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Friday, February 19, 2010

Bus Com - Chapter 5 Critical Thinking and Chapter Review

Critical Thinking

1. “E-mail is no longer a cutting edge tool,” says The New York Times. “But it is clear that some people still do not know how to use it effectively.” What have you heard are the major complaints about the use of business e-mail?
2. What do you think this statement means? Instant messaging could be the dial tone of the future. Do you agree or disagree?
3. Why are lawyers and technology experts warning companies to store, organize, and manage computer data, including e-mail and instant messages, with sharper diligence?
4. Discuss the ramifications of the following statement: Once a memo or any other document leaves your hands, you have essentially published it.
5. Ethical Issue: Should managers have the right to monitor the e-mail messages and instant messages of employees? Why or why not? What if employees are warned that e-mail could be monitored? If a company establishes an e-mail policy, should only in-house transmissions be monitored? Only outside transmissions? See the Communication Workshop for this chapter for more on this topic.

Chapter Review
6. Name six forms of electronic communication and briefly describe each.
7. Are e-mail messages and interoffice memorandums interchangeable as communication channels?
8. How are the structure and formatting of e-mail messages and memos similar and different?
9. What are four questions you should ask yourself before writing an e-mail or memo?
10. Suggest at least ten pointers that you could give to a business e-mail user.
11. Name at least five rules of e-mail etiquette that show respect for others.
12. What do you think are the five most important practices for those sending instant messages at work?
13. What is the writing plan for an information or procedure message?
Subject line:
Opening:
Body:
Closing:

14. What is the writing plan for a request message?
Subject line:
Opening:
Body:
Closing:

15. What is the writing plan for a reply message?
Subject line:
Opening:
Body:
Closing:

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Bus Com Chapter 4

Critical Thinking

1. Your deadline is due, but your document needs proofreading. Should you spend the time necessary to proofread and miss the deadline.
2. Do you agree that good writers can sit down at a computer and turn out perfect documents on the first try? Why or why not?
3. Because clichés are familiar and have stood the test of time, do they help clarify writing?
4. Study the following sentence from an actual message: “Management was the driving farce behind the project.” How could this proofreading error be costly?
5. Is it unethical to help a friend revise a report when you know that the friend will be turning that report in for a grade?

Chapter Review
6. What tasks are involved in revising a message?
7. Why is conciseness especially important in business?
8. What is a long lead-in? Give an original example.
9. What is wrong with this sentence: “There is no one who can do the job better than you.”
10. What is redundancy? Give an example.
11. What happens when a verb (such as describe) is converted to a noun expression (to make a description)? Give an original example.
12. Name five design techniques that can improve readability of printed messages. Be prepared to explain each.
13. What is the difference between serif and sans serif typefaces? What is the most common use for each?
14. What five areas should you especially pay attention to when you proofread?
15. Howe does the proofreading of routine documents differ from that of complex documents?