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STUDY
REFERENCE
GUIDE
COURSE 607
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
LESSON PLANS
Instructor: Keith Wade; e-mail:
[email protected] American Graduate University
Covina, California
Copyright 2019
American Graduate University
All Rights Reserved
733 North Dodsworth Avenue
Covina, California 91724
Printed in the United States of America
Communication and Ethics – Course No. 607 (3 units)
Welcome to Communication and Ethics (Course No. 607). This distance learning course is
composed of a series of Lesson Modules. Each lesson module requires the student to complete an
assignment and an examination. The student is also required to complete a course final
examination.
Individual course lessons must be completed in their numerical order. The CourseWebs Learning
Management System (LMS) will not allow a student to move on to the next lesson until the previous
lesson examination has been completed and graded. Lesson examinations not requiring instructor
eview are graded and notice is sent to the student within minutes of submittal. Lesson
examinations requiring instructor review are normally graded within 24 to 72 hours. Students can
work ahead in the Study Reference Guide while waiting for instructor reviews and grading.
Lesson Topic – Each lesson has a title that succinctly summarizes the theme of the lesson.
Lesson Objectives – The lesson objectives outline the important concepts to be learned in the
lesson. They are meant to guide the student in the reading of the material. At the end of the lesson
the student should have achieved the objectives listed.
Lesson Assignment – The lesson assignment is a list of what the student should read, study or
answer. This can include reading assignments from the course textbook, internet assignments, etc.
Lesson Review Exercises (LRE’s) – The LRE’s help the student in reviewing the lesson assignment.
While the student’s answers to the LRE’s do not have to be submitted to AGU for grading, they are
very instrumental in mastering the course materials and in successful completion of the course
examinations.
Subject Examinations – This is a test designed to measure your understanding of the course
content and materials. These examinations consist of multiple choice questions and must be
submitted to AGU through the CourseWebs LMS for automated grading. Each module that is not an
Application Lesson, will include a subject examination.
Application Lessons – After every 3‐5 lesson modules, there will be what we term an Application
Lesson. The purpose of these lessons is to allow the student to apply what has been learned in the
previous lesson modules. These Application Lessons consist of problems, exercises, case analysis,
essays, or Web exercises, which must be submitted through the CourseWebs LMS for grading by the
instructor.
Grading – Lessons 4, 8, 13, 17, 22, 26 and 30 are Application Lessons. These seven lessons are each
weighted at 5% of the total course grade. Once all lessons have been completed, you will then need
to complete a Final Exam, which is weighted at 20% of the total course grade.
Your Instructor – You will have an instructor assigned for the course. The instructor will send you
a welcome message with details on how to contact him or her. The instructor is there to provide
you with help in completing the course work. The instructor will be evaluating and grading your
work in the Application Lessons and Final Examination. In addition, the AGU Student Services
Department (
[email protected]) is there to provide assistance and prompt feedback on
student submittals and questions.
Schedule – You have five months to complete the course. The start date for the course is 5 days
after the course registration date. A Recommended Progress Schedule sheet for this course is
included with your course materials.
Text – Understanding Business Ethics, 3rd Ed., Peter Stanwick/Sarah Stanwick, Pearson Prentice Hall;
Business Communication, 6th Ed., Kitty Locke
Stephen Kaczmarek, McGraw‐Hill.
Good luck in the course and remember to use all the resources available to you.
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS – COURSE NO. 607
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is a two‐part course. The first part covers all aspects of business communication. The second
part concentrates on business ethics.
Communication in business consists of different skill sets. The ability to communicate is essential to
success in today’s business environment. This part of the course is organized around the traditional
content of a business communications course, including written and oral communication, global
and multicultural issues, legal and ethical situations, and technology in communication.
The ethics part of the course presents a comprehensive review of cu
ent ethical issues from a
global perspective of ethics. The course highlights both the positive and negative consequences of
ethical behavior. The primary focus is to prevent potential ethical dilemmas that decision‐makers
may face in a number of different business areas.
COURSE LESSON MODULES
LESSON 1 — Business Communication, Adapting Your Message, Editing and Choosing the Right
Word
LESSON 2 — You‐Attitude; Reader Benefits
LESSON 3 — Communicating Across Cultures; E‐Mail
LESSON 4 — Application Lesson – Lessons 1 through 3
LESSON 5 — Planning, Writing, Revising, Formatting, and Positive Messages
LESSON 6 — Negative Messages
LESSON 7 — Persuasive Messages; Revising Sentences and Paragraphs
LESSON 8 — Application Lesson – Lessons 5 through 7
LESSON 9 — Interpersonal Communication
LESSON 10 — Jobs and Résumés
LESSON 11 — Applications and Interviews
LESSON 12 — Follow‐Up
LESSON 13 — Application Lesson – Lessons 9 through 12
LESSON 14 — Proposals and Findings
LESSON 15 — Short and Long Reports
LESSON 16 — Oral Presentations and Visuals
LESSON 17 — Application Lesson – Lessons 14 through 16
LESSON 18 — The Foundation of Ethical Thought
LESSON 19 — The Evolving Complexities of Business Ethics
LESSON 20 — Stakeholders and Corporate Social Responsibility
LESSON 21 — Strategic Planning, Corporate Culture, and Corporate Compliance
LESSON 22 — Application Lesson – Lessons 18 through 21
LESSON 23 — Ethics and the Environment
LESSON 24 — Ethical Leadership and Corporate Governance
LESSON 25 — Ethics and Information Technology
LESSON 26 — Application Lesson – Lessons 23 through 25
LESSON 27 — Decision Making and Human Resource Issues
LESSON 28 — Ethics and Financial Reporting
LESSON 29 — Establishing a Code of Ethics and Evaluating Corporate Ethics
LESSON 30 — Application Lesson – Lessons 27 through 29
Final Examination (Please request the Final Exam for this course after completion of all Lessons.
Go to www.agu.edu and click on Student Center; click on Online Exams; and click on “Final Exam
Request Form” link at the bottom of the page.)
COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the completion of this course the student will, through the use of text, University supplied questions
and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
Explain the organizational purposes and context for your message.
Analyze business communication situations.
Adapt your message to your audiences.
Define what your organization wants.
Examine diversity as part of audience analysis.
Recognize the values, beliefs, and practices in other cultures.
Choose and use standard formats.
Use nonsexist courtesy titles.
Plan and deliver oral presentations.
Develop a good speaking voice.
Choose the right kind of résumé for your qualifications.
Make your experience relevant to employers.
Analyze the difference between ethos, the beliefs and customs a culture may follow, and
ethics, the reasoned analysis of those customs.
607-1-1
LESSON 1
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Business Communication, Adapting Your Message, Editing and Choosing the Right Word
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the completion of this topic the student will, through the use of text, University
supplied questions and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
1. Define organizational purposes and context for a message.
2. Analyze business communication situations and audiences.
3. Use creative thinking to develop effective messages.
4. Identify the five types of audiences and strategies to shape messages to meet different
audiences’ needs.
5. Use standard edited English and fix common grammatical e
ors.
6. Use punctuation co
ectly.
7. Choose words precisely and ethically.
8. Choose words with appropriate connotations.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT:
Business Communication – Building Critical Skills, Sixth Edition
Module 1, “Business Communication, Management, and Success”
Module 2, “Adapting Your Message to Your Audience”
Module 14, “Editing for Grammar and Punctuation”
Module 15, “Choosing the Right Word”
607-1-2
LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
LESSON 1
NOTE: The following exercises are study aids designed to help you prepare for the subject exam.
Check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson. Do not submit your answers to AGU
for grading.
Question 1: Why do you need to understand the purposes, audience, and context for a message
to know whether a specific set of words will work?
Question 2: What are ways to analyze your audience?
Question 3: Why do internal audiences, especially your boss, sometimes feel more important
than primary audiences outside your organization?
Question 4: What is a sentence fragment? How can it be fixed?
Question 5: What are the two kinds of jargon? Which is okay to use at times?
Question 6: What are the three basic purposes of business messages?
Question 7: What are the five kinds of audiences?
Question 8: What is parallel structure? When should you use it?
Question 9: What is bypassing?
Question 10: What is the difference between the use of a dash vs. the use of a hyphen?
607-1-3
SUBJECT EXAMINATION
COURSE 607 – LESSON 1
Please read the following:
1. After carefully reading each question, mark your answers in the appropriate spaces
in the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu.
2. Submit any inquiries through “Contact Us” on the webpage, or by contacting Student
Services at
[email protected].
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Question 1: In every organization, communication is the way people get:
(a) Their points across
(b) Work done
(c) Recognized for their contributions
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (b)
Question 2: Which of the following is a quality of a good message?
(a) It is clear
(b) The information is co
ect
(c) The message builds goodwill
(d) All of the necessary information is present
(e) All of the above
Question 3: Which of the following is a form of ve
al communication?
(a) Face-to-face conversations
(b) E-mail
(c) Photos
(d) All of the above
(e) Only two of the above
Question 4: When determining the purposes of your message, you should consider which of
the following questions?
(a) What must this message do to meet an organizational need?
(b) How much does your audience know about the topic?
(c) What negative elements must your message overcome?
(d) All of the above
(e) None of the above
607-1-4
Question 5: Which audience may stop your message from getting to its intended audience?
(a) Primary audience
(b) Secondary audience
(c) Initial audience
(d) Watchdog
(e) None of the above
Question 6: As an auditor in an accounting firm, you sit down to write a report to your client
as soon as you complete the audit. Your client would be classified as what kind of
audience?
(a) Primary audience
(b) Initial audience
(c) Secondary audience
(d) Gatekeeper
(e) None of the above
Question 7: In which of the following situations would the boss be considered both a primary
audience and an initial audience?
