Deck 7: Communicating Across Cultures

Question 1

Migrant workers benefit the economies of host countries instead of home countries.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: Migrant workers benefit the economies of both host and home countries. The money sent home by migrant workers is one of the major drivers of international development.

Question 2

A source of growing emphasis on diversity is gender and sexual orientation.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: The last two decades have seen a growing emphasis on diversity. This diversity comes from many sources such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, race and ethnicity, among others.

Question 3

A reason why communication is more important in today's world is because cultural practices can change rapidly.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: In today's electronically connected world, cultural practices can change swiftly. For instance, workers are becoming less group oriented and more individualistic than before. In such fluid contexts, communication becomes even more important.

Question 4

Research shows that organizations with low levels of diversity have the highest profits,and the highest number of customers.

Question 5

One of the key ways that people in a certain country can relate better with other cultures is to communicate with them about how they can change and adopt their ways of working.

Question 6

Nonverbal communication comprises of word selection and phrasing of sentences.

Question 7

A successful intercultural communicator is sensitive to verbal and nonverbal behavior.

Question 8

Business strategies that are highly successful in the United States may be ineffective in other cultures and countries.

Question 9

People from different cultures do things differently whereas all people within a single culture behave in similar ways.

Question 10

According to anthropologist Edward Hall,everything is explicitly conveyed in high-context cultures.

Question 11

While recruiting young employees,second-language proficiency and multicultural awareness is an unimportant quality because mid-level positions do not require inter-cultural interaction.

Question 12

German cultures may be considered low-context cultures because context is less important and everything is explicitly spelled out.

Question 13

Stereotypes are generalizations about groups of people that are extremely useful in predicting how an individual in a different culture will think,act,and feel.

Question 14

Geert Hofstede's power distance dimension states that a country with a high power-distance index indicates more equality at all social levels than a country with a low power-distance index.

Question 15

There is a trend that organizations are striving to reduce diversity in workforces to prevent low productivity and cultural biases.

Question 16

Deep bicultural fluency and experience in several countries are key qualities that headhunters look for while recruiting.

Question 17

The first step in understanding another culture is to be willing to ask questions about preferences and behaviors.

Question 18

Managers often need expatriate experience for top-level jobs.

Question 19

A country with a high-context culture gives more importance to relationships than low-context cultures.

Question 20

Anthropologist Edward Hall states that culture has five main dimensions i.e.,power/inequality,individualism/collectivism,masculinity/femininity,uncertainty avoidance,and long-term/short-term orientation.

Question 21

In contrast to verbal languages and cultures which differ from country to country,body language is universal in all countries.

Question 22

Naomi Boyd is planning on launching a new line of out-of-the-box clothing wear in Belgium.She has done considerable research about the country and knows that the public is very open to new ideas and concepts and greets changes.Which of the following is Belgium most likely do be characterized by?

A) Masculine culture
B) High uncertainty avoidance index
C) High power distance index
D) Low uncertainty avoidance index
E) Individualist culture

Question 23

Personal space is the distance people want between themselves and other people in ordinary,non-intimate interchanges.

Question 24

What is the first step that helps in understanding another culture?

A) Being unaware of practices in other cultures because it makes one biased toward them
B) Realizing that people from another culture may do things differently and it does not make them inferior
C) Avoid asking questions about behavior patterns because it may seem overly curious
D) Understanding that people within a culture are predictable and have identical patterns of behavior
E) Stereotyping groups of people which help understand them and their characteristics better

Question 25

Japan is known to have a significant portion of the power structure dominated by men.In the country,men are expected to be assertive and there is a clear demarcation of roles between men and women.Leah Murray has received a good job opportunity in the country and is planning to relocate by the end of the month.Based on this scenario,which of the following is most likely to prevail in the country?

A) Individualism
B) Masculine culture
C) Low power-distance index
D) Collectivism
E) Low uncertainty avoidance index

Question 26

Who put forward the five cultural dimensions of power/inequality,individualism/collectivism,masculinity/femininity,uncertainty avoidance,and long-term/short-term orientation?

A) Edward T. Hall
B) Geert Hofstede
C) Russell Blaine Nye
D) Toby Miller
E) Hugh J. Silverman

Question 27

People use body language to signal traits such as interest,respect,and agreement.

Question 28

Lindsay Crawford,who works for a media house in London,is being relocated to a new branch of the company in Austria.Colleagues in office tell her that her new work place has a high-context culture in contrast to her current office.Which of the following should Crawford do that would be most appropriate in such a culture?

A) Be indirect while communicating with her colleagues and superiors
B) Ensure that most communication is made through emails and written documents
C) Avoid giving importance to interactions and building relationships
D) Understand that oral conversations are unimportant and need not be taken seriously
E) Give importance to details because they matter immensely in such cultures

Question 29

The way people interpret a smile may depend on the purpose smiles serve in a particular culture.

