Q&A Hero

Q: A public health expert is writing a report on lead hazards for a widespread audience. Any terms in the report that are unfamiliar to her audience should be defined in the A) introduction. B) body. C) explanatory notes. D) any of the above.

Q: In the introduction to a report on how to establish a paperless office, explaining the historical conditions or factors that led up to the report A) enables readers to understand how the opportunity developed. B) is unnecessary in internal reports. C) diminishes your credibility by wasting readers' time. D) is necessary only in very formal reports.

Q: The close of a report should A) emphasize the main points of the message. B) summarize reader benefits if the document suggests a change. C) bring all action items together and give details about who should do what, when, where, and how. D) achieve all of the above.

Q: The detailed proof needed to support your conclusions and recommendations should appear in the ________ of your report. A) opening B) body C) close D) appendix

Q: The introduction (or opening) of a business report or proposal should always A) outline your conclusions or recommendations. B) list all the sources from which you draw information. C) provide a detailed description of your qualifications to write the report. D) indicate why the subject of the report is important.

Q: Whereas a(n) ________ file in a report requires readers to be online so the file can be updated, a(n) ________ file does not. A) embedded; linked B) linked; embedded C) pdf; Microsoft Word D) Microsoft Word; pdf

Q: When writing business reports for outsiders (such as customers or suppliers), it is best to A) use a more formal tone than you would for an internal audience. B) use a less formal tone than you would for an internal audience. C) include personal references such as "you" and "us." D) use a great deal of idiomatic language.

Q: Which of the following statements has the most formal tone? A) The financial analysis clearly shows that buying TramCo is the best alternative. B) I think we should buy TramCo. C) In my opinion, we should consider the purchase of TramCo. D) We therefore conclude that acquiring TramCo would (based on information we have gathered) be in our company's best interest.

Q: The writing style for a report should be more formal if A) you know your readers reasonably well. B) your report is internal. C) the subject is controversial or complex. D) the report is relatively short.

Q: When you write in a formal style, you should A) eliminate references to I and me. B) open with a humorous anecdote. C) use many colorful adjectives or adverbs. D) still include contractions such as "We've" to retain a conversational tone.

Q: To gain credibility with your audience in business reports, do all of the following except A) research all sides of your topic. B) make the report lengthy. C) avoid setting unrealistic expectations. D) document your findings with credible sources.

Q: Which of the following is not a common organizational format for analytical reports? A) Focusing on conclusions B) Focusing on recommendations C) Focusing on information D) Focusing on logical argument

Q: Analytical reports for skeptical audiences should generally follow the ________ approach. A) direct B) indirect C) hypothetical D) aggressive

Q: Problem factoring is the process of A) looking at a problem from many different angles. B) considering how to divide responsibility for a problem. C) creating problems instead of solving them. D) breaking a problem down into a series of logical, connected questions.

Q: Unlike proposals, justification reports A) are designed to affirm decisions after they have been made. B) are internal as opposed to external reports. C) are always in memo format. D) do not require a great deal of supporting data.

Q: Making generous use of descriptive labels, subheads, and other similar devices on a website A) confuses and frustrates online readers. B) helps online readers get oriented to your website. C) is fine for amateurs, but professional web designers avoid it. D) none of the above.

Q: For most audiences, reading online is ________ than reading from a printed page. A) easier B) more difficult C) neither easier nor more difficult D) much faster

Q: A business plan A) is useful only before a company is launched. B) always contains the same elements. C) should not identify risks and problems, since these might discourage potential investors. D) is sometimes prepared after a company is up and running.

Q: Topical organization strategies for informational reports include all of the following except A) complexity. B) sequence. C) importance. D) comparison.

Q: A contractor submitting a weekly report on work done to date would be providing the client with A) a progress report. B) a compliance report. C) a justification report. D) a periodic operating report.

Q: A public corporation filing a quarterly tax report would be providing A) a progress report. B) a compliance report. C) a justification report. D) a periodic operating report.

Q: Compliance reports are generally required by A) parent companies. B) accounting departments. C) government agencies. D) marketing departments.

Q: The CEO of a pharmaceutical company asks you assess the company's adherence to laws governing television ads for prescription drugs. The CEO has requested a A) personal activity report. B) work plan. C) compliance report. D) policy report.

Q: An employee who describes the data she collected from six different plant managers without drawing any conclusions is preparing A) an analytical report. B) an informational report. C) a proposal. D) a work plan.

Q: Which of the following is not a useful strategy in preparing business reports? A) Understand and meet audience expectations. B) Use the same format for reports, regardless of topic. C) Keep your report as short as possible. D) All of the above are useful strategies.

Q: When outlining the content of your report A) it is preferable to use informative headings as opposed to descriptive ones. B) you should use complex language for all headings. C) keep in mind that you will have to use this same outline for your final report. D) do all of the above.

Q: Delivering a business report as a word processing file A) is usually not preferable to a printed document. B) is useful if the audience will need to search the report frequently. C) wastes time and confuses your audience. D) is rarely, if ever, necessary.

Q: When selecting media for a report A) you should choose the ones that are most convenient. B) you should choose the ones that are most economical. C) your decisions should reflect your audience's expectations. D) you should always present your report in writing.

