Deck 12: Communicating Across Cultures

Question 1

Which of the following are considered rude or insulting in some countries?

A)showing the sole of your shoe
B)"thumbs up"
C)holding hands in public
D)all of these are correct

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is a reason to become familiar with international business communication practices discussed in the chapter?

A)You may find yourself working for a company owned by a company from another country.
B)Many products are made overseas.
C)To learn different languages.
D)Networking is always valuable for businesses.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is a characteristic of a good intercultural communicator?

A)smart
B)disrespectful
C)nondefensive
D)judgmental

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which concept proposed that advancements in communication and transportation technologies would compress the world to a point where it would be one big happy unit?

A)objectivity myth
B)global village concept
C)universality myth
D)androgynous myth

Question 5

In which of the following countries are business cards handed to the recipient with both hands with the information facing the receiver?

A)Denmark
B)France
C)England
D)Japan

Question 6

Which of the following suggests a loosely knit social framework in which people are expected to take care of themselves and immediate family only?

A)collectivism
B)individualism
C)power distance
D)loyalty to heirs

Question 7

Which one of the following is NOT a dimension of cultural differences,according to Hofstede?

A)power distance
B)uncertainty acceptance
C)individualism/collectivism
D)masculinity/femininity

Question 8

Of the following countries,which is thought to have a high power distance?

A)Denmark
B)United States
C)Mexico
D)England

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT recommended when trying to communicate in English with people who have varying levels of fluency?

A)use slang
B)speak a bit more slowly
C)enunciate carefully
D)avoid humor

Question 10

International trade agreements focus on ______.

A)supply chains
B)lowering tariffs
C)consistent regulations
D)technological improvements

Question 11

According to Hofstede's dimensions of cultural differences,the United States has ______.

A)low power distance
B)high power distance
C)variable power distance
D)unknown power distance

Question 12

Culture includes all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A)religious systems
B)educational systems
C)political systems
D)environmental systems

Question 13

The idea that under the skin,all human beings are alike,brothers and sisters in the common family of man is known as the ______.

A)universality myth
B)global village concept
C)commonality village
D)objectivity myth

Question 14

In which of the following regions are women's bare legs,arms,shoulders,or heads considered offensive in public?

A)Europe
B)Middle East
C)North America
D)South America

Question 15

Preparation for a foreign assignment may include ______.

A)taking a vacation
B)learning another language
C)discussing the country at dinner
D)reading the local newspaper

Question 16

The need for more intercultural awareness arises from ______.

A)the global village concept
B)different greeting and gift-giving rituals
C)different standards of business dress
D)both different greeting and gift-giving rituals and different standards of business dress

Question 17

Why should managers become culturally sensitive?

A)The workforce is increasingly more culturally diverse
B)They are working in a global economy
C)U.S.business values are universal
D)Both the workforce is increasingly more culturally diverse and they are working in a global economy are correct

Question 18

A culture that approves of placing family above wealth is considered to have a ______ dimension.

A)feminine
B)collectivistic
C)low-context
D)high power distance

Question 19

Which is a potential gift-giving blunder?

A)flowers
B)gifts bearing the company logo
C)the number of gifts
D)all of these

Question 20

Of the following countries,which is said to have weak uncertainty avoidance?

A)England
B)Germany
C)Japan
D)United States

Question 21

A country's "degree of globalization" is based on social,political,and economic activities.

Question 22

A manager in a country with high power distance might prefer a controlling strategy and behave like an autocrat.

Question 23

Collectivism is evidenced by people taking care of only their immediate families.

Question 24

Hofstede's dimensions of cultural differences are similar for countries that are geographically close together.

Question 25

Uncertainty avoidance indicates the extent to which a society accepts the fact that power in institutions and organizations is distributed unequally.

Question 26

Differences between cultures must be understood but not accepted for international business.

Question 27

According to the U.S.Department of Education,which foreign languages are the most important to learn?

A)Chinese,Korean,and Japanese
B)Hindi and Urdu
C)both Chinese,Korean,and Japanese and Hindi and Urdu are correct
D)French and Spanish

Question 28

Canada and the United States are considered low-context cultures,according to Hofstede.

Question 29

Culture is what we grow up in,according to Gould.

Question 30

Denmark,Sweden,and Norway are considered masculine societies,according to Hofstede.

Question 31

The Philippines,Venezuela,and Mexico are countries with low power distance,according to Hofstede.

Question 32

Research shows that when employees of different cultures work for a multinational firm,______.

A)their cultural differences strengthen
B)their cultural differences weaken
C)they adopt the cultural values of the firm
D)their cultural differences are not affected

Question 33

The fact that relatively few U.S.workers take advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act is an indication of which dimension of cultural differences?

A)collectivism-individualism
B)femininity-masculinity
C)power distance
D)uncertainty avoidance

Question 34

French's mustard and Dannon yogurt products are made by American companies.

Question 35

It's been estimated that 20% of American managers fail to perform adequately abroad because they haven't been sufficiently prepared for adjusting to the foreign culture.

Question 36

Machine translators,such as Google Translate,should not be relied upon because ______.

A)they do not account for cultural factors
B)they may not include slang or metaphors
C)they always factor in irony
D)both they do not account for cultural factors and they may not include slang or metaphors are correct

Question 37

A person who sees his or her country as the best in the world and looks down on others as inferior because they are different is known as ______.

A)ethical
B)ethno-relativistic
C)ethnocentric
D)all of these

Question 38

Bribing someone during the conduct of business is a violation of which U.S.law?

A)SPCA
B)FCPA
C)SEC
D)USDA

Question 39

Hyper-punctuality is a characteristic of which cultures?

A)Western European
B)Asian
C)Latin American
D)all of these

Question 40

The United States has steadily increased its globalization index since the 1970s,according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute.

Question 41

According to Hofstede,punctuality is less important in polychronic cultures than in monochronic cultures,and being late is a sign of status.

Question 42

If a business guest is unfamiliar with a nation's delicacies,it is appropriate to refuse to try them.

Question 43

Normal gift-giving practices in some countries are considered unethical in others.

Question 44

A business suit may not be the appropriate attire for an evening of entertainment in some societies.

Question 45

What should a manager do to prepare for an assignment in another country?

Question 46

A very firm handshake is the universal business greeting.

Question 47

If English is the dominant international language of business,why should a manager learn a foreign language in preparation for an overseas assignment?

Question 48

An advantage of learning the language when you are an international traveler is the avoidance of interpretational disasters.

Question 49

In a high context culture,people look for meaning in what is not said.

Question 50

Select a country you are familiar with--or,if you have not traveled to another country,select a region within the United States--and analyze its culture,using Hofstede's dimensions of cultural differences.