(a) Your boss asks you to compile sales figures for the last fiscal year so she
can send them on to her boss, who needs the information to prepare him for
an upcoming board meeting
(b) Your company’s newsletter needs information on your department’s softball
team, which your boss wants to see before it’s passed on to the editor
(c) You write a proposal to your boss suggesting a new promotional idea in
hopes that she will like it enough to pass it on to the division chief, who has
the power to implement a new plan
(d) Your boss asks you to compile sales figures and put them in an informative
eport so she can decide if your new marketing strategies have paid off
(e) None of the above
Question 8: To remind readers of information in a tactful way, you can:
(a) Give a
ief definition in the text
(b) Ask the readers if they need or want additional information
(c) Spell out acronyms the first time you use them
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (c)
Question 9: Putting a comma every place a person might take a
eath is:
(a) A good idea because we take
eaths at natural pauses
(b) A good idea because that’s the reason the comma was created
(c) A bad idea because some commas are optional, and
eaths might overlook
that
(d) A bad idea because how often a person takes a
eath is dependent on lung
capacity, how fast and loud that person is speaking, and the emphasis desired
(e) None of the above
607-1-5
Question 10: “Making its way through the crowd, Tai drove the car slowly.” is an example of a:
(a) Comma splice
(b) Run-on
(c) Dangling modifier
(d) Predication e
or
(e) None of the above
Question 11: “The executive with the biggest office.” is an example of a(n):
(a) Case problem
(b) Independent clause
(c) Sentence fragment
(d) Faulty parallelism
(e) None of the above
Question 12: Which of the following is not an example of parallel structure?
(a) “Yoga can help you develop flexibility, reduce stress, and increase
elaxation.”
(b) “Learn how to analyze business audiences, improve your style, and edit
thoroughly.”
(c) “You are all encouraged to come and share ideas, express concerns, and ask
questions.”
(d) “You can pay by credit card, check, or just fill out a payroll deduction card.”
(e) All of the above are examples
Question 13: Which of the following words has the most positive connotation?
(a) Obstinate
(b) Unyielding
(c) Firm
(d) Stu
orn
(e) Intractable
Question 14: In your most recent performance appraisal, your supervisor writes that you “try
hard and show a great deal of enthusiasm.” This statement:
(a) Is a compliment because it obviously shows that you are a productive worker
(b) Suggests that you are open to learning additional skills and do so with a
positive attitude
(c) Could be read as either positive or negative
(d) Is definitely negative because “try” can imply that while you make the effort
you don’t frequently succeed
(e) None of the above
607-1-6
Question 15: “This student deviates from the norm in a number of ways.” What, if anything, is
wrong with the word “deviates” in this sentence?
(a) “Deviate” has a negative connotation; a “deviate” is usually someone who
has been a criminal, or who, in some way, rebelled against society
(b) The phrase “deviates from the norm” is too wordy
(c) To “deviate” means to agree with and therefore the word by definition has
no place in this sentence
(d) The word “deviate” will not be found in most dictionaries
(e) The word is acceptable as it is
Question 16: The style for school writing usually is:
(a) More formal than business writing
(b) Less formal but more interesting than business writing
(c) Affected by the kind of document you’re writing
(d) Fun, light, and interesting
(e) None of the above
Question 17: Oral messages make it easier to:
(a) Answer questions
(b) Use emotion to help persuade the audience
(c) Get immediate action or response
(d) All of the above
(e) Only two of the above
Question 18: You are presenting a proposal to the City Council at a public meeting. Your
primary audience is:
(a) The TV journalists filming your presentation
(b) The council members who will vote on your proposal
(c) Your boss, who has promised you a raise if your proposal is accepted
(d) The speakers who follow you who will have a chance to criticize your
proposal
(e) None of the above
Question 19: “Jim went to the office supply store Zack went with him but I stayed in the office
this afternoon.” is an example of a:
(a) Comma splice
(b) Run-on
(c) Fused sentence
(d) Predication e
or
(e) None of the above
607-1-7
Question 20: Which of the following words usually does not ca
y a positive connotation?
(a) Curious
(b) Careful
(c) Firm
(d) Decisive
(e) All of the above are positive
607-1-8
ANSWERS TO LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
1. Purpose identifies what organizational problem the message will serve, what it must do to
meet the writer’s needs, and what the writer wants readers to do, think, or feel. The
audience helps shape the content of the writer’s message, as well as the choice of
language and detail. Context helps writers understand the cu
ent state of affairs for the
organization or audience. Writers must choose words carefully to address concerns for
each of these areas.
2. Choose empathy first. Then, identify the audience’s knowledge, demographics,
personality, values and beliefs (psychographics), and past history. Knowledge of
discourse communities and organizational or corporate culture is also important.
Students should use PAIBOC to help them throughout the audience analysis process.
3. Of course, students may answer this question in any number of ways. A common answer
would be that a boss exercises authority over the employee, making the employee more
likely to privilege the boss’s needs over that of the external audience. Because external
audiences are distanced from the organization, writers also may find internal audiences
more familiar and, therefore, comfortable to write to. Internal audiences typically provide
more immediate feedback, too. The employee finds out quickly what works and does not.
4. A sentence fragment is a group of words that is not a complete sentence but is punctuated
as if it were a complete sentence. Solutions include adding the parts that are missing from
the sentence or joining it to the sentence before or after the fragment. Fragments are
acceptable in résumés and sales letters but typically not in other forms of business
communication.
5. Acceptable jargon includes technical terms common to a field and business slang. In
many cases, writers should choose a more common English equivalent for these terms;
however, writers can use jargon in documents where it enhances their credibility, such as
in a job application letter. Businessese – arcane or dated word and phrases should be
avoided at all times.
6. To inform, request or persuade, and build goodwill.
7. Primary, secondary, initial, gatekeeper, and watchdog.
8. Parallel structure means using the same grammatical structure. Use parallel structure for
items in a list or series and in headings and subheadings.
9. Bypassing occurs when two people use the same word to mean different things.
Bypassing can have serious repercussions, especially in communication involving safety
or security.
10. A dash is used to note a
eak in thought while a hyphen is generally used to indicate that
a word has been divided between two lines.
607-2-1
LESSON 2
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
You-Attitude; Reader Benefits
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the completion of this topic the student will, through the use of text, University
supplied questions and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
1. Build goodwill.
2. Adapt message to the audience.
3. Emphasize what the reader wants to know.
4. Associate things from the reader’s point of view.
5. Identify and choose reader benefits.
6. Develop logical and detailed reader benefits.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT:
Business Communication – Building Critical Skills, Sixth Edition
Module 6, “You-Attitude”
Module 8, “Reader Benefits”
607-2-2
LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
LESSON 2
NOTE: The following exercises are study aids designed to help you prepare for the subject exam.
Check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson. Do not submit your answers to AGU
for grading.
Question 1: What is you-attitude?
Question 2: Why doesn’t the word you always create you-attitude?
Question 3: What are reader benefits?
Question 4: In a message with reader benefits, how many different benefits should you use?
Question 5: How do reader benefits help you achieve your goals?
Question 6: How can you create you-attitude within sentences?
Question 7: What is the difference between internal and external reader benefits? Which are
etter? Why?
Question 8: Some negative phrases such as “please do not hesitate to contact me” are often
thought of as business clichés. Why should these generally be avoided?
Question 9: Why is it a good idea to avoid talking about feelings in business writing?
Question 10: How detailed should each reader benefit be?
607-2-3
SUBJECT EXAMINATION
COURSE 607 – LESSON 2
Please read the following:
1. After carefully reading each question, mark your answers in the appropriate spaces
in the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu.
2. Submit any inquiries through “Contact Us” on the webpage, or by contacting Student
Services at
[email protected].
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Question 1: Which of the following is not a principle for achieving you-attitude?
(a) Talk about the reader, not about yourself
(b) Focus on what the reader receives or can do
(c) In positive situations, use “we” more often than “you”
(d) Don’t presume that you know how the reader feels or will react
(e) None of the above
Question 2: “We” is most likely to include the reader in a:
(a) Memo announcing the fringe benefits that management is giving to hourly
workers
(b) Memo to members of your own department
(c) Letter rejecting a job candidate
(d) Sales letter to a customer
(e) None of the above
Question 3: To create you-attitude with content:
(a) Be complete
(b) Anticipate and answer questions the reader is likely to have
(c) Show why information you included but the reader didn’t ask for is
important
(d) Show readers how the subject of your message affects them
(e) All of the above
Question 4: You write to a customer about a refund he or she is expecting. By opening the
letter with a statement like “I’m pleased to announce that I’ve processed your
efund,” you:
(a) Help ensure that the reader knows you’re on his or her side
(b) Create poor you-attitude
(c) Probably will anger the reader, especially if the refund amount is negligible
(d) Have created an impersonal construction
(e) None of the above
607-2-4
Question 5: “Employees must park in lots A and D until the other lots are resurfaced.”
Indicate the alternative that both co
ectly evaluates the sentence and co
ectly
explains the reason for the evaluation.
(a) Has good you-attitude because it uses an impersonal construction to express
a limit on the reader’s freedom
(b) Lacks you-attitude because it doesn’t use the word you
(c) Has good you-attitude because it includes the reader in a group
(d) Lacks you-attitude because it expresses no feelings about the matter to the
eader
(e) Both (a) and (c)
Question 6: When you have negatives, which of the following is best to use?
(a) First-person because the writer is taking responsibility for communicating
the negative
(b) Second-person because it includes the word you
(c) Third-person because it shows that everyone is being treated the same way
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (c)
Question 7: “We have decided to extend our service to you by remaining open until midnight
on New Year’s Eve.” Indicate the alternative that both co
ectly evaluates the
sentence and co
ectly explains the reason for the evaluation.
(a) Good you-attitude because it stresses reader benefits
(b) Lacks you-attitude because it focuses on what the writer is doing
(c) Good you-attitude because it contains the word “you”
(d) Lacks you-attitude because the “service” refe
ed to is not specified
(e) Both (b) and (d)
Question 8: “I have negotiated an agreement that gives you a 10% discount for any domestic
flight charged on our company credit card.” Indicate the alternative that both
co
ectly evaluates the sentence and co
ectly explains the reason for the evaluation.
