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Chapter 07
Email and Other Traditional Tools for Business Communication
True / False Questions
1. Spoken messages in the workplace are low in control but high in richness.
True False
2. A business memo is high in richness because the writer can carefully craft the messages at
his or her own pace and on his or her schedule.
True False
3. Email is a form of synchronous communication, because the individuals involved can pay
attention to and respond to communications at a time of their choosing.
True False
4. Email communication is the primary form of private, written business communication.
True False
5. Writers must be more careful to ensure ease of reading in print messages than in digital
messages such as emails.
True False
6. "The finance meeting will be at 10:00 on Thursday in the main conference room" is a good
subject line for an email.
True False
7-1
Copyright © 2016 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of
McGraw-Hill Education.
7. In the workplace, email communication is typically considered fairly casual because it is less
permanent than print communication.
True False
8. Even colleagues who know each other well often misinterpret humor and sarcasm in digital
communications.
True False
9. Terri sends out an email that simply lists tasks and assigns deadlines. She is correct in
assuming that this email will not convey any emotion.
True False
10. The neutrality effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages that are
intended as neutral as negative.
True False
11. Ingrid receives an email in which a customer calls her "the most incompetent, lazy excuse for
a customer service representative I have ever had to deal with." This is an example of a
flame.
True False
12. Focusing on task-related facts and issues in your reply is a good way to defuse situations
involving cyber incivility.
True False
13. Edgar texted vital information to his supervisor, Tonya. Later, Edgar found out that Tonya was
offended that he did not think the message was important enough for a phone call. Edgar
failed to consider the meta message of his text.
True False
7-2
14. Until you know the texting style of a colleague, you should use mainly abbreviations,
acronyms, and emoticons.
True False
15. Texting during meetings is rude and should be done only in case of an emergency.
True False
16. You should turn off message alerts as they can distract you and reduce your focus.
True False
17. In order to manage e-interruptions effectively, reply immediately to all messages.
True False
18. A Microsoft study found that interruptions have little impact on performance because most
people can focus on two or more things at a time.
True False
19. For informal business phone calls, send your conversation partner an invitation with a
specific call time and an agenda of what you plan to discuss.
True False
20. Lena is correct in thinking that she should immediately start a business call with the first
issue to be discussed.
True False
Multiple Choice Questions
7-3
21. When choosing a communication channel, ______ refers to the degree to which
communications can be planned and recorded, thus allowing strategic message
development.
A. richness
B. immediacy
C. constraint
D. coordination
E. control
22. Angel prefers written communication because she can brainstorm, draft, edit, revise, and
otherwise develop her message before delivering it. Which aspect of communication does she
value?
A. permanence
B. immediacy
C. planning
D. richness
E. coordination
23. Bao is conducting a study that compares the cost of keeping print messages on file versus
storing digital messages in the cloud. What aspect of communications relates to the storage
of messages?
A. coordination
B. planning
C. constraint
D. permanence
E. richness
7-4
24. Rick is trying to schedule a video teleconference with colleagues at several locations. To do
so, he needs to coordinate their schedules and also check to see if the company needs to
invest in any additional resources to make it happen. By addressing coordination and
resource issues, he is dealing with
A. constraint.
B. control.
C. immediacy.
D. permanence.
E. richness.
25. Which of the following deals with how quickly someone is able to give feedback during
communication?
A. coordination
B. immediacy
C. cue
D. permanence
E. richness
26. Logan dislikes email and texting because he cannot hear the other person's tone of voice or
see facial expressions. Logan's frustration is related to a lack of
A. constraints.
B. resources.
C. cues.
D. control.
E. permanence.
7-5
27. Individuals involved in ______ communication can pay attention to and respond to
communications at a time of their choosing.
A. asynchronous
B. synergized
C. low empathy
D. intrapersonal
E. concurrent
28. Maya's virtual team includes editors in the United States, designers in Italy, and fact
checkers in India. Maya wants the team to discuss the development process for their next
book. Which communication channel will best allow team members to consider what they
say, to respond in a way that is comfortable, and to fit the discussion in their schedules?
A. a conference call
B. a videoconference
C. an electronic discussion thread
D. a series of print memos
E. a series of one-to-one phone calls
29. Polly needs to communicate with many people in her department. It is not necessary for
everyone to receive the message at the same time. Which of the following is the best tool for
Polly to use?
A. a videoconference
B. an email
C. a phone conversation
D. a conference call
E. a webinar
7-6
30. Which of the following is typically used for short, one-to-one or one-to-many messages and
is ideal for quick announcements and scheduling?
A. a blog
C. texting
E. a webinar
31. Which of the following facilitates a one-stop work space containing project and meeting
information, shared files, and communication platforms?
A. texting
B. written messages
C. webinar
D. social networking
E. email
32. Ismail needs to let Felicia know that the funds for her pet project have been slashed. Which
communication channel should Ismail use?
A. email
B. written message
C. social networking
D. texting
E. spoken communication
7-7
33. Email communication is
A. characterized by low control.

B. characterized by little coordination.
C. a rich communication medium.
D. a high-cost option.
E. best suited for emotional communication tasks.
34. Craig is the sales manager at Blaize Supersports and has a 20-member sales team. During an
average day, Craig receives about 115 emails and sends out 75 emails. James, a salesperson
at the store, is typing an email to Craig. James wants to take a week off to spend time with
his family. Which of the following is true concerning the subject line of James's email?
A. The email does not need a subject line because it comes from one of Craig's staff.
B. It should include only the number of days and dates of his vacation.
C. It should include James's name, department details, and employee identification number.
D. It should use a descriptive subject line such as "James requests time off."
E. It should include an attention-getting phrase such as "Urgent Staff Issue."
35. Judging only by length, which of the following is the best subject line for an email?
A. Why?
B. Last month
C. The reason why we should consider implementing this marketing plan is its many benefits.
D. Team meeting, Harper conference room, at 11:00
E. So, here it goes
7-8
36. Which of the following is most likely to be placed in the subject line of an email?
A. an expected action
B. a signature block
C. a list of attachments
D. a professional tagline
E. the recipient's name
37. Which of the following is most likely to be included in the signature block of an email?
A. a list of attachments
B. an expected action
C. statistical data
D. contact details
E. the names of all the recipients
38. Which of the following guidelines best ensures that your email is easy to read?
A. Include a subject line that is at least 20 words long.

B. Make each paragraph in your message at least 80 words long.
C. Avoid the inclusion of attachments.
D. Avoid stating expected actions explicitly.
E. Provide a descriptive signature block.
39. Which of the following serves the same function in emails that headlines do in newspapers
and magazines?
A. subject lines
B. signature blocks
C. attachments
D. salutations
E. first paragraphs
7-9
40. When Sherry sends task-oriented emails to colleagues, she always tells them the deadline for
the tasks and details about when she is available to talk or meet. What conclusion are
Sherry's colleagues likely to draw from this?
A. Sherry holds an important place in the organization.

B. Sherry is arrogant and bossy.
C. Sherry respects their time and other commitments.
D. Sherry packs unnecessary information in her messages.
E. Sherry has leadership potential.
41. What should you do when you cannot respond to a request made in an email?
A. Log off the system so the sender will assume that you are offline.
B. Set up an automated response to say that you are out of town.
C. Inform the sender that you are busy and cannot reply straightaway.
D. Reply immediately to explain how soon you can respond in full.
E. Ignore the email for now and reply when you can.
42. Paul always hits "reply to all" whenever he answers a team email, even if the email was a
question posed by one other person and directed only to Paul. When he initiates an email
about his project, he sends it to everyone in his department. Judging only from this
information, what impact does Paul have on his department's communications?
A. He is spreading confidential information to unauthorized people.

B. He is making everyone in his department feel included as part of the team.
C. He is helping make the department work more efficiently.
D. He is ensuring that each person on the team clearly knows his or her assignment.
E. He is contributing to email overload in his department.
7-10
43. Which of the following is a reason why greetings and names are omitted from emails?
A. People do not like being greeted or having their names used very often.
B. Omitting names and greetings saves space and keeps many emails on one screen.
C. Some professionals view emails as the equivalent of memos, which traditionally omit
names and greetings.
D. Most people are emotionally uninvolved at work and are not inclined toward greeting
others.
E. Since emails are typically forwarded to several other people, it is inappropriate to name
only one recipient.
44. Which of the following is an example of the neutrality effect?
A. George writes an email in which he intends to express a negative emotion, but readers
decode it as neutral.
B. Sue writes an email in which she intends to express a positive emotion, but readers
C. Ali writes an email in which he intends to express a neutral emotion, and readers decode it
as neutral.
D. Rand writes an email that he intends to be neutral, but readers decode it as negative.
E. Cora writes an email that she intends to be neutral, but readers decode it as positive.
45. Clement, a customer service representative at Sarah's Supermart, has a tough time handling
customers during his first week on the job. Carlo, Clement's colleague, guides him through
this difficult period. Afterward, Clement writes Carlo an email to thank him warmly for his
help. Carlo neither reacts nor replies. Carlo's behavior is an example of
A. negativity effect.
B. neutrality effect.
C. active incivility.
D. defusing.
E. constraint.
7-11
46. Chris and Susan are employees of Finvest Corp. During a recent performance review, Susan's
manager tells her that her productivity has declined this year and she needs to improve.
When Susan confides this to Chris, he mentions objectively that he has noticed she is
spending more time texting on the job. Susan responds by saying, "I don't need you to
criticize me too!" Susan's behavior is an example of
C. passive incivility.
D. defusing.
E. a flame.
47. James usually wants other people to think well of him, but when he is online, he feels
anonymous enough to say profanely negative things. What is the term for such comments?
A. flames
B. noise
C. reinterpretation
D. constraint
E. defusing
48. What is cyber silence?
A. It is the tendency to perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as neutral.

B. It is the tendency to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as negative.
C. It is the act of sending digital communications characterized by words of profanity and
obscenity.
D. It is the act of not responding to emails or other digital communications.
E. It is the tendency to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as positive.
7-12
49. Dave sends an email to his colleague, Stan, asking for important details about an ongoing
project. Stan is on a business trip and finds no time to reply to all of Dave's queries. Dave
wrongly perceives that Stan is ignoring him. Which of the following should Dave do?
A. Because Stan is indulging in cyber silence, Dave should retort with flames.
B. Dave should inform their manager about his complaints against Stan.
C. Because Stan is on a business trip, Dave should not bother him even if the project falls
behind.
D. Dave should call Stan or send a polite message saying he would appreciate an early reply.
E. Dave should ignore Stan's emails when Stan finally replies.
50. When Samantha was asked to inform a colleague she dislikes about a meeting, she waited
until an hour before the meeting to email the information to the woman. What is this an
example of?
A. maintaining formality
B. passive incivility
C. negativity effect
D. neutrality effect
E. active incivility
51. Which of the following involves adjusting your initial perceptions by making more objective
and fact-based evaluations and fewer personal judgments?
A. reinterpretation
B. planning
C. coordination
D. defusing
E. incivility
7-13
52. Pongtorn receives an email in which a colleague accuses him of not caring about the success
of the team. Pongtorn responds by with an email that apologizes for giving that impression
and reports his progress on the tasks the team assigned him. What action has Pongtorn just
taken?
A. reinterpretation
B. planning
C. coordination
D. defusing
E. incivility
53. One possible negative effect of texting is that
A. the brevity of texts can make them sound bossy.

