BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS

CHAPTER 13 REVIEW

Multiple Choice

1. The first step in the report-writing process is to
   • develop an outline.
   • prepare a work plan.
   • define the problem.
   • conduct research.
2. Which of the following is the least clear statement of purpose?
   • "The purpose of this report is to determine which of four alternative investments will have the highest return."
   • "The purpose of this report is to analyze various investments."
   • "This report answers the question, 'Which of four investments will provide the highest return?'"
   • "This report answers the question, 'Which of four investments will provide the highest return?'"
   • "This report will evaluate the return on four investments."
3. When you factor a problem, you
   • develop a schedule for you research.
   • limit the scope of your investigation.
   • develop alternative hypotheses.
   • break the problem into a series of questions.
4. A study of a process would best be structured
   • in order of importance.
   • sequentially.
   • spatially.
   • categorically.
5. An analytical study would most likely be organized
   • according to the problem-solving method used.
   • chronologically.
   • sequentially.
   • spatially.
6. You may not need a detailed preliminary outline if
   • several other people are working on the assignment.
   • the investigation will be extensive.
   • the assignment might be revised during the investigation.
   • the report will be short and informal.
7. The headings in an outline should always be
   • in descriptive form.
   • in parallel form.
   • in topical form.
   • complete statements.
8. Which of the following is an example of a descriptive outline caption?
   • What is the Nature of the Industry?
   • Flour Milling Is a Mature Industry
   • the Flour Milling Industry
   • Sales Growth in the Industry is Slow
9. which of the following is not one of the basic rules for dividing an idea into component parts?
   • choose a significant basis for the division.
   • Make certain your subdivisions are mutually exclusive.
   • Deal with only one basis of subdivision at a time.
   • Be sure to list no more than three or four components of a whole.
10. Once you've defined the problem and prepared an outline, you can
    • establish a work plan.
    • conduct secondary research.
    • conduct primary research.
    • determine preliminary conclusions and recommendations.
11. The value of your report depends most strongly on
    • the number of sources you have consulted.
    • the depth to which you have covered the topic.
    • the quality of the information on which the report is based.
    • the importance of the research.
12. An example of a secondary research source for a report about whether to publish a company newsletter would be
    • interviews with editors of newsletters at other companies.
    • an estimate from a printer on what it would cost to print a newsletter.
    • a magazine article on the pros and cons of company newsletters.
    • a survey of employees to determine their interest in a newsletter.
13. Which of the following would not be a good secondary research source?
    • The Wall Street Journal
    • the U.S. government's Statistical Abstracts
    • a rival company's annual report
    • The National Enquirer
14. Which of these documents would not usually qualify as primary research?
    • a sales report from a company rep
    • the most recent issue of a trade magazine in your industry
    • correspondence with a particular customer
    • your company's latest balance sheet
15. Using formal observation to obtain data is
    • too subjective to be useful in business research.
    • useful primarily for studies in which variables can be manipulated.
    • usually more reliable than other research methods.
    • useful for studying physical activities, the environment, or human behavior.
16. Survey results are considered reliable when
    • similar results would be obtained if the survey were repeated.
    • a representative group of people has been surveyed.
    • the research measures what it was intended to measure.
    • the phrasing of the questions is unbiased.
17. Survey results are considered valid when
    • similar results would be obtained if the survey were repeated.
    • a representative group of people has been surveyed.
    • the research measures what it was intended to measure.
    • the phrasing of the questions is unbiased.
18. People are more likely to respond to a questionnaire if
    • they can complete it within 10 or 15 minutes.
    • you allow them plenty of time to research their answers.
    • the questions are open ended.
    • all of the above criteria are met.
19. To help obtain valid results from a questionnaire, you
    • ask mostly compound questions.
    • use abstract terminology.
    • include questions that lead to the particular answers you are seeking.
    • formulate questions for which answers can be easily tabulated or analyzed.
20. If you wanted to find out how a particular change in working conditions would affect worker production, the most objective approach to follow would be to
    • ask workers to complete a survey.
    • conduct an experiment.
    • analyze existing production documents.
    • interview representative workers.
21. The most commonly used average is the
    • mean.
    • median.
    • mode.
    • correlation.
22. What would be the median for the following set of monthly salaries: $1,200; $1,200; $1,300; $1,500; $1,700; $2,000; $2,800?
    • $1,200
    • $1,500
    • $1,671.43
    • $1,700
23. In a particular set of figures or data, the number that occurs most often is called the
    • mean.
    • median.
    • mode.
    • correlation.
24. The range of a set of numbers is
    • the change in the numbers over time.
    • the spread from lowest to highest.
    • the extent to which they are related.
    • another term for the average.
25. Trend analysis involves
    • examining data over time to detect patterns and relationships.
    • examining the statistical relationship that exists between two or more variables.
    • calculating the mean, median, mode, and range for a set of data.
    • all of the above.
26. Once you have identified a trend, you
    • need to draw conclusions and make recommendations.
    • need to make a positive correlation between variables.
    • need to prove a cause-and-effect relationship.
    • need to establish cause.
27. If you find that Gary Harper consistently sells the most electronic keyboards in your music store, you can conclude that
    • he is your best salesperson.
    • he knows more about electronic keyboards than any other salesperson.
    • he is more aggressive than the other salespeople.
    • none of the above is necessarily true.
28. When drawing conclusions for a report, you
    • never allow subjective judgments to have an influence.
    • avoid reaching a compromise with other members of your team.
    • suggest actions for the company to take (on the basis of the facts you have collected).
    • interpret the meaning of the facts you have gathered.
29. Conclusions differ from recommendations in that conclusions
    • are opinions or interpretations.
    • are objective.
    • are acceptable to readers.
    • suggest what ought to be done about the facts.
30. The recommendations made in a report should be
    • the same as the conclusions.
    • opinions or interpretations.
    • what the audience wants to hear.
    • practical and acceptable to the readers.

Last Update: 09/07/01
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