(a) Good you-attitude because it contains a reader benefit
(b) Good you-attitude because the reader is getting something valuable for
traveling
(c) Lacks you-attitude because it focuses on what the writer has done
(d) Lacks you-attitude because it does not mention whether the reader travels
very much
(e) None of the above
Question 9: Reader benefits are benefits or advantages that the reader gets by:
(a) Using your services
(b) Buying your products
(c) Following your policies
(d) Adopting your ideas
(e) All of the above
607-2-5
Question 10: Which of the following is not a characteristic of good reader benefits?
(a) Adapted to the audience
(b) Supported by clear logic and explained in adequate detail
(c) Based on intrinsic advantages
(d) Phrased in you-attitude
(e) All are characteristics of good reader benefits
Question 11: According to A
aham Maslow, the highest form of human motivation is:
(a) Physical
(b) Safety, security
(c) Love, belonging
(d) Esteem, recognition
(e) Self-actualization
Question 12: Expectancy theory says:
(a) Most people try their best only when motivated by material reward
(b) Most people don’t try their best because they expect to fail
(c) Most people expect to succeed at whatever task they perform
(d) Most people can expect to fail because we can’t always win
(e) None of the above
Question 13: Which is the best purpose for including reader benefits in an informative message?
(a) To show how the policy or procedure helps the reader
(b) To fill up the entire page
(c) To su
ound any negatives with positive information
(d) To demonstrate the writer’s creativity
(e) Both (a) and (d)
Question 14: “Our workout plan makes it easy to get the exercise you need” is:
(a) A strong reader benefit because it clearly states what the reader will get
(b) A strong reader benefit because it appeals to the reader’s sense of health
(c) A weak reader benefit because it says nothing about cost savings
(d) A weak reader benefit because it offers no specifics
(e) None of the above
607-2-6
Question 15: “Mouth-watering steaks, buttery soft biscuits, savory sauces and pasta, and
delicious desserts are just some of the scrumptious foods awaiting you at our
uffet. And don’t forget: Every Tuesday we feature fresh, oven-warm pies and
tall, cool pitchers of iced tea.” Indicate the alternative that both co
ectly evaluates
the sentence and co
ectly explains the reason for the evaluation.
(a) Has poor psychological description because not everyone likes these foods
(b) Has good psychological description because the details create strong sense
impressions
(c) Has poor psychological description because one sentence begins with “and”
(d) Has good psychological description because even someone watching his or
her weight will succumb to temptation because of the details
(e) Both (a) and (c)
Question 16: You notice that one of your employees has forgotten to sign her vacation request.
Thus, you send out an e-mail that informs all employees of the appropriate
procedure, pointing out her mistake as an example. This strategy is:
(a) Good you-attitude because people like specific examples
(b) Good you-attitude because we can all learn from our mistakes
(c) Poor you-attitude because e-mail is an inappropriate channel to use
(d) Poor you-attitude because the message does not protect the employee’s ego
(e) None of the above
Question 17: One of your employees pulls up in an expensive new sports car and has also
egun wearing tailored suits and asking to serve on high-profile committees.
According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, what concerns are most likely
motivating him?
(a) Physical
(b) Security
(c) Belonging
(d) Recognition
(e) Self-actualization
607-2-7
ANSWERS TO LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
1. You-attitude is a style of writing that looks at things from the reader’s point of view,
espects the reader’s intelligence, protects the reader’s ego, and emphasizes what the
eader wants to know.
2. In three specific situations, using the word “you” does not create you-attitude:
In a positive message, focus on what the reader can do. “We give you” lacks you-
attitude because the sentence focuses on what we are doing.
Avoid “you” when it criticizes the reader or limits the reader’s freedom.
In a job application letter, create you-attitude by showing how you can help meet
the reader’s needs, but keep the word “you” to a minimum.
3. Reader benefits are benefits or advantages the reader gets by using your services, buying
your products, following your policies, or adopting your ideas.
4. Typically, three to five sentences are required to give enough detail in a business message
about a benefit. If two or three benefits are developed fully, then a sentence or two can be
used for the remaining benefits.
5. Students’ answers will vary. One key factor is expectancy theory, which suggests people
try their best only when they believe they can succeed and see rewards from their
success. Reader benefits express how using products or services or adopting policies
ewards the reader.
Writers should adapt reader benefits to the audience and base them on intrinsic
advantages. Support through clear logic, adequate detail, and you-attitude help increase
the likelihood that benefits will appeal to the reader.
6. Talk about the reader, not about yourself. Don’t talk about feelings, except to
congratulate or offer sympathy. In positive situations, use “you” more often than “I.”
Use “we” when it includes the reader, and avoid “you” in negative situations.
7. Extrinsic rewards – such as money or promotions – motivate for a short period of time.
Intrinsic benefits – such as job satisfaction or a sense of belonging to the group –
generally lasts longer. Typically, intrinsic benefits are considered better for most
situations.
8. It is better to use an impersonal expression or a passive ve
to avoid blaming the reader.
9. Feelings are generally i
elevant in most business situations except to offer
congratulations or sympathy.
10. Generally, three to five sentences are enough to give sufficient details about a reader
enefit.
607-3-1
LESSON 3
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Communicating Across Cultures; E-Mail
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the completion of this topic the student will, through the use of text, University
supplied questions and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
1. Recognize diversity as part of audience analysis.
2. Recognize ve
al and nonve
al behavior.
3. Adapt to different expectations in the workplace.
4. Deal with discrimination.
5. Determine and use bias-free language and photos.
6. Format e-mail messages and use e-mail effectively.
7. Write effective subject lines on your e-mails.
8. Communicate effectively on the Web.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT:
Business Communication – Building Critical Skills, Sixth Edition
Module 3, “Communicating Across Cultures”
Module 13, “E-Mail Messages, Web Writing, and Technology”
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LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
LESSON 3
NOTE: The following exercises are study aids designed to help you prepare for the subject exam.
Check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson. Do not submit your answers to AGU
for grading.
Question 1: What sources create diversity in the workplace?
Question 2: What four methods make a sentence nonsexist?
Question 3: How do subject lines for e-mail messages differ from those for paper messages?
Question 4: Why are spelling and punctuation still important in e-mail?
Question 5: Why should negative and persuasive e-mail messages be more direct than their
paper counterparts?
Question 6: What is flaming?
Question 7: Should social networking be used for business?
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SUBJECT EXAMINATION
COURSE 607 – LESSON 3
Please read the following:
1. After carefully reading each question, mark your answers in the appropriate spaces
in the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu.
2. Submit any inquiries through “Contact Us” on the webpage, or by contacting Student
Services at
[email protected].
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Question 1: BusinessWeek reports that:
(a) One third of all industries either operate globally or are in the process of
doing so
(b) Two thirds of all industries either operate globally or are in the process of
doing so
(c) Three quarters of all industries focus on domestic business
(d) Businesses are about as global today as they’ve ever been
(e) None of the above
Question 2: Open body positions include:
(a) Keeping hands in pockets
(b) Leaning back, sometimes with both hands behind the head
(c) Crossing arms or legs
(d) Leaning forward with uncrossed arms
(e) None of the above
Question 3: In the U.S., status can be connoted by which of the following spatial a
angements?
(a) Size of office
(b) Placement of office
(c) Privacy of office
(d) All of the above
(e) None of the above
Question 4: When doing business in Japan, which person in a group would look most
authoritative to the Japanese?
(a) The youngest person
(b) The heaviest person
(c) The tallest person
(d) The shortest person
(e) None of the above
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Question 5: According to U.S. census figures, what amount of Americans aged 17 to 27 are
Native Americans or of African, Latino, or Asian descent?
(a) One sixteenth
(b) One eighth
(c) One quarter
(d) One third
(e) One half
Question 6: For lunch, you meet a foreign executive who will decide whether to sign a
contract with your company. You open by explaining you’re the company’s
senior technical expert, you’ve won several awards, and you’re well acquainted
with the executive’s company. The executive nods throughout. When lunch
concludes, you hand her a contract. Rather than sign, the executive smiles politely
and agrees to consider the offer. Most likely, the executive comes from what kind
of culture?
(a) Low-context
(b) High-context
(c) Direct
(d) Indirect
(e) None of the above
Question 7: During your interview with a potential hire, you observe he sits with his arms
crossed much of the time. This is an example of:
(a) An open body posture that demonstrates confidence
(b) An open body posture that demonstrates indifference
(c) A closed body posture that demonstrates i
itation
(d) A closed body posture that demonstrates discomfort
(e) A neutral body posture that demonstrates only a personal habit
Question 8: A Millennial employee does not answer her e-mail messages in a timely fashion.
The best channel to get a faster response would be:
(a) “Snail” mail
(b) Voicemail
(c) A memo
(d) A text message
(e) None of the above
Question 9: Which of the following is not a guideline when writing e-mail messages?
(a) Don’t be indiscreet in e-mail
(b) Use all of the principles of good business writing
(c) Re-read and proofread your message before sending it out
(d) E-mail messages must interest the reader in the subject line and first
paragraph
(e) All of the above are guidelines
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Question 10: Subject lines in e-mail messages are:
(a) Even more important than those in letters and memos because it’s so easy
for the reader to hit the delete key
(b) Even more important than those in letters and memos because anti-virus
software may screen the messages out
(c) Less important than those in letters and memos because people will look to
the address of the sender to decide whether to read the message
(d) Less important than those in letters and memos because few people pay
attention to subject lines because they are so busy
(e) None of the above
Question 11: Which of the following is the best subject line for a persuasive e-mail message?
(a) A request
(b) Some pointers for the meeting
(c) Call for volunteers
(d) New hires
(e) None of the above
Question 12: “Lurking” means:
(a) Reading e-mail messages without writing anything yourself
(b) Exploring the Web
(c) Using e-mail to express your ideas in secret
(d) Posting e-mail messages on listservs anonymously
(e) None of the above
Question 13: Which of the following business writing principles is important in e-mail
messages?
