Question 1

At your company a number of routine office tasks are loosely shared among entry-level employees, who perform these duties in addition to their specific job descriptions. This often results in tasks being done late, poorly, or not at all. You suggest to your boss that outsourcing this work might be a good idea. He is interested and asks you to research and recommend a service provider.
-As you prepare to analyze the research question and topic, which of the following would be your best first move?
A)considering whether there are options other than outsourcing this work
B)asking entry-level employees how they feel about doing these tasks
C)calling a few outsourcing service providers to get quotes from them
D)finding out whether any of your competitors outsource this kind of work
E)comparing the specific terms of a few different outsourcing service providers

Accepted Answer

A) Your boss asked you to pick the best service provider to outsource your office work to, which assumes that outsourcing this work is the most efficient and cost-effective solution for you. Perhaps a different solution might be better. Broadening your research questions to determine whether outsourcing is the best choice for you makes the most sense.

Question 2

Your colleague tells you that Wikipedia ________.
A)is an acceptable source for background information only
B)will be considered as a highly credible source by your professional audience
C)should be avoided in favour of sources like professional journals and websites
D)is a more professional source than a national newspaper
E)is a source that your professional audience will expect you to consult

Accepted Answer

C) If you perform a quick Google search or rely on a general and nonvalidated source like Wikipedia, even for background information, your audience is less likely to respect your findings. You should use professional and highly credible sources like academic journals, material published by professional associations in the industry, major newspapers, etc.

Question 3

Doing background research to broaden your understanding of your topic's history, context and structure, and categories is part of which aspect of determining what information you need?
A)analyzing the research question and topic
B)identifying audience concerns and needs
C)establishing scope of the research
D)defining research activities
E)developing a work plan

Accepted Answer

A) Before doing in-depth research to explore your specific research questions, it is important to understand your general topic.

Question 4

You decide to do some background research on the topic of outsourcing to broaden your general understanding of the topic and help structure your research. Which of the following questions addresses the context and structure of outsourcing service providers?
A)When and why did outsourcing first develop?
B)How has outsourcing evolved over time?
C)What types of outsourcing service providers exist?
D)How does outsourcing fit into the larger system of our workplace and tasks?
E)How do typical outsourcing service providers compare and contrast?

Accepted Answer

D) The three types of background questions concern history, context and structure, and categories. The only question that addresses the context and structure of outsourcing is this one.

Question 5

When doing background research on your topic, asking, "What else exists that serves similar purposes?" is a question about the topic's ________.
A)categories
B)history
C)popularity
D)appeal
E)context and structure

Accepted Answer

E) The three groups of background research questions are history, context and structure, and categories. This question deals with the context and structure of the topic.

Question 6

Which of the following is TRUE of academic research?
A)The goal of most academic research is for the researcher to learn.
B)Its starting point is typically a specific question or problem.
C)The aim of the research is to find, analyze, and organize information that will solve a problem.
D)The skills required for it are not applicable to workplace research.
E)It in no way prepares you for the research you will need to do in the workplace.

Accepted Answer

A) Many of the skills that you developed doing academic research will be useful for workplace research. Both types require you to identify research questions, find appropriate sources, extract the right information, combine it with information from other sources, and present it in a useful format. Academic research typically starts with a topic. You need to focus on that topic, identify a research question, and then structure the research. The goal of most academic research is for the researcher to learn.

Question 7

At your company a number of routine office tasks are loosely shared among entry-level employees, who perform these duties in addition to their specific job descriptions. This often results in tasks being done late, poorly, or not at all. You suggest to your boss that outsourcing this work might be a good idea. He is interested and asks you to research and recommend a service provider.
-Which of the following would most likely be considered a secondary source?
A)talking to the entry-level employees about why the duties are not being properly executed
B)surveying other companies who outsource the kinds of duties you are looking to outsource
C)reading a journal article about the perceived versus actual cost effectiveness of outsourcing
D)discussing the situation with your boss
E)speaking to outsourcing service providers about some options

Accepted Answer

C) Secondary sources are the results of other people's research found in articles, books, or research reports, usually written by the researchers themselves. Primary sources provide raw data and tertiary sources synthesize material from secondary sources, framing them for general users. Tertiary sources include encyclopedias, textbooks, and the results of most standard web searches.

