Q&A Hero

Q: The most important information in a press release should be ________. a. saved for the last paragraph for dramatic effect b. focused totally on selling the writer's company and its products c. presented early d. highlighted briefly in the middle paragraphs

Q: The power to punish others is called coercive power.

Q: Dillon wants to adapt his sales message to his target audience. What question is his audience likely to ask while reading his message? a. Is this the direct approach? b. Whats in it for me? c. Where else can I purchase this product or service? d. Is this approach ethical?

Q: "Lateral leadership" is exemplified by a median style of leadership, halfway between the extremes of doing nothing or taking charge and bossing others.

Q: A strong motivator that encourages ethical behavior in business is the desire to ________. a. convince someone to change a belief or to perform an action b. make more money c. maintain one's reputation and credibility d. prompt litigation

Q: Behaviors that members find irritating seem to vary from group to group, ranging from acting too serious to cracking too many jokes.

Q: A highly assertive group member who expresses strong, unwavering opinions is most likely to emerge as the group leader.

Q: Which of the following sentences conveys the best tone for a persuasive request within an organization? a. You should start following the new procedure immediately. b. You must approve my travel expenses by Friday. c. Please see your supervisor to have all supply purchases preapproved. d. Management demands that all new employees attend an orientation session.

Q: When you are writing to complain about something and you're worried that your reader might be reluctant to grant your claim, you should use ________. a. the indirect strategy b. the direct strategy c. both direct and indirect appeals d. passionate appeals

Q: The Leader Member Exchange (LMX) theory posits that employees can make a difference in the quality of relationships with their leaders by communicating in ways that show they are willing and able to exceed expectations.

Q: The Leader Member Exchange (LMX) theory teaches that the quality of leader-member relationships is set during the first week of acquaintance, and that once expectations are formed, they cannot be changed.

Q: The best persuasive requests ________ . a. offer a product more cheaply than all other competitors b. anticipate audience resistance c. focus solely on direct benefits d. are spoken rather than written

Q: The life-cycle theory of leadership proposes that a leader should vary her style, depending on the maturity of her subordinates.

Q: The use of words, signs, and images infused with meaning is evidence that persuasion is a(n) _______ process. a. manipulative b. symbolic c. unethical d. nonverbal

Q: Contingency approaches to leadership are based on the idea that each manager should develop one style of leadership and stick with it.

Q: The statement Did you know you can select five family members to enjoy free access to our newspaper with your online subscription? ________. a. builds interest with an expert opinion b. motivates action c. gains attention by asking a question that focuses on reader benefits d. presents an indirect benefit

Q: The leadership grid suggests that effective team leadership involves high concern from management for BOTH the task at hand and the people who are working on the task.

Q: Displaying the names of salient people who serve on their boards might be an organization's attempt to _______. a. avoid doublespeak b. omit key information c. present counterarguments d. establish credibility

Q: The democratic style of leadership produces superior results when groups are functioning under high stress.

Q: Effective persuaders may choose from different organizational strategies to get the results they want. Which of the following is the most accurate statement about organizational patterns? a. When writing a persuasive message, always use the indirect organizational strategy. b. If you are asking for something that you know will be approved, use the indirect organizational strategy. c. When you expect resistance or when you need to educate the receiver, use the indirect organizational pattern. d. The organizational strategy used is unimportant in persuasive messages.

Q: Byron has ended a sales message with the sentence Book your vacation by May 15 to receive a seventh night free. What technique is he using to motivate action? a. Guaranteeing satisfaction b. Limiting the offer c. Setting a deadline d. Promising an incentive

Q: As a rule, virtual teams function best when members do not share personal thoughts or emotions.

Q: Generally, the length of a press release should be ________. a. one or two double-spaced pages b. half a single-spaced page c. a minimum of three double-spaced pages d. limited to one page and one paragraph

Q: Virtual teams have the ability to transcend boundaries of location and time.

Q: In persuading a busy executive to visit a college class, which of the following illustrates a direct benefit to the reader? a. You will be helping students learn about the finance field. b. You will receive a $500 honorarium. c. We would appreciate your giving up your time, and we are grateful for your efforts. d. You would earn the respect of all your colleagues.