(a) Positive emphasis
(b) You-attitude
(c) Reader benefits, when appropriate
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (b)
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Question 14: An employee you supervise copies you on a message to her multi-department
committee, urging it to finally green light a project. You respond that she has your
full support, but you also note that the sole committee member who dissents is
obviously wrong and give reasons why. That committee member supervises
another department. Later, you receive his terse e-mail stating you should be
professional and talk directly to him about your concerns since he is a peer. What
most likely happened?
(a) Your employee blind-copied him on the e-mail, so he received your reply, too
(b) Your employee printed out the e-mail but didn’t retrieve it from the shared
printer before someone else saw it
(c) You may have hinted at your attitude toward the other supervisor in a
department head meeting
(d) The other supervisor is fishing to see what you are saying behind his back
(e) You accidentally hit “reply all” to the message
Question 15: Sending e-mail attachments makes the most sense when you send:
(a) A long text document
(b) A text document with limited formatting
(c) A nontext file
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (c)
Question 16: Some Europeans see Americans as overly time-conscious because people in the
U.S.:
(a) Have a clock in each room
(b) Always show up on time for appointments
(c) Expect others to show up on time for appointments
(d) Schedule more activities in a time slot than Europeans do
(e) None of the above
Question 17: When jobs move from one country to another, the process is sometimes called:
(a) Insourcing
(b) Outlying
(c) Offshoring
(d) Farming out
(e) None of the above
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Question 18: In which of the following negative situations would it not be appropriate to send
an e-mail message to one of your colleagues?
(a) You have to tell her that you will be late to the meeting she’s called for
tomo
ow because of a doctor appointment
(b) You are extremely angry because of a message she has just sent you and you
want to tell her how wrong she is
(c) You have found you made an e
or when you gave her some sales figures
this morning
(d) You have just found out that the firm has lost a client for whom you have
oth been preparing materials
(e) All of the above are appropriate
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ANSWERS TO LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
1. These include gender, race and ethnicity, regional and national origin, social class,
eligion, age, sexual orientation, and physical ability.
2. Avoid sexist words, avoid sexist phrases, use neutral job titles, and adjust pronouns so
they don’t imply gender roles.
3. Subject lines in e-mail are even more important than those in letters and memos because
it’s so easy for an e-mail user to hit the delete key. E-mail subject lines must be specific;
concise; catchy; give good news if the message is positive and give negative information
when the negative is serious, the reader needs the information to act, or you report your
own e
ors; and make the request clear if the message is persuasive.
4. E-mail can be printed out and passed around – just like a paper message. Despite the
casual nature of personal e-mail, all the principles of good business writing still apply to
usiness e-mail messages. These include proper spelling and grammar.
5. Readers may deal with 80 to 100 messages in 20 to 30 minutes in some cases – therefore,
e-mail must make its point clearly and efficiently. Subject lines should indicate the point
of the message to avoid being skipped or deleted.
6. Angry or insulting e-mail messages. Writers should avoid flaming, as well as writing e-
mail messages when they are angry or upset.
7. As long as things are kept professional, social networking can be a good communication
tool.
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LESSON 4
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Application Lesson – Lessons 1 through 3
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
The following assignment is intended to allow you to apply the concepts and principles
you have learned in the previous lessons.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT: (150 points total)
The assigned questions should be answered thoroughly in your own words in essay
format and submitted using the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu. The level of
writing and content should reflect a solid understanding of the subject matter.
NOTE: This lesson is weighted as 5% of the total course grade.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (15 points each – 75 points total)
1. Why do writing and speaking become even more important as people rise in the
organization?
2. What is intercultural competence?
3. How can you create you-attitude beyond the sentence level?
4. Why should you compose an important e-mail message off-line?
5. Why is it better to fix e
ors in grammar and punctuation only after you’ve revised
for content, organization, and style?
607-4-2
WRITING EXERCISES (15 points each – 75 points total)
Exercise 1 – Eliminating Biased Language
Explain the source of bias in each of the following and revise to remove the bias:
1. For an older employee, Delores has a lot of energy and often makes the other
employees who are much younger, look downright ancient by comparison.
2. Because younger employees are always cocky and undisciplined, you will have to
manage them closely if you want to get any work done.
3. Robin Anderson
Global Living
319 Center Street
Little Rock, AK 72201
Dear Ms. Anderson:
4. Alan speaks English so well that if you didn’t actually see him, you’d never know
he was Asian-American.
5. If you hire Angelina, who is quite the looker, you will also get a topnotch forensic
accountant.
6. Eduardo, the token member of the executive cabinet, nonetheless has impeccable
credentials, including a degree from Harvard and more experience than any other
cabinet member.
7. Nurses may
ing their husbands and children to the Staff Appreciation Dinner in
April.
8. Our guests, perhaps even the African-American ones, may wish to use the hotel
pool, so let’s expand the hours of operation and keep towels fully stocked.
9. Cal is surprisingly neat for a man, so he would be an excellent choice to manage the
table service at our restaurant.
10. Dr. Lim, Ms. Stillwell, and good ol’ He
Astor are among the honorees at this
year’s shareholder meeting.
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Exercise 2 – Fixing E
ors in Grammar and Punctuation
Identify and co
ect the e
ors in the following passages:
1. Company’s are finding it to their advantage to cultivate their suppliers. Partnerships
etween a company and its suppliers can yield hefty payoffs for both company and
supplier. One example is Bailey Controls, an Ohio headquartered company. Bailey
makes control systems for big factories. They treat suppliers almost like
departments to their own company. When a Bailey employee passes a laser scanner
over a bins bar code the supplier is instantly alerted to send more parts.
2. Entrepreneur Trip Hawkins appears in Japanese ads for the video game system his
company designed. “It plugs into the future! He says in one ad, in a cameo spliced
into shots of U.S. kids playing the games. Hawkins is one of several US cele
ities
and business people whom plug products on Japanese TV.”
3. Mid size firms employing between 100 and 1,000 people represent only 4% of
companies in the U.S.; but create 33% of all new jobs. One observer attributes their
success to their being small enough to take advantage of economic opportunity’s
agilely, but big enough to have access to credit and to operate on a national or even
international scale. The biggest hiring area for midsize company’s is wholesale and
etail sales (38% of jobs), construction (20% of jobs, manufacturing (19% of jobs),
and services (18% of jobs).
Exercise 3 – Convincing Your Organization to Allow Flex-Time for Students
Your organization has a generous tuition reimbursement program, but cu
ently employees must
take classes outside of regular business hours. You’ve noticed that many classes you want or
need at the local university are offered infrequently during evenings and weekends. If a class is
already full or you have another commitment, you often have to wait months before a seat is
available. Your co-workers are similarly affected.
You plan to write a memo to upper management describing your solution: flex-time for full-time
employees going to school. Your solution would allow employees to reschedule up to five hours
each week to take classes during work hours. Employees could make up hours in the mornings,
evenings or weekends and could only reschedule hours if meetings and other work related duties
don’t conflict.
Pick an organization you know something about and answer the following questions:
1. What is the purpose of the tuition reimbursement program?
2. How do employees benefit? How does the organization benefit?
3. Will it cost the company money or lost efficiency to offer flex-time?
4. What obstacles must be overcome regarding organizational culture?
607-4-4
5. How will employee schedules be tracked? Who will be responsible?
6. How would you deal with the objection that employees could take distance-learning
courses, such as those offered on the Web?
7. What is the company’s competitive position? Is it growing? Shrinking?
Exercise 4 – Identifying Audiences
In each of the following situations, label the audiences as initial, gatekeeper, primary, secondary
or watchdog:
1. Russell, Sanjay and Teresa are planning to start a business that will run soccer
camps for youngsters after the three have earned their master’s degrees. They have
developed a business plan and are getting ready to enter it in a competition
sponsored by a prestigious university. Judges from the business community and the
university’s faculty will offer feedback to all the teams, based on their oral
presentations and written plans. The winners receive a cash prize plus an
opportunity to sell their ideas to several venture capital firms, which specialize in
helping to finance start-up companies.
2. Carmale hopes to get a franchise for a casual dining restaurant. She will need to fill
out an application with the corporation and also show that she has secured a loan for
the balance of costs to build the restaurant.
3. Paul works for the mayor’s office in a big city. As part of a citywide cost-cutting
measure, a blue-ri
on panel has recommended requiring employees who work
more than 40 hours in a week to take compensatory time off rather than being paid
overtime. The only exceptions will be the police and fire departments. The mayor
asks Paul to prepare a proposal for the city council, which will vote on whether to
implement the change. Before they vote, council members will hear from: (1)
citizens, who will have an opportunity to read the proposal and communicate their
opinions to the city council; (2) mayors’ offices in other cities that may be asked
about their experiences; (3) union representatives who may be concerned about the
eduction in income that will occur if the proposal is implemented; (4) department
heads, whose ability to schedule work might be limited if the proposal passes; and
(5) the blue-ri
on panel and good government lo
ying groups. Council members
come up for reelection in six months.
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Exercise 5 – Choosing the Right Word
Choose the right word for each sentence:
1. The audit revealed a small (amount / number) of e
ors.
2. Diet beverages have (fewer / less) calories than regular drinks.
3. In her speech, she (implied / infe
ed) that the vote would be close.
4. We need to redesign the stand so that the catalog is eye-level instead of (laying /
lying) on the desk.
5. (Their / There / They’re) is some evidence that (their / there / they’re) thinking of
changing (their / there / they’re) policy.
6. The settlement isn’t yet in writing; if one side wanted to back out of the (oral /
ve
al) agreement, it could.
7. In (affect / effect), we’re creating a new department.
8. The firm will be hiring new (personal / personnel) in three departments this year.
9. Several customers have asked that we ca
y more campus merchandise, (i.e., / e.g.,)
pillows and mugs with the college seal.
10. We have investigated all of the possible solutions (accept / except) adding a turning
lane.
