveness for brevity 5. What does it mean to be concrete? concrete words stand for things the reader can see, feel, taste, or smell. They hold interest, for they refer to the reader's experience. concretness also means being specific.
Ch 3 What do readability studies suggest to us concerning: length of sentences, difficulty level of sentences? Use short and clear sentences. Do not use long and hard to understand ones. Be precise. How does the length of sentences affect emphasis? a) shorter sentences carry more emphasis, b) when two or more ideas are in a sentence, they share emphasis. You can change the sentence structure to affect emphasis: The company lost money last year. The loss occurred in spite of record sales. Although the company enjoyed record sales last year, it lost money. The company enjoyed record sales last year, although it lost money. What are cluttering phrases? An often used uneconomical wording. Ex. In the event that payment is not made by January, operations will cease. Replace in the event with "if" How do you report findings in a report? What is the unity rule for sentence structure? Good sentences have unity: all of the parts combine to form one clear thought. Avoid putting in a sentence: unrelated ideas, excessive details c) illogical construction. If you are dealing with unrelated ideas, make one subordinate to the other. Mr. Jones is our sales manager, and has a degree in law. Mr. Jones, our sales manager, has a degree in law.
If you are dealing with excessive detail in a sentence, identify and remove the excess: Our New York Offices , considered plush in the 1990s, but now badly in need of renovation, as is the case with most office that have not been maintained, have been abandoned. Considered plush in the 1990s, our New York offices have not been maintained properly. As they badly need repair, we have abandoned them. We have abandoned our New York offices which were poorly maintained and badly need repair. What are some characteristics of a good paragraph? Like sentences, paragraphs must have unity. It is best to keep paragraphs short. Average length should be about 8 lines Paragraphs should make good use of topic sentence: Topic sentence generally comes first followed by supporting material. However it can also appear at the end as a conclusion. Leave out unnecessary detail. Repeat key words between sentences to make a smooth transition. You can also use transitional words like however, likewise, thus, therefore, for example and also between sentences. Ch 4 What are some of the main differences between old and new business writing? Stiff and dull vs. conversational
What are rubber stamps? Rubberstamps or clichs are expressions that are used by habit and therefore communicate the effect of routine treatment ; "a blessing in disguise," "as good as gold," are examples of rubberstamps. By contrast, specially selected wording is a better choice for producing goodwill effect. Rubberstamps are also from the old business language and do not apply today. Phrases such as "thanking you in advance, I remain," "beg to advise", and "this is to inform you", no longer are considered as good business writing phrases. Simply write in your conversational vocabulary and you will avoid most rubberstamps What is the you-view point? Consider the current presidential campaign. Do candidates talk about YOU; particularly, when it comes to economy?
You-viewpoint is also called you-attitude. You-viewpoint is a method of producing goodwill. It is a technique for persuasion and influencing people. It emphasizes the reader's interests and concern. It is an attitude of mind and places the reader in the center of things:
When do we use positive words in business writing? Positive words are usually best for achieving your message goals: a) create good will, b) put the reader in the right frame of mind, c) are more likely to produce the effect you seek. What is good will? Creating Goodwill: Write in conversational language Resist the tendency to be formal Example: Reference is made to your May 7 email, in which you describe the approved procedure for initiating a claim. Vs. Please Refer to your May 7 email in which you tell how to file a claim. Or, Enclosed herewith is the brochure about which you make inquiry. Vs. Enclosed the is brochure you asked about. Ch 5 What are the three stages of the writing process? 1) planning 2) drafting 3) revising What is direct order versus indirect order? When do you use them? a) Direct order--information readers will want. b) Indirect order--negative information Use it when you analyzing and organizing information. Whatever order will draw the most positive reaction from your readers is the best order to use What is the main difference between a letter and a memorandum? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages
of both letters and memorandums. a) Letters are primarily used to address external audiences. - Business letters, therefore, are more formal and normally include date, inside address, salutation, body, and complimentary closes - sometimes used to send outside company, more formal. When sending to internal company, less formal. b) memorandums are letters which are primarily written for internal audiences. - Some memorandums communicate factual, problem related information and are classified as reports. - always internal, rarely used for outside business. more of a report What re some advantages of emails? - eliminates telephone tag, spares busy people interruptions, speeds up process of business decision making, cheap, provides written record (draft) What are some disadvantages of emails? - not confidential, doesn't communicate emotions, may be ignored or delayed, too many emails