B. texts are an inherently serious channel.
C. texts do not convey meta messages.
D. the format of texts is not good for positive news.
E. texts cannot be sent to a group.
54. Jasper has to send out a number of communications. Which of the following is appropriate to
send as a text?
A. a reprimand to an employee who has been late two days in a row

B. an analysis of the latest sales figures for an important product
C. a complicated conversation that will require several exchanges with a colleague
D. a quick compliment to a colleague who gave a great presentation
E. an announcement that the company is not giving holiday bonuses this year
7-14
55. Savita sends the following message to a colleague she has texted only once before: "Do you
want to meet for coffee to discuss combining our efficiency reports?" What would make this
text more professional?
A. identifying who she is at the beginning of the message

B. adding a smiley face emoticon at the end of the message
C. using "Wanna" instead of "Do you want" to be more concise
D. sending the phrase "Call me" instead of the whole message
E. including a sarcastic comment about their impossible deadline
56. Just before Ellen goes to bed at 11:00 p.m., she realizes that she forgot to confirm a meeting
that she is supposed to attend the following day. She texts her colleague the following
message: "Hi, it's Ellen. Are we still on tomorrow at 3:00?" What should she have done
differently?
A. not bothered to include her name in the message

B. waited to send the text right after she arrived at the office the next day
C. included a frowning face emoticon to apologize for forgetting
D. made a humorous comment about having a memory like a sieve
E. turned off her sound alerts so she will not be awakened if her colleague answers
57. Hannah is in the middle of writing a report, and she does not want to disrupt the flow of her
work by walking over to the department bookcase to double check the name of their main
competitor's product. She decides to text Joe, who sits next to the bookcase, to ask him to do
it. Because of repeated incidents like this, Hannah is likely to be seen as
A. efficient.
B. a team player.
C. a contributor.
D. busy.
E. a taker.
7-15
58. Ayele sends the following message to the people he supervises in the factory: "Plant
inspection Wed. 9:00. Some fun, huh? Ayele." What is the best way to make this text more
professional?
A. moving his name to the beginning of the message

B. spelling out the word "Wednesday"
C. adding "a.m." after the time
D. deleting the phrase "Some fun, huh?"
E. adding a winking face emoticon
59. Frequent incoming messages can
A. increase productivity.
B. increase attention spans.
C. reduce creativity.
D. reduce stress.
E. improve civility.
60. Which of the following can help keep email-induced distractions at bay?
A. checking your messages once an hour

B. checking your messages at the end of the day
C. checking your messages once a week and using an automated message to indicate that
D. checking your messages just two to four times a day
E. checking your messages constantly to keep updated on the latest information
7-16
61. Why are companies like Google and Microsoft joining the Overload Research Group?
A. It is a service that responds to texts and emails on behalf of individuals.

B. It is a service that responds to texts and emails on behalf of companies.
C. It is an organization devoted to finding solutions to the problem of too many e-
interruptions.
D. It is a service that searches a company's emails to reduce overload by destroying
duplicates.
E. It is an organization trying to train workers to have better attention spans.
62. How is productivity affected when employees multitask?
A. Productivity increases by up to 80 percent.

B. Productivity increases by up to 40 percent.
C. Productivity remains the same.
D. Productivity drops by up to 40 percent.
E. Productivity drops by up to 85 percent.
63. Which of the following would help to reduce e-interruptions?
A. checking digital messages six to eight times a day at random

B. turning on an automatic message that you are not answering emails all day
C. replying immediately to all messages to get them out of the way
D. using rich channels of communication to accomplish tasks completely
E. adding colleagues to an email chain so they can answer the messages
7-17
64. Karla, the administrative assistant, sends an email with the annual holiday schedule to
everyone in the department. At the bottom of the email, Karla types "no reply necessary."
What can you infer about Karla from this?
A. She is not a very polite person.

B. She is creating unnecessary e-interruptions.
C. She is trying to reduce email overload.
D. She is taking on too much authority.
E. She sees herself as unimportant.
65. When preparing for a business phone call, you should do many of the same things you do for
A. an email.
B. a meeting.
C. texting.
D. a webinar.
E. social media.
66. What advantage do landlines have over mobile phones?
A. email ability
B. texting ability
C. Internet access
D. more reliable video
E. more reliable audio
7-18
67. Which of the following is a helpful guideline for phone conversations with business
colleagues?
A. Begin discussing business issues immediately after saying hello.

B. To keep a formal tone, avoid using the other person's name.
C. Multitask as long as you can do so without the other person suspecting.
D. Make sure that the conversation time is balanced between both parties.
E. To avoid wasting your colleagues' time, end without social niceties.
68. Which of the following is a helpful tip for using webcams during a group video call?
A. Make sure your background shows several objects relevant to the conversation.
B. Wear casual clothing that day to appear friendlier.
C. Maintain direct eye contact with the camera as much as possible.
D. Be careful to tone down your facial expressions and gestures.
E. Sit slightly to one side so you can display visual aids if needed.
Essay Questions
69. What does control refer to in choosing a communication channel? What do planning and
permanence mean, and how are they related to control?
7-19
70. Which channel or channels of communication provide the most richness? Which channels of
communication provide the least richness? Explain.
71. What are appropriate reasons to choose email as your communication channel?
72. What impression does it create when a business professional often flags his or her email as
"high priority"?
7-20
73. Describe neutrality effect and negativity effect.
74. Describe cyber incivility, and explain the difference between passive incivility and active
incivility. Give an example of each.
75. What tone and language conventions should you use when texting in the workplace? Explain.
7-21
76. Explain how e-interruptions affect productivity.
77. List the guidelines that can be followed to stay responsive to others but allow you to focus
enough to achieve peak performance.
78. What virtual meeting guidelines should you follow to make group voice and video calls more
productive?
7-22
Chapter 07 Email and Other Traditional Tools for Business
Communication Answer Key
True / False Questions
1. Spoken messages in the workplace are low in control but high in richness.
TRUE
Spoken messages in the workplace are generally high in richness but low in control. In
other words, when people speak to one another face-to-face, they get immediate verbal
and nonverbal feedback and respond accordingly.
AACSB: Communication
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 07-01 Explain the trade-offs associated with richness; control; and constraints when choosing a
communication channel.
Topic: Strategically Selecting Channels for Communication
2. A business memo is high in richness because the writer can carefully craft the messages
at his or her own pace and on his or her schedule.
FALSE
Written messages in the workplace are generally low in richness, since they typically do
not allow immediate feedback and lack a variety of social, verbal, and nonverbal cues.
Instead, they are high in control, the degree to which they can be planned and recorded.
Blooms: Understand
Difficulty: 2 Medium
7-23
3. Email is a form of synchronous communication, because the individuals involved can pay
attention to and respond to communications at a time of their choosing.
FALSE
Email is a form of asynchronous communication, which does not occur in real time.
Individuals involved in such communication can pay attention to and respond to
Blooms: Understand
4. Email communication is the primary form of private, written business communication.
TRUE
Email communication is the primary form of private, written business communication.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 07-02 Apply principles for writing effective emails.
Topic: Creating Effective Emails
5. Writers must be more careful to ensure ease of reading in print messages than in digital
messages such as emails.
FALSE
In all written communication, ensuring ease of reading is critical, but it is even more
crucial in emails and other digital messages.
7-24
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
6. "The finance meeting will be at 10:00 on Thursday in the main conference room" is a good
subject line for an email.
FALSE
Good subject lines are generally five to ten words long. By contrast, poor subjects are
either too short (1 or 2 words) and thus nondescriptive or too long (12 words or longer)
and thus difficult to process.
AACSB: Knowledge Application

Blooms: Apply
7. In the workplace, email communication is typically considered fairly casual because it is

less permanent than print communication.
FALSE
In the workplace, email communication is typically considered fairly formal. Remember

that many more people can potentially see an email than would ever see a hard copy of a
message, so having high standards is even more important.
Blooms: Understand
7-25
8. Even colleagues who know each other well often misinterpret humor and sarcasm in
digital communications.
TRUE
Humor and sarcasm can be misinterpreted in digital communications, even among close
colleagues.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
9. Terri sends out an email that simply lists tasks and assigns deadlines. She is correct in
assuming that this email will not convey any emotion.
FALSE
Avoiding emotion entirely, even for task-based messages, is nearly impossible.
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 07-03 Explain how to handle emotion effectively in online communications.
10. The neutrality effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages that are
FALSE
The neutrality effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages with an
intended positive emotion as neutral.
Blooms: Remember
7-26
Difficulty: 1 Easy
11. Ingrid receives an email in which a customer calls her "the most incompetent, lazy excuse
for a customer service representative I have ever had to deal with." This is an example of a
flame.
TRUE
Flames are emails or other digital communications with "hostile intentions characterized
by words of profanity, obscenity, and insults that inflict harm to a person or an
organization."

Blooms: Apply
12. Focusing on task-related facts and issues in your reply is a good way to defuse situations
involving cyber incivility.
TRUE
Focusing on task-related facts and issues in your reply is a good way to defuse uncivil
electronic communications.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-27
13. Edgar texted vital information to his supervisor, Tonya. Later, Edgar found out that Tonya
was offended that he did not think the message was important enough for a phone call.
Edgar failed to consider the meta message of his text.
TRUE
Because professionals hold so many attitudes toward texting, think about how they would
interpret a text. One colleague might decode a text as saying, "You are not important
enough for a phone call."
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 07-04 Describe strategies for effective texting in the workplace.
Topic: Texting in the Workplace
14. Until you know the texting style of a colleague, you should use mainly abbreviations,
acronyms, and emoticons.
FALSE
Until you know the texting style of others in the workplace, you should err on the side of
complete sentences and standard language conventions.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-28
15. Texting during meetings is rude and should be done only in case of an emergency.
FALSE
Texting and other forms of short messaging are increasingly common during meetings in
some organizations. Texting can be used to prompt team members about topics to cover,
give quick updates as needed to team leaders, ask for information from colleagues or
clients outside the meeting, and assist teammates in a variety of ways. Some
organizations' cultures encourage this, whereas others strictly discourage it. Pay attention
to the culture of texting at your company.
Blooms: Understand
16. You should turn off message alerts as they can distract you and reduce your focus.
TRUE
It is a good idea to turn off message alerts. Over the course of a day, these alerts can
distract you and reduce your focus.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Learning Objective: 07-05 Describe strategies for managing digital message overload.
Topic: Manage Your Emails and Texts to Avoid Distractions
17. In order to manage e-interruptions effectively, reply immediately to all messages.
FALSE
Reply immediately only to urgent messages.
7-29
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
18. A Microsoft study found that interruptions have little impact on performance because
most people can focus on two or more things at a time.
FALSE
Distractions impact your performance for much longer than the few moments you take to
acknowledge and respond to incoming messages. A Microsoft study found that it takes 15
minutes on average to refocus after an interruption.
Blooms: Understand
19. For informal business phone calls, send your conversation partner an invitation with a
specific call time and an agenda of what you plan to discuss.
FALSE
Many phone conversations are much like meetings, so consider sending an invitation with
an agenda to your conversation partner. For less formal conversations, at least plan your
purpose and major points to cover.
Blooms: Understand
Learning Objective: 07-06 Explain principles for effective phone conversations and videoconferences.
Topic: Building Connections with Phone Conversations
7-30
20. Lena is correct in thinking that she should immediately start a business call with the first
issue to be discussed.
FALSE
Most callers appreciate a few light comments to start a conversation, but be careful not to
let the initial small talk drag on. Most effective business calls get to the issues at hand
within one or two minutes.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
Multiple Choice Questions
21. When choosing a communication channel, ______ refers to the degree to which
communications can be planned and recorded, thus allowing strategic message
development.
A. richness
B. immediacy
C. constraint
D. coordination
E. control
Control refers to the degree to which communications can be planned and recorded, thus
allowing strategic message development.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-31
22. Angel prefers written communication because she can brainstorm, draft, edit, revise, and
otherwise develop her message before delivering it. Which aspect of communication does
she value?
A. permanence
B. immediacy
C. planning
D. richness
E. coordination
Angel values planning. Communication channels that allow for a high level of planning can
be tightly drafted, edited and revised, rehearsed, and otherwise strategically developed
before delivery.
Blooms: Understand
7-32
23. Bao is conducting a study that compares the cost of keeping print messages on file versus
storing digital messages in the cloud. What aspect of communications relates to the
storage of messages?
A. coordination
B. planning
C. constraint
D. permanence
E. richness
Permanence refers to the extent to which the message can be stored, retrieved, and
distributed to others.
Blooms: Understand
24. Rick is trying to schedule a video teleconference with colleagues at several locations. To
do so, he needs to coordinate their schedules and also check to see if the company needs
to invest in any additional resources to make it happen. By addressing coordination and
resource issues, he is dealing with
A. constraint.
B. control.
C. immediacy.
D. permanence.
E. richness.
Constraints refer to the practical limitations of coordination and resources.
Blooms: Understand
7-33
25. Which of the following deals with how quickly someone is able to give feedback during
communication?
A. coordination
B. immediacy
C. cue
D. permanence
E. richness
Immediacy deals with how quickly someone is able to give feedback during a conversation.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
26. Logan dislikes email and texting because he cannot hear the other person's tone of voice
or see facial expressions. Logan's frustration is related to a lack of
A. constraints.
B. resources.
C. cues.
D. control.
E. permanence.
Cues include social cues (turn-taking), verbal cues (tone of voice), and nonverbal cues
(gestures, facial expressions).
7-34
Blooms: Understand
27. Individuals involved in ______ communication can pay attention to and respond to
A. asynchronous
B. synergized
C. low empathy
D. intrapersonal
E. concurrent
Asynchronous communication does not occur in real time. Individuals involved in such
communication can pay attention to and respond to communications at a time of their
choosing.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-35
28. Maya's virtual team includes editors in the United States, designers in Italy, and fact
checkers in India. Maya wants the team to discuss the development process for their next
book. Which communication channel will best allow team members to consider what they
say, to respond in a way that is comfortable, and to fit the discussion in their schedules?
A. a conference call
C. an electronic discussion thread
D. a series of print memos
E. a series of one-to-one phone calls
Asynchronous communication does not occur in real time. Individuals involved in such
communication can pay attention to and respond to communications at a time of their
choosing. Successful virtual teams use electronic discussion threads to generate and
evaluate ideas. By working asynchronously, virtual team members can pick and choose
when to make their contributions.

