Deck 2: The Global and Cultural Contexts

Question 1

Apple's highly demanding work environment has been attributed to:

A)Steve Job's ethical behavior
B)the culture of the organization
C)the lack of challenging,performance expectations
D)the national culture

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following cultures is NOT considered a low-context culture?

A)Germans
B)French
C)North Americans
D)Korean

Answer 2

D

Question 3

National organizational heritage refers to:

A)the wealth of each organization
B)the culture of different organizations
C)the management styles based on national cultures
D)organizational events that shape national culture

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The examples of Apple and Goldman Sachs are similar in that in both cases:

A)employees came first
B)financial performance came first
C)the leaders shaped the culture
D)national culture influenced organizational culture

Question 5

People from low context cultures typically:

A)rely on non-verbal cues and situational factors to communicate
B)rely on the written word and clearly stated statement to communicate
C)value leaders who take care of people
D)value leaders who focus on the task

Question 6

Leaders in high-context cultures may interpret the low-context followers' directness as ________.

A)an indication of effective leadership
B)a sign of a valuable employee
C)a display of respect
D)a lack of respect

Question 7

The leadership at Herman Miller,an office furniture manufacturer,created a culture that focused on:

A)employees
B)attention to ethical standards
C)careful promotion based on seniority
D)performance at all costs

Question 8

_____is the norms,customs,values,and assumptions that guide the behavior of a particular group of people.

A)Culture
B)Leadership
C)Diversity
D)Individualism

Question 9

The leadership of Herman Miller established a value of balancing work life and home life within the company.This is an example of which level of culture?

A)Organizational
B)Cultural Groups
C)National
D)Leadership

Question 10

____________refers to the variety of human structures,belief systems,and strategies for adapting to situations that exist within different groups.

A)Masculinity
B)Leadership
C)Gender
D)Diversity

Question 11

Male traits of ___________ and __________ are often associated with leadership in many cultures.

A)aggression;independence
B)intelligence;goal orientation
C)cognitive skills;ruthlessness
D)individualism;competition

Question 12

The High and Low Context model of culture was developed by:

A)Hall
B)Trompenaars
C)Hosftede
D)GLOBE

Question 13

Culture is important because:

A)some cultures are more powerful than others
B)culture guides people's assumptions and behaviors
C)culture can be changed to match the organization
D)Leaders must learn to ignore culture

Question 14

The example of former President Vincente Fox of Mexico refusing to admit mistakes in the handling of his country's economy illustrates:

A)his leadership style
B)the influence of the Mexican culture on leadership
C)the economic and political situation in Mexico
D)the impact of organizational factors on leadership

Question 15

The High and Low Context model of culture addresses:

A)different cultural values
B)differences in communication styles
C)differences in leadership patterns
D)the organizational cultural context

Question 16

People from high context cultures typically:

A)rely on non-verbal cues and situational factors to communicate
B)rely on the written word and clearly stated statement to communicate
C)value leaders who take care of people
D)value leaders who focus on the task

Question 17

People in who live in the 'Little Italy' region of New York City have maintained traditions,norms and customs from generation to generation.This is an example of what level of culture?

A)Global
B)National
C)Group
D)Organizational

Question 18

How many levels does culture have?

A)two
B)three
C)four
D)five

Question 19

Larry Page,cofounder of Google,created an organizational culture that:

A)took into consideration the employees' job satisfaction
B)separated personal and organizational goals
C)allowed for excellent financial performance
D)rewarded top financial performance

Question 20

Which of the following cultures is NOT considered a high-context culture?

A)Japanese
B)China
C)Korean
D)Scandinavian

Question 21

Which one of the following is not one of Hofstede's cultural dimensions?

A)time orientation
B)power distance
C)uncertainty avoidance
D)egalitarianism

Question 22

A U.S.manager who is negotiating in China has difficulty getting his Chinese counterparts to agree to put the details of their new contract on paper.At the same time,the Chinese managers are frustrated at the U.S.manager's insistence to clarify every detail.This conflict is can be partially attributed to:

A)the U.S.superiority in business interactions
B)the Chinese not trusting the U.S.manager
C)the difference in how the two cultures use context
D)the differences in the two countries political systems

Question 23

__________-power distance indicates that employees would generally accept work assignments from their supervisors without question,whereas a -------------- power distance indicates that employees generally have about the same amount of power as their boss.

