Harvard Business Publishing REPORTING FOR ACCOUNTANTS ( JUST GAVE YOU ALL ANSWERS) MAY 2023

 

1. Which of the following questions is not used for organizing thinking about a communication?

When?

The other questions are all useful for organizing thinking about a communication:

• Who? Who is the audience for this communication? What do they know about the topic?
• What? What is the purpose of this communication? What do you want the audience to do?
• How? How will you organize and present your message to achieve your purpose?

2. What does informative communication do?

Informative communication describes or explains something particularly important. It can be used to teach, inform, or persuade.

3. What is persuasive communication?

Persuasive communication is a type of communication that is used to influence the thoughts, feelings, or actions of an audience. It can be used to sell products, promote ideas, or change behavior.

4. Why is persuasion important in business?

Persuasion is important in business because it can be used to achieve a variety of goals, such as:

• Selling products or services
• Gaining funding
• Closing deals
• Building relationships
• Influencing public opinion

5. You need to understand the purpose and audience before you start work on the message.

True. The purpose of the communication will determine the tone, style, and content of the message. The audience will also affect the way the message is delivered.

6. Understanding your audience will help you achieve the purpose of your communication.

True. By understanding your audience, you can tailor your message to their needs and interests. This will make it more likely that they will be persuaded by your message.

7. Select the question that best helps a communicator understand an audience:

What does the audience know about the topic and how do they perceive the speaker/writer?

This question helps the communicator to understand the audience's level of knowledge about the topic and their attitude towards the speaker/writer. This information can be used to tailor the message to the audience's needs.

8. How can cognitive bias be harmful to communication?

Cognitive bias can be harmful to communication because it can lead to misunderstandings and errors in judgment. For example, if a communicator is biased against a particular group of people, they may be more likely to misinterpret their words or actions.

9. Select the item that is not a bias affecting communication:

Quantitative Bias

Quantitative bias is not a bias affecting communication. The other options are all types of cognitive bias that can affect communication.

10. In business what is the most important tool for creating a persuasive message?

Reasoning

Reasoning is the most important tool for creating a persuasive message because it allows the communicator to build a logical argument for their position. A well-reasoned argument is more likely to persuade the audience than an emotional appeal or a personal attack.

11. Select the evidence statement that does not help prove the conclusion:

The share price has outperformed analysts' predictions.

The share price is not a relevant piece of evidence for the conclusion that the company is financially healthy. The other evidence statements are all relevant to the conclusion.

12. Which of the following is the function of an assumption?

It provides a logical link between different pieces of evidence.

An assumption is a statement that is taken for granted. It is used to connect different pieces of evidence and to form a logical argument.

13. An assumption must be acceptable to the audience.

True. An assumption that is not acceptable to the audience will weaken the argument.

14. Is this statement an accurate assumption for the argument below:

Players who could lose a year of their careers and suffer large financial losses should be allowed to play in the upcoming season.

Evidence

The players in the soccer league will lose a year of their careers.

The players will suffer large financial losses.

Conclusion

The players should be allowed to play in the upcoming season.

Yes, this statement is an accurate assumption for the argument. The evidence shows that the players will suffer significant losses if they are not allowed to play in the upcoming season. This is a strong reason to allow them to play.

15. Select the statement that most accurately describes the role of emotion in communication:

Emotions can strongly influence how an audience reacts to a message.

Emotions can have a powerful influence on how an audience reacts to a message. A message that is emotionally charged is more likely to be remembered and acted upon than a message that is not emotionally charged.

16. All of the above

A writer or speaker should know how to elicit feelings in the audience that are favorable to his or her purpose, know the audience's feelings that might help achieve the purpose, and know the audience's feelings about the purpose. By understanding the audience's emotions, a communicator can tailor their message to appeal to those emotions and increase the likelihood of persuasion.

17. True

Character is the audience's perception of a speaker or writer. It is shaped by a variety of factors, including the speaker or writer's appearance, tone, and body language. Communicators can use character to their advantage by building trust and credibility with the audience.

18. Understanding how to move the audience to the desired perception of the speaker or writer

Communicators can use character to move the audience to the desired perception of the speaker or writer by being honest, trustworthy, and credible. They can also use humor, storytelling, and other techniques to connect with the audience on a personal level.

19. Hierarchy

The most appropriate organizer for the following informative message is hierarchy. The intern is preparing a report about the types of customer complaints received over the previous five years. The report would be most useful to the marketing department if it was organized by type of complaint, with the most common complaints listed first. This would allow the marketing department to quickly identify the areas where the company needs to improve its products or services.

20. The U.S. postal service faces an uncertain future. A postal official addresses an in-house meeting about adapting the organization for the 21st century.

A decision argument could be most helpful in a scenario where there are multiple options and the decision maker needs to weigh the pros and cons of each option before making a decision. In the scenario described, the postal official is facing a number of challenges, including declining mail volume, increasing competition from private companies, and the need to adapt to new technologies. A decision argument could help the official to identify the best course of action for the postal service.

21. False

The most logical order of elements of a decision argument is:

1. Statement of the problem or issue
2. Statement of the criteria for making a decision
3. Identification of options for solving the problem or issue
4. Evaluation of the options
5. Recommendation of the best option

The outline provided does not follow this logical order. The statement of the decision to be made should come after the statement of the criteria for making a decision. The statement of the recommendation should come after the evaluation of the options.

22. Criteria

The most important element of an evaluation argument is the criteria. The criteria are the standards that will be used to evaluate the options. The criteria should be clear, specific, and measurable.

23. The vice mayor for a large city is considering new approaches for convincing businesses to offer summer jobs to young people.

An evaluation argument could be most helpful in a scenario where there are multiple options and the decision maker needs to weigh the pros and cons of each option before making a decision. In the scenario described, the vice mayor is considering a number of different approaches for convincing businesses to offer summer jobs to young people. An evaluation argument could help the vice mayor to identify the best approach for the city.

24. True

A diagnostic argument is needed when a situation or outcome needs a causal explanation. In the scenario described, the accounting manager needs to explain why Selling, General, and Administrative expenses have jumped recently. A diagnostic argument could help the accounting manager to identify the factors that are causing the increase in expenses.

25. An accounting manager must report on why Selling, General, and Administrative expenses have jumped recently.

A diagnostic argument could be most helpful in a scenario where a situation or outcome needs a causal explanation. In the scenario described, the accounting manager needs to explain why Selling, General, and Administrative expenses have jumped recently. A diagnostic argument could help the accounting manager to identify the factors that are causing the increase in expenses.