CHAPTER 8 WRITING NEGATIVE MESSAGES

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CHAPTER 8WRITING NEGATIVE MESSAGES
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• Multiple Choice
• If you have to say no, you should always
• try to gain the audiences acceptance of your
  decision.
• deliver it directly.
• pull back from communicating.
• all of the above
• When planning your negative message, you should
• gather the information your audience will need to
  understand and accept your message.
• select your medium carefully.
• acknowledge the probability of a negative
  audience reaction.
• all of the above.

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• Multiple Choice
• If you have to say no, you should always
• try to gain the audiences acceptance of your
  decision.
• deliver it directly.
• pull back from communicating.
• all of the above
• ANSWER a. This is an important goal in negative
  messages.
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 172 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication
• When planning your negative message, you should
• gather the information your audience will need to
  understand and accept your message.
• select your medium carefully.
• acknowledge the probability of a negative
  audience reaction.
• all of the above.
• ANSWER d. When planning your message carefully
  analyze the situation determine how to best
  approach your audience. How will the audience be
  likely to respond?
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 172 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication

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• When delivering bad news, you want to accomplish
  all of the following goals except
• to convey the bad news.
• to encourage questions and correspondence from
  the reader.
• to gain acceptance for the bad news.
• to maintain a good image for your organization.
• When conveying negative news it is important to
  always
• maintain goodwill with your audience.
• use an indirect approach.
• convey the bad news directly.
• avoid acknowledging any emotional issues.

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• When delivering bad news, you want to accomplish
  all of the following goals except
• to convey the bad news.
• to encourage questions and correspondence from
  the reader.
• to gain acceptance for the bad news.
• to maintain a good image for your organization.
• ANSWER b. You want to reduce or eliminate the
  need for further correspondence on the matter.
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 172 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication
• When conveying negative news it is important to
  always
• maintain goodwill with your audience.
• use an indirect approach.
• convey the bad news directly.
• avoid acknowledging any emotional issues.
• ANSWER a. Your tone helps your readers accept
  that your bad news represents a firm and fair
  decision. It also helps the readers preserve
  their pride.
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 173 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication

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1. ______ By implying the bad news, you may not
   actually need to state it.
2. ______ In the close of a bad-news message, you
   should be realistic and acknowledge the
   probability of future problems.
3. _______ The close of a negative message should
   offer to answer additional questions and provide
   further answers if needed.

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• ______ By implying the bad news, you may not
  actually need to state it.
• ANSWER True. It is vital, however, to make sure
  your audience understands the entire
  messageincluding the bad news.
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 178 OBJECTIVE 2
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication
• ______ In the close of a bad-news message, you
  should be realistic and acknowledge the
  probability of future problems.
• ANSWER False. You should be optimistic avoid
  statements such as, should you have further
  problems
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 178 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE application AACSB Communication
• _______ The close of a negative message should
  offer to answer additional questions and provide
  further answers if needed.
• ANSWER False. In most cases you do not want to
  encourage additional communication.
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 178 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication

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• Fill-in the Blank
• In negative messages, it is important to maintain
  a good ______ for your organization.
• When a negative message gives the bad news in the
  opening paragraph, the writer is using the ______
  approach.
• When using the indirect approach to deliver bad
  news, you should open with a neutral,
  noncontroversial statement called a(n) ______.

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• Fill-in the Blank
• In negative messages, it is important to maintain
  a good ______ for your organization.
• ANSWER Image
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 172 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication
• When a negative message gives the bad news in the
  opening paragraph, the writer is using the ______
  approach.
• ANSWER Direct
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 174 OBJECTIVE 2
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication
• When using the indirect approach to deliver bad
  news, you should open with a neutral,
  noncontroversial statement called a(n) ______.
• ANSWER Buffer
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 176 OBJECTIVE 2
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication

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• Short Answer/Essay
• What are the five main goals when delivering
  negative news in business?
• ANSWER The goals are 1) to convey the bad news
  2) to gain acceptance for it 3) to maintain as
  much goodwill as possible with your audience 4)
  to maintain a good image for your organization 5)
  if appropriate, to reduce or eliminate the need
  for future correspondence on the matter.
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGES 172 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE concept AACSB Communication
• What are the three main steps you should take in
  planning a bad-news message?
• ANSWER The steps are 1) Gather the information
  your audience will need in order to understand
  and accept your message, 2) select the
  appropriate medium to deliver the message, and 3)
  choose the direct or the indirect approach to
  organize your message.
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGES 172-173 OBJECTIVE
  1 TYPE concept AACSB Communication

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• Rewrite the following sentence using more
  positive words We dont have that color in
  stock.
• ANSWER (Answers may vary.) We can custom order
  that color and have it here for you by Friday.
• DIFFICULTY difficult PAGE 173 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE application AACSB Communication, Analytic
  Skills
• Rewrite the following phrase using positive words
  rather than negative ones.
• Im sorry, but well have to turn down your
  bid.
• ANSWER (Answers may vary.) Weve accepted
  another companys bid.
• DIFFICULTY moderate PAGE 173 OBJECTIVE 1
  TYPE application AACSB Communication, Analytic
  Skills

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• List and briefly describe the five guidelines for
  giving negative performance reviews.
• ANSWER 1) Confront the problem right away.
  Avoiding problems only makes them worse. 2) Plan
  your message. Be clear about your concerns and
  include examples of the employees specific
  actions. 3) Deliver the message in private. Dont
  send performance reviews via e-mail. 4) Focus on
  the problem. Dont attack the employee. Compare
  employee performance with whats expected, with
  company goals, or with job requirements. 5) Ask
  for a commitment from the employee. Help the
  employee understand that planning for and making
  improvements are the employees responsibility.
  Set a schedule for improvement.
• DIFFICULTY difficult PAGES 184-186 OBJECTIVE
  1 TYPE concept AACSB Communication