Chapter 5—Electronic Messages and Digital Media

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which of the following statements about communication in the workplace is most accurate?
a. Today's workplaces are nearly all paperless; employees conduct business with digital
media and communicate only with electronic messages.
b. Most employees exchange documents and complete projects on the Web, but only
management creates content, reviews products, or edits projects.
c. More data are stored on and accessed from PDAs and individual computers rather than on
the Internet or a network.
d. Although today's workplaces are still far from paperless, increasingly information is
exchanged electronically and on the go.

2. Business are storing and accessing ever more data along with software in remote network clusters.
This process of remote storage is called
a. community sourcing.
b. networking.
c. cloud computing.
d. data dumps.
3. Web 2.0
a. allows users to create content, review products, and edit and share information.
b. is a software editing package that finds and corrects all grammar and spelling errors in
business documents.
c. has replaced the need for paper copies of business documents.
d. is a Web site that contains journals on a variety of topics usually written by one person.

4. How are businesses using VPNs (virtual private networks) today?

a. Businesses use VPNs to send confidential e-mails on their intranets.
b. Small businesses share VPNs instead of developing their own Web sites.
c. VPNs offer businesses secure access to company information from any worldwide
location that provides an Internet connection.
d. VPNs are the primary host site of corporate blogs used to promote new products.

5. The technological revolution of the last 25 years has resulted in

a. shortened workweeks for lucky i-workers (information workers).
b. amazing productivity gains.
c. fewer workers telecommuting than expected.
d. increasing worker freedom from workplace communications.

6. You must communicate up-to-date information immediately to customers who are digitally connected.
Which of these is the best communication channel to offer you this always-on connectedness for your
business message?
a. E-mail
b. Twitter
c. Podcast
d. Blog
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 7. You are delivering your salary and benefits proposals for employees in your department to your
supervisor. What is the best communication channel to deliver this confidential information?
a. E-mail
b. Podcast
c. Interoffice memo
d. All are appropriate channels to deliver confidential information.

8. Which of the following messages is appropriate to send via e-mail?

a. An announcement of a major benefit reduction for all employees
b. An announcement of a change in a meeting date
c. A quarterly performance appraisal of an employee
d. Notification of company layoff plans for the next quarter

9. Jackson is sending an e-mail message about an important upcoming meeting. Which of the following
represents the most effective subject line?
a. Urgent!
b. Our next staff meeting will be held on the 15th of August.
c. Please Attend Staff Meeting August 15
d. Please Read NOW
10. Most e-mail messages and memos
a. have nonsensitive topics and begin directly.
b. require persuasion.
c. are indirect and begin with an explanation.
d. need not be carefully organized because they are informal.

11. Bennett is sending an e-mail message about a change in procedure for submitting work hours. Which
of the following represents the most direct opening?
a. Recently, the management staff discussed our process for submitting work hours.
b. A new procedure for submitting work hours will go into effect on April 1.
c. Are you in the mood to try something a little different?
d. We all hate when procedures change, but this change is needed.

12. Which of the following is the best advice for writing the body of an e-mail message?
a. To help the receiver act on the subject, discuss only one idea.
b. Because e-mail messages and memos are informal, do not use numbered or bulleted lists.
c. Limit white space to place all information on a single screen if possible.
d. Do not waste space on headings and subheadings.

13. Your e-mail messages and memos should have high skim value, which means
a. you write the message quickly and efficiently.
b. information presented is easy to read and comprehend.
c. all sentences contain ten or fewer words.
d. all paragraphs contain five or fewer lines.

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14. An e-mail message or memo usually ends with action information, needed dates, a summary of the
message, or a
a. witty quotation.
b. copyright notice or confidentiality statement.
c. closing thought.
d. reference line that includes the typist's initials.

15. Which of the following is the most appropriate closing for an e-mail message or memo?
a. Please submit your report by August 1 so that the information can be presented at the
seminar.
b. Please let me know if I may be of further assistance.
c. Thank you in advance for answering my questions.
d. It's been great talking with you.

16. Which of the following is not a guide word used in e-mail messages and memos?
a. TO:
b. FROM:
c. RESPONSE:
d. DATE:

17. What is the current advice on the use of a greeting on business e-mail?
a. Omit greetings because they make an e-mail appear too casual.
b. Add a greeting only when forwarding an e-mail with a lengthy header.
c. Don't waste precious digital space on the nonessential keystrokes of a greeting or
salutation.
d. Begin with a greeting to provide a visual cue and to show friendliness.
18. If a coworker is using company computers to communicate with family members, what is the best
advice?
a. Send e-mail to family or friends if you wish because the employer can't monitor non-
business e-mail anyway.
b. Use company computers for e-mail and shopping, but don't visit any gambling sites.
c. Don't use company computers for personal matters.
d. Be certain to complete all personal communication during break time.
19. If you have to send a long message via e-mail, what is the best advice?
a. Place all information in the body of the e-mail message.
b. Attach a separate document to the e-mail message, leaving the body of the message blank.
c. Attach a document to the e-mail message, including identifying information in the body of
the e-mail.
d. Send it another way because you should not send attachments via e-mail.