607-5-1
LESSON 5
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Planning, Writing, Revising, Formatting, and Positive Messages
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the completion of this topic the student will, through the use of text, University
supplied questions and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
1. Increase the number of expert processes you use.
2. Use time effectively and revise after feedback.
3. Choose and use standard formats.
4. Use nonsexist titles and know how to create a professional image.
5. Write and organize informative and positive messages.
6. Write effective subject lines and goodwill endings.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT:
Business Communication – Building Critical Skills, Sixth Edition
Module 4, “Planning, Writing, and Revising”
Module 9, “Formats for Letters and Memos”
Module 10, “Informative and Positive Messages”
607-5-2
LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
LESSON 5
NOTE: The following exercises are study aids designed to help you prepare for the subject exam.
Check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson. Do not submit your answers to AGU
for grading.
Question 1: What processes do writers use?
Question 2: How is revision different from editing? From proofreading?
Question 3: When do you send a letter? When do you send a memo?
Question 4: How should you organize a positive or informative message?
Question 5: Are you more likely to need reader benefits in informative letters or memos?
Why?
Question 6: What are the differences between block formats for letters and the formats for
memos?
Question 7: What are the three criteria for good subject lines?
607-5-3
SUBJECT EXAMINATION
COURSE 607 – LESSON 5
Please read the following:
1. After carefully reading each question, mark your answers in the appropriate spaces
in the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu.
2. Submit any inquiries through “Contact Us” on the webpage, or by contacting Student
Services at
[email protected].
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Question 1: The document revision stage includes which of the following steps?
(a) Evaluating your work
(b) Adding, deleting, substituting, or rea
anging
(c) Proofreading the final copy
(d) All of the above
(e) None of the above
Question 2: Someone who sits down regularly to write but cannot think of anything to say is
experiencing:
(a) Writer’s block
(b) Procrastination
(c) Freewriting
(d) Psychological reactance
(e) None of the above
Question 3: All of the following are elements of revising except:
(a) Adding
(b) Deleting
(c) Substituting
(d) Rea
anging
(e) Positioning
Question 4: Which of the following writing processes is least likely to produce good writing?
(a) Have several different strategies to choose from
(b) Have clear goals focusing on purpose and audience
(c) Use rules as guidelines that can be
oken
(d) Proofread everything as soon as it is written
(e) All are equally likely to produce good writing
607-5-4
Question 5: Which of the following is not something to check in thorough revision?
(a) Style and tone
(b) Organization
(c) Punctuation and spelling
(d) Content and clarity
(e) All of the above should be checked in thorough revision
Question 6: An advantage to modified block format is that it:
(a) Is faster to use than other formats
(b) Creates a visually attractive page by moving the date and signature block
over
(c) Makes it easiest to use letterhead
(d) Is prefe
ed by most readers in business
(e) None of the above
Question 7: Cc stands for:
(a) Ca
on copy
(b) Computer copy
(c) Complete copy
(d) Only (a) and (b)
(e) None of the above
Question 8: You have a new customer named Ronald Schilling who you are to contact for the
first time. A good salutation for your letter would be:
(a) Dear Ron
(b) Dear Ronald
(c) Dear Mr. Schilling
(d) Dear Ron Schilling
(e) None of the above
Question 9: The standard postal a
eviation for Hawaii is:
(a) HI
(b) HI.
(c) HA
(d) HA.
(e) None of the above
Question 10: Which is the best salutation for Elizabeth Kim, M.D.?
(a) Dear Elizabeth Kim
(b) Dear Ms. Kim
(c) Dear Dr. Kim
(d) Dear Mrs. Kim
(e) None of the above
607-5-5
Question 11: In general, do the same thing in your informative or positive message subject line
that you would do:
(a) In the first paragraph
(b) In the last paragraph
(c) In a negative message subject line
(d) In a persuasive message subject line
(e) None of the above
Question 12: Which of the following would not be an informative or positive message?
(a) Credit acceptance
(b) Announcement of a new policy
(c) Thank-you letter
(d) Congratulations
(e) All of the above are informative or positive messages
Question 13: When giving good news, which of the following elements should come before
any negatives?
(a) Reader benefits
(b) Details
(c) The good news
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (b) and (c)
Question 14: Which is the best reason for including reader benefits in an informative message?
(a) To show how the policy or procedure helps the reader
(b) To fill up the entire page
(c) To su
ound any negatives with positive information
(d) To demonstrate the writer’s creativity
(e) To make the reader like you
Question 15: Which of the following would be the best strategy to follow in the opening
paragraph of a letter to clients announcing expanded hours?
(a) Explain that the results of a recent survey indicate that a lot of people are
unhappy with the cu
ent hours
(b) State what the new hours will be and when they go into effect
(c) Apologize for still being closed on holidays
(d) Explain how the expanded hours will affect clients
(e) All of the above strategies are equally good
607-5-6
Question 16: Which of the following processes is most likely to be used by good writers?
(a) Break a large task into smaller, more manageable chunks
(b) Stop writing when words don’t flow quickly
(c) Set modest goals and rewards for reaching them
(d) Identify and deal with the problem that makes writing difficult
(e) None of the above
Question 17: One way to help you visualize a meeting or document better is to use a:
(a) Storyboard
(b) Information map
(c) Panel layout
(d) Box diagram
(e) None of the above
Question 18: Which of the following is the best salutation if you’ve never met Sandy Pe
one?
(a) Dear Ms. Pe
one
(b) Dear Sandy
(c) Dear S. Pe
one
(d) Dear Sandy Pe
one
(e) None of the above
Question 19: A separate document sent with an e-mail message is called a(n):
(a) Enclosure
(b) Attachment
(c) Appendage
(d) Secondary document
(e) None of the above
Question 20: Which of the following is the best subject line for a message announcing a
eduction in the cost of employee benefits?
(a) Employee benefits announcement
(b) Good news!
(c) About your employee benefits
(d) Cost of employee benefits to decrease May 1
(e) Lower costs
607-5-7
ANSWERS TO LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
1. Realize that the first draft can be revised, write regularly,
eak big jobs into small
chunks, have clear goals focusing on purpose and audience, have several different
strategies to choose from, use rules flexibly, and wait to edit until after the draft is
complete.
2. Revision means making changes that will better satisfy the writer’s purposes and
audience. Editing means making surface-level changes that make the document
grammatically co
ect. Proofreading means checking to be sure the document is free from
typographical e
ors.
3. Letters are more formal than memos. Typically, letters go to people outside of the
organization – to customers, suppliers, competitors, regulatory bodies, and other external
audiences. Internal letters are for hirings, firings, promotions, disciplinary notices, letters
of transmittal, and other formal purposes. Use memos for routine internal
communication, such as status reports and minor policy changes.
4. Give any good news and summarize the main points, give details, clarification, and
ackground, present any negative elements – as positively as possible, explain any reader
enefits, and use a goodwill ending: positive, personal, and forward-looking.
5. Informative letters and memos should contain reader benefits. Even messages that
announce a mundane change in policy should show how the new policy will benefit the
eader.
6. Memos are similar in basic format to letters, but omit both the salutation and close.
Memos also lack paragraph indentations, always use subject lines, and sometimes use
headings. Though some memos are signed at the bottom with a signature, most are only
initialed at the top of the page, next to the writer’s name.
7. Specific, concise, and appropriate for the pattern of organization.
607-6-1
LESSON 6
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Negative Messages
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the completion of this topic the student will, through the use of text, University
supplied questions and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
1. Give bad news while retaining goodwill.
2. Continue to write effective subject lines and analyze business communications
situations.
3. Organize negative messages effectively.
4. Write buffers.
5. Write common types of negative messages.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT:
Business Communication – Building Critical Skills, Sixth Edition
Module 11, “Negative Messages”
607-6-2
LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
LESSON 6
NOTE: The following exercises are study aids designed to help you prepare for the subject exam.
Check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson. Do not submit your answers to AGU
for grading.
Question 1: How should a negative letter to customers or clients be organized?
Question 2: Why is giving an alternative or a compromise, if one exists, a good idea?
Question 3: How do you use positive emphasis in a negative message?
Question 4: How do you decide whether to give the negative directly or to buffer it?
Question 5: What are the most common kinds of buffers?
Question 6: When should a negative subject line be used?
607-6-3
SUBJECT EXAMINATION
COURSE 607 – LESSON 6
Please read the following:
1. After carefully reading each question, mark your answers in the appropriate spaces
in the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu.
2. Submit any inquiries through “Contact Us” on the webpage, or by contacting Student
Services at
[email protected].
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Question 1: Which of the following is not a primary purpose of a negative message?
(a) To give the reader the bad news
(b) To have the reader read, understand, and accept the message
(c) To maintain as much goodwill as possible
(d) None of the above
(e) Only (a) and (c)
Question 2: Which of the following is the best subject line for a message announcing layoffs?
(a) Important Information!
(b) Good News for Some Employees
(c) You Should Read This Now
(d) Reduction in Workforce Planned
(e) None of the above; deliver the news orally to affected employees, and
follow up with a message on severance pay or the like
Question 3: A customer writes to complain that her mail-order merchandise a
ived
oken.
She demands a refund. You check your records and find that she did not insure
the delivery. You can’t grant her a refund, so the best approach in your message is
to:
(a) Tell her she’s out of luck
(b) Inform her that the company’s policy is to not offer refunds when an item is
uninsured
(c) Suggest that she see if the item is repairable, and provide her with the names
of local shops that could do the work
(d) Ask her what she was thinking when she declined the insurance
(e) Send a form letter that makes no mention of her specific situation
607-6-4
Question 4: All of the following are parts of a negative message to customers except:
(a) Give the reason for the refusal after the refusal itself when you have a
eason that readers will understand and accept
(b) Give the negative just once, clearly
(c) Present an alternative or compromise, if one is available
(d) End with a positive, forward-looking statement
(e) All of the above are parts
Question 5: You have to send home an employee who wears an outfit that is too revealing for
the workplace. The employee returns the next day with conservative attire – and
proceeds to wear that same outfit every day. The employee is demonstrating:
(a) Psychological coherence
(b) Psychological freedom
(c) Psychological immaturity
(d) Psychological phenomenon
(e) Psychological reactance
Question 6: For a memo with a negative message, the reader’s reaction can be influenced by
which of the following factors?
