Deck 3: Communicating Globally

Question 1

What is cross-cultural communication?

Answer 1

Cross-cultural communication means communicating-either in writing, verbally, or nonverbally-with people who are from a culture different from your own. To communicate effectively, you must understand and respect cultural differences and be adaptable. Many of the same principles of cross-cultural communication need to be observed in both domestic and international communication.

Question 2

Define domestic and international. Briefly discuss the challenges faced in domestic communication.

Answer 2

Domestic refers to one's own country or to something originating within and pertaining to one particular country. International goes beyond one's national boundaries or viewpoints, involving two or more countries. Challenges faced in domestic communication include various cultural and religious groups in the United States speak languages from their heritage, observe culture-based customs, and practice religious beliefs learned from childhood. An example is the Amish settlements in the Midwest and Pennsylvania. Another challenge is that people in different geographic regions of the country use different words to express the same idea. For instance, pop, soda, soda pop, or soft drink, all mean the same thing. Another challenge involves holidays. Some people celebrate additional holidays other than the federal holidays and even federal holidays may be observed on a different day. Times zones may present a challenge. The U.S. spans seven time zones and not all states observe daylight savings time.

Question 3

List the guidelines that should be kept in mind when communicating with people who speak English as a second language. Why are these guidelines important? Provide examples for each guideline.

Answer 3

Student answers will vary.
Although English is recognized worldwide as the language of business, it is a second language for people in most countries. When communicating with people in other countries, follow these guidelines:
a) Limit figures of speech and clichés. For example, instead of writing "bare minimum," use "minimum."
b) Avoid using cute, fancy, or trendy terms for standard English words. For example, instead of writing "legal eagle," use "lawyer."
c) Use specific terms. For example, instead of "unsanitary conditions," use "unsafe drinking water."
d) Be aware of the multiple definitions of words. Make sure the context makes the meaning clear. This problem is especially troublesome in speech because words that are spelled differently may be pronounced similarly: think of sum and some or bough and bow.
e) Avoid any form of slang or jargon. American slang, such as "bad" meaning "good," "cool" meaning "in style," and "wicked" meaning "good," "great," or "in style," would be confusing to a person whose first language isn't English.
f) Avoid using abbreviations or acronyms. For example, "Atty." is an abbreviation for attorney; "PIN" is the acronym for personal identification number.
g) Wherever possible use visual aids to clarify your message. For example, a map, a sketch, or a picture usually enhances verbal or written communication.

Question 4

Why are ethics important in business communication? Describe the ways in which you can incorporate ethics into your business.

Question 5

What is confidential information?

Question 6

Why is professional courtesy important in business? What are some specific situations in which professional courtesy should be demonstrated?

Question 7

Why is it important to avoid discrimination in business communication? What are some strategies you can use to avoid it? Give at least one example for each strategy.

Question 8

Why is it important to use gender-neutral words in business situations? What do you think some of the implications would be of using gender-bias words?

Question 9

What is the difference between a stereotype and a prejudice? Where do they originate? How should they be treated in the business environment? Give at least one example for each concept.

Question 10

Explain with an example how prejudice can negatively impact your interaction with different groups and individuals.

Question 11

The United States spans _____ time zones.

Question 12

A word formed from the first letter or letters of each word in a phrase is called a(n) _____.

Question 13

The _____ is the ratio at which the principal unit of two currencies can be traded, and it fluctuates daily.

Question 14

Upon joining her new company, Sarah is asked to sign a form indicating that she has agreed not to share the company's trade secrets or procedures with outsiders. Sarah has signed a(n) _____.

Question 15

Another term for "business etiquette" is _____.

Question 16

_____ is an abbreviation of a French phrase meaning "Please reply."

Question 17

_____ words show favoritism toward or imply a greater importance of one gender over another.

Question 18

A(n) _____ is a fee paid to a sales associate as a result of a sale.

Question 19

The gender-neutral word for the term "housewife" is _____.

Question 20

Communicating with people in the United States and other countries who have roots in an environment different from yours is called:

A) cross-cultural communication.
B) local communication.
C) internal communication.
D) external communication.

Question 21

If you work in Columbus, Ohio, and wish to make a telephone call to a client in Bogota, Colombia, during the client's business hours, you need to be aware of the client's:

A) exchange rate.
B) metric system.
C) time zone.
D) currency.

Question 22

Which of the following should be avoided when communicating with people for whom English is a second language?