Question 8

________ are the characteristics of the research that prevent you from generalizing your findings more broadly.
A)Scopes
B)Limitations
C)Sources
D)Samples
E)Populations

Accepted Answer

B) Establishing the scope of your research also allows you to define the limitations of your research.

Question 9

At your company a number of routine office tasks are loosely shared among entry-level employees, who perform these duties in addition to their specific job descriptions. This often results in tasks being done late, poorly, or not at all. You suggest to your boss that outsourcing this work might be a good idea. He is interested and asks you to research and recommend a service provider.
-Which of the following is an example of a primary source?
A)the website of an outsourcing service provider that you are considering
B)a Wikipedia article about the popularity of outsourcing
C)a journal article about the impact of outsourcing on a company's bottom line
D)a research report discussing the effects of outsourcing on the overall economy
E)a textbook chapter about the ethical implications of outsourcing

Accepted Answer

A) Primary texts-such as texts written by the subjects you are researching-are another form of primary research. So the website or marketing materials of the various outsourcing providers you are evaluating are considered primary sources.

Question 10

Which of the following is TRUE of workplace research?
A)Its starting point is a topic.
B)The goal of most workplace research is for the researcher to learn.
C)Employers will expect you to have all the information you need at your fingertips.
D)You will need to find appropriate sources.
E)It requires skills completely different from those used in academic research.

Accepted Answer

D) Many of the skills that you developed doing academic research will be useful for workplace research. Both types require you to identify research questions, find appropriate sources, extract the right information, combine it with information from other sources, and present it in a useful format. Workplace research typically starts with a specific question or problem and the aim of the research is to find, analyze, and organize information that will help answer the question or solve the problem.

Question 11

Doing background research on your topic ________.
A)is not advised for business research
B)is only necessary for academic research
C)is vital, since you are required to include it in your final presentation
D)can help you structure your research
E)should not include information about your topic's history

Accepted Answer

D) It is important to understand your general topic. Background research helps you understand your topic's history, context and structure, and categories. You may not directly include the results of this background research in your final presentation, but gaining a broader background understanding of your topic can help you structure your research.

Question 12

Which of the following questions is NOT used to identify audience concerns and needs?
A)Who is the primary audience?
B)Who else might be affected by this problem or decision?
C)What sources will your audience expect you to consult?
D)What questions will your audience expect you to answer when you present the research?
E)When and why did my topic first develop?

Accepted Answer

E) Taking the time to analyze your audience and other stakeholders enables you to consider the problem from their point of view and identify concerns that you will need to address. This question is one used for background research of your topic, while the other choices all address your audience and stakeholders.

Question 13

At your company a number of routine office tasks are loosely shared among entry-level employees, who perform these duties in addition to their specific job descriptions. This often results in tasks being done late, poorly, or not at all. You suggest to your boss that outsourcing this work might be a good idea. He is interested and asks you to research and recommend a service provider. In this research project, who is your primary audience?
A)your company's entry-level employees
B)your boss
C)your company's upper management
D)the outsourcing service providers
E)yourself

Accepted Answer

B) Your boss asked you to research and recommend an outsourcing service provider, so he is your primary audience. Some of the other choices are your secondary audience or stakeholders.

Question 14

________ sources are books and articles that synthesize material from ________ sources, framing them for general readers.
A)Primary; secondary
B)Secondary; tertiary
C)Tertiary; primary
D)Primary; tertiary
E)Tertiary; secondary

Accepted Answer

E) Tertiary sources include encyclopedias, textbooks, online tools like Wikipedia, and the results of most standard web searches.

Question 15

All of the following assignments would require you to conduct research and share the results EXCEPT ________.
A)investigating why product sales are stagnant
B)determining which new products would most appeal to customers
C)adding the results that you were just sent to your report
D)deciding which new business your company should acquire
E)comparing several insurance plans to see which your company should offer to its employees

Accepted Answer

C) Adding data to a report does not require research. The information you need was given to you, and you merely have to incorporate it into your report. The other choices will require you to seek out information. While your employer won't expect you to have all the information at your fingertips, they will expect you to conduct research to get the information.