(a) Do you and the reader have a good relationship?
(b) Does the organization treat people well?
(c) Have readers been warned of possible negatives?
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (b)
Question 7: Which of the following is not a negative message?
(a) Price increase announcement
(b) Sales letter
(c) Product recall notice
(d) Disciplinary notice
(e) None of the above are negative messages
Question 8: What is the best reason to omit the reason for the refusal in a negative message?
(a) The reader may not think of the reason
(b) The reason reflects poorly on the company
(c) The reason benefits everyone involved
(d) The reason is watertight
(e) None of these are reasons to omit the buffe
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Question 9: You have four reasons for saying “no.” Two of them are very strong reasons, one
has a tiny loophole, and one is very weak. In your message you should:
(a) Include all four reasons
(b) Omit the very weak reason and use the other three
(c) Use only the two strong reasons
(d) Give only one of the strong reasons
(e) None of the above
Question 10: Is the following sentence an appropriate ending for a credit rejection? “Should we
e able to assist you in the future, please contact us.”
(a) Yes, because it ends on a positive note
(b) Yes, because it offers an alternative
(c) No, because it lacks positive emphasis
(d) No, because offering to “help” a reader whom you have just rejected is
clearly insincere
(e) Both (a) and (b)
Question 11: Which of the following should not be included in a bad news memo to your
superior?
(a) The underlying factors that led to this specific problem
(b) Giving the advantages and disadvantages of all the options, if one is not
clearly the best
(c) A buffer in the opening paragraph
(d) A request for approval for the solution you want to implement
(e) All of the above should be included
Question 12: In negative message memos to peers and subordinates, the reader’s reaction is
influenced by all of the following questions except:
(a) Do you and the reader have a good relationship?
(b) Does the organization treat people well?
(c) Have readers “bought into” the criteria for a decision?
(d) Do communications after the negative build goodwill?
(e) All of these are questions that influence readers
Question 13: In which of the following situations would it be most appropriate to use a buffer?
(a) The reader is from a culture that believes it’s rude to say “no”
(b) The reader is suspicious of the writer
(c) The reader won’t take “no” for an answer
(d) The reader may ignore or skim the message
(e) None of these situations is appropriate for a buffe
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Question 14: A manager must tell subordinates that their retirement benefits have been reduced
due to financial difficulties the company has been experiencing. Which of the
following is the best subject line?
(a) Reductions in Retirement Benefits
(b) Efforts of Top Management to Put the Company on a More Secure Financial
Footing
(c) Changes in Retirement Benefits
(d) Retirement
(e) One more thing to wo
y about
Question 15: Is “I am so
y that we are unable to make an exception to our policy” appropriate
in a letter to a client?
(a) Yes, as long as you have made the decision without input from anyone else
(b) Yes, because it will prevent psychological reactance
(c) No, because you can make an exception; you simply choose not to do so
(d) Yes, because you seem sympathetic
(e) All of the above
Question 16: You send a customer a letter rejecting her loan application. Which of the
following examples of psychological reactance is most negative?
(a) The customer reads your letter and vows to apply again in six months
(b) The customer writes you another application, this time adding two more
credit references
(c) The customer refuses to bank with your institution and withdraws her
savings
(d) The customer does nothing
(e) All are equally negative
Question 17: A local grade school teacher writes asking if he can
ing his fourth graders to
tour your grocery store for a behind-the-scenes tour. You compose a message
saying that would be fine but that students must have their parents sign a waiver
form in case they’re exposed to anything dangerous or harmful. This is:
(a) A good idea since a release form protects you against lawsuits
(b) A good idea since parents will see you as a responsible adult
(c) A bad idea because the message may scare the children, your future
customers
(d) A bad idea because acknowledging that the store is dangerous could be used
against you later in court
(e) Both (a) and (b)
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ANSWERS TO LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
1. Give the reason for the refusal before the refusal itself when you have a reason that
eaders will understand and accept; give the negative just once, clearly; present an
alternative or compromise, if one is available; and end with a positive, forward-looking
statement.
2. Alternatives and compromises offer the reader another way to get what he or she wants;
suggests that the writer really cares about the reader; enables the reader to reestablish
psychological freedom; and allows you to end on a positive note.
3. Students’ answers will vary. At the sentence level, avoid unnecessary negative words and
phrases and hidden negatives. However, the negative message must still be understood by
the reader. If possible, give an alternative or compromise. Use a buffer if the audience
expects or appreciates one. Use a goodwill ending where possible.
4. When direct patterns seem too blunt, writers can consider using a buffer. As the name
implies, buffers act as a ba
ier or cushion to the bad news. They are neutral or positive
statements that allow the writer to delay the negative.
5. Start with any good news or positive elements the letter contains, state a fact or provide a
chronology of events, refer to enclosures in the letter, thank the reader for something he
or she has done, and state a general principle.
6. Negative subject lines should only be used if it is likely that the reader will otherwise
ignore the message.
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LESSON 7
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Persuasive Messages; Revising Sentences and Paragraphs
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the completion of this topic the student will, through the use of text, University
supplied questions and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
1. Choose and implement a persuasive strategy.
2. Write effective subject lines for persuasive messages.
3. Organize and write common kinds of persuasive messages.
4. Identify and overcome objections.
5. Choose between active and passive voice.
6. Make your writing forceful, tight and concise.
7. Vary sentence patterns and use the right tone.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT:
Business Communication – Building Critical Skills, Sixth Edition
Module 12, “Persuasive Messages”
Module 16, “Revising Sentences and Paragraphs”
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LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
LESSON 7
NOTE: The following exercises are study aids designed to help you prepare for the subject exam.
Check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson. Do not submit your answers to AGU
for grading.
Question 1: How do you decide whether to use a direct request or a problem-solving
persuasive message?
Question 2: How do you organize a problem-solving persuasive message?
Question 3: How do specific varieties of persuasive messages adapt the basic patterns?
Question 4: What problems do passive ve
s create? When are passive ve
s desirable?
Question 5: List two ways to tighten your writing.
Question 6: What is parallel structure?
Question 7: What are the most common kinds of persuasive messages?
607-7-3
SUBJECT EXAMINATION
COURSE 607 – LESSON 7
Please read the following:
1. After carefully reading each question, mark your answers in the appropriate spaces
in the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu.
2. Submit any inquiries through “Contact Us” on the webpage, or by contacting Student
Services at
[email protected].
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Question 1: A direct request pattern is most appropriate when:
(a) The audience’s initial position is positive or neutral
(b) The audience’s initial reaction is negative
(c) The audience feels strongly about the subject
(d) You can show that the audience benefits directly from doing as you ask
(e) None of the above is appropriate
Question 2: Which of the following is not a kind of persuasive message?
(a) Orders and requests
(b) A contest winner announcement
(c) Job application letters
(d) Reports, if they recommend action
(e) All of the above are kinds of persuasive messages
Question 3: Which of the following is not a primary purpose of a persuasive message?
(a) To have the reader act
(b) To overcome any objections that might prevent action
(c) To provide enough information so that the reader knows exactly what to do
(d) To cement a good relationship between the writer and reader
(e) All of the above are primary purposes
Question 4: Which of the following is the best subject line for a persuasive message urging
employees to attend a smoking cessation program?
(a) Stop Killing Yourself Already!
(b) If You Don’t Want to See Insurance Rates Increase. . .
(c) A Proposal to Live a Little Healthier
(d) Quit Smoking
(e) We Want YOU There
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Question 5: You are writing to a reader who favors a different solution than the one you
ecommend. Which of the following is most likely to persuade the reader?
(a) Describe your reader’s solution first; explain why it won’t work; then go on
to describe your own solution
(b) Ignore your opponent’s solution and just concentrate on your own
(c) Describe your own solution first. Then
iefly say why your reader’s idea
won’t work
(d) Describe your own idea in the body of the letter and put your reader’s idea
in the P.S.
(e) All are equally good reasons
Question 6: A store is designing a new catalogue for its fall collection. Which of the following
would most increase the store’s credibility?
(a) Create a glossy catalogue with colorful pictures
(b) Just state the facts about each product
(c) Tell consumers that these prices represent once-in-a-lifetime savings
(d) Write in a livelier, more exciting style
(e) None of the above
Question 7: During a performance appraisal, your supervisor notes that you’ve been tardy on
more than one occasion and have taken all of your personal days, even though the
fiscal year is barely half over. She then asks if you are having any challenges
outside of work. Most likely, she is doing this to:
(a) Get into your personal business, and you should immediately report her to
Human Resources
(b) See how you react to such questioning, especially to determine if you are
lying
(c) Find out if you’re doing anything illegal that the company might use as
justification to terminate you
(d) Try to identify specific problems that can be addressed
(e) None of the above
Question 8: You want your subordinate to get some information about efforts to hire
minorities in the last year. Which of the following is the best subject line?
(a) Improving Affirmative Action Hiring
(b) Request for Information about Last Year’s Minority Hiring
(c) Minority Hiring
(d) What You Should Do Next
(e) All are equally good subject lines
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Question 9: You are told “Never use I” while writing a business message. Is this good advice?
(a) No, because there is no grammatical rule that states you cannot use I in a
message
(b) No, because I is absolutely necessary when using third-person point of view
(c) Yes, because you-attitude fo
ids the use of I in a message
(d) Yes, because I is redundant – your reader need only look at the signature
lock to realize that you are the author of what’s on the page
(e) None of the above
Question 10: Which of the following sentences does not contain a passive ve
?
(a) Your recommendation has been reviewed
(b) It is recommended that we
eak ground for the new addition before fall
(c) We are scheduled to
eak ground this summer
(d) The new addition will be overseen by the Facilities Management department
(e) All of the above contain passive ve
s
Question 11: Which of the following is not a disadvantage to using a passive ve
?