A)High;high
B)High;low
C)Low;high
D)Low;low

Question 24

The fact that the Asian cultures pay attention to a leader's title and do not always rely on written contracts can be partially attributed to:

A)being relaxed
B)being people oriented
C)being high-context
D)being collectivist

Question 25

Hofstede's model includes how many cultural dimensions?

A)two
B)four
C)five
D)seven

Question 26

Geert Hofstede developed his cultural values model based on surveys of:

A)managers in the European Union
B)IBM employees in 40 countries
C)North American and Canadian managers
D)Students in introductory psychology classes

Question 27

Individualistic cultures tend to:

A)expect people to conform to social norms before they become independent
B)emphasize performance over social support
C)focus on individual achievement
D)value material goods

Question 28

Leaders from individualistic cultures would best be characterized by_______ .

A)engaging in team-oriented activities
B)seeking recognition
C)demonstrating high levels of participation behaviors
D)employing supportive leader behaviors

Question 29

When a culture is high in uncertainty avoidance,people are likely to:

A)search for absolute truths
B)expect their leaders to allow participation
C)rely on their community for information
D)have a short term orientation

Question 30

Compared to the United States,Japanese culture tends to be__________ .

A)higher on power distance and uncertainty avoidance
B)higher on power distance but lower on uncertainty avoidance
C)lower on power distance but higher on uncertainty avoidance
D)lower on both power distance and uncertainty avoidance

Question 31

Japanese culture is characterized with strong feelings toward group with clear rank and status differentiation as well as an obligation to obey authority.This is best described as which combination of Triandis characteristics of culture?

A)individualistic and vertical
B)individualistic and horizontal
C)collectivistic and vertical
D)collectivistic and horizontal

Question 32

A Mexican manager is upset at the fact that his German colleague jumps right into business without taking the time to get to know him and establish a relationship.The German manager is frustrated at how long it takes to get anything done and is pushing for quicker decision making.This cultural conflict can be partially explained by:

A)the typical impatience of the Germans
B)the Mexican's longer time orientation
C)the fact that Mexico is high context and Germany is low context
D)the problems associated with negotiating in different languages

Question 33

Power distance refers to:

A)how much power managers have
B)the extent to which people accept unequal power
C)the power of the leaders to make changes without consulting followers
D)how paternalistic and male dominated a society is

Question 34

Although many companies in the U.S.have adopted team-based management that is very successful in Japan,U.S.managers and employees often have difficulty working in teams.This may be because:

A)Japanese managers are generally superior in motivating their employees
B)the U.S.employees are not comfortable with uncertainty
C)the Japanese have lower power distance and are more egalitarian
D)the U.S.employees are more individualistic

Question 35

Leaders in high power distance cultures would be most characterized by:

A)expecting feedback from employees
B)relying on formal structures to accomplish tasks
C)seeking notoriety for the organization
D)focusing on team efforts

Question 36

French employees typically do not expect to participate in decision making to the same extent as U.S.or Swedish employees.This may be partially because:

A)France is a high power distance culture
B)U.S.and Swedish employees are often better trained
C)France is less collectivistic that the U.S.or Sweden
D)the French are not comfortable with uncertainty

Question 37

According to Hofstede's research on the dimensions of culture,the United States is best described as_____.

A)above average on power distance and masculinity.
B)above average on power distance and below average on masculinity
C)below average on power distance and above average on masculinity
D)below average on both power distance and masculinity

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT one of Hofstede's five dimensions of culture?

A)Uncertainty avoidance
B)Individualism
C)Time orientation
D)People orientation

Question 39

Tolerance of uncertainty refers to:

A)how much uncertainty exists in the political system
B)how quickly managers make decisions
C)the extent to which employees rely on their manager for decision making
D)how comfortable people are with ambiguity

Question 40

Based on Hofstede's model,which of the following best describes the culture of the U.S.?

A)The U.S.is an individualistic culture where people are long-term oriented,value achievement and are highly competitive.
B)The U.S.culture places a high value on individuals and achievement and tends to be egalitarian and short-term orientated with low power distance.
C)The U.S.is highly competitive,power oriented,and focused on improving social justice.
D)The U.S.culture is high on context,power,achievement,and competitiveness.

Question 41

In vertical individualistic cultures:

A)all members of the group are seen as equal.
B)the individual is seen as unique and superior to others.
C)individuals must sacrifice themselves for the group.
D)the individual is unique but equal to others.