Blooms: Apply
7-36
29. Polly needs to communicate with many people in her department. It is not necessary for
everyone to receive the message at the same time. Which of the following is the best tool
for Polly to use?
A. a videoconference
B. an email
C. a phone conversation
E. a webinar
Email is an asynchronous communication channel used for one-to-one or one-to-many

business messages. Email is the dominant communication tool for private, written
business messages.

Blooms: Apply
30. Which of the following is typically used for short, one-to-one or one-to-many messages
and is ideal for quick announcements and scheduling?
A. a blog
C. texting
E. a webinar
Texting is used for short, one-to-one or one-to-many messages. It is ideal for quick
announcements and scheduling, although it is not well-suited for important or complex
business messages.
7-37
Blooms: Understand
31. Which of the following facilitates a one-stop work space containing project and meeting
information, shared files, and communication platforms?
A. texting
B. written messages
C. webinar
D. social networking
E. email
Blogs, wikis, and social networking are used for team and networked communication. They
facilitate a one-stop work space containing project and meeting information, shared files,
and communication platforms.
Blooms: Understand
7-38
32. Ismail needs to let Felicia know that the funds for her pet project have been slashed.
Which communication channel should Ismail use?
A. email
B. written message
C. social networking
D. texting
E. spoken communication
Spoken communication is ideal for matters that require rapport-building, discussion,

brainstorming, clarification, and immediate feedback. It is preferred for sensitive and
emotion-packed situations.

Blooms: Apply
33. Email communication is
A. characterized by low control.

B. characterized by little coordination.
C. a rich communication medium.
D. a high-cost option.
E. best suited for emotional communication tasks.
Email communication is the primary form of written business communication. Email

communication has few constraints (low cost, little coordination) and high control (the
writer can think messages out carefully, and they provide a permanent record).
Blooms: Understand
7-39
34. Craig is the sales manager at Blaize Supersports and has a 20-member sales team. During
an average day, Craig receives about 115 emails and sends out 75 emails. James, a
salesperson at the store, is typing an email to Craig. James wants to take a week off to
spend time with his family. Which of the following is true concerning the subject line of
James's email?
A. The email does not need a subject line because it comes from one of Craig's staff.
B. It should include only the number of days and dates of his vacation.
C. It should include James's name, department details, and employee identification
number.
D. It should use a descriptive subject line such as "James requests time off."
E. It should include an attention-getting phrase such as "Urgent Staff Issue."
Message recipients make immediate judgments about the importance of a message based
on the subject line. Fundamentally, subject lines frame your entire message; they serve
the same role that headlines do in newspapers and magazines. Good subject lines are
generally five to ten words long. They should not be misleading to get attention.

Blooms: Apply
7-40
35. Judging only by length, which of the following is the best subject line for an email?
A. Why?
B. Last month
C. The reason why we should consider implementing this marketing plan is its many
benefits.
D. Team meeting, Harper conference room, at 11:00
E. So, here it goes
Message recipients make immediate judgments about the importance of a message based
on the subject line. Good subject lines are generally five to ten words long. By contrast,
poor subjects are either too short (1 or 2 words) and thus nondescriptive or too long (12
words or longer) and thus difficult to process.
Blooms: Understand
36. Which of the following is most likely to be placed in the subject line of an email?
A. an expected action
B. a signature block
C. a list of attachments
D. a professional tagline
E. the recipient's name
Most emails are intended to spur action. Effective emails contain specific and clear
requests so that recipients know exactly how to respond. In many cases, you can place
these directions in the subject line for greatest clarity.
Blooms: Understand
7-41
37. Which of the following is most likely to be included in the signature block of an email?
A. a list of attachments
B. an expected action
C. statistical data
D. contact details
E. the names of all the recipients
Signature blocks should provide clear contact information. This allows recipients to easily
contact you through richer communication channels if needed. It also enhances your
professional image.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
38. Which of the following guidelines best ensures that your email is easy to read?
A. Include a subject line that is at least 20 words long.

B. Make each paragraph in your message at least 80 words long.
C. Avoid the inclusion of attachments.
D. Avoid stating expected actions explicitly.
E. Provide a descriptive signature block.
Signature blocks should provide clear contact information. This allows recipients to easily
contact you through richer communication channels if needed. It also enhances your
professional image.
Blooms: Understand
7-42
39. Which of the following serves the same function in emails that headlines do in newspapers
and magazines?
A. subject lines
B. signature blocks
C. attachments
D. salutations
E. first paragraphs
Fundamentally, subject lines frame your entire message; they serve the same role that
headlines do in newspapers and magazines.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-43
40. When Sherry sends task-oriented emails to colleagues, she always tells them the deadline
for the tasks and details about when she is available to talk or meet. What conclusion are
Sherry's colleagues likely to draw from this?
A. Sherry holds an important place in the organization.

B. Sherry is arrogant and bossy.
C. Sherry respects their time and other commitments.
D. Sherry packs unnecessary information in her messages.
E. Sherry has leadership potential.
If you use email to coordinate tasks with deadlines, provide detailed information about
time frames and your availability. If you are setting up appointments, make sure you have
provided several options. By clearly providing timelines and schedules, you minimize the
number of emails needed to coordinate your efforts, thus saving time. By providing
options, you show respect for your colleagues' schedules.
Blooms: Understand
41. What should you do when you cannot respond to a request made in an email?
A. Log off the system so the sender will assume that you are offline.
B. Set up an automated response to say that you are out of town.
C. Inform the sender that you are busy and cannot reply straightaway.
D. Reply immediately to explain how soon you can respond in full.
E. Ignore the email for now and reply when you can.
If you cannot respond to a request made in an email, reply immediately and explain how
soon you can respond in full. You might use phrases such as "I will respond to your email
by next Tuesday" or "I can take care of this by the end of next week."
7-44
Blooms: Understand
42. Paul always hits "reply to all" whenever he answers a team email, even if the email was a
question posed by one other person and directed only to Paul. When he initiates an email
about his project, he sends it to everyone in his department. Judging only from this
information, what impact does Paul have on his department's communications?
A. He is spreading confidential information to unauthorized people.

B. He is making everyone in his department feel included as part of the team.
C. He is helping make the department work more efficiently.
D. He is ensuring that each person on the team clearly knows his or her assignment.
E. He is contributing to email overload in his department.
Three features contribute to email chains: forward, copy, and reply to all. As the number of
messages and people involved in an email chain increases, confusion can build. Copying
too many people can lead to information overload and also create confusion about who is
responsible for doing tasks.
Blooms: Understand
7-45
43. Which of the following is a reason why greetings and names are omitted from emails?
A. People do not like being greeted or having their names used very often.
B. Omitting names and greetings saves space and keeps many emails on one screen.
C. Some professionals view emails as the equivalent of memos, which traditionally omit
names and greetings.
D. Most people are emotionally uninvolved at work and are not inclined toward greeting
others.
E. Since emails are typically forwarded to several other people, it is inappropriate to name
only one recipient.
People leave out names in emails for several reasons. Some professionals view the use of
greetings and names as excessively formal. Other professionals view emails as the
equivalent of memos. In fact, the layout of most emails—with a recipient line, sender line,
and subject line—resembles memos. Traditionally, the format for memos calls for omitting
a personal greeting and name.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-46
44. Which of the following is an example of the neutrality effect?
A. George writes an email in which he intends to express a negative emotion, but readers
B. Sue writes an email in which she intends to express a positive emotion, but readers
C. Ali writes an email in which he intends to express a neutral emotion, and readers
D. Rand writes an email that he intends to be neutral, but readers decode it as negative.
E. Cora writes an email that she intends to be neutral, but readers decode it as positive.
Blooms: Understand
45. Clement, a customer service representative at Sarah's Supermart, has a tough time
handling customers during his first week on the job. Carlo, Clement's colleague, guides
him through this difficult period. Afterward, Clement writes Carlo an email to thank him
warmly for his help. Carlo neither reacts nor replies. Carlo's behavior is an example of
C. active incivility.
D. defusing.
E. constraint.
AACSB: Analytical Thinking

7-47
Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
46. Chris and Susan are employees of Finvest Corp. During a recent performance review,
Susan's manager tells her that her productivity has declined this year and she needs to
improve. When Susan confides this to Chris, he mentions objectively that he has noticed
she is spending more time texting on the job. Susan responds by saying, "I don't need you
to criticize me too!" Susan's behavior is an example of
C. passive incivility.
D. defusing.
E. a flame.
The negativity effect means that recipients are more likely to perceive messages that are

Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
7-48
47. James usually wants other people to think well of him, but when he is online, he feels
anonymous enough to say profanely negative things. What is the term for such
comments?
A. flames
B. noise
C. reinterpretation
D. constraint
E. defusing
People often feel comfortable writing things they would not say in person. In some cases,
this sense of online freedom leads to flames, which are emails or other digital
communications with "hostile intentions characterized by words of profanity, obscenity,
and insults that inflict harm to a person or an organization."
Blooms: Understand
48. What is cyber silence?
A. It is the tendency to perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as neutral.