Q: In highly successful teams, members primarily work independently; they collaborate only when necessary.

Q: Teams tend to perform better when they have an appreciative audience.

Q: Which is the most accurate statement about corporations in the current digital age? a. The lines of authority are blurry in todays information-age workplaces, and the roles of executives are changing. b. Today's rank-and-file employees rely on their managers to be information providers. c. The direct pattern of persuasion should always be used when communicating with your immediate supervisor. d. Todays executives will likely rely on the power of position when issuing commands to subordinates.

Q: According to Larson and LaFasto, unified commitment is one feature that distinguishes teams from groups.

Q: Which of the following statements about direct mail marketing is most accurate? a. With the increasing popularity of e-marketing, direct mail marketing has become obsolete. b. Sales letters are usually part of multichannel marketing campaigns. c. In terms of response rates, e-mail marketing is more effective than direct-mail letters. d. Virtual mail appears to have a greater emotional impact than tangible mail.

Q: Effective workplace teams rarely have an identifiable leader.

Q: When writing a claim letter to a company, you're more likely to be successful if you ________. a. appeal to the company's sense of responsibility and pride in its good name b. threaten to picket the company with signs describing your complaint c. mention the discussion you had with your attorney regarding this claim d. provide a long, fact-filled account of all your dealings with the company concerning the claim

Q: One important characteristic of groups is interdependence of members.

Q: When promoting products and writing sales letters, which of the following is legal? a. Including a "puffery" statement such as We offer the best service in the industry. b. Using a celebrity's name or likeness in a sales message without the celebrity's permission. c. Telling people they are sweepstakes winners or finalists when they really aren't. d. Not disclosing that online reviews were submitted as part of a paid partnership between the company and the reviewer.

Q: Research suggests it is useful to have an odd number of members rather than an even number in a group that makes its decisions by simple majority vote.

Q: The most effective sales messages follow which pattern? a. Gain attention, build interest, elicit desire and reduce resistance, motivate action. b. Gain attention, motivate action, elicit desire and reduce resistance, build action. c. Gain attention, elicit desire and reduce resistance, build interest, motivate action. d. Build interest, gain attention, elicit desire and reduce resistance, motivate action.

Q: The optimal size for a small group is 10 members.

Q: Messages flowing downward such as information about procedures, equipment, or customer service generally use ________. a. the indirect strategy b. the direct strategy c. monetary bribes d. skillful appeals to indirect benefits

Q: Experts agree that the bigger the group, the more work it can get done.

Q: Candace is writing a proposal for her board of directors to request that her company implement a wellness program. The first thing she should do is to ________. a. decide on the purpose of her proposal. b. prepare an outline. c. compose a rough draft of the proposal. d. gather information to include in the proposal.

Q: A twosome is classified as a small group.

Q: The manager of a bookstore plans to use e-mail to send an online sales message announcing a special sale. What is the best advice to make this e-marketing campaign successful? a. Leave the subject line blank so that readers will be curious enough to open the message. b. Build interest by placing the most important information near the end of the message. c. Send the e-mail sales message only to those who have given permission. d. Include at least eight to ten central selling points to overcome any resistance.

Q: It's better to assign a task to individuals than to a group if the participants tend to be "social loafers."

Q: To start your home water delivery service immediately, call us at 1-800-555-1111 is an example of ________. a. reducing resistance b. motivating action c. gaining attention d. building interest

Q: If a deadline is rapidly approaching, it would be wiser to assign a task to a group than to individuals.

Q: Showing customers how your product or service solves a problem, achieves a personal or work objective, or makes life easier is accomplished by ________. a. adapting the message to the audience b. organizing your message c. collecting information for your message d. analyzing the purpose of the message

Q: Workers with effective teamwork skills are typically considered to be more valuable employees than talented and innovative solo players.

Q: Which of the following statements would be the best closing for a persuasive claim or complaint letter? a. If my claim is not granted, I will leave negative reviews on every social media site that I can find. b. Please credit my account for $256 by August 31, which is when my next billing cycle begins. c. My attorney is eagerly waiting to see whether my claim is granted. d. Please get back to me at your earliest convenience.