(a) Passive ve
s can make a sentence longer
(b) Passive ve
s can make a sentence shorter
(c) Passive ve
s can obscure who or what is doing the action
(d) Passive ve
s can sound boring
(e) None of the above
Question 12: Which of the following, if any, is the best replacement for “past experience”?
(a) “Experience”
(b) “Past”
(c) “Future experience”
(d) The original wording is acceptable
(e) None of these are acceptable
Question 13: “It is the case that good communicators advance more quickly in the company.”
Which of the following would be the best revision of this sentence?
(a) “It is the case that good communicators advance faster in the company.”
(b) “It is true that good communicators advance more rapidly in the company.”
(c) “Evidence has shown that good communicators advance more rapidly in the
company.”
(d) “Good communicators advance more quickly in the company.”
(e) None of these are acceptable
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Question 14: Which of the following is not a good reason to use long sentences?
(a) To reduce repetition
(b) To present long, complex data
(c) To avoid a series of choppy sentences
(d) To show how ideas are related to each other
(e) All of the above are good reasons
Question 15: To increase unity in a paragraph, use a:
(a) Thesis Statement
(b) Topic Sentence
(c) Story
(d) All of the above
(e) (a) and (b) only
Question 16: Which of the following kinds of colleges would be most likely to be persuaded by
a request from student leaders to reduce class size in business communication
classes?
(a) A college that prided itself on the research records of its faculty
(b) A college that prided itself on its state-of-the-art science facilities
(c) A college that prided itself on its good teaching
(d) A college that prided itself on its computer labs
(e) All are equally good reasons
Question 17: Several employees have occasionally
ought their children to the workplace
when they are unable to find a sitter. For the most part, you don’t mind, but
sometimes the children are restless or noisy, and you are distracted. When you
approach your boss, who set the precedent by
inging his son to a meeting one
day, about your concerns, you get little sympathy. Chances are, he:
(a) Has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo
(b) Believes that balancing work and family takes precedence over your
inconvenience
(c) Is caving in to pressure from the employees who benefit
(d) Wants to get even with you for a past problem and is really just displaying
psychological reactance
(e) None of the above
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Question 18: You have to persuade a reluctant but photogenic customer to sign a release for
using her image from a trade show in your company’s upcoming magazine ad.
Because you’ve only recently been hired by the company – and you’re in an
entry-level position – your best strategy for building credibility in your message is
to:
(a) Exaggerate. After all, she doesn’t yet know who you are
(b) Promise her that this will be her big
eak. If she’s photogenic, chances are
she’s already looking for a decent opportunity
(c) Flatter her. Photogenic people always have big egos
(d) Be specific with your request. Choose language that provides details on why
her participation is needed
(e) Use reverse psychology. For instance, point out her flaws so that she will
want to prove to you she’s photogenic
Question 19: There are sentence fragments in your company’s
ochure, which aims to get
customers excited about purchasing the automobile accessories that you sell. Are
these fragments acceptable?
(a) No, because standard edited English regards sentence fragments as e
ors
(b) No, because the flow of language will be adversely affected by the sentence
fragments
(c) Yes, because sentence fragments may mimic the effect of speech in the
ochure
(d) Yes, because few of your customers will realize that the sentence fragments
are e
ors
(e) None of the above
Question 20: Which of the following would be the best revision of these sentences? “Our
present receivables are in line with last year’s. However, they exceed the budget.
The reason they exceed the budget is that our goal for receivable investment was
very conservative.”
(a) “Receivables are in line with last year’s. They exceed the budget. Our goal
for receivable investment was very conservative.”
(b) “The receivable investment was very conservative.”
(c) “Our present receivables are in line with last year’s because they exceed the
udget.”
(d) “Our present receivables are in line with last year’s, but they exceed the
udget because our goal for receivable investment was very conservative.”
(e) None of these are acceptable
607-7-8
ANSWERS TO LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
1. Use the direct request pattern when the audience will do as you ask without any
esistance; you need a response only from the people who are willing to act; the audience
is busy and may not read all the messages received; or your organization’s culture prefers
direct requests.
Use the problem-solving pattern when the audience is likely to object to doing as you
ask; you need action from everyone; you trust the audience to read the entire message; or
you expect logic to be more important than emotion in the decision.
2. Describe the problem you both share (which your request will solve), give the details of
the problem, explain the solution to the problem, show that any negative elements are
outweighed by the disadvantages, summarize any additional benefits of the solution, and
ask for the action you want.
3. Orders: Be specific, tell the company what you want if a model number is no longer
available, double-check your arithmetic, and add sales tax and shipping charges.
Collection Letters: Send a series, a week or two apart for each letter. Early letters are
gentle. Middle letters are more assertive, negotiating for payment but reminding the
eader that payment is necessary. Late letters threaten legal action if the bill is not paid.
Performance Appraisals: Subordinates should prepare by listing achievements and goals.
Use specifics, not inferences. Good supervisors try to identify problems and possible
causes.
Letters of Recommendation: Use specifics and make clear the reasons why the employee
is being recommended. Some companies today take a conservative approach to writing
letters of recommendation. Their policies might require revealing only dates of
employment or job titles.
4. Passive constructions are often longer and less clear than active ones. However, passive
constructions are appropriate in three situations:
To emphasize the object receiving the action, not the agent (actor).
To provide coherence within a paragraph.
To avoid assigning blame.
5. Ways to tighten writing include using active, not passive voice; using strong nouns and
ve
s; using gerunds and infinitives; combining sentences to eliminate words; and putting
the meaning of your sentence into the subject and ve
.
6. Parallel structure means using the same grammatical structure. Use parallel structure for
items in a list or series and in headings and subheadings.
7. Orders, collection letters, performance appraisals and letters of recommendations are
some of the most common types of persuasive messages.
607-8-1
LESSON 8
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Application Lesson – Lessons 5 through 7
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
The following assignment is intended to allow you to apply the concepts and principles
you have learned in the previous lessons.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT: (150 points total)
The assigned questions should be answered thoroughly in your own words in essay
format and submitted using the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu. The level of
writing and content should reflect a solid understanding of the subject matter.
NOTE: This lesson is weighted as 5% of the total course grade.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (15 points each – 75 points total)
1. What three aspects of a document does thorough revision cover?
2. What are the differences between block and modified block letter formats?
3. Why is it important to recognize the secondary as well as the primary purposes of
your message?
4. How can you build credibility?
5. How do topic sentences help readers?
607-8-2
WRITING EXERCISES (15 points each – 75 points total)
Exercise 1 – Improving Parallel Structure
Revise each of the following sentences to create parallelism.
1. The country will benefit from implementing flextime.
Offices will stay open longer for more business.
Staff turnover will be lower.
Easier business communication with states in other time zones.
Increased employee productivity.
2. Newsletters enhance credibility, four times as many people read them as read
standard ad formats and allow soft-sell introduction to prospective customers.
3. When you leave a voicemail message,
Summarize your main point in a sentence or two.
The name and phone number should be given slowly and distinctly.
The speaker should give enough information so that the recipient can act on
the message.
Tell when you’ll be available to receive the recipient’s return call.
Exercise 2 – Checking Spelling and Grammar Checkers
Each of the following paragraphs contains e
ors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. Which
e
ors does your spelling or grammar checker catch? Which e
ors does it miss? Does it flag as
e
ors any words that are co
ect?
1. Answer to an Inquiry.
Thank ewe for you’re resend inquest about our “Better Burger” campaign. We
initialed the campaign after hearing from costumers who said the wanted a more
nutritious burger form hour company. So, wee tolled are chefs to device something.
And. They did. To help you enjoy yore “Bitter Burg” even more, hear our too
coupons four a free drunk with any purses of a sandwich ant fried.”
2. Performance Appraisal
This quarterly performance appraisal. Is for Lisa. She has a good quarter, which
ended with a 22 per cent increase in her sails for the there months. In fact Lisa
outperformed every in here department? Liza is a good employ, often staying latte
or working thru the weekends. Her dedication is grate! One of her piers said “He
is a modal salesperson and a good cow worker.”
607-8-3
Exercise 3 – Informing Employees that Flu Shots are Available
To give an additional benefit and to help inoculate employees against an illness that affects their
attendance, your organization is providing flu shots to all employees at your central office. The
flu shots will be administered on two days: October 1 and October 15, from 8 AM to 4 PM. The
cost is $10 for employees in the organization’s HMO program and $15 for employees in the
organization’s PPO program. Employees covered by another insurance provider cannot
participate.
Employees at satellite locations and within driving distance can still participate, but they may
need to take personal leave for the travel time to and from the central office. People who receive
the flu shot generally avoid getting the flu for an entire season, but there may be some discomfort
and swelling in the arm where the injection incurs.
To participate, employees must contact your Human Resources Office at ext. 2173 and schedule
an appointment. Employees must also fill out a questionnaire regarding any recent health
problems and sign a waiver against liability to the organization. The flu shots will be
administered by a registered nurse, and participants will receive a free health screening from a
nurse practitioner.
Write a message to your employees informing them of the additional benefit.
Exercise 4 – Announcing Cost-Savings Measures
Your company has to cut costs but would prefer to avoid laying off workers. Therefore, you have
adopted the following money-saving ideas. Some can be implemented immediately; some will be
implemented at renewal dates. The company will no longer pay for:
Flowers at the receptionist’s desk and in executive office.
Skyboxes for professional sporting events.
Employees’ dues for professional and trade organizations.
Liquor at business meals.
Only essential business travel will be approved. The company will pay only for the lowest cost
of air travel (coach reservation 7 to 14 days in advance).
The company will no longer buy tables or blocks of tickets for charitable events and will not
make any donations to charity until money is less tight.
Counters will be put on the photocopiers. People must have access numbers to make
photocopies; personal photocopies will cost $.10 a page.
As the chief financial officer, write a memo to all employees explaining the changes.