B. It is the tendency to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as negative.
C. It is the act of sending digital communications characterized by words of profanity and
obscenity.
D. It is the act of not responding to emails or other digital communications.
E. It is the tendency to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as positive.
One of the aspects of asynchronous electronic communications that can lead to anger and
frustration is cyber silence, which is nonresponse to emails and other communications.
Blooms: Remember
7-49
Difficulty: 1 Easy
49. Dave sends an email to his colleague, Stan, asking for important details about an ongoing
project. Stan is on a business trip and finds no time to reply to all of Dave's queries. Dave
wrongly perceives that Stan is ignoring him. Which of the following should Dave do?
A. Because Stan is indulging in cyber silence, Dave should retort with flames.
B. Dave should inform their manager about his complaints against Stan.
C. Because Stan is on a business trip, Dave should not bother him even if the project falls
behind.
D. Dave should call Stan or send a polite message saying he would appreciate an early
reply.
E. Dave should ignore Stan's emails when Stan finally replies.
As a message sender, grant the benefit of the doubt to your recipients when responses
take longer than you expected. Instead of getting frustrated, consider giving them a phone
call. Keep in mind that they may have different expectations about a reasonable time
frame to respond to your email. If they routinely take longer than you expect, politely
mention that you would appreciate quicker responses.

Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
7-50
50. When Samantha was asked to inform a colleague she dislikes about a meeting, she waited
until an hour before the meeting to email the information to the woman. What is this an
example of?
A. maintaining formality
B. passive incivility
C. negativity effect
D. neutrality effect
E. active incivility
Cyber incivility is the violation of respect and consideration in an online environment

based on workplace norms. Passive incivility involves indirect forms of disrespect (i.e.,
using emails for time-sensitive messages, not acknowledging receipt of emails, not
replying to emails).

Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
51. Which of the following involves adjusting your initial perceptions by making more objective
and fact-based evaluations and fewer personal judgments?
A. reinterpretation
B. planning
C. coordination
D. defusing
E. incivility
Reinterpretation involves adjusting your initial perceptions by making more objective, more
fact-based, and less personal judgments and evaluations.
Blooms: Remember
7-51
Difficulty: 1 Easy
52. Pongtorn receives an email in which a colleague accuses him of not caring about the
success of the team. Pongtorn responds by with an email that apologizes for giving that
impression and reports his progress on the tasks the team assigned him. What action has
Pongtorn just taken?
A. reinterpretation
B. planning
C. coordination
D. defusing
E. incivility
Defusing involves avoiding escalation and removing tension to focus on work objectives.

Blooms: Analyze
Difficulty: 3 Hard
53. One possible negative effect of texting is that
A. the brevity of texts can make them sound bossy.

B. texts are an inherently serious channel.
C. texts do not convey meta messages.
D. the format of texts is not good for positive news.
E. texts cannot be sent to a group.
One risk of texts is that with a focus on conciseness, they may come across as
commanding, abrupt, or unfeeling.
Blooms: Understand
7-52
54. Jasper has to send out a number of communications. Which of the following is appropriate
to send as a text?
A. a reprimand to an employee who has been late two days in a row

B. an analysis of the latest sales figures for an important product
C. a complicated conversation that will require several exchanges with a colleague
D. a quick compliment to a colleague who gave a great presentation
E. an announcement that the company is not giving holiday bonuses this year
Texts are best used for short, uncomplicated business messages. If there is any level of
complexity, you are better off speaking to others directly or sending an email. You should
reserve most texts for straightforward positive messages. Texts can be a particularly
effective way to send quick notes of support, congratulations, and appreciation to close
colleagues.

Blooms: Apply
7-53
55. Savita sends the following message to a colleague she has texted only once before: "Do
you want to meet for coffee to discuss combining our efficiency reports?" What would
make this text more professional?
A. identifying who she is at the beginning of the message

B. adding a smiley face emoticon at the end of the message
C. using "Wanna" instead of "Do you want" to be more concise
D. sending the phrase "Call me" instead of the whole message
E. including a sarcastic comment about their impossible deadline
Other than for people you text often, you cannot be certain whether you are part of the
message recipient's address list. Simply stating your name will help avoid confusion in
many cases.

Blooms: Apply
56. Just before Ellen goes to bed at 11:00 p.m., she realizes that she forgot to confirm a
meeting that she is supposed to attend the following day. She texts her colleague the
following message: "Hi, it's Ellen. Are we still on tomorrow at 3:00?" What should she have
done differently?
A. not bothered to include her name in the message

B. waited to send the text right after she arrived at the office the next day
C. included a frowning face emoticon to apologize for forgetting
D. made a humorous comment about having a memory like a sieve
E. turned off her sound alerts so she will not be awakened if her colleague answers
Many new communication tools lead to professionals blurring the line between personal
time and work time. Compared to email and other communication tools, texts may be
considered even more intrusive when sent after hours.
7-54
Blooms: Apply
57. Hannah is in the middle of writing a report, and she does not want to disrupt the flow of
her work by walking over to the department bookcase to double check the name of their
main competitor's product. She decides to text Joe, who sits next to the bookcase, to ask
him to do it. Because of repeated incidents like this, Hannah is likely to be seen as
A. efficient.
B. a team player.
C. a contributor.
D. busy.
E. a taker.
Do not ask questions you can get answers to yourself. When professionals ask questions
and offload their own work via texts or emails too often, they acquire reputations as takers
rather than contributors.
Blooms: Understand
7-55
58. Ayele sends the following message to the people he supervises in the factory: "Plant
inspection Wed. 9:00. Some fun, huh? Ayele." What is the best way to make this text more
professional?
A. moving his name to the beginning of the message

B. spelling out the word "Wednesday"
C. adding "a.m." after the time
D. deleting the phrase "Some fun, huh?"
E. adding a winking face emoticon
Trying to use sarcasm and jokes in texts is often misinterpreted. Ayele should delete the
sarcastic phrase "Some fun, huh?"

Blooms: Apply
59. Frequent incoming messages can
A. increase productivity.
B. increase attention spans.
C. reduce creativity.
D. reduce stress.
E. improve civility.
Interruptions from digital messages, or e-interruptions, are extremely costly to your

performance. These disruptions have been shown to reduce attention spans, increase
stress, and even reduce creativity.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-56
60. Which of the following can help keep email-induced distractions at bay?
A. checking your messages once an hour

B. checking your messages at the end of the day
C. checking your messages once a week and using an automated message to indicate
that
D. checking your messages just two to four times a day
E. checking your messages constantly to keep updated on the latest information
Check digital messages just two to four times each day at designated times. Unless your
job calls for it (or your boss demands it!), you should never check your messages more
than every 45 minutes. Consider scheduling periods during the day to exclusively devote to
email. For example, you might schedule 30 minutes to an hour at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. each
day to communicate via email and other online tools.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-57
61. Why are companies like Google and Microsoft joining the Overload Research Group?
A. It is a service that responds to texts and emails on behalf of individuals.

B. It is a service that responds to texts and emails on behalf of companies.
C. It is an organization devoted to finding solutions to the problem of too many e-
interruptions.
D. It is a service that searches a company's emails to reduce overload by destroying
duplicates.
E. It is an organization trying to train workers to have better attention spans.
Intel estimates that large companies lose about $1 billion per year because of email
overload. Not surprisingly, many major companies such as Google, Microsoft, IBM, and
Intel have joined the Information Overload Research Group, which is devoted to finding
solutions to such problems.
Blooms: Understand
62. How is productivity affected when employees multitask?
A. Productivity increases by up to 80 percent.

B. Productivity increases by up to 40 percent.
C. Productivity remains the same.
D. Productivity drops by up to 40 percent.
E. Productivity drops by up to 85 percent.
A University of Michigan study found that productivity drops by up to 40 percent when

people try to do two or more things at once. A variety of research about the brain shows
that it is not hardwired to multitask effectively.
Blooms: Understand
7-58
63. Which of the following would help to reduce e-interruptions?
A. checking digital messages six to eight times a day at random

B. turning on an automatic message that you are not answering emails all day
C. replying immediately to all messages to get them out of the way
D. using rich channels of communication to accomplish tasks completely
E. adding colleagues to an email chain so they can answer the messages
Use rich channels such as face-to-face and phone conversations to accomplish a task
completely. Back-and-forth email chains and other sets of asynchronous digital messages
may repeatedly draw attention away from tasks at hand. As appropriate, use rich,
synchronous communication to take care of the matter immediately so that distractions do
not compound themselves.
Blooms: Understand
7-59
64. Karla, the administrative assistant, sends an email with the annual holiday schedule to
everyone in the department. At the bottom of the email, Karla types "no reply necessary."
What can you infer about Karla from this?
A. She is not a very polite person.

B. She is creating unnecessary e-interruptions.
C. She is trying to reduce email overload.
D. She is taking on too much authority.
E. She sees herself as unimportant.
Karla is trying to shorten email chains by letting her colleagues know that they do not have
to send unnecessary answers such as "Got it. Thanks."
Blooms: Understand
65. When preparing for a business phone call, you should do many of the same things you do
for
A. an email.
B. a meeting.
C. texting.
D. a webinar.
E. social media.
Many phone conversations are much like meetings, so consider sending an invitation with
an agenda to your conversation partner.
Blooms: Understand
Topic: Building Connections with Phone Calls
7-60
66. What advantage do landlines have over mobile phones?
A. email ability
B. texting ability
C. Internet access
D. more reliable video
E. more reliable audio
Although mobile phones provide reliable audio quality in most locations, they're still less
predictable than landline connections. You might consider using landline calls whenever
possible to enhance audio quality.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
67. Which of the following is a helpful guideline for phone conversations with business
colleagues?
A. Begin discussing business issues immediately after saying hello.

B. To keep a formal tone, avoid using the other person's name.
C. Multitask as long as you can do so without the other person suspecting.
D. Make sure that the conversation time is balanced between both parties.
E. To avoid wasting your colleagues' time, end without social niceties.
Make sure you are not dominating a conversation by taking up more than your fair share of
speaking time. Similarly, if your conversation partner is taking too much of the time,
politely interject now and then to balance the speaking time.
Blooms: Understand
7-61
68. Which of the following is a helpful tip for using webcams during a group video call?
A. Make sure your background shows several objects relevant to the conversation.
B. Wear casual clothing that day to appear friendlier.
C. Maintain direct eye contact with the camera as much as possible.
D. Be careful to tone down your facial expressions and gestures.
E. Sit slightly to one side so you can display visual aids if needed.
Carefully position your webcam so you are speaking directly to your listeners. Make sure
that you have good lighting and a clean background. Maintain direct eye contact with your
webcam as much as possible so that other meeting participants can see your interest level
and understand your nonverbal cues.
Blooms: Understand
Essay Questions
7-62
69. What does control refer to in choosing a communication channel? What do planning and
permanence mean, and how are they related to control?
Control refers to the degree to which communications can be planned and recorded, thus
allowing strategic message development. Planning and permanence are the two
components of control. Planning implies that the communication can be tightly drafted,
edited and revised, rehearsed, and otherwise strategically developed before delivery.
Permanence refers to the extent to which the message can be stored, retrieved, and
distributed to others.
Blooms: Understand
70. Which channel or channels of communication provide the most richness? Which channels
of communication provide the least richness? Explain.
Face-to-face conversations provide the most richness because it is possible to hear the
other person's tone of voice and see his or her nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions,
gestures, and posture. Videoconferences are second after face-to-face conversations in
richness. Email and written messages provide the least richness because they cannot
convey nonverbal cues.
Blooms: Understand
7-63
71. What are appropriate reasons to choose email as your communication channel?
Appropriate reasons to use email are communicating facts and providing praise or
encouragement. It should not be used to scold or deliver bad news.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
72. What impression does it create when a business professional often flags his or her email
as "high priority"?
You will routinely make requests of others that are time-sensitive. If you too often set the
priority flag on such emails, your colleagues may become annoyed and perceive you as
pushy. In fact, some business professionals are more likely to ignore emails when the
priority flag is set. If you need something urgently, mention it politely in the subject line or
use a rich communication channel such as a phone call to gain buy-in.
Blooms: Understand
7-64
73. Describe neutrality effect and negativity effect.
In the absence of face-to-face communications, emails tend to elicit either the neutrality
effect or the negativity effect. The neutrality effect means that recipients are more likely to
perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as neutral. That is, the sender may
wish to express enthusiasm about an event, but the receiver decodes the information
without "hearing" the enthusiasm. The negativity effect means that recipients are more
likely to perceive messages that are intended as neutral as negative.
Blooms: Understand
74. Describe cyber incivility, and explain the difference between passive incivility and active
incivility. Give an example of each.
Cyber incivility is the violation of respect and consideration in an online environment