A) Using specific terms
B) Using slang or jargon
C) Using visual aids
D) Using standard English words

Question 23

A shortened form of a word or phrase is called a(n):

A) abbreviation.
B) acronym.
C) catchphrase.
D) cliché.

Question 24

Which of the following is an example of an acronym?

A) Vlog
B) ROI
C) St.
D) i.e.

Question 25

Which of these holidays is celebrated only in the United States?

A) St. Patrick's Day
B) Martin Luther King Day
C) Easter
D) Christmas

Question 26

Which of the following is an example of ethical communication?

A) ChemLab Inc., a chemical company, withholds information about a recent hazardous waste spill.
B) Jane, your supervisor, asks you to investigate some questionable figures submitted by the accounting department of your company.
C) Stephanie, your supervisor, asks you to change some of the findings of a quality-control study for a report you are compiling for the CEO.
D) FoodGalore Inc., the food manufacturing company you work for, claims that it uses "all natural ingredients," but you know that this is not true.

Question 27

After beginning a new job at a pharmaceutical company, an employee is asked to sign a statement agreeing not to reveal any of the company's trade secrets or procedures and not to use customer lists to promote their own business outside the office. This is an example of a:

A) nondisclosure agreement.
B) code of ethics.
C) bribe.
D) commission.

Question 28

A code of ethics is a:

A) document containing all company guidelines for nondiscriminatory behavior.
B) declaration by the company that it will never share its professional success with the public.
C) list of company secrets.
D) statement containing the goals of the organization in terms of how it operates and how it treats customers and competitors.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT an example of professional courtesy?

A) Danny refrains from discussing his company's recent legal trouble with his friends.
B) Patrick arrives at his boss's dinner party without first confirming through RSVP.
C) Terry writes a thank-you note to a colleague who helped with her daughter's school admission.
D) Jennifer acknowledges her colleague's birthday invitation as soon as she receives it.

Question 30

A form of acknowledgement is:

A) asking your manager for a promotion in exchange for keeping his personal troubles a secret.
B) avoiding introducing people at work who seem to not know each other.
C) replying promptly to invitations for business functions.
D) ensuring that your manager and you socialize together outside of work.

Question 31

The language you use in business should always be:

A) gender-specific.
B) gender-neutral.
C) stereotypical.
D) complex.

Question 32

The term "salesperson" is an example of a:

A) gender-specific word.
B) gender-bias word.
C) discriminatory word.
D) gender-neutral word.

Question 33

To avoid offending or discriminating against individuals, you should describe people in terms of their:

A) skills and abilities.
B) cultural backgrounds.
C) physical challenges.
D) gender.

Question 34

Margaret is a new student at Jefferson High. She does not respond to Lamar's efforts at friendship because she believes that all African Americans are aggressive. This is an example of:

A) professional courtesy.
B) stereotyping.
C) discriminatory language.
D) racial slurring.

Question 35

Talking loudly to a person who is visually impaired is an example of:

A) ethnocentrism.
B) racial slurring.
C) discriminatory action.
D) racial profiling.

Question 36

When working with people from different religious, cultural, and ethnic groups, it is important to imitate cultural language expressions or accents in an attempt to be friendly.

Question 37

The United States spans four time zones and most states observe daylight savings time.

Question 38

Trevor Inc. is a successful electronics company that has branches in the United States, Japan, China, and Europe. Trevor Inc. is an example of a multinational company.

Question 39

When dealing with customers whose first language is not English, you should avoid using slang or jargon.

Question 40

When communicating with people in other countries, it is useful to use figures of speech and clichés as they are understood universally.

Question 41

When communicating with people in other countries, it is important to be aware of the multiple definitions of words.

Question 42

Ethics determine whether or not something is legal.

Question 43

Confidential information is private or secret and should be released only to people who have a proven need to know.

Question 44

Confidential information, such as medical and court records, is protected by right-to-privacy laws.

Question 45

Acknowledging a special favor, such as a job recommendation, is an example of using professional courtesy.

Question 46

For the sake of clarity, gender-specific words are preferred in business communication today.

Question 47

Nondiscriminatory language refers to biased statements and terms used to set an individual or group apart from others.

Question 48

To ensure that you use nondiscriminatory language, describe people in terms of their skills and abilities, not in terms of their gender, race, and cultural background.

Question 49

The preferred term for a person diagnosed with phases of mania and depression is "manic depressive disorder."