Question 16

At your company a number of routine office tasks are loosely shared among entry-level employees, who perform these duties in addition to their specific job descriptions. This often results in tasks being done late, poorly, or not at all. You suggest to your boss that outsourcing this work might be a good idea. He is interested and asks you to research and recommend a service provider.
-Which of the following best articulates the research question you have been asked to explore?
A)Is it fair to make entry-level employees do this additional work?
B)How much will it cost to outsource the work we are currently doing in-house?
C)Which outsourcing service provider would be the best for us?
D)Is outsourcing the best solution to our problem?
E)Why aren't our entry-level employees responsible enough to get this work done themselves?

Accepted Answer

C) Your boss is frustrated at the work being done poorly, late, or not at all and likes your suggestion about outsourcing. He asks you to find the best service provider to which you can outsource this work.

Question 17

Your supervisor recently expressed disappointment that no one in your department was participating in the company's new volunteer initiative, which encourages employees to "adopt" causes they care about and donate time and resources to help them. You decide to research some options-including a mentoring program at a local high school and a recreational centre at a nearby seniors' facility-so you can discuss them with your team and hopefully convince them to join the program with you. In this case, your primary audience is ________.
A)your supervisor
B)your department
C)your team members
D)the high school students
E)the seniors

Accepted Answer

C) Your team members are your primary audience, as they are the people to whom you will present your findings and ask to select which, if any, group they would like to adopt. The other choices represent your secondary audience and stakeholders.

Question 18

You are working on your first research project at a new job and discuss your work to date with a colleague who has been at the company for five years. 
-Your colleague tells you that one of your sources will not be highly regarded by the professional audience to whom you will present, and advises you to omit it. To which source is she most likely referring?
A)The New York Times
B)The Toronto Star
C)Statistics Canada
D)Wikipedia
E)Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology

Accepted Answer

D) A professional audience will not consider a general and nonvalidated source like Wikipedia to be professional or highly credible.

Question 19

Which of the following is TRUE?
A)Business research shouldn't follow a structured process.
B)The biggest challenge in business research is starting with a general topic and developing a research question.
C)Understanding exactly what you are looking for and where to look for it will benefit you in business research.
D)In business research, once you find data your work is done.
E)In business research, you can depend upon the credibility of all your sources.

Accepted Answer

C) Because most business research starts with a specific question or problem, you will have a distinct advantage over someone writing an academic paper who starts with only a general research topic and needs to develop a research question. However, you will still benefit from following a structured process that helps you understand exactly what you are looking for and where to look for it. Once you find the data, you need to evaluate whether the information is useful.

Question 20

You need to determine the steps that you will take to answer your research questions. Which of the following research activities best correlates with the research question, "What non-financial drawbacks are there to outsourcing?"
A)Interview the entry-level employees.
B)Speak to your boss and other department heads.
C)Interview intern candidates.
D)Review tax implications of outsourcing versus in-house work.
E)Interview other companies using outsourcing service providers for tasks similar to yours.

Accepted Answer

E) Companies who are outsourcing similar tasks would be in the best position to discuss complications associated with outsourcing that you might not anticipate.

Quiz 10: Finding and Evaluating Business Information

Your colleague tells you that Wikipedia ________.

Doing background research to broaden your understanding of your topic's history, context and structure, and categories is part of which aspect of determining what information you need?

You decide to do some background research on the topic of outsourcing to broaden your general understanding of the topic and help structure your research. Which of the following questions addresses the context and structure of outsourcing service providers?

When doing background research on your topic, asking, "What else exists that serves similar purposes?" is a question about the topic's ________.

Which of the following is TRUE of academic research?

________ are the characteristics of the research that prevent you from generalizing your findings more broadly.

Which of the following is TRUE of workplace research?

Doing background research on your topic ________.

Which of the following questions is NOT used to identify audience concerns and needs?

sources are books and articles that synthesize material from sources, framing them for general readers.

All of the following assignments would require you to conduct research and share the results EXCEPT ________.

Which of the following is TRUE?

You need to determine the steps that you will take to answer your research questions. Which of the following research activities best correlates with the research question, "What non-financial drawbacks are there to outsourcing?"