based on workplace norms. Active incivility involves direct forms of disrespect (i.e., being
condescending, demeaning, saying something hurtful). Passive incivility involves indirect
forms of disrespect (i.e., using emails for time-sensitive messages, not acknowledging
receipt of emails, not replying to emails). A possible example of active incivility is emailing
a colleague and saying that his or her proposal is a stupid idea. A possible example of
passive incivility is refusing to answer email from someone you dislike.
Blooms: Understand
7-65
75. What tone and language conventions should you use when texting in the workplace?
Explain.
You should use a straightforward, positive tone for texting. Texts should not be used for
bad or unpleasant news. Abbreviated language, acronyms, and emoticons are some of the
fun features of texting, but until you know the texting style of others in the workplace, you
should err on the side of using standard language conventions and complete sentences.
Blooms: Understand
76. Explain how e-interruptions affect productivity.
Constantly checking incoming messages—emails, texts, IMs, and various messages

through social networking platforms—or simply hearing message alerts distracts business
professionals from concentrating on the tasks at hand. Interruptions from digital
messages, or e-interruptions, are extremely costly to your performance. One recent study
found that the average worker loses 2.1 hours per day due to interruptions. Many business
professionals check their email every five minutes, which amounts to 96 e-interruptions in
an eight-hour day. Distractions impact your performance for much longer than the few
moments you take to acknowledge and respond to incoming messages.
Blooms: Understand
7-66
77. List the guidelines that can be followed to stay responsive to others but allow you to focus
enough to achieve peak performance.
The guidelines that can be followed to stay responsive to others but allows you to focus
enough to achieve peak performance are:
a) Check digital messages just two to four times each day at designated times.
b) Turn off message alerts.
c) Use rich channels such as face-to-face and phone conversations to accomplish a task
completely.
d) Reply immediately only to urgent messages.
e) Avoid unnecessarily lengthening an email chain.
f) Use automatic messages to help people know when you are unavailable.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
78. What virtual meeting guidelines should you follow to make group voice and video calls
more productive?
The tried-and-true practices of using an agenda, getting each participant involved, and
following up with minutes and action items are essential.
Blooms: Remember
Difficulty: 1 Easy
7-67
Another random document with
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qu’il se livre ingénûment. On a dit de Napoléon que l’esprit jacobin
l’anime, qu’il est une sorte de « Robespierre à cheval ». Et je crois
bien que, là encore, on s’est trompé. Un Jacobin n’eût jamais dit que
« le système de gouvernement doit être adapté au génie de la nation
et aux circonstances du moment. »
L’œuvre du Jacobin serait partout identique, en Chine, en Arabie,
en France, en Afrique, en Allemagne, aux Indes, en Amérique, en
Angleterre. Il invente un monde fondé sur une idée a priori de
l’homme, et dont l’homme abstrait, partout présent, détermine tous
les aspects. Le créateur n’invente rien. Il prend les matériaux qui
s’offrent, et les choisit et les combine selon son imagination. Je ne
crois pas que celui-là, s’il eût réalisé son premier rêve de conquérir
l’Orient, eût organisé l’Orient comme il organisa la France. Mais il
comprit qu’il ne pouvait organiser la France que selon la Révolution,
et pour cela tendit tous les ressorts sans lesquels il n’eût pu le faire.
Le scepticisme supérieur qui anime tous les artistes l’avertissait
certainement que, lui mort, son système perdrait sa plus éminente
vertu. Raison de plus pour en accuser tous les angles, en établir la
masse, en accroître le poids. Il le lança dans l’avenir avec la force et
la grandeur de vues qui le caractérisaient. Et peut-être eût-il duré dix
siècles sans l’immense afflux de moyens et de besoins neufs dont
les cent ans qui le suivirent inondèrent notre esprit. Mais cela,
prenez-y garde, parce qu’il était Napoléon. Michel-Ange règne
encore, opprime encore, corrompt encore, parce qu’il est Michel-
Ange. Le propre du grand homme est de créer des formes
oppressives en détruisant les formes oppressives qui existaient
avant lui.
Il n’aime pas la tyrannie. Et partout où il la rencontre, il la brise.
Mais sa propre tyrannie l’enivre, parce qu’une vertu créatrice
incomparable naît des décisions qu’elle prend. « Dans tous les
temps, dit-il, la première loi de l’État a été sa sûreté, le gage de sa
sûreté sa force, et la borne de sa force celle de l’intelligence qui en a
été le dépositaire. » Voilà. Lui vivant, c’est dans le sens où il
l’engage que la Révolution vivra. Parce qu’il n’en voit pas d’autre.
Parce qu’il n’y en a pas d’autre. Parce que lui seul fut assez fort pour
la saisir quand elle allait sombrer, la ramener sur la rive et l’y
soutenir d’une main puissante en la serrant au collet. Mais prenez
garde. Il ne se fait pas illusion. « Savez-vous, dit-il encore, ce que
j’admire le plus dans le monde ? C’est l’impuissance de la force pour
organiser quelque chose… La France ne tolérera jamais le
gouvernement du sabre. Ceux qui le croient se trompent
étrangement. Il faudrait cinquante ans d’abjection pour qu’il en fût
ainsi, La France est un trop noble pays, trop intelligent pour se
soumettre à la puissance matérielle et pour inaugurer chez elle le
culte de la force… A la longue, le sabre est toujours battu par
l’esprit. » [U]
Est-ce un retour ? Est-ce un remords ? Pour moi, je ne le crois
guère. C’est ainsi que l’artiste parle quand on lui dit que la forme
qu’il crée pourrait servir de départ aux formes de l’avenir. Quel
avenir d’ailleurs ? Que pèse un siècle, et dix ? Et cent ? Il y a deux
fois moins de temps entre Jésus et nous qu’entre le Sphinx et Jésus,
et l’esprit de Jésus s’efface. Une immense mélancolie fait le fond
des grandes âmes et leur ivresse immense n’est qu’une conquête
incessante de leur volonté sur la clairvoyance intime qui fixe des
bornes à leur puissance, quand bien même ils planteraient ces
bornes très au delà de leur mort. Pourquoi tant de bruit ? Pourquoi
tant de sang ? Et pourquoi tant d’activité ?… « Il eût mieux valu, pour
le repos de la terre, que Rousseau ni moi n’eussions jamais existé. »
Mais voilà, le repos, n’est-ce pas la mort de la terre ? Rousseau,
Napoléon, après Moïse, après Jésus, n’ont-ils pas une mission qui
les dépasse et qui précisément est de troubler ce repos ?
D’empêcher l’enlisement des cœurs dans le marécage endormi ?
Par tous les moyens que Dieu leur donne, l’indignation, l’amour, le
paradoxe, la guerre ? Et la mélancolie des grandes âmes ne vient-
elle pas de ce qu’elles sentent que l’indignation comme le paradoxe,
et l’amour comme la guerre, ne sont que des moyens égaux devant
l’éternité, pour procurer au monde une illusion qu’elles ne partagent
pas ? La grandeur, au fond, n’est peut-être qu’un contraste sublime
entre le pessimisme radical d’un homme qui subit cette grandeur
comme une fatalité de sa nature, et son espérance invincible de
déterminer l’avenir.
Ses doutes vaincus, son choix fait, l’égalité civile, le

développement progressif de la liberté politique qu’elle entraîne, la
liberté religieuse à précipiter toutes dans les ornières granitiques
d’institutions destinées à modeler l’Histoire selon la Révolution, il ne
s’agit plus de discuter leur opportunité, leurs moyens et leur forme.
L’attitude du réalisateur vis-à-vis des partis politiques ne peut différer
de celle qu’il adopte vis-à-vis des religions, — et d’ailleurs qu’est-ce
qu’un parti, sinon une religion qui se décompose ou se forme, ou
avorte ?… « Il faut administrer pour les masses, dit-il, sans
s’embarrasser si cela plaît à Monsieur un tel ou au citoyen un tel…
Les hommes supérieurs voient d’en haut, et dès lors au-dessus des
partis. » [V]
Ne croirait-on pas entendre un peintre, dont on critique le tableau
en s’emparant de ses détails, celui-ci le trouvant trop éteint, celui-là
pauvre en demi-teintes, cet autre dépourvu de sentiment, cet autre
d’un dessin trop tendu, cet autre mal composé, cet autre d’une
matière trop mince, ou trop épaisse, lui seul, qui l’a conçu, le voyant
dans son ensemble, avec ses trous et ses faiblesses, certes, mais
harmonieux tout de même, logiquement construit, répondant somme
toute à la fonction moyenne que le moment, les besoins du moment,
l’esprit du moment en attendent ? Lui seul le jugeant librement —
bien qu’ayant été contraint par son génie même de le concevoir tel
qu’il est, — non au travers de ses intérêts, de ses passions, de ses
affections, de ses rancunes personnelles, mais avec l’intelligence
constructive de qui sait embrasser le problème le plus complexe par
tous ses aspects à la fois, comme un objet à tirer d’une gangue
épaisse, à dégrossir, à modeler, à faire tourner dans la lumière afin
qu’il puisse devenir un centre visible de tous, sensible pour tous, où
tous puissent trouver le départ et l’arrivée de leur action, dût-il, lui
seul, passer à ce travail ses jours et ses veilles, y sacrifier son
repos, sa sécurité, son bonheur et en fin de compte sa vie. Je sais
aussi des hommes de parti qui sacrifient ces biens d’un cœur
allègre, mais c’est un sentiment confus qui les anime, un sentiment
d’esclave, étroit, unilatéral, fanatique, négatif avant tout, plein de
haine aveugle, incapable d’exprimer par l’édification d’un bâtiment
qu’il a quelque chose à bâtir, acharné à démontrer par des mots qu’il
a raison dans l’espace et pour jamais : « L’homme le moins libre est
l’homme de parti. »
Il y a plusieurs façons d’être en dehors des partis, au-dessous ou
au-dessus. La première est celle des chefs d’État de la plupart des
démocraties modernes. Elle consiste à suivre le parti au pouvoir,
leurs droits — c’est-à-dire leurs facultés, — ne leur laissant pas une
seconde alternative. L’autre est infiniment plus rare, mais plus
différenciée aussi, parce qu’elle suppose, chez celui qui la possède,
une personnalité grandiose. Il y a celle de Louis XI, vivant en un
temps de passions sauvages, entre des organismes si violents que
l’assassinat, le vol d’une province, le mépris des traités sont choses
courantes, et avouées, et qui consiste à jouer de ces passions pour
opposer les uns aux autres ces organismes, comme on déplace des
pions sur un échiquier, sans qu’il soit question de conscience, en
vue d’une fin réaliste à atteindre par n’importe quel chemin. Il y a
celle de César, avançant avec douceur et fermeté vers son but entre
deux partis extrêmes à peu près d’égale puissance, obtenant tantôt
de l’un, tantôt de l’autre des concessions ou un appui, les équilibrant
l’un par l’autre avec une admirable intelligence de leur nécessité
historique et des frontières respectives de leur vertu de création. Il y
a celle de Napoléon, arrivant au moment où leur énervement, après
leurs excès passionnels, gagne et corrompt une nation entière et,
décidé dès lors à les ignorer les supprimant par le fait de cette
ignorance, les jetant au moule commun d’un monument commun à
élever. C’est, des trois, la plus difficile, en l’espèce tout au moins,
Louis XI étant le Roi, César appartenant à la plus grande famille de
la ville, et Napoléon, moins de quatre ans avant d’entreprendre cette
œuvre, n’étant rien. La moins durable aussi, parce que le maître
disparu, les partis ressuscitent, leur appétit et leur férocité accrus du
jeûne qui leur a été imposé. La plus féconde, dès qu’une grande tête
les domine, capable de peupler leur silence d’harmonies
personnelles qu’ils ne peuvent contrarier. En tout cas celle qui exige,
de la part d’un homme d’État d’autre part assez fort pour ne point
s’appuyer sur la terreur, mais uniquement sur la loi à vrai dire
rigoureuse, le plus de justice et de sévérité vis-à-vis de ceux qui le
servent, le plus de courage, de vigilance, de continuité dans les
desseins. « Il faut déployer plus de caractère en administration qu’à
la guerre. »
En effet. Quand on a entrevu le fond de sa pensée, constaté

