Q&A Hero

Q: Sanjay comes from a culture where people are not comfortable taking risks and do not accept behaviors that differ from the norm. This type of culture is called a high uncertainty avoidance culture.

Q: Brandon is preparing an extensive report for his boss and wants to begin by conducting formal research. What should he consider doing? a. Searching through his companys files for background information and previous correspondence. b. Talking with his boss to get more information about the type of information his boss would like included in the report. c. Creating an informal online survey using a tool like Survey Monkey. d. Conducting a Web search for credible industry data related to the topic of the report.

Q: In a culture where high power distance is the norm, an employee who challenged the managers' decisions and asked probing questions would probably be labeled as an aggressive troublemaker.

Q: Which of the following is an independent clause? a. After he signed the contract b. Of the two choices c. Please call with any questions you have d. If you have any questions

Q: Western cultures often have an individualist orientation.

Q: Suzanne finds it difficult to begin writing an important report that her supervisor is expecting tomorrow. Which of the following would be the best advice to give her? a. Avoid writing until she knows exactly what she wants to say. b. Ask her supervisor if the next-day deadline is really necessary. c. Move to a more lively part of the office where she can overhear others' conversations and might be more inspired. d. Make a list of the main and minor points she wants to cover in the report.

Q: In collectivist cultures, it is considered dishonorable to become a star worker, because this would be perceived as a disgrace to the other team members.

Q: Which of the following is a dependent clause? a. On the 15th of this month b. Except for our main competitor c. Since the company began selling stock to the public d. Your interview went well

Q: Individualistic cultures emphasize personal freedoms and the right of each person to achieve their own success.

Q: A benefit of mind mapping is that it _______. a. generates fewer ideas than regular brainstorming so saves time b. enables managers to visualize the workflow of an entire project c. can be done only electronically d. focuses on individual ideas rather than the connections between them

Q: The U.S. and Canada are typical examples of high-context cultures.

Q: Free writing, one way to overcome writer's block, involves _______. a. thinking through ideas slowly and deliberately b. concentrating on finding the right words and perfect sentence structure before putting your ideas on paper c. getting your thoughts down quickly knowing that you will refine them later d. writing social media posts to get your ideas flowing

Q: Which of the following is a run-on sentence? a. Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers; some also use Twitter. b. Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers, and some also use Twitter. c. Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers some also use Twitter. d. Many companies use Facebook to connect with customers. Some also use Twitter.

Q: In low context cultures, an important goal of communicators is to help each other save face and maintain social harmony.

Q: Clauses that begin with words like although, since, because, when, and if are usually ________. a. independent b. dependent c. direct d. indirect

Q: In high context cultures such as Asian societies, receivers rely heavily on social rules, the history of the relationship, and nonverbal cues to decode the message.

Q: You are preparing an outline for your report on Web security in the workplace. Which of the following should be a major category for this outline? a. Spam b. Web Security Threats c. Phishing d. Adware and Spyware

Q: If a female manager from the United States is conducting business in a country where men are treated as superior, she can gain immediate respect by explaining that she is a U.S. citizen so she should be treated as an equal.

Q: Which of the following is an example of a formal research method? a. Hank talks with his boss to decide what items to include on the meeting agenda. b. Amy conducts a Web search to find information about a competitor's products. c. Galen looks in the company files for copies of minutes from previous meetings. d. Emily calls a few of her colleagues to learn how they feel about carpooling.

Q: Gender roles and expectations for feminine behavior are consistent across cultures.

Q: Brooke is working on a business proposal for a prospective client. What is the primary question Brooke should ask as she gathers information for her project? a. How much money does the client have? b. What does the client need to know about this topic? c. Does the client have a good reputation in the community? d. How can I make myself look good in the eyes of my client?

Q: It is not possible to hold a productive meeting when participants are from cultures with differing conflict styles (e.g., some from an assertive society and some from a society that emphasizes harmony) because the differences in conflict style will prevent the group from reaching any agreements.

Q: In some cultures it is considered impolite to directly say "no" to a request, because it could embarrass the person who made the request.

Q: To apply for a job, a rsum must be submitted contains ________. a. an indirect modifier b. the active voice c. a dangling modifier d. a limiting clause

Q: Peter is writing an e-mail message to his staff announcing that the new company smartphones promised to arrive on Monday will be delayed two weeks. He knows that many people will be frustrated because their current phones are outdated. Which organizational pattern should his message follow? a. Direct pattern b. Indirect pattern c. Chronological pattern d. Geographical pattern

Q: In the Middle East, negative emotional expression is usually suppressed, because it is so important to show harmony.

Q: Describe four significant interpersonal barriers to communication and explain how they can be overcome.

Q: In polychronic cultures, being punctual is not considered important at all.

Q: Discuss five of the writing techniques recommended for adapting a message to your audience and provide an example of each.

Q: A culture where tasks are performed in a scheduled order, one at a time, with full attention given to each task, is called a polychronic culture.

