CHAPTER 7 - Questions from Quiz #7
Question 1
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question Your secondary goals when communicating bad news are to reduce bad feelings, to convey
fairness, and to
Answer
a. present your message on high quality company letterhead.
b. avoid legal liability for you and your organization.
c. deliver the bad news directly.
d. inform the reader who is to blame for the problem.
Question 2
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question The recommended order for messages that deliver bad news is
Answer
a. Buffer, reasons, bad news, goodwill closing
b. Buffer, bad news, explanation, goodwill closing
c. Explanation, buffer, bad news, goodwill closing
d. Bad news, explanation, buffer, goodwill closing
Question 3
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question When should the direct organizational pattern be used to communicate bad news?
Answer
a. Never
b. When you don't know your reader
c. When firmness is necessary
d. When maintaining goodwill is important
Question 4
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question Taylor must send a bad-news message to a client, telling her that he will be unable to meet a
delivery deadline. What should Taylor do first?
Answer
a. Select a soothing color of stationery for the message.
b. Gather information about his reasons for not meeting the deadline.
c. Write his buffer statement.
d. Analyze the bad news to see how it will affect his reader.
Question 5
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question In Phase 2 of the writing process, you gather information and brainstorm for ideas by jotting
down all the reasons you have to explain the bad news. Which of the following is the best advice during
Phase 2?
Answer
a. Present your weakest reason first and then build to your strongest reason.
b. If you have several reasons for the bad news, concentrate on your strongest and safest
reasons.
c. If necessary, make up reasons that you think would be convincing to the reader.
d. Present as many reasons as possible, strong or weak, to fully convince the receiver.
Question 6
Multiple Choice
1 points
Question To be actionable, abusive language must be
Answer
a. racially insensitive and ethnically biased.
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b. listed in state law or statute as a word that is slanderous.
c. false, harmful to the person's good name, and "published."
d. potentially damaging and open to misinterpretation.
Question 7
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question The legal term for any false statement, written or spoken, that harms an individual's reputation
is
Answer
a. defamation.
b. unethical standards.
c. abusive terminology.
d. "published" abuse.
Question 8
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question When abusive language that harms a person's reputation is spoken, it is called
Answer
a. slander.
b. libel.
c. legal liability.
d. sexual harassment.
Question 9
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question As the marketplace becomes increasingly litigious, we must be certain that our words
Answer
a. cover all bases; that is, they must provide a broad scope.
b. convey more than we intended.
c. suggest multiple interpretations so that it is more difficult to take legal action.
d. communicate only what we intend.
Question 10
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question After a candidate's recent interview, you are writing a letter to decline to offer a position with
your organization. Which of the following most effectively delivers the bad news, while avoiding legal
liability?
Answer
a. I can't believe that we didn't hire you!
b. Although this position was not awarded to you, we appreciate your interest in working for
our organization.
c. Although you were definitely our most qualified candidate, we have decided that we don't
have a position for a person of your qualifications at this time.
d. Even though your qualifications were outstanding compared to those of our other
candidates, we had to offer the position to someone else.
Question 11
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question In revealing bad news, you can make statements to soften the blow, but you must avoid
Answer
a. making the receiver feel better despite the bad news.
b. admitting or implying responsibility for conditions that caused damage or injury.
c. statements that maintain good relations by reaffirming the company commitment to quality.
d. the direct approach for all bad-news messages.
Question 12
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question The buffer in a bad news message is a
Answer
a. hint that good news will follow to prompt the receiver to read further.
b. statement completely unrelated to the bad news so that receivers won't know that bad
news is coming.
c. neutral but meaningful statement that encourages the receiver to continue reading.
d. polite and empathetic denial of the requested action.
Question 13
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question Which of the following techniques would be most effective in buffering bad news?
Answer
a. Starting with something completely unrelated to keep the reader off-guard
b. Putting your subjective reasons for refusal in the opening
c. Starting with the part of the message that represents the best news
d. Apologizing late in the letter with a statement such as We are responsible for your loss and
are deeply sorry
Question 14
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question Maya has decided to apologize briefly in the buffer of her bad-news letter to a client. Which of
the following is the best apology?
Answer
a. We take full blame for your espresso machine malfunctioning and realize that it may have
even eventually caused an injury.
b. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
c. We sincerely apologize for the problems you experienced with your espresso machine. To
prevent recurrence of this problem, we will recalibrate the heating element at no charge to
you.
d. We regret that you are unhappy with your espresso machine.
Question 15
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question You must decline an employee's request to telecommute three days per week. Which of the
following statements best explains why this bad news is necessary?
Answer
a. Our current company policy does not allow telecommuting.
b. Unfortunately, we regret that we are unable to afford the expenses associated with
telecommuting.
c. Your daily presence in the office is important to ensure regular customer contact.
d. Your work standards cannot be relied upon unless we are able to observe you at your
work station.
Question 16
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question Allison must write to a charitable organization to say that BMI Industries cannot make a
monetary contribution this year. Which of the following most effectively implies the refusal?
Answer
a. BMI Industries regrets that it cannot contribute this year, but the company hopes to be
able to next year.
b. Although our profits are being reinvested in BMI Industries this year, we hope to be able
to contribute next year.
c. Although we cannot contribute this year, we may be able to next year.
d. Unfortunately, we are prevented from contributing this year, but we may be able to in the
future.
Question 17
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question You must announce to customers that your restaurant will no longer be open on Sundays.
Which of the following uses passive-voice verbs to deliver the bad news?
Answer
a. We will be closing our restaurant on Sundays beginning next month.
b. We will be closing our restaurant on Sundays beginning next month because very few
customers were dining with us on that day.
c. Beginning next month, our restaurant will no longer be open on Sundays.
d. Management has decided that it must close our restaurant on Sundays beginning next
month.
Question 18
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question Which of the following would best refuse a customer claim?
Answer
a. We're sorry that we can't give you a full refund for your DVD player.
b. Because you damaged the DVD player by trying to repair it yourself, we are unable to give
you a full refund.
c. The damage to your DVD player is not covered by the warranty, as explained in the
enclosed copy of the warranty that came with your DVD player.
d. Although a full refund cannot be issued, we would be happy to repair your DVD player for
a nominal fee.
Question 19
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question You are writing a memo to employees announcing the loss of free parking. Which of the
following would be the best closing sentence in this bad-news memo to employees?
Answer
a. We understand your disappointment with this decision.
b. If you would like to sign up for our ride-sharing program to save on parking expenses,
please see the receptionist.
c. We trust you will continue to do your best in spite of the present difficult situation.
d. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Question 20
Multiple Choice
1 points
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Question Which of the following statements about the ethics of delivering bad news is most accurate?
Answer
a. Delaying the bad news in a letter is manipulative.
b. The indirect strategy is unethical only if the writer intends to deceive the reader.
c. Using the indirect method is a way to effectively hide the bad news from the reader.
d. Delivering bad news is a fact of life in business, so you need not worry about ethics.