d’une part le scepticisme intime avec lequel il envisageait sa tâche,
d’autre part sa résolution de la réaliser une, cohérente, imposante,
— comme un artiste qui sait bien que le temps mangera son œuvre
et pourtant préfère la souffrance, la ruine et la mort à la perspective
de ne pas l’édifier entière, — on est saisi d’une sorte d’effroi en
considérant l’intelligence et l’énergie qu’il lui fallut pour concilier dans
une forme unique tant de contradictions et d’intérêts antagonistes.
Un monument majestueux à peine renversé, et complètement
renversé, tous ses débris épars dans le sang et la poussière, en
élever tout seul un autre, aussi solide d’apparences que celui-là où
quinze siècles avaient apporté, maçonné, orné chaque pierre,
l’Histoire ne fait pas mention d’une tentative aussi hardie. Le Barbare
installait sur les décombres des cités un ordre ancien, qu’il apportait
de chez lui avec tous ses organes, et substituait par la force
matérielle à l’ordre renversé. Ici, rien de pareil. « On ne répare pas
les trônes. » Il s’agit de souder l’avenir au passé, l’Occident à
l’Orient, le Nord au Sud, la démocratie à l’aristocratie, la tradition à la
révolution, le droit divin au droit des peuples. Et, qu’on y prenne
garde, dans le but à coup sûr immédiatement chimérique, non de
ressusciter des morts, ni même de farder des momies, mais de
diviniser le droit des peuples, de rendre la révolution traditionnelle,
d’ennoblir la démocratie, de durcir le noyau d’unification du globe, et
de régénérer les forces mourantes du passé dans les sources de
l’avenir. Il fallait lancer sur l’abîme une arche pour unir une rive à
l’autre et, suspendu seul au-dessus de lui dans l’orage, cimenter au
vol les pierres brutes en repoussant de son poing déchiré l’assaut
continu des rapaces.
Au fond, il retrempait le rêve incurable de Rome, ce rêve qui a
servi d’épine dorsale à l’Histoire occidentale et l’a soutenue debout,
dans les énergies vierges d’une mystique nouvelle dont il aperçut
tout de suite, avec une profondeur d’intuition décisive, l’ossature
positive et possible à réaliser. C’est l’Œuvre et la Passion latines qu’il
reprenait à l’occasion d’un événement inouï. Il prétendait substituer à
l’organisme puissant mais diffus de la monarchie germanique qui
tombait en ruines et qu’Henri IV, Richelieu, Colbert avaient tenté de
recrépir, la forte unité latine d’un organisme embryonnaire que le
XVIIIe siècle exigeait et auquel il infligea une forme trop définie mais
sans doute nécessaire aux conquérants du pouvoir politique pour
accomplir, dans l’aménagement matériel de la terre, leur mission.
Latin, il pensait en Latin, c’est-à-dire en architecte. Et il ne pouvait
trouver qu’en France le terrain, les matériaux et les ouvriers de son
travail.
La France n’a jamais eu, dans l’Histoire, d’autre fonction que
celle-là. Il s’est toujours agi pour elle d’équilibrer, dans une forme
personnelle, le génie des races méditerranéennes et le génie des
races germaniques. Ce n’est pas sa faute si sa situation
géographique en fait le carrefour des peuples de l’Occident. Ce n’est
pas sa faute si les tribus allemandes traînant derrière elles les
hordes de la grande steppe qui va de la Vistule à l’Amour, ne
cessent, depuis les commencements de l’Histoire, de menacer ou de
passer le Rhin pour incendier les villes et faucher les moissons au
rythme des hymnes de guerre. Ce n’est pas sa faute si ses côtes
occidentales bordent la route des Scandinaves descendant vers les
mers du Sud et s’aperçoivent, comme une proie qui s’offre, des
hautes falaises bretonnes où les pirates de la mer, qui portent dans
le cœur la poésie des flots et des étoiles, guettent le passage des
barques de pêche et des navires de combat. Ce n’est pas sa faute si
les couloirs des Pyrénées déversent de temps immémorial sur ses
plaines les Numides, les Carthaginois, les Ibères, les Arabes en
quête d’oasis à découvrir, de troupeaux à prendre, de minarets à
élever au-dessus des eaux et des palmes. Ce n’est pas sa faute si
ses côtes méridionales voient émerger constamment des sources du
soleil les voiles bleues, rouges, vertes, oranges sous qui les marins
phéniciens ou grecs observent, pour le rapt violent ou l’échange
contre des tapis rutilants, des verreries, des figurines, les jeunes
filles groupées autour des lavoirs. Ce n’est pas sa faute si les hautes
gorges des Alpes laissent passer dans le flux des légions
descendant vers les forêts gauloises ou le reflux des régiments
descendant vers les cités lombardes, les manuscrits, les peintures,
les statues, la vaisselle d’or ou d’argent. Et c’est sa gloire, dans le
drame enchevêtré de la résistance par le fer aux invasions militaires,
de la résistance par l’esprit aux invasions morales, des défaites
fécondes et des victoires mutilées, de retrouver sans cesse, dans
l’ordre qui lui est propre et que son sang et ses larmes cimentent,
cette mesure intellectuelle qui accueille ces rumeurs, ces souffles,
ces orages confrontés, pour les organiser harmoniquement dans sa
tête.
Cette tragédie presque continue est sa raison d’être, la condition
probablement nécessaire de sa force de création. C’est par elle
qu’elle conquiert cet équilibre spirituel qui entretient son goût de
vivre et qu’elle semble perdre dès que s’apaise le conflit. Tiraillée
sans répit entre l’influence du Nord, l’influence romantique, musicale,
panthéiste des foules mystiques qu’organise le féodalisme germain,
et l’influence du Midi, l’influence rationaliste, architecturale,
individualiste des Cités républicaines que l’aristocratie latine
hiérarchise et définit, elle ne cesse pas d’en subir l’antagonisme
dans ses institutions politiques et d’en réaliser l’accord dans son art
où domine toujours, d’ailleurs, l’un des deux courants qui le forment.
L’esprit méditerranéen charpente la Commune et la Cathédrale,
mais telle est alors la richesse de la floraison qu’ont préparée les
invasions germaniques stabilisées par les Francs, que la grande
rumeur confuse des métiers, des forêts, des hymnes noie sous son
lyrisme anonyme les lignes du monument. Rompu au XVe, au XVIe
siècles, par les descentes répétées en Italie et les retours victorieux
de l’Italie dans l’imagination des soldats et les produits de leurs
rapines, l’équilibre se refait avec l’âge classique au cours duquel ni
l’angoisse de Pascal, ni l’harmonie de Racine, ni l’analyse de
Descartes, ni la morale de Corneille ne parviennent à dissimuler le
souci dominant chez Corneille, chez Descartes, chez Racine, chez
Pascal, de subordonner le génie sensuel des races du nord de
l’Europe aux cadences régulières et symétriques du Midi. La
nouvelle rupture infligée au rythme classique par le siècle qui le suit
et qui paraît en son effort paradoxal, avec Watteau, avec Diderot,
avec Rousseau, avec Montesquieu chercher, dans l’esprit
germanique même, les armes qu’elle oppose au féodalisme
germain, aboutit, avec la Révolution, au renversement de la
monarchie qui le représente, avec Napoléon à la tentative de
substituer à la dynastie franque une dynastie latine, gardienne de
l’ordre unitaire et légalitaire contre l’ordre théologique et féodal.
Quelle que soit, par le siècle de l’analyse, de l’Encyclopédie, de la
peinture symphonique retrouvée chez les Flamands, l’importance de
l’apport nouveau, dans l’âme celte, de l’esprit descendu des rivières,
des mers, des forêts brumeuses, quelle que soit sa persistance dans
le romantisme qui suivra, Napoléon inflige pour un siècle à la France
l’obligation de faire appel à l’architecture latine pour le bâtir
solidement. Les gens de Rome ne s’y trompaient pas quand ils se
consolaient par ces propos de l’humiliation permanente que leur
infligeait son orgueil : « Après tout, c’est une famille italienne que
nous imposons aux barbares pour les gouverner… »
De là, surtout, le caractère énigmatique de cet étrange esprit,
placé entre deux âges, entre deux mondes, et cherchant à organiser,
par la seule vertu d’une volonté fatale comme une naissance, les
viscères de l’un d’eux autour du squelette de l’autre. De là
l’enthousiasme trop confus, la haine trop définie qui accueillent son
souvenir chaque fois qu’il est évoqué. Ce héros est un homme,
personne ne se résigne à cela. Cet athée est un mystique, personne
ne concilie cela. Ce poète est un logicien, personne n’admet cela.
Ce soldat est un juriste, personne ne permet cela. Ce démocrate est
un aristocrate, personne ne comprend cela. Cela d’abord et par
dessus tout. Les médiocres aristocrates de la pensée ne peuvent lui
pardonner d’avoir pensé en démocrate. Les médiocres démocrates
de l’action ne peuvent lui pardonner d’avoir agi en aristocrate. Sa
présence humilie les trônes, parce qu’il a montré l’origine des trônes
en s’asseyant sur le plus haut d’entre eux. Et si, par là, elle grandit
les peuples, elle humilie tous les bergers improvisés des peuples en
obligeant leur faiblesse à se masquer de vertu feinte. Nul ne peut
expliquer son acte, parce qu’il est le seul homme qui ait osé
l’accomplir. Toujours, en toute circonstance, il oblige les hommes à
lui laisser la parole pour leur livrer, dans le geste ou le mot, décisifs
comme un chef-d’œuvre, toutes les antinomies de son destin
miraculeux : « Je suis soldat, enfant de la Révolution, sorti du sein
du peuple. Je ne souffrirai pas qu’on m’insulte comme un Roi. »
XI
L’APOSTOLAT
Ce Romain, qui dispute aux Barbares la Gaule, parce qu’il sait

bien que la Gaule est le nœud des destinées de l’Occident, est
hanté par le désir de faire régner sur l’Occident la paix romaine, celle
que les Légions partout établies imposent en éteignant les querelles
locales, en écrivant la Loi et en protégeant le travail. Rêve immense,
peut-être plus irréalisable que la paix sentimentale du consentement
unanime, le consentement unanime conditionnant une passion
idéaliste fanatique, laquelle engendre la guerre dès que l’unanimité
fléchit. Mais qui suppose une vertu se maintenant intacte durant la
vie séculaire du peuple qui veut l’imposer. En tout cas, l’un des pôles
de l’axe moral autour de qui tournent les sociétés humaines, la force
intelligente et la douceur mystique prétendant l’une et l’autre viser à
leur équilibre et provoquant périodiquement, par leurs réactions l’une
sur l’autre, la guerre, la révolution, le drame continu et fécond qui
permet à l’homme de rompre l’immobilité et de faire reculer la mort.
Encore un caractère d’essentielle et intransigeante passion qui fait
de Napoléon la fraternelle antithèse du Christ.
Ce qui hante celui-là, de son aveu, c’est la « régénération
européenne ». « Il faut, dit-il, sauver les peuples malgré eux. » Il veut
la paix universelle, la suppression de toutes les frontières, ce que ne
veulent pas, ce que ne conçoivent même pas ses ennemis qui
allument partout des foyers sporadiques qu’il voudrait éteindre à
jamais. Et pour que la paix se répande, il veut que les peuples soient
heureux, gouvernés selon les idées et les besoins modernes, aimant
les institutions qu’ils se donnent, ou qu’il leur donne, convaincu que
son rôle est de les leur donner et qu’ils les attendent de lui. Il a des
illusions étranges. Il croit que tous les Espagnols seront pour lui s’il
leur apporte l’égalité, qui leur indiffère. Il croit que les Allemands
l’accueilleront comme un sauveur s’il brise le féodalisme, qui leur est
cher. Bien mieux, il croit que s’il parvient à prendre Londres et à y
proclamer la République, l’abolition de la Chambre des pairs, la
souveraineté du peuple et les Droits de l’Homme, l’Angleterre
s’inclinera. Les peuples sont avec lui. Il le sent, il le sait, il l’affirme
avec une insistance passionnée, presque douloureuse parfois, qui,
pareille aux commandements d’un Démiurge, semble ordonner à
l’Histoire de marcher dans ses chemins [W] . « Je voulais préparer la
fusion des grands intérêts européens, ainsi que j’avais opéré celle
des partis au milieu de nous… Je m’inquiétais peu des murmures
passagers des peuples, bien sûr que le résultat devait me les
ramener infailliblement… L’Europe n’eût bientôt fait de la sorte
véritablement qu’un même peuple, et chacun, en voyageant partout,
se fût trouvé toujours dans la patrie commune… Cette
agglomération arrivera tôt ou tard par la force des choses ;
l’impulsion est donnée, et je ne pense pas qu’après ma chute et la
disparition de mon système, il y ait en Europe d’autre grand équilibre
possible que l’agglomération et la confédération des grands
peuples. » [X]
Vous croyez encore que c’est là l’illusion jacobine, après l’illusion
catholique, avant l’illusion socialiste ? Prenez garde cependant que
chacune de ces illusions a laissé, laisse ou laissera des alluvions
solides derrière le torrent qui l’emporte. Prenez garde aussi qu’il
parle d’« intérêts », bien plus que de « principes » ou de « droits ».
Prenez garde en outre qu’il dit connaître seulement « deux peuples,
les Orientaux et les Occidentaux », ce qui suppose, son attitude au
Caire et à Paris le montre, l’antagonisme de sa pensée pratique
avec la pensée théorique du jacobinisme intégral. Celle-ci procède
abstraitement, entourant d’idées comme d’un rempart les faits
qu’elle dédaigne, niant, sous quelque latitude que ce soit, l’existence
et la nécessité du fait religion, ou monarchie, tandis que Napoléon
part du fait et procède de proche en proche, espérant certes unifier
l’Occident, mais sachant bien qu’au delà une autre mystique règne,
dont son ami Alexandre est à l’avant-garde et qui forme l’autre
élément de l’équilibre gigantesque qu’il songe à imposer à l’univers.
Prenez garde qu’il se rend compte des caractères ethniques qui
différencient les groupements humains, puisqu’il veut faire de
« CHACUN DE CES PEUPLES un seul et même corps de nation. »
Prenez garde enfin que partout où il passe, même quand il
méconnaît la passion propre qui définit chaque peuple où son
passage laisse des sillons sanglants, l’Espagne, l’Italie, l’Allemagne,
la Pologne, la Russie même, il éveille une passion plus générale qui
brise ici l’Inquisition, prépare là la disparition du servage, suscite
ailleurs le sentiment et le désir d’une unité politique future,
dangereuse certes pour sa France, éternelle martyre des idées
fécondes qu’elle sème, mais indispensable à la constitution
organique, qu’il rêve, de l’Occident. Son action, comme une eau où
tombe une pierre, s’étend en cercles concentriques. Comme tous les
gestes puissants, les siens dépassent leur but, tout au moins leurs
buts visibles. L’expédition d’Égypte éveille l’Afrique et l’Orient.
Quand il jette les Bragance à la mer, la lame qui en naît va battre
l’Amérique. Jusqu’en 1808, l’univers entier le regarde comme
l’annonciateur armé des temps nouveaux ouverts par la Révolution.
Remarquez qu’il le sait fort bien : « Je fais l’essai de mes forces
contre l’Europe, écrit-il un jour à Fiévée, vous essayez les vôtres
contre l’esprit de la Révolution. Votre ambition est plus grande que la
mienne et j’ai plus de chances de succès que vous. »
Son moyen est la guerre, soit. Mais est-on sûr que, dans sa
situation, il en soit d’autres ? Il l’aime, soit, parce qu’il est doué pour
elle comme jamais homme ne le fut. Mais est-on sûr qu’il n’ait pas
eu presque toujours la force de l’arrêter à l’heure où il devine qu’elle
a produit tout son effet ? Et ne la condamne-t-il pas dans son
principe, comme ces artistes supérieurs qui se savent au-dessus de
leur moyen et qui voient, dans ce moyen, leur suprême servitude,
aigles ivres des espaces déserts où ils se bercent sur leurs ailes et
forcés de descendre en tournoyant sur terre pour nourrir leur vol ?
« La guerre est un anachronisme… Les victoires s’accompliront un
jour sans canons et sans baïonnettes… Celui qui veut troubler la
paix de l’Europe veut la guerre civile… » Ce sont ses ennemis qui
veulent la guerre, et non lui. Il le croit du moins, et comme une
passion plus haute que la leur, qui exige aussi la guerre, le soulève
au-dessus de leurs vues étroites et de leurs petits intérêts, il les
prévient et déchaîne la guerre pour ne pas être surpris. Il les
prévient en commençant la guerre, comme, dans la guerre même, il
les prévient en ouvrant le combat.
C’est ainsi que cela se passe presque toujours, pour ses deux
guerres avec l’Autriche, pour sa guerre avec la Prusse, pour sa
première et peut-être même sa seconde guerre avec la Russie.
Quand il soupçonne que l’adversaire se ramasse, bande ses
muscles, aiguise ses griffes et ses dents, il bondit, le prend à la
gorge. Il attaque, sans se demander s’il peut éviter son attaque, se
modérer, temporiser, consentir à des concessions, toutes mesures
qui feraient plier son système et d’ailleurs blessent son orgueil. Il
poursuit l’Illusion avec une candeur terrible, comme le poète ou le
juste semant autour d’eux la mort, précisément parce qu’ils
n’aperçoivent pas les embûches de la route et que leurs yeux sont
fixés sur l’harmonie des nombres et des lignes ou le bonheur du
genre humain. « Il faut que cette guerre soit la dernière », dit-il en
1806. Et c’est lui seul qui, à Campo-Formio, à Amiens, à Presbourg,
dans l’anarchie sanglante où se débat depuis quinze ans l’Europe, a
la force de décider qu’il faut un arrêt dans le drame et de fournir au
drame, par son intelligence et son énergie à le résoudre, le moyen
de s’arrêter. Il est le seul pour qui la guerre soit une œuvre
monumentale, envisagée dans son ensemble, et qui ne consiste pas
à gagner une bataille, mais à développer un vaste poème politique,
avec ses enchaînements complexes et ses échos universels,
prenant source dans son cœur même et qu’il poursuit et parachève
dans un enivrement continu d’imagination créatrice où naissent des
réalités nouvelles et des rêves nouveaux.
Au fond, il n’y a eu que deux guerres, de 92 à 1815. La guerre de
défense de la Révolution qui lui permit, dans une tension atroce de
ses nerfs à vif, de ses muscles déchirés, de ses os cassés par
place, d’affirmer contre l’Europe et elle-même les réalités politiques
et morales que sa naissance dramatique justifie et que la paix
d’Amiens, en la reconnaissant, termine. La guerre d’expansion de la
Révolution qui la pousse à répandre, en portant la terreur du dedans
au dehors, ces réalités sur l’Europe, et que Bonaparte inaugure en
96, au cours même de la période défensive, pour la poursuivre
jusqu’au jour où elle aura épuisé toutes ses conséquences logiques,
atteint Rome, Madrid, Vienne, Berlin, Moscou, et mourra de ses
excès dans son dernier enfantement. Tous les conflits partiels qui
s’allument ou s’éteignent au cours de ces deux guerres-là ne sont
qu’un épisode de la lutte d’un quart de siècle qui dresse la féodalité
continentale contre la démocratie française naissante, et plus
spécialement l’oligarchie anglaise contre la concurrence économique
que la puissance de la France risque de lui susciter.
Alors que tous ses alliés, frappés tour à tour désarment, ou
feignent de désarmer, l’Angleterre entretient et perpétue la guerre
qui a pour but catégorique la ruine de la France sur le continent et lui
invente un ennemi nouveau dès que le précédent tombe. Lutte
grandiose. Il court l’Europe pour l’atteindre, elle se dérobe partout.
Comme il ne peut la frapper que sur terre, il la poursuit jusqu’à
Moscou, rêvant de s’appuyer sur Moscou pour la poursuivre
jusqu’aux Indes. Il lui interdit le continent, lui barre ses rades et ses
fleuves, la traque jusqu’aux ports de Portugal et d’Espagne,
l’enferme dans la mer comme dans une geôle, décrétant ce jour-là,
peut-être, la forme la plus efficace des luttes de l’avenir. Hors de la
fournaise où fondent les hommes, elle les regarde mourir. Une pièce
d’or pour un soldat, un sac d’or pour un régiment, une tonne d’or
pour un peuple. Grande chose, certes, parce qu’une énergie terrible
est nécessaire pour cela, qu’il faut se serrer la ceinture, qu’il faut
couvrir les mers de croisières vigilantes, braver vingt ans leur
formidable ennui, refouler le doute, masquer la défaillance, nier le
désespoir. Grande chose parce que celui qu’on veut frapper au cœur
est seul sur le bord du rivage, quelques voiles qui fuient devant sa
colère, dix chiens dans son dos contre lesquels il se retourne, les
mettant d’un regard en fuite, les abattant d’un revers de la main ou
les forçant dans leur tanière, recommençant contre leur flot qui
monte, le poignet, les cuisses mordues, secouant son sang dans la
neige et la poussière, tandis que l’insaisissable et seul ennemi
conscient ricane, se sachant hors d’atteinte, surveillant l’anémie
croissante du colosse et connaissant que la mort monte lentement à
son cœur. Il côtoie le bord du gouffre, et court pour ne pas y rouler.
« Il croyait que stationnaire, il tomberait » [15] .
[15] Bourrienne.
Avait-il tort ? Qu’en savons-nous ? Qu’en saurons-nous ? Le