Q: Which is NOT true about risky shift? A. Highly cohesive groups tend to make decisions that are more extreme than the members would choose on their own. B. Risky shift refers to a strategy for asking hard-hitting questions, thereby preventing groupthink. C. When risky shift occurs, teams may take unsafe risks that aren't justified. D. When risky shift occurs, teams may make an extremely cautious decision.

Q: Sheila is writing a persuasive message to potential customers and opens with this sentence You can reduce your monthly energy bill by 30 percent or more. She is gaining the reader's attention by using what type of opening statement? a. A description of the problem b. A compliment c. A reader benefit d. A stimulating question

Q: Antidotes to groupthink include all of the following EXCEPT: A. Appoint a devil's advocate. B. Encourage members to voice a variety of opinions. C. Examine the ethical consequences of your team's decisions. D. Promote self-censorship.

Q: In which of the following situations is the writer being unethical? a. Phillip convinces his employees that they will need to take a 3 percent pay cut but truthfully promises them that it will only be temporary. b. Taylor writes an e-mail message focusing on a small perk offered in the new health coverage, but she deliberately de-emphasizes a reduction in total coverage. c. Shane interviews four people but cites only the three who have the necessary qualifications in her recommendation report. d. Instead of writing a standard e-mail message, a CEO releases a video that explains major changes in the company.

Q: Which of the following would be the best way to begin a persuasive claim or complaint letter? a. Open with an objective statement of the problem. b. Open with a detailed chronology of what happened. c. Open with a statement that clearly shows your frustration with the situation. d. Open with a passive voice construction such as The wrong item was received.

Q: When there's a crisis or urgent deadline, members of a group that has succumbed to groupthink are likely to: A. ponder possible drawbacks of their proposed solution. B. encourage members to voice a variety of opinions. C. seek outsiders' opinions. D. be closed to new and difficult ideas.

Q: Which message would be most effective when organized indirectly? a. An e-mail message informing employees about a change in summer work hours b. An announcement about management training seminars being offered to employees c. An e-mail message asking employees to donate to a local charity through payroll deductions d. An e-mail message telling employees that carpools are being organized

Q: All the following are signs of groupthink EXCEPT: A. a lack of deliberation on the issues B. freedom to voice dissenting ideas C. a false illusion that the group agrees unanimously D. a belief that our group is superior to competitors

Q: Colton has analyzed his purpose and his audience and has considered how he will adapt his message to meet his audience's needs. What should he do next according to the 3-x-3 writing process? a. Collect data and organize it. b. Start writing his final draft. c. Edit what he's done so far. d. Call audience members to confirm his approach.

Q: Which is NOT a symptom of groupthink? A. a commitment to examine ideas critically B. group pressure to conform C. censoring yourself so you don't question the status quo D. an illusion of invulnerability

Q: Groupthink refers to A. a desirable condition in which each member of the group engages in critical thinking. B. a desirable condition, because the group is able to make decisions quickly, guided by the members with the most expertise. C. an undesirable condition, because members feel too intimidated to express the dissent they feel about proposals. D. an undesirable condition, because groups that spend too much time listening to members' various ideas are too slow to take action.

Q: Which of the following sequences works best for most persuasive messages? a. Motivate action, gain attention, build interest, request order b. Gain attention, build interest, elicit desire and reduce resistance, motivate action c. Build interest, gain attention, motivate action, elicit desire and reduce resistance d. Gain attention, build interest, motivate action, request order

Q: You are likely to feel a strong sense of cohesiveness with your group when A. the members of your team are competing against each other to win the best idea of the year' award. B. the assignment your team is working on is complex, so you need to rely on research done by other team members. C. you dress more professionally than the rest of the group members. D. your team missed its deadline for submitting your marketing proposal.

Q: Which of the following will most likely require persuasion within an organization? a. A supervisor tells her staff that they must work overtime to complete a project by the deadline. b. A team leader tells other team members how to upload information to the company website. c. An employee proposes a tuition reimbursement program to the company's board of directors. d. The CEO invites all employees to a holiday party.

