Sample Final Examination COM/285 Version 3

COM/285 Sample Final Examination

This Sample Examination represents the Final Examination that students complete in Week Five. As in the following Sample Examination, the Final Examination includes questions that assess the course objectives. Although the Sample Examination includes one question per objective, the Final Examination includes three questions per course objective. Refer to the questions in the following Sample Examination to represent the type of questions in the Final Examination. Refer to the weekly readings and content outlines for each week as study references for the Final Examination. Week One: Business Communication Concepts Objective: Describe the managerial functions of communication. 1. Harry Elliott, marketing manager for Mountaineer Lodge, is sending out a written survey to former guests in order to gather information about customer satisfaction levels with the propertys various services. He realizes that his audience is busy and that they may not see his survey as a priority. Which of the following would MOST LIKELY discourage people from completing and returning the survey? a. Asking respondents to reply within one to three weeks b. Listing a limited number of statements that respondents rank on a scale of one to five c. Including a self-addressed, postage-paid envelope that respondents can use to return the surveys d. Asking numerous open-ended essay-type questions and giving respondents several blank pages to use to write their feedback Objective: Identify various message types. 2. When you must write to someone who has negative feelings about your organization, your position, or you personally, you should NOT a. use language that could seem arrogant or condescending. b. develop logic and use objective reasoning. c. avoid mentioning any reader benefits. d. use a positive emphasis to counteract the natural tendency to sound defensive. Objective: Analyze the characteristics of effective messages. 3. Which of the following does NOT improve the physical appearance of your document? a. A subject line b. Headings c. Long paragraphs d. A clear typeface Objective: Explain the audiences effect on communication. 4. Why is it NOT a good idea to use slang and jokes when you write a business letter to someone you know well? a. This shared viewpoint can build esprit de corps. b. Slang can keep a letter from sounding too formal. c. Humor is never appropriate in business documents. d. The letter may be filed and read by other people.

Sample Final Examination COM/285 Version 3

Week Two: Interpersonal and Group Communication Objective: Identify ways to foster positive group communication. 5. The longest phase in the life of a task group is a. Aggregation b. Formalization c. Formation d. Coordination Objective: Identify strategies to increase positive cross-cultural communication. 6. To increase productivity, the manager of the Tokyo division of a large international company announces a contest that allows employees to compete for bonuses. He is angry when almost none of the Japanese employees enter the contest; many of the U.S. employees participate. Which of the following is the MOST likely explanation? a. The U.S. employees have more respect for their boss and realize that he will be upset if they do not enter. b. The Japanese employees did not understand the memo announcing the competition because it was poorly written. c. The Japanese employees did not feel comfortable competing with each other, because the Japanese believe that competition leads to disharmony. d. The Japanese employees are not interested in the productivity of the company. Objective: Compare and contrast individual and group communication. 7. You are leading a group task force at work. Which of the following is NOT a good practice as a leader? a. Scheduling frequent meetings b. Dealing with conflict directly within the group c. Insisting that everyone know what they are responsible for and when each task is due d. Letting a subgroup make decisions and then informing other members of that decision Week Three: Business Writing Objective: Describe the steps in various business writing. 9. Which of the following IS a characteristic of a good topic sentence? a. It subtly implies what the paragraph will discuss b. It previews the main idea that will be discussed in the paragraph c. It appears at the end of the paragraph d. It determines the length of all the other sentences in the paragraph. Objective: Compare and contrast business and academic writing. 10. A company vice president will be preparing a summary report to present to potential investors. He asks the accounting department to send him sales data for the last three months. He also takes a look at the companys most recent annual report for information that he would like to include in his document. What part of the writing process does this activity represent? a. Planning b. Gathering c. Evaluating

Sample Final Examination COM/285 Version 3

d. Editing
Objective: Create documents in various business formats. 11. Which of the following would NOT be characteristic of an effective brochure? a. A funny or unusual headline that captures the audiences attention b. Positioning the central selling point on the front panel c. Repeating design elements, such as headings and small photos, to create a unified look across panels d. Using very little white space to be able to accommodate as much informational text as possible Week Four: Laws and Ethics in Communication Objective: Analyze workplace communication policies regarding privacy and ethics. 13. Is goodwill important in a letter refusing to grant a customer's request that is clearly unreasonable? a. Yes, because you still want the customer to have a positive view of you, if at all possible. b. Yes, because it is likely that the client will now go to one of your competitors, and you do not want them to hear negative things about you. c. No, because the reader will throw away the letter immediately. d. No, because in such a situation you want to break off communication completely. Objective: Apply appropriate e-mail etiquette. 15. Which of the following factors is LEAST likely to reduce readers' negative reactions to a bad-news memo? a. Beginning the message with a buffer that is unrelated to the bad news b. Having a good relationship with the writer c. Consulting readers about the criteria for the solution d. Warning readers ahead of time of possible negatives Objective: Create documents to deliver difficult messages. 16. Which of the following is NOT a primary purpose of a negative message? a. To have the reader read, understand, and accept the message b. To maintain as much goodwill as possible c. To give the reader the bad news d. To encourage the reader to contact you again about the same subject Week Five: Reports and Presentations Objective: Identify skills needed to deliver effective oral presentations. 17. A speaker plans the presentation in advance and delivers it without deviation or interruption. This is characteristic of a(n): a. Microsoft PowerPoint presentation b. Guided presentation c. Interactive presentation d. Monologue presentation Objective: Create a written report.

Sample Final Examination COM/285 Version 3 18. Your supervisor asks you to write a feasibility report to see if the company should expand by opening an office in either Mexico or Canada. She is excited by the possibilities but does not want to risk the company's profits. Your research shows that it would not be wise to expand in either country right now. In your report you should: a. de-emphasize the fact that expansion is unwise, because your boss will think your project was a failure. b. choose the location that would be least problematic and recommend that one. c. write a brief report that simply says the company should not expand, because bad news should not be dwelt on. d. clearly explain that expanding now would risk the company's financial stability, and give all the data to support your conclusion.

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