20. The final element of an e-mail message should be

a. your name.
b. a witty phrase and your name.
c. the name of the business or organization only.
d. the final paragraph of the message containing action information.

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21. To correctly format a hard-copy interoffice memorandum, which of the following is not a guideline
you should follow?
a. Set 1-inch top and bottom margins and left and right margins of 1.25 inches.
b. Insert in bold the guide words: Date:, To:, From:, and Subject: at the left margin.
c. Provide a heading that includes the name of the company plus "Memo" or
"Memorandum."
d. Justify the right margin.
22. Business e-mail users must learn that e-mail can be dangerous because messages travel long distances,
are difficult to erase, and
a. can't be used to transmit official documents.
b. are informal, allowing a few spelling and punctuation mistakes.
c. may become evidence in court.
d. are challenging to type using only two fingers.

23. E-mail is the No. 1 communication channel in business today. To make your messages effective, you
should
a. consider the receiver.
b. compose quickly.
c. organize indirectly.
d. edit and revise as you draft.

24. Samantha must use e-mail frequently to communicate with others in her new job. What is the best
advice to give her?
a. Consider composing important messages offline.
b. Use general tags such as Hi! or Important as the subject line to catch the reader's attention.
c. Add frequent emoticons such as happy faces to appear friendly and approachable in e-mail
messages.
d. Always press "Reply to All" when responding to e-mail messages.

25. Good advice for e-mail is to use the "top-of-screen" test, which means
a. beginning with a cute graphic or witty quotation to capture your reader's attention.
b. getting the e-mail address right.
c. composing offline.
d. conveying your purpose in the subject line and first paragraph.

26. Which of the following situations is most appropriate for sending an e-mail message?
a. Matthew is angry with one of his colleagues and wants to let her know exactly how he
feels.
b. Jane found a great political joke she wants to share with her colleagues.
c. Chris must send the monthly sales data to his department.
d. Maggie needs to vent her frustrations about working conditions to her shift supervisor.

27. Which of these is the best recommendation for business communicators using e-mail?
a. Use e-mail to deliver bad news or to resolve arguments to limit or avoid workplace
confrontation.
b. Add humor or tongue-in-cheek comments to lighten the tone of serious e-mail topics.

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 c. Use e-mail, not hard-copy memos, for messages that the business would not want to be
made public or for topics that should not be published.
d. Care about tone, correctness, and conciseness to create messages with the reader in mind.

28. If business writers want to demonstrate good netiquette when using e-mail, they should
a. document every business decision and action in hard-copy memos or e-mail.
b. write important e-mail messages in all capital letters for emphasis and increased
professionalism.
c. ask permission before forwarding e-mail messages.
d. add a cc (carbon copy) to their supervisors on all business messages.

29. Which of the following is the best tip for replying to e-mail messages?
a. Reply to an e-mail message immediately because reading additional e-mail messages
before replying might confuse you.
b. If you can't reply immediately, acknowledge receipt of the message and tell the sender
when you'll be able to reply.
c. Include the sender's entire original message in the body of your reply to clarify the
meaning of your response.
d. Retain the original subject line to identify a conversation thread even if the topic shifts.

30. Which of the following is an advantage of instant messaging (IM)?

a. It includes "presence functionality," allowing coworkers to locate each other online, which
saves time tracking someone down who is out of the office.
b. It is delayed; a user has time to recall sent messages if he or she decides the message
should not have been delivered.
c. It prevents multitasking and encourages employees to focus on one job at a time.
d. It allows in-depth analysis of data, including charts and graphs, and lengthy conversation
of the chosen topics.

31. Why do some employers forbid employees to use instant messaging (IM)?
a. Instant messaging is more expensive to use than faxes or phone calls.
b. Employers consider IM yet another distraction in addition to the interruptions caused by
telephones and e-mails.
c. Delivery of instant messages takes longer than e-mail message delivery.
d. Many companies forbid instant messaging use for all these reasons.
32. Porter's company has decided to let employees use instant messaging (IM) as an internal
communication tool, and she wants to make sure that she's using it professionally. What should she
do?
a. Make sure she's available via IM at all times so that her colleagues can always reach her.
b. Include both professional and personal contacts on the same IM contact list for efficiency.
c. Respect her receivers by using proper grammar, spelling, and proofreading in her instant
messages.
d. Create an imaginative IM name for herself such as "PrettySmart1."

33. Podcasts, blogs, and wikis are part of the new user-centered virtual environment called
a. the Total Network.
b. Web 2.0.

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 c. Cloud Computing.
d. VPN.

34. Because access to the Web is readily available, the dangers are obvious. Which of these represents a
common danger of the Web?
a. Fact checking is reducing productivity.
b. Buzz may become more important than truth.
c. It is difficult to establish or verify a reputation.
d. People can access information on the Web.

35. News professionals, educators, and corporate trainers create digital audio or video files; and receivers
can download the files to a computer or a smartphone to view or hear the file contents. What are these
digital audio or video files called?
a. Blogs
b. Podcasts
c. Wikis
d. Web forums
36. Businesses have embraced podcasts for audio and video messages because podcasts
a. do not require a live presence, yet offer a friendly human face.
b. can't replace costlier live teleconferences but can replace most business travel.
c. provide up to 1,000 views per podcast, saving money over individual presentations.
d. broadcast interactive, non-repetitive information.