Q: Which of the following would NOT be likely to increase cohesiveness in a group? A. competing individual goals B. progress toward group goals C. shared norms and values D. competition from outside the group

Q: Which of the following situations requires use of the AIDA (indirect) strategy? a. An invitation to a local politician to speak at your professional organization's awards banquet b. An e-mail message asking for information about membership in a professional organization c. A letter requesting a copy of your credit report d. A refund request for an item that you never received

Q: A high level of team cohesiveness can be detrimental when A. team members experience lower rates of tension. B. team norms are contrary to the overall productivity of the organization. C. team members become interdependent. D. the team is making measurable progress toward its goal.

Q: The key ingredient of a press release is ________. a. advertising b. research c. news d. company benefits

Q: Which of the following is NOT true about cohesive teams? A. Members of cohesive teams want to remain with that team. B. Workers who belong to cohesive teams are likely to have higher rates of job satisfaction. C. Cohesive teams often make poor decisions. D. Cohesiveness is like a magnetic force that attracts members to one another.

Q: In a letter advertising its recycling services, The Greenfield Recycling Company stresses that customers will feel the satisfaction of knowing that they have helped to preserve the environment. This persuasive technique relies on ________. a. direct benefits to the reader b. expert opinion c. facts and statistics d. indirect benefits to the reader

Q: Ideally, groups should create constructive norms A. early in the group's existence. B. after the first conflict arises. C. after members have become very well acquainted. D. in a meeting convened solely for the purpose of establishing norms.

Q: Adam is writing a proposal to the board of directors about an idea he has for a new product line. Which of the following would be most effective in persuading the board members to adopt his idea? a. Avoid using facts and figures as it may bore or confuse his readers. b. Show how his proposal will increase company revenues. c. Avoid mentioning any risks involved because doing so might scare the audience. d. Include a list of every reason a reader may have for resistance to show he has analyzed his audience.

Q: An example of a constructive group norm is: A. When co-workers are away from their desks, pitch in to help handle their business. B. Be willing to talk behind others' backs. C. Don't waste time celebrating successes. D. If you have to work overtime when big, important deadlines approach, relieve stress by complaining.

Q: The statement A Kodak all-in-one printer may cost a little more, but you'll pay far less for replacement ink than you will with other printers ________. a. builds interest in a product b. gains attention by describing a problem c. reduces resistance d. motivates action

Q: An example of a destructive group norm is: A. Prohibit side conversations during meetings. B. Be willing to admit your mistakes. C. Speak up politely if you disagree with another member's reasoning. D. It's OK to ignore others' ideas.

Q: In identifying a "best-selling" item, advertisers are hoping to appeal to which psychological trigger? a. Reciprocation b. Social proof c. Authority d. Commitment

Q: Which of the following is NOT true about group norms? A. Group norms are always constructive. B. Group norms govern both task management and social interaction. C. Group norms may be challenging to develop when members come from a variety of cultural backgrounds. D. Group norms are often shaped by the overall culture of the organization the group represents.

Q: Which of the following sentences best motivates action in a persuasive message? a. We know that you'll want your employees to complete our ethics training program, so we'll drop by tomorrow to finalize the contract. b. If you think that our ethics training program might benefit your employees, we hope you'll consider hiring us. c. The ethics training we provide will help your employees effectively resolve workplace-related ethical dilemmas. Please call me by August 1 so that your training sessions can begin by August 15. d. Our new ethics training program has been very well received by your competitors.

Q: Expectations that groups develop concerning which behaviors are considered acceptable in the group (e.g. interaction styles or ways of addressing conflict) are called A. norms. B. roles. C. systems. D. interdependency.

Q: Which of the following would be a direct benefit to an author for accepting an invitation to speak at an event? a. Building goodwill with the event planner b. "Giving back" to loyal readers c. Sharing an inspiring message d. Selling and signing books at the event

Q: Which of the following is NOT conducive to team productivity? A. Team spends time evaluating its solutions and decisions. B. Teams are given an urgent deadline for coming up with a solution. C. Norms encourage high performance. D. Team has enough time to accomplish its goals.

Q: AIDA, the indirect strategy for persuasive messages, seeks to gain the attention, interest, ________, and action of the audience. a. direction b. desire c. deduction d. discernment