Question 42

In horizontal individualist cultures:

A)all members of the group are seen as equal.
B)the individual is seen as unique and superior to others.
C)individuals must sacrifice themselves for the group.
D)the individual is unique but equal to others.

Question 43

According to Trompenaars' dimensions of culture,the Eiffel Tower organization focuses on:

A)taking care of individual needs and individual growth
B)hierarchy and tasks
C)taking care of families
D)egalitarianism and performance orientation

Question 44

An organization that defines their culture by having strong,powerful leaders that take care of the needs of individuals in the organization is best characterized as __________.

A)incubator culture
B)guided missile
C)family
D)Eiffel tower

Question 45

Effective leaders in an organization with a family culture are best described as:

A)demonstrating a team-orientation
B)committed to individual achievement
C)making use of formal authority to accomplish tasks
D)uses limited participation behaviors

Question 46

In vertical collectivistic cultures:

A)all members of the group are seen as equal.
B)the individual is seen as unique and superior to others.
C)individuals must sacrifice themselves for the group.
D)the individual is unique but equal to others.

Question 47

In Thailand,there is much tolerance for behaviors that are considered acceptable and violation of rules is often overlooked.This can partly be explained because:

A)Thailand has a loose culture.
B)Thailand is collectivistic.
C)Thailand emphasizes consideration for individual rights
D)Thailand is a low power distance culture.

Question 48

Japan and Korea are examples of __________.

A)loose cultures
B)individualistic cultures
C)vertical collectivistic cultures
D)cultures that are comfortable with uncertainty

Question 49

As opposed to Hofstede who considers general cultural dimensions and values,Trompenaars and his colleagues have developed model that:

A)looks at power relationships inside of organizations
B)focuses on how national culture affects corporate cultures
C)allows managers to understand the motivation of their followers
D)considers the communication context within organizations

Question 50

The two dimensions used by Trompenaars to classify cross-cultural organizational cultures include:

A)egalitarian-hierarchical and person-task
B)tight-loose and vertical-horizontal
C)proactive and reactive
D)high context and low context

Question 51

The concept of individualism/collectivism can be further refined by considering:

A)whether leaders have power and how they use power.
B)how tight or loose the culture is.
C)whether followers make decisions on their own.
D)the concept of vertical and horizontal cultures..

Question 52

According to Trompenaars,____________ are egalitarian and focus on taking care of individual needs.

A)incubator cultures
B)guided missiles
C)family
D)Eiffel Tower

Question 53

Which one of the following is not one of Trompenaars cross-cultural organizational cultures?

A)incubator
B)guided missile
C)community
D)Eiffel tower

Question 54

Christie works in an organization that focuses heavily and team interaction and job performance.Which of the Trompenaars' cultures best describes her organization?

A)incubator
B)guided missile
C)family
D)Eiffel Tower

Question 55

Vertical/horizontal dimension impacts leadership because:

A)it deals with people
B)it relates to how rules are used
C)it focuses on how leaders use participation in their culture
D)it affects views of hierarchy and equality

Question 56

_________ cultures focus on hierarchy;while _________ cultures focus on equality.

A)Vertical;horizontal
B)Tight;loose
C)Ascriptive;prescriptive
D)Collectivistic;individualistic

Question 57

According to Trompenaars,incubators are:

A)egalitarian and focused on taking care of individual needs.
B)egalitarian and focused on the task.
C)hierarchical and focused on taking care of people.
D)hierarchical and driven to accomplish tasks.

Question 58

Mehran has grown up in a culture where breaking rules and norms of behavior is considered to be serious.Her parents and teachers often reminded her that rules are to be obeyed and that she risked serious consequences if she did not conform.Based on this information,one could deduce that Mehran's culture is:

A)very harsh.
B)high power distance.
C)a tight culture.
D)ascriptive and collectivistic.

Question 59

Leaders in organizations characterized as an incubator culture effectively demonstrate all of the following behaviors except?

A)focusing on individual growth
B)engaging in team-oriented behaviors
C)removing obstacles and provides necessary resources
D)demonstrating considerable expertise and competence

Question 60

Harry Triandis proposes that the concept of uncertainty avoidance can be further refined by:

A)adding the concept of time orientation to tolerance for uncertainty.
B)looking at how uncertainty avoidance is different in vertical and horizontal cultures.
C)introducing the concept of tight and loose cultures to uncertainty avoidance.
D)combining context and individuality to explain uncertainty avoidance.