Question 30

Which of the following anthropologists first categorized cultures as high-context and low-context which are popular in the business milieu?

A) Richard Grafton
B) James Gardiner
C) Edward Hall
D) Bernard André
E) Richard Arnold

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a source of diversity?

A) Age
B) Religion
C) Physical ability
D) Economic status
E) National origin

Question 32

While writing to international audiences,one should always use first names to appear friendly and cordial.

Question 33

Jennie Cruz,a marketing professional,is joining a new organization in Dublin.She has gathered from friends in the city that there is a high level of equality at all social levels and work cultures are characterized by interdependence,shared initiatives,and managers are easily approachable.Which of the following is the country most likely to be characterized by?

A) High power-distance index
B) High uncertainty avoidance index
C) Low power-distance index
D) Individualist culture
E) Feminist culture

Question 34

Making eye contact is a universal nonverbal communication used across all cultures to convey a sign of paying attention.

Question 35

A reason why gestures should be used when language fails to convey a message is that they have the same connotation in all countries.

Question 36

Learning the language of the country where one plans to work helps in giving a glimpse into the culture.

Question 37

Kingsly Inc.,a clothing retail line in London,recently expanded its business in Scotland.The management knows that a majority of people prefer organic clothing with a preference for cotton and silk.Keeping in mind their preferences,they launched their store with clothes made from hemp and bamboo.This strategy worked very well for their company and received a good response from buyers.Which of the following did Kingsly Inc.most likely do?

A) Stereotyped groups which helped them understand the culture better
B) Adapted their company products to the needs of the local market
C) Understood that each member in the country has the same preferences
D) Avoided enquiring about preferences because it would seem curious
E) Understood that the tastes and preferences were inferior to other countries

Question 38

While communicating with an international audience,it is important to remember that people have their own personal characteristics.

Question 39

Nora Gomez is travelling to Paraguay for a business meeting.At the meeting,she will be required to give a presentation for the approval of a new project.She understands that it is crucial for her to know a little about the country's culture before she leaves for the meeting.On speaking with a colleague from the office at Paraguay,she gathers that the company has a low-context culture.Which of the following should Gomez do which will help her have a successful business meeting?

A) Ensure that she projects most information and points explicitly to all participants
B) Avoid giving importance to the context of a message or points at the presentation
C) Put forward points politely instead of being confrontational with members
D) Give a lot of importance to building relationships with members at the meeting
E) Be careful about what she says orally because oral statements are considered binding

Question 40

Polychronic cultures focus on clock time rather than relationships.

Question 41

Describe characteristics of a low-context culture.

Question 42

How can body language be used to communicate one's feelings?

Question 43

List the different sources of diversity.How does diversity affect a company's productivity?

Question 44

Carole Simpson works in Switzerland where most companies have a culture which focuses on undertaking all tasks according to clock time and their work schedule.They also undertake one task at a time instead of multitasking.Based on this scenario,which of the following cultures is Switzerland most likely to be characterized by?

A) Monochronic
B) Collectivist
C) Polychronic
D) Ethnocentric
E) Xenocentric

Question 45

Which of the following guidelines should be followed while writing to international audiences?

A) Using contractions to summarize information efficiently in a document
B) Using first names in all instances instead of titles or salutations
C) Writing in the reader's language to show respect even if one is not fluent in it
D) Adjusting response time based on the nature and culture of the audience
E) Avoid spelling out the month while writing a date and instead writing in numbers

Question 46

Color,dress,and age may be considered as symbols of _____ communication.

A) written
B) verbal
C) oral
D) nonverbal
E) text

Question 47

Sandra Davis is currently doing her degree in public relation and communication.She has been faring well in her papers and often receives high grades during exams.Once she completes her studies,she intends to pursue a strong international career which gives her substantial exposure.What does she need to do in addition,which will help her in an international career experience?

Question 48

David Riley who has been assigned to work on a new renewable energy project,needs to work in Japan for a period of two years.He feels that before moving,he should learn a bit of the language to interact better with colleagues and superiors there.What are some of the things he needs to do to adapt well in the country?

Question 49

Which of the following is true of personal space?

A) It refers to the distance people want between themselves and other people.
B) It refers to the difference between one's thoughts and actions.
C) It refers to the distance between people in intimate interchanges.
D) It states that people within a culture always want the same personal space.
E) It refers to formulating ideas in one's mind before implementing them.

Question 50

How do differed views of time affect business communication? Explain.

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of nonverbal communication?

A) Composing an email to a customer about delivery details for a product
B) Giving a presentation to a board of directors for approval on a project
C) Marketing a product by blogging about its features and benefits
D) Negotiating with a client about quotation for a product
E) Making eye contact with a speaker to convey that one is listening

Question 52

Which of the following is a characteristic of a monochronic culture?

A) People focus more on relationships instead of on undertaