Exam 3: The Global Environment

A geocentric staffing model is one where:

List the five dimensions of national culture as identified by Hofstede.

In the context of Bartlett and Goshal's analysis of the situation relative to potential agency problems for international strategies, which strategy poses the highest risk of agency problems?

Which of the following is true of developing countries like China and India today?

In the context of Hofstede's dimensions of national culture, a culture that scores high in femininity tends to value quality of life and relationships.

Scenario 3.1 Mini-PC is a Houston-based manufacturer of handheld computers.In response to high European demand, Mini-PC purchased Marstrand Electronics, a handheld computer manufacturer in Stockholm, Sweden.Mini-PC allowed the management of Marstrand to continue its functions rather than sending U.S.managers to oversee Swedish operations.Mini-PC decided to purchase Marstrand because virtually all Swedes speak English, value women's rights, and are predominantly Christian in religious beliefs.The Swedish workforce is about 80 percent unionized, in comparison to Mini-PC's nonunionized workforce.Sweden has a socialist approach to health benefits, which means higher personal taxes for workers but lower health benefits costs for employers.When comparing average national scores on Hofstede's dimensions of culture, the United States and Sweden are about the same in power distance and long-term orientation, but the United States scores higher than Sweden in individualism and uncertainty avoidance. -Refer to Scenario 3.1.Which aspect of culture will most likely affect Mini-PC's human resource activities at the corporate level because of differences between its U.S.and Swedish business units?

Which of the following is NOT true in the context of international transfers and assignments?

John prefers to work by himself on projects and avoids group work that requires him to monitor the actions of others.He would score high on the ____ dimension of Hofstede's model of culture.

Robert, a marketing manager in a global exporting firm, prefers to strictly follow the work schedule designed by the top management team.Despite the flexibility given to him to reschedule certain functions in the marketing department, Robert favors a standardized and structured approach to work.In the context of Geert Hofstede's cultural dimension model,Robert is more likely to score high on:

Cultural differences between people increase the potential for misunderstandings, miscommunication and similar problems.

Which international business strategy involves cooperation between firms and may not involve sharing of ownership?

Wangkyo is an electrical engineer who designs power systems for factories.His employer sends him on a foreign assignment for one month to design a system for a new factory that is being built overseas.Which of the following skills is likely to help Wangkyo the most in this foreign assignment?

A pharmaceutical company headquartered in a country constructs a research lab in another country in order to make the best use of the efficient labor and technology available there.This is an example of:

Under which two approaches to international business will the human resource function be least affected?

Which of the following is the easiest way to enter a new market in the international business scenario?

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about labor unions in the United States?

The ethnocentric staffing model utilizes host-country nationals extensively throughout the company.

What is the term used when a company lets a foreign firm make and/or distribute its products in the foreign country's local market?

_____ refers to the setof values that helps anorganization's membersunderstand what it standsfor, how it does things, andwhat it considers important.

Time orientation, which was given by Hofstede as one of the five dimensions of national culture, is associated with the emphasis on either long-term values or short-term values.