Question 61

One of the contributions of the GLOBE research has been:

A)more dimensions to explain culture
B)identification of universal and culturally contingent leader behaviors
C)the clarification of the dimensions presented by other researchers such as Hofstede and Trompenaars
D)to recognize autonomy and assertiveness as key universal leadership styles

Question 62

Which set of countries value charisma more than the others?

A)United States and Great Britian
B)France and the Philippines
C)Japan and Kuwait
D)Egypt and China

Question 63

The GLOBE project includes information about cross-cultural difference from how many cultures?

A)close to 300
B)over 100
C)around 60
D)about 20

Question 64

The difference between Collectivism I and Collectivism II in the GLOBE cultural dimensions is related to:

A)focus on people or social systems
B)the degree of assertiveness of the individual versus the group
C)the degree to which performance is based on the group or the organization
D)focus on social institutions or family and organizations

Question 65

According to the GLOBE study,Institutional Collectivism refers to:

A)The degree to which the culture values collective action and collective distribution of resources
B)The degree to which the culture values task completion and excellence
C)The degree to which the culture invests in the future rather than the present or past
D)The degree to which the culture values fairness,generosity and kindness

Question 66

The GLOBE study found which of the following leadership behaviors to be desirable across most cultures?

A)autocratic leadership
B)charismatic/values-based leadership
C)directive leadership
D)achievement orientated leadership

Question 67

Which of the following is NOT one of the nine dimensions on the GLOBE study?

A)Stability
B)Power distance
C)Uncertainty avoidance
D)Performance orientation

Question 68

________can be described as having a high level of gender differentiation,whereas __________is described as having a low level of gender differentiation.

A)United States;India
B)Canada;South Korea
C)Taiwan;China
D)Egypt;Sweden

Question 69

Based on GLOBE findings the U.S.is among the highest on:

A)power distance and tolerance ambiguity
B)humane orientation and performance
C)gender egalitarianism and individuality
D)assertiveness and performance

Question 70

Which country is likely to be described as having the greatest gender differentiation?

A)Egypt
B)United States
C)Sweden
D)Italy

Question 71

Which best describes a county characterized with a high power distance?

A)communication is typically directed only one way
B)there is a free flow of communication between leaders and followers
C)feedback is expected from followers
D)individuals will rarely rely on nonverbal cues

Question 72

The GLOBE study found which country to be the least focused on a future orientation?

A)Singapore
B)Russia
C)United States
D)Australia

Question 73

Which one of the following is not one of the GLOBE dimensions?

A)collectivism
B)assertiveness
C)emotionality
D)future orientation

Question 74

__________is the degree to which a culture values fairness,generosity,caring and kindness.

A)uncertainty avoidance
B)in-group collectivism
C)future orientation
D)humane orientation

Question 75

Which set of countries like certainty more than others?

A)Russia and Venezuela
B)United States and Canada
C)China and Japan
D)Denmark and Mexico

Question 76

Jerry is working in an organization where people are very relaxed and there are few rules and hierarchy.However,getting the task done is everyone's primary concern.The cross-cultural organizational culture of Jerry's company can be best classified as:

A)guided missile
B)individualistic and task oriented
C)organic
D)family

Question 77

According to Trompenaars,guided missiles are:

A)egalitarian and focused on taking care of individual needs.
B)egalitarian and focused on the task.
C)hierarchical and focused on taking care of people.
D)hierarchical and driven to accomplish tasks.

Question 78

Steve is searching for a new job.He recognizes that he is most comfortable in organizations that possess clear organizational structures,well defined roles,and focus on 'getting the job done.' Which type of organization would be the best fit for Steve?

A)Eiffel Tower
B)guided missile
C)incubator
D)family

Question 79

Nigel has a new job and during orientation he is told that the organization treats employees as professionals and gives them considerable latitude.He is also told that leadership is based on competence and expertise.Based on this description,Nigel is most likely working for which type of organization?

A)guided missile
B)incubator
C)Eiffel tower
D)family

Question 80

Based on the GLOBE study,Germany was found to be:

A)High for both assertiveness and uncertainty avoidance
B)High assertiveness and low uncertainty avoidance
C)Low assertiveness and high uncertainty avoidance
D)Low on both assertiveness and uncertainty avoidance