Q: Which of the following is not a typical element in a formal work plan? A) Statement of purpose B) Statement of the scope of the investigation C) Discussion of tasks to be accomplished D) Conclusions and recommendations

Q: A formal work plan includes all of the following except A) a statement of the problem or opportunity addressed in your report. B) plans for what will happen if funds for the project are cancelled. C) plans for following up after delivering the report. D) a statement of the purpose and scope of your investigation.

Q: Which of the following is the least clear statement of purpose? A) "To determine which of four alternative investments will have the highest return." B) "To analyze four potential investments." C) "To answer the question, 'Which of four investments will provide the highest return?' " D) "To evaluate and make recommendations based on data."

Q: Which of the following is not an infinitive phrase? A) to determine B) to think clearly C) to prioritize and organize D) to our loyal customers

Q: The best way to phrase the purpose statement of a report is with A) complex language. B) an infinitive phrase. C) a controversial statement. D) jargon.

Q: With an internal audience for your report, you A) must avoid discussing sensitive information. B) are more free to discuss sensitive information. C) must avoid analysis. D) must include analysis.

Q: The basic purpose of informational reports is A) to persuade the audience to act. B) to present recommendations and conclusions to a superior for how to solve a particular problem. C) to present data, facts, feedback, and other types of information, without analysis or recommendations. D) to convince the reader of the soundness of your thinking.

Q: Explain the three basic categories of analytical business reports and provide at least one example of each type.

Q: Describe three strategies for effectively organizing a website.

Q: Describe the elements of a formal business plan.

Q: Describe several benefits and one potential drawback of organizing business reports using the direct approach.

Q: List and describe the seven elements that usually are part of a formal work plan.

Q: Describe the general function of internal proposals, and provide at least one example to illustrate.

Q: Briefly describe the circumstances in which the yardstick approach would be particularly useful for organizing your proposal, and provide an example of a report that would benefit from this organizational approach.

Q: List the three most common strategies for structuring analytical reports.

Q: Briefly explain problem factoring.

Q: Give three reasons that writing analytical reports presents a greater challenge than writing informational reports.

Q: What is the primary difference between a feasibility report and a justification report?

Q: Provide at least five examples of topical organization strategies for business reports.

Q: List three types of reports commonly used to monitor and control operations in business.

Q: You have been asked to help a company find ways to reduce the amount it spends on employee health and dental benefits. Write a purpose statement for the report you will produce.

Q: Briefly explain the primary function of a statement of purpose, then indicate the most useful way to phrase one.

Q: In a(n) ________ proposal, the author must convince readers that a problem or opportunity exists before providing a solution or plan of action.

Q: A formal invitation to bid on a contract is called a ________ for ________, or RFP.

Q: ________ proposals are initiated by a company that is trying to obtain business or funding on its own, without a specific request from a client.

Q: Whereas ________ proposals are used to request decisions from managers within an organization, ________ proposals are directed to parties outside the organization.

Q: With the ________ approach to structuring analytical reports, you begin by discussing the problem, and then list the criteria that will guide evaluation of possible solutions.

Q: The ________ approach is often the most persuasive and efficient way to develop an analytical report for skeptical readersit's the approach to try first.

Q: When you speculate about the cause of a problem, you are forming a(n) ________a potential explanation that needs to be tested.

Q: Breaking down a problem into a series of specific questions is called problem ________.

Q: ________ ________ reports study events that happened in the past, with the hope of learning how to avoid similar failures in the future.

Q: A(n) ________ report is written to validate a decision that has already been made.

Q: All ________ reports are written in response to regulations of one sort or another.

Q: When a business plan is written after a company is operating, it tends to serve as a ________ .

Q: Report writers often combine the ________ and ________ approachesrevealing their conclusions and recommendations as they go along instead of putting them first or last.

Q: The statement of ________ defines why you are preparing a report.

Q: Whereas ________ reports focus on facts, ________ reports offer interpretation and can also include recommendations.

Q: A landscaper bidding on a job at the request of a general contractor would submit an external, unsolicited proposal.

Q: "RFP" stands for "ratified final proposal."

Q: Proposals are classified in two ways: internal versus external, and solicited versus unsolicited.

Q: The primary purpose of an internal proposal is either to request funds and management support for new projects or to obtain permission to take action on specific projects.

Q: The yardstick approach is best for organizing reports when you and your audience do not agree on the criteria you're using in your analysis.

Q: In reports focused on recommendations, it is best to avoid the direct approach.

Q: Focusing on conclusions in an analytical report involves using the direct approach to report organization.

Q: Managers use feasibility reports to examine the ramifications of a decision they are about to make.

Q: A justification report is an internal report designed to persuade top management to approve a proposed investment or project.

Q: Whereas troubleshooting reports deal with problems as they occur, failure analysis reports seek to prevent problems before they happen.

Q: Reports that examine the financial aspects of a proposed decision, such as acquiring another company, are called due diligence reports.

Q: Information architecture refers to the structure and navigational flow of all parts of a website.

Q: For most audiences, reading material on a computer monitor is far easier than reading from the printed page.

Q: In an informational report describing the chain of events that led to a plant closing, chronology would be the best topical organization strategy to use.

Q: Progress reports are never more than updates in memo or email form.