Q: List the three steps of the 3-x-3 writing process and briefly describe what occurs during each phase.

Q: If you are interacting in foreign business settings, you would be well advised to wear something trendy rather than dressing in a traditional, conservative style.

Q: Identify five factors to consider when selecting the channel for a message. Also discuss media richness and the role it plays in choosing a channel.

Q: In some parts of Eastern Asia, socializing at a karaoke bar after business hours with work colleagues is considered to be an essential element of building working relationships.

Q: Provide three advantages to producing documents collaboratively (vs. individually) and discuss what happens in each of the three phases of team writing.

Q: Wal-Mart does not use greeters at its stores in Germany, because in that culture it is not customary to talk to strangers.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Slack, Google docs, and Dropbox are examples of digital ________ tools used to complete team writing tasks.

Q: In Mexico and Germany, you are expected to use a person's formal title unless that person has specifically invited you to address him or her casually.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: ________ -written documents and presentations are standard in most organizations because collaboration has many advantages.

Q: Within any culture, we can find a wide variety of communication styles displayed; for this reason, we should avoid stereotyping members of that culture.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: The three phases of the 3-x-3 writing process include ___________, writing, and revising.

Q: You don't need to ask persons with disabilities whether they would like help; just step forth quickly to assist them with tasks that may be hard for them (such as opening doors).

Q: If you have trouble understanding a person who has a speech disability, pretend you understand so they won't have to repeat themselves.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: The two Cs key to effective business writing are _______ and clarity.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Putting yourself in your reader's shoes is called ________ .

Q: It is rude to lean on someone's wheelchair.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Translating a message from its symbol form into meaning involves ________.

Q: Before you speak to a person with a visual impairment, identify yourself.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: The verbal and nonverbal responses of the receiver create ________ , which helps the sender know that the message was received and understood.

Q: A disability is not a defining characteristic of any person; it is simply one feature of their lives.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: A secondary purpose of business messages is to promote ________ so that you and your organization look good in the eyes of your audience.

Q: The phrase "paraplegic" has exactly the same significance as the phrase "a person who is using a wheelchair."

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Business writing should be purposeful, economical, and ___________ oriented.

Q: Don't treat persons who have disabilities as if they are "different."

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Bypassing, one type of communication barrier, happens because meanings are actually in _______ rather than in words.

Q: The unwritten rules for smiling differ from one part of the U.S. to another.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: The primary purposes of most business messages are to inform and to ________ .

Q: Those who speak a nonstandard dialect of English in the U.S. tend usually end up in lower level jobs than those who speak standard English.

Q: Members of generation Y are good at multitasking, but tend to ignore tasks they aren't interested in (which can be detrimental to their jobs and to themselves). Culture and Communication in a Diverse Society: Regional Differences

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Business writers should spend most of their time ________ , which is the third phase of the writing process.

Q: The style of writing used in text messages (brevity and lack of attention to correct spelling) is viewed by the baby boomer generation as careless and incompetent.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: The medium over which a message is transmitted, such as e-mail, phone, spoken word, or social media, is called the ________.

Q: Employees who were raised in working class families often need to adopt different styles of language, nonverbal, and clothing in order to gain acceptance in middle-class careers.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: The process of converting an idea into words or gestures that will convey meaning is called ________ .

Q: In the U.S., social class can have a major impact on how people communicate on the job.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: ________ describes technical or specialized terms used within a particular field such as insurance, law, or medicine.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: They hired a female doctor to administer flu shots is an example of a sentence that shows gender ________.

Q: In all cultures, a person who avoids eye contact during a conversation is showing dishonesty or disrespect.

Q: Rules for most nonverbal behaviors, such as eye contact, are universal.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: A recipient of an e-mail you send forwards it to her supervisor. The supervisor would be considered a ________ audience.

Q: Native Americans prefer to deal with conflict through silence rather than directly addressing the issues openly.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: Communication is the transmission of information and ________ from a sender to a receiver.

Q: Fill in the blank in the following sentence: During the analyzing part of the prewriting phase, you must first determine the ________ of your message.

Q: Euro-Americans tend to be more silent than African Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexican Americans.

Q: If we think that each ethnic group has one unified style of communication, we are oversimplifying.

Q: A group that exists within a larger culture, yet has a clear identity of its own, is called a sub-culture.

Q: The crucial element in the definition of communication is ________.a. ideab. senderc. meaningd. receiver

Q: Using the term businessperson rather than businessman is an example of using _______ language. a. nonjudgmental b. audience-oriented c. bias-free d. descriptive

Q: Smaller groups that have their own clear identities within a large culture are called "sub-cultures."

Q: You want your writing to sound positive and courteous. Which of the following sentences has the best choice of wording? a. Please give us your feedback about your online ordering experience. b. You claim that your order arrived with two damaged items. c. We cannot process your order until we receive your credit card number. d. Turn in your sales figures by Monday.