607-8-4
Exercise 5 – Asking for a Raise or Reclassification
Do you deserve a raise? Should your job be reclassified to reflect your increased responsibilities
(with more pay, of course)? If so, write a memo to the person with the authority to determine pay
and job titles, arguing for what you want.
607-9-1
LESSON 9
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Interpersonal Communication
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the completion of this topic the student will, through the use of text, University
supplied questions and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
1. Actively listen and continue to build goodwill.
2. Work in teams.
3. Constructively resolve conflicts and project productive leadership.
4. Write collaborative documents.
5. Plan, lead and effectively participate in meetings.
6. Record meeting minutes.
7. Network effectively.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT:
Business Communication – Building Critical Skills, Sixth Edition
Module 17, “Listening”
Module 18, “Working and Writing in Teams”
Module 19, “Planning, Conducting, and Recording Meetings”
607-9-2
LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
LESSON 9
NOTE: The following exercises are study aids designed to help you prepare for the subject exam.
Check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson. Do not submit your answers to AGU
for grading.
Question 1: What do good listeners do?
Question 2: Why is listening such hard work?
Question 3: What strategies produce the best co-authored documents?
Question 4: What should go in minutes of a meeting?
Question 5: What opportunities do you have to network?
Question 6: What is the difference between hearing and listening?
Question 7: What is groupthink?
Question 8: What should go in an agenda?
607-9-3
SUBJECT EXAMINATION
COURSE 607 – LESSON 9
Please read the following:
1. After carefully reading each question, mark your answers in the appropriate spaces
in the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu.
2. Submit any inquiries through “Contact Us” on the webpage, or by contacting Student
Services at
[email protected].
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Question 1: To receive a message, a receiver must:
(a) Perceive the message
(b) Decode the message
(c) Interpret the message
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (b)
Question 2: Unlike casual conversation, in a classroom lecture, you’re listening primarily for:
(a) Argument
(b) Information
(c) Opinion
(d) Persuasion
(e) None of the above
Question 3: All of the following are strategies to avoid listening e
ors caused by self-
absorption except:
(a) Focus on the substance of what the speaker says
(b) Focus on the appearance of the speaker
(c) Spend your time evaluating what the speaker says
(d) Consciously work to learn something from every speaker
(e) All of the above are strategies
607-9-4
Question 4: In a meeting with the CEO present, you outline your department’s proposal for
ecruiting a more diverse staff. Throughout the presentation, the CEO remains
silent, but at the conclusion, she thanks you for the presentation. You should:
(a) Assume she approves of the project because she did not state any objections
(b) Assume she approves of the project because a woman naturally would be
sympathetic toward diversifying the staff
(c) Not assume she approves of the project because silence may not mean
consent
(d) Not assume she approves of the project because she was probably not
paying attention
(e) None of the above
Question 5: Active listening is:
(a) Feeding back the literal meaning of a spoken message
(b) Feeding back the emotional content of a spoken message
(c) Feeding back the persuasive meaning of the spoken message
(d) All of the above
(e) None of the above
Question 6: Which of the following is not a stage in the life of a task group?
(a) Formation
(b) Orientation
(c) Formalization
(d) Coordination
(e) All of the above are stages
Question 7: Your group has been meeting for several weeks now and will meet next to begin
getting most of the work done. What stage in the group’s development is it
entering?
(a) Orientation
(b) Formation
(c) Coordination
(d) Formalization
(e) Normalization
Question 8: Groups that never express conflict may be experiencing:
(a) Group consensus
(b) Group cohesion
(c) Group thought
(d) Groupthink
(e) None of the above
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Question 9: A subordinate comes to you because he is upset with treatment he receives from
co-workers. A good first response would be to:
(a) Tell him to solve his own problems
(b) Tell him about your problems with the same people
(c) Give him some advice on how to handle the situation
(d) Acknowledge his feelings
(e) Tell him to grow up
Question 10: During which phase in the life of a task group is the leader chosen?
(a) Formation
(b) Orientation
(c) Formalization
(d) Coordination
(e) None of the above
Question 11: The increased number of teams means that:
(a) Meetings are held less often today than before
(b) Meetings are held with the same frequency as before
(c) Meetings are held more often today than before
(d) Meetings are held with the same frequency as before, but there are more
participants
(e) None of the above
Question 12: The first step in dot planning is to:
(a) Have the group
ainstorm ideas
(b) Pass out strips of dots to participants
(c) Place dots on items participants find valuable or a priority
(d) All of the above
(e) None of the above
Question 13: Which of the following is not a common type of meeting?
(a) Parliamentary meetings
(b) Team meetings
(c) Sales meetings
(d) Crisis meetings
(e) All of the above are common types of meetings
607-9-6
Question 14: Schedule controversial items:
(a) Early in the meeting, when participants’ energy level is high
(b) In the middle of the meeting, after participants have had time to warm up to
each other
(c) Late in the meeting; there’s no point in making everyone upset at the
eginning
(d) Not at all; controversial items should be decided on paper, through a memo
or letter
(e) None of the above
Question 15: As meeting chair, you should:
(a) Make ground rules explicit
(b) Let participants decide how the meeting will be run
(c) Expect conflict and deal with it forcefully
(d) Opt for more one-on-one than group meetings
(e) Expect someone else at the meeting to do the work
Question 16: Which of the following is not a strategy that good listeners use?
(a) Pay attention
(b) Record conversations electronically
(c) Avoid making assumptions
(d) Listen for feelings
(e) All of the above are strategies
Question 17: You witness in the hallway an employee being rebuked by his supervisor. When
he tries to explain that he followed company procedure, she tells him to just get
the job done and goes back in her office. Which blocking response is the
supervisor demonstrating?
(a) Preaching
(b) Advising
(c) Minimizing the problem
(d) Inte
ogating
(e) Ordering
Question 18: You need to present a problem to a team for it to solve. What kind of meeting
should you call?
(a) Informational
(b) Procedural
(c) Interpersonal
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (b)
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Question 19: The longest phase in the life of a task group is:
(a) Formation
(b) Orientation
(c) Formalization
(d) Coordination
(e) All are equally long
Question 20: Which of the following is not a step in a standard agenda?
(a) Gather information
(b) Generate alternate solutions
(c) Understand what the group has to deliver
(d) All of these are steps
(e) None of the above are steps
607-9-8
ANSWERS TO LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
1. Good listeners pay attention, focus on the other speaker(s) in a generous way, avoid
making assumptions, and listen for feelings as well as for facts. They also practice active
listening.
2. Listening requires energy and enthusiasm. It also requires listeners to look beyond their
own thoughts and feelings, focusing attention on the speaker, not just themselves.
Because many people have not received formal training in listening, listeners often must
ely on their own informal strategies to develop good listening skills.
3. These include:
Allowing time to discuss problems and find solutions.
Getting to know group members.
Being a responsible group member.
Being aware of differences in seeing things and expressing ideas.
Remembering that oral agreement may not lead to a strong written document.
4. Decisions reached; action items, where someone needs to implement or follow up on
something; open issues – issues raised but not resolved; and who was present, wording of
motions and amendments, and vote results.
5. Students’ answers will vary. Students should supply details, using terms and concepts
throughout Module 19. Students should be encouraged to keep a small file of business
cards or other key pieces of information that might help them while networking. They
may want to write
ief notes on the back of each card describing the person, how and
where they met, and what issues they might share. For more information, students should
eview the Building a Critical Skill box in Module 19.
6. Hearing means simply receiving sounds. Listening is the act of decoding them into
meaning.
7. Groupthink occurs when members of a group place such a high value on consensus that
they punish dissenting voices.
8. The time and place of the meeting; whether each item is presented for information, for
discussion only, or for a decision; who is sponsoring or introducing each item; and how
much time is allotted for each item.
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LESSON 10
COMMUNICATION AND ETHICS
COURSE 607
LESSON TOPIC:
Jobs and Résumés
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the completion of this topic the student will, through the use of text, University
supplied questions and answers, and examination questions, be able to:
1. Analyze your own values and interests.
2. Acquire information about employers.
3. Use the internet in your job search.
4. Find posted jobs and tap into the hidden job market.
5. Choose the right kind of résumé for your qualifications.
6. Make your experience relevant to employers.
7. Write the strongest possible résumé.
8. Use a computer to create paper and scanable résumés.
9. Create an online résumé.
LESSON ASSIGNMENT:
Business Communication – Building Critical Skills, Sixth Edition
Module 26, “Researching Jobs”
Module 27, “Résumés”
607-10-2
LESSON REVIEW EXERCISES
LESSON 10
NOTE: The following exercises are study aids designed to help you prepare for the subject exam.
Check your answers with the key at the end of the lesson. Do not submit your answers to AGU
for grading.
Question 1: What information should you try to learn about a company?
Question 2: What is the hidden job market?
Question 3: Why is it desirable to start thinking about jobs months, even years, before you’ll
actually be on the market?
Question 4: What should you know about yourself before you apply for jobs?
Question 5: How do you decide whether to use a chronological or skills résumé?
Question 6: Why should you think about dividing a section that has more than seven items?
Question 7: What are the arguments for and against listing references in your résumé?
Question 8: Is it ethical to omit information that might hurt you, such as a low grade point
average?
607-10-3
SUBJECT EXAMINATION
COURSE 607 – LESSON 10
Please read the following:
1. After carefully reading each question, mark your answers in the appropriate spaces
in the on-line testing system at www.agu.edu.
2. Submit any inquiries through “Contact Us” on the webpage, or by contacting Student
Services at
[email protected].
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
Question 1: Advertised jobs are part of the:
(a) Invisible job market
(b) Hidden job market
(c) Network job market
(d) Special job market
(e) None of the above
Question 2: Always follow up information and refe
al interviews with:
(a) Phone calls asking for more information
(b) E-mails with additional questions
(c) Personal thank-you letters
(d) All of the above
(e) None of the above
Question 3: The best source for general information about an industry and the names of
officers and directors in companies in that industry...