Questions to midterm Preceding a refusal with an apology (such as "I deeply regret that...") is a positive way of handling refusals. A) True B) False An ideal average sentence length in writing for the middle-level adult reader is 8 to 10 words A) True B) False Short sentences receive less emphasis than long sentences. A) True B) False As a rule, the shorter ways of saying things communicate better. A) True B) False For reasons of economy, items not related in thought may be placed in the same sentence. A) True B) False As a rule, simple organizations require more communications than do most complex ones. A) True B) False Communication is collaborative. There is really no such thing as one-way communication. A) True B) False A good rule is to write so that a person just like you can understand the message. A) True B) False In adapting writing to a wide range of educational backgrounds one should write for those in the middle. A) True B) False Because short words tend to communicate better than the long ones, you should prefer them in your writing. A) True B) False Building goodwill through messages is gratifying to business people personally, but it is difficult to justify as a profitable business practice. A) True B) False The old "language of business" in vogue a century ago has given us some of our most useful expressions for writing messages today. A) True B) False Words such as "I regret to inform you" are highly positive and cushion the shock of bad news. A) True B) False
It is usually good practice in writing messages to treat your reader as a member of a broad group rather than an individual. A) True B) False Longer sentences give more emphasis to their content than do shorter sentences. A) True B) False Writers should always move from planning to drafting to revising with no backtracking. A) True B) False Sometimes memorandums are used to communicate factual, problem-related information and are classified as reports. A) True B) False One advantage that email has over letters is that email is more confidential. A) True B) False Message situations that are clearly good news appropriately are written in the indirect order. A) True, B) False In an adjustment-refusal message, the best place to state the refusal is: a) Early in the opening sentence as not to tantalize the reader. b) Immediately following the explanation that justifies it. c) At the end of the message following detailed supporting reasons. d) At the beginning of the last paragraph following supporting reasons. e) At the end of the first sentence. The most appropriate approach to follow in writing a message presenting the facts about a claim is: a) Show your anger as you present the facts. b) Present it in the last sentence. c) Forthrightly and courteously present the facts d) Subordinate the facts and emphasize what you want done. e) None of the above. Which is the best opening to a favorable reply to an inquiry message asking permission to use the writer as an employment reference? a) Yes, you may use me as a reference. b) Thank you for your July 12th message. c) It is good to know that you are in the job market d)I am pleased to answer your letter. e) I have received your message in which you ask permission to use me as a reference. The most appropriate beginning for a typical routine inquiry message is: a) An explanation of the situation b) a direct question c) An off-subject, friendly introduction. d) A buffer designed to set up the persuasive efforts. The letter format for messages is specially appropriate when: a) You are writing to an external audience b) You want your message to be formal c) You want your message to have an attractive official appearance. d) All of the above e) none of the above e) Should be proceeded by an independent clause. In the analyzing and organizing stage of the writing process, if you predict that your reader's response will be positive, you will organize your writing in: a) Chronological order b) Direct order c) Indirect order d) Random order e) Irrational order The term that is not one of the four major emphasis devices is: a) Tense b) Space c) Position d) Sentence structure e) Mechanical devices Mark the most positive of these five sentences: a) Talking is permitted during the break only b) You may not talk while class is in progress. c) Do not talk during class time d) Talking is not permitted during class time e) Both b and c Which is the best example of you view point writing in these sentences:
a) I am pleased to report to you that your account has been activated. b) For your shopping convenience your account is now open. c) We have opened your account. d) Our department has opened your account. e) Both c and d. A paragraph should: a) Consist of at least three sentences. b) Build around a single topic or idea c) Include several different ideas or topics d) Never should be longer than four lines e) Both c and d The topic sentence of a paragraph: a) Always comes in the first sentence b) Always comes in the last sentence c) Always comes in the middle d) May vary in placement according to the purpose of the paragraph