mouvement précipite au delà de lui un mouvement nouveau qui en
détermine un autre. La latinité n’a pu se borner à vaincre le
germanisme en Provence et en Lombardie, elle a dû broyer dans le
nid l’œuf des invasions futures, passer le Rhin, entrer dans la forêt
profonde. Le germanisme victorieux de la latinité dans les plaines du
Valois a dû, pour en étouffer les derniers germes, la poursuivre dans
les gorges farouches du Rouergue et de l’Albigeois. Si la révolution
ne s’épand pas sans cesse, elle mourra sur place, comme un feu
sans aliment. Les guerres de Napoléon ? « Étaient-elles donc de
mon choix ? N’étaient-elles pas toujours dans la nature et la force
des choses, toujours dans cette lutte du passé et de l’avenir, dans
cette coalition constante et permanente de nos ennemis qui nous
plaçaient dans l’obligation d’abattre sous peine d’être abattus ? » « Il
sentait, dit Emerson, avec tous les hommes sages, qu’il faut autant
d’énergie vitale pour conserver que pour créer. »
C’est pour cela qu’il est le drame permanent. Avec la plus vaste
matière, et la plus belle, dont homme ait jamais disposé, dix peuples
à genoux, l’Église serve, d’immenses armées fanatiques qu’il manie
avec la sûreté et l’aisance d’un duelliste tenant la plus légère et la
plus souple épée au poing, il se sent comme suspendu dans sa
propre solitude, vivant anachronisme, bien que nécessaire à son
temps, par la force monstrueuse de sa nature, vivante contradiction
avec toutes les époques par son mépris des habitudes machinales
et des intérêts mesquins, antithèse vivante de l’inertie formidable
des puissances du passé qui se liguent contre lui. La guerre ne suffit
pas, ni la paix, ni la loi, ni l’ordre. La domination matérielle du
monde, les moyens de la domination spirituelle sur le monde lui
échapperont tout à fait s’il ne plonge de toutes parts dans les
préjugés même, les coutumes, les besoins encore insatisfaits du
monde, des racines qui vont chercher ses couches les plus
profondes pour s’y fixer et s’y nourrir. « Dans l’harmonie que je
méditais pour le repos et le bien-être universels, dit-il, s’il fut un
défaut dans ma personne et mon élévation, c’était d’avoir surgi tout
à coup de la foule. Je sentais mon isolement ; aussi je jetai de tous
côtés des ancres de salut au fond de la mer. » Il veut que les rois
soient fonction de la Révolution française. Il mêle ceux qu’il crée aux
familles régnantes, qu’il asservit à son système au risque de le
disloquer. Ses guerres ne sont qu’un moyen, face à l’inimitié
déterminée des monarchies, de garrotter ces monarchies dans les
liens de mariages et d’alliances qui les rendront solidaires de la
démocratie occidentale qu’il veut organiser pour la conquête du
futur. Son propre mariage autrichien obéit à ce même instinct où
l’orgueil, l’intérêt politique, d’immenses vues sur l’avenir du monde
s’enchevêtrent. Le plus rare génie, celui qui semble aller droit au but
et tout d’une pièce, est fait d’êtres contradictoires qui se déchirent,
et, sous le rayonnement de son action et de sa gloire apparaissant
fermes et sûrs, ensanglantent ses profondeurs. Le grand homme a
toujours plusieurs prétextes à ses actes, et ce sont ces prétextes
que les analystes, en les isolant, prennent pour des mobiles
exclusifs. Plus tard, lui-même, quand il regarde la route parcourue et
veut expliquer ses actes, ne sait pas souvent pourquoi il les a
accomplis. En réalité, c’est sa puissance même qui traîne après elle
et conditionne ses prétextes, lesquels ne sont proprement que le
sujet de l’œuvre d’art [Y] .
La guerre, la paix, le blocus, les passions des hommes et des

peuples, les siennes propres, il joue de tout cela dans l’unité
grandiose d’une force qui s’accroît de sa substance même, et
n’envisage les destins du monde qu’en fonction de son destin. La
France, sa maîtresse, ne lui a jamais manqué, mais il lui manque
souvent, dans le jeu impétueux et large d’une sensualité à qui la
France ne suffit pas comme aliment, bien qu’elle soit la plus aimée,
la seule aimée, qu’il lui revienne toujours, qu’il compte uniquement
sur elle et qu’il ne trouve qu’elle pour le bercer sur son cœur quand il
revient sanglant de quelque ardente aventure. Il prend les nations
tour à tour, par sa renommée ou la guerre, par le bienfait ou par le
châtiment, il les féconde, ou les viole, et les délaisse tour à tour. Et
comme il arrive si souvent aux femmes quand un homme les prend,
et les féconde, ou les viole ou les délaisse, elles sortent de l’étreinte
transfigurées et accrues moralement.
Est-ce son erreur, son crime, s’il a révélé à eux-mêmes les
peuples européens ? Misérable raisonnement ! La France a payé,
certes, mais c’est son rôle dans l’Histoire. Et il n’est pas le moins
noble. L’Europe moderne lui doit, par le terrible missionnaire qu’elle
lui a si souvent envoyé, d’avoir commencé à se connaître mieux.
L’Angleterre et la France à part, tous les peuples d’Europe, avant lui,
manquent d’éducation nationale. Il est à peu près indifférent à
chacun d’appartenir à tel ou tel, de passer d’un maître à un autre, de
ne pas sentir le même sang circuler dans toute sa chair. Il vient, et
quand il est venu, tout change. Non qu’il procède par persuasion, ni
par amour. Au contraire, il méconnaît le plus souvent l’âme nationale
naissante. Il coupe l’Allemagne en morceaux, qu’il soude dix fois au
hasard, sans doute convaincu que le patriotisme est un sentiment de
luxe ignoré de ces contrées pauvres et dans tous les cas incapables
de résister aux bienfaits politiques qu’il croit leur apporter. Mais c’est
précisément ce fractionnement perpétuel qui révèle l’Allemagne à
elle-même pour la première fois. Il se heurte violemment à l’esprit
religieux de l’Espagne, ce qui vivifie pour la première fois l’unité
morale de l’Espagne dans l’âme des Espagnols. Et comme il est
celui dont l’épée, pour la première fois, touche le cœur de la Russie,
il réveille les battements torpides de ce cœur qui s’ignorait. Pour la
première fois depuis la chute de Rome, l’Italie, grâce à lui, soude ses
tronçons.
C’est par lui, et pour les besoins de la future Histoire, que
l’individualité propre révélée par la Renaissance à l’homme, apparaît
aux groupements d’hommes. Et de là, en vertu d’un second travail,
la part d’individualité morale commune à tous les hommes et à tous
les groupements d’hommes qu’il prétendait — trop tôt — leur
imposer. « L’Europe, disait-il vers la fin de sa vie, ne formera bientôt
plus que deux partis ennemis : on ne s’y divisera plus par peuples et
par territoires, mais par couleur et par opinion. Et qui peut dire les
crises, la durée, les détails de tant d’orages ? Car l’issue ne saurait
être douteuse, les lumières et le siècle ne rétrograderont pas. » Ici,
c’est le disciple des philosophes qui parle. Et il ne s’agit pas pour
moi de l’en blâmer, ni de l’en louer. Maudire la Révolution est facile.
La supprimer l’est moins. La Révolution est un fait historique dont les
conséquences, ou bienfaisantes, ou malfaisantes, ou réconfortantes,
ou redoutables, continuent et continueront de se développer. La
grandeur de Napoléon, c’est d’avoir compris qu’aux temps où il
venait, il ne pouvait, sous peine d’être très vite et pour jamais vaincu,
même dans l’esprit de son œuvre, qu’utiliser, diriger, ordonner la
Révolution. C’était bien l’avis des monarques et des diplomates
rassemblés à Vienne en 1815, et se congratulant d’avoir tranché la
tête de l’hydre, — car les malheureux le croyaient. Quand ils
apprirent que cet homme avait mis le pied sur le sol de France, une
agitation véhémente s’empara d’eux, comme d’une ménagerie à
l’approche du dompteur. Et cependant il était seul. Et toute la France
et toute l’Europe étaient encore sous les armes. Mais la Révolution,
comme Antée, renaissait en touchant sa mère.
Cette marque constante de la nécessité historique dans l’action

de Napoléon explique ses fautes, et les excuse. Car il n’eût tenu
qu’à lui, s’il n’eût pas été lui, de garder ses deux trônes et de mourir
aux Tuileries dans un fracas d’apothéose. « Personne que moi, a-t-il
dit, n’est cause de ma chute. J’ai été mon principal ennemi, l’artisan
de mes malheurs. J’ai voulu trop embrasser. » Et en effet, là est la
faute qui le perd, mais peut-être sauve le monde. La nouvelle France
est trop vaste, désorbitée par la réunion des Pays-Bas et des villes
hanséatiques. La Russie est trop loin. L’Espagne trop dure. Et tout
cela, songez-y, à la fois. Sa politique est trop ample pour les moyens
dont il dispose, une armée qui s’anémie, s’encrasse d’éléments
étrangers, se décourage, des pions trop éloignés pour qu’il les
aperçoive tous sur l’échiquier géant, des communications trop lentes
pour en atteindre en temps utile les recoins. Tout à la fois. Quand il
marche sur Vienne, il ne veut pas lâcher l’Espagne. Pas même
quand il marche sur Moscou. Il le sent, bien évidemment, mais sa
destinée le déborde. Si en 1809, à la cime de sa puissance,
Cambacérès lui écrit pour lui souhaiter une bonne année : « Pour
que vous puissiez m’adresser le même vœu encore une trentaine de
fois, répond-il, il faut être sage. » Depuis quelques mois, depuis
l’Espagne en effet, alors que jusque-là pas une seule guerre ne peut
être mise à sa charge, on dirait qu’il y a, chez lui, une part de
persécution, que sa méthode de prévenir la guerre en la
commençant s’énerve, et l’y précipite, que le terrain se dérobe sous
lui, qu’il se cramponne à la guerre comme un naufragé à une algue.
Il est le serviteur des destins de l’Europe, condamné à leur obéir.

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Email and Other Traditional Tools for Business Communication

True / False Questions

4. Email communication is the primary form of private, written business communication.

17. In order to manage e-interruptions effectively, reply immediately to all messages.

Multiple Choice Questions

A. characterized by low control.

A. Include a subject line that is at least 20 words long.

A. Sherry holds an important place in the organization.

A. He is spreading confidential information to unauthorized people.

44. Which of the following is an example of the neutrality effect?

48. What is cyber silence?

A. It is the tendency to perceive messages with an intended positive emotion as neutral.

53. One possible negative effect of texting is that

A. the brevity of texts can make them sound bossy.

A. a reprimand to an employee who has been late two days in a row

A. identifying who she is at the beginning of the message

A. not bothered to include her name in the message

A. moving his name to the beginning of the message

59. Frequent incoming messages can

A. checking your messages once an hour

A. It is a service that responds to texts and emails on behalf of individuals.

62. How is productivity affected when employees multitask?

A. Productivity increases by up to 80 percent.

63. Which of the following would help to reduce e-interruptions?

A. checking digital messages six to eight times a day at random

A. She is not a very polite person.

66. What advantage do landlines have over mobile phones?

A. Begin discussing business issues immediately after saying hello.

True / False Questions

4. Email communication is the primary form of private, written business communication.

Email communication is the primary form of private, written business communication.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

7. In the workplace, email communication is typically considered fairly casual because it is

In the workplace, email communication is typically considered fairly formal. Remember

Avoiding emotion entirely, even for task-based messages, is nearly impossible.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

17. In order to manage e-interruptions effectively, reply immediately to all messages.

Reply immediately only to urgent messages.

Multiple Choice Questions

Constraints refer to the practical limitations of coordination and resources.

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Email is an asynchronous communication channel used for one-to-one or one-to-many

AACSB: Knowledge Application

Spoken communication is ideal for matters that require rapport-building, discussion,

AACSB: Knowledge Application

33. Email communication is

A. characterized by low control.

Email communication is the primary form of written business communication. Email

AACSB: Knowledge Application

A. Include a subject line that is at least 20 words long.

A. Sherry holds an important place in the organization.

A. He is spreading confidential information to unauthorized people.

AACSB: Analytical Thinking

AACSB: Analytical Thinking