37. Which of the following is the best tip for preparing a podcast?
a. Purchase a high-end digital recorder, memorize your message, and record your
presentation.
b. Speak clearly, deliver off the cuff, and maintain eye contact.
c. Know the subject, know your audience, and know your goal.
d. Select a digital recorder, organize your message, and rehearse your delivery.

38. The biggest advantage of business blogs is that

a. they have the potential to reach a vast, far-flung audience.
b. they have become the primary method of business communication internally.
c. they provide anytime access to digital audio and video files containing corporate training,
marketing, and informational messages.
d. they provide digital security against hackers and rival companies.

39. Some companies now use Twitter and other social media to monitor what is being said about them, to
engage with customers, and
a. to serve as cover letters for longer documents.
b. to post job openings.
c. to market to other businesses.
d. to share files and collaborate on projects.

40. You are using the corporate blog to respond to an business emergency. Which of the following is the
best recommendation?
a. Use the blog as the sole provider of emergency information to avoid muddled messages.
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 b. Make the blog part of your overall effort to communicate information regarding the
business's emergency.
c. Soothe emotional reactions by posting information on your corporate blog, replacing all
other communication channels.
d. Do not address rumors or misinformation on the blog; address factual content only.
41. Blogs have several internal communication purposes including
a. posting employee changes such as layoffs, promotions, and firings.
b. announcing employee illnesses, adoptions, and vacations.
c. providing information about benefits or featuring profiles on key employees.
d. posting administrative salaries, raises, and incentive packages.

42. You are crafting a message for your corporate blog. What advice should you follow?
a. Make your writing serious, reserved, and formal.
b. Offer a professional perspective on subjects you care about or a topic your company needs
to promote.
c. Get to know the blogosphere in your industry and avoid discussing topics from other
blogs.
d. Blog about topics that showcase your expertise and insights.

43. Experts advise that you use blogrolling to maximize effectiveness. What does blogrolling mean?
a. You provide links to other sites or blogs on the Web that you find valuable and that are
related to your business or industry.
b. You frequently update or "roll over" the information on your blog to keep it fresh.
c. Your company or organization maintains separate blogs for each department or division
and posts rolling messages daily.
d. You add links to other technologies, allowing viewers to access podcasts, Twitter feeds,
Facebook pages, and company files.

44. How do companies use wikis?

a. Companies share special deals and incentives in short messages of 140 characters or less.
b. Corporate teams respond to internal and external customers in rapid-fire posts to
emergencies and other high-pressure situations.
c. Global companies share information between headquarters and satellite offices.
d. Companies post photos and biographies of their top-tier managers.

45. You must contribute to projects on your departmental wiki. Which of the following is not a guideline
you should follow?
a. Follow the conventions of polite society and commonsense rules and show respect.
b. Watch out for improper or ambiguous language.
c. Freely and severely criticize obvious errors by another contributor.
d. Verify your facts and give credit where credit is due.

46. Which of the following statements best describes use of social networks by businesses today?
a. All companies are comfortable with using social networking for brainstorming and
teamwork.
b. Companies struggle with finding the right balance between permitting access to the Web
and protecting security as well as ensuring productivity.

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 c. Companies must run their own social networks to capitalize effectively on the benefits this
medium offers.
d. Large companies (like McDonalds and British Telecom) create buzz and promote their
brands via social networking, but social networking offers no benefit to small businesses.
47. Janice has asked you for some advice regarding the use of social networking in the workplace. What
advice will you share?
a. Do not share any sensitive information.
b. Refuse friend requests or "unfriend" people to avoid jeopardizing professional
relationships.
c. Establish boundaries, and don't share information online that you wouldn't share openly in
the office.
d. Assume the content posted on a social networking site is protected.

48. Which of the following represents a potential reward of using professional networking sites such as
LinkedIn?
a. Sites like LinkedIn are inexpensive, simple, and fast ways to connect recruiters and job
candidates.
b. Professional networking sites can replace face-to-face interviews.
c. Candidates do not need to craft their profiles with the same care as used for their
traditional résumés.
d. Networking sites are automatically updated, relieving the jobseeker of the obligation of
keeping documents current.
49. Why do busy employees choose to use RSS feeds?
a. Most employers demand that employees remain connected via RSS at all times.
b. Including RSS (Recent Senders Service) feeds allows employees to track customer
activity levels in their e-mail and other communication tools.
c. RSS feeds have identified computer viruses and malware, saving millions of dollars for
large corporations.
d. These feeds can be a time-saver, allowing users to monitor many news sources in one
convenient spot.
50. What is the purpose of social bookmarking?
a. It helps users search, organize, manage, and store bookmarks on the Web with the help of
metadata.
b. It connects single employees with other singles in the same company.
c. It allows businesses to identify emerging data needs, to select new digital communication
technologies, and to merge existing software.
d. It enables interdepartmental collaboration on long-term projects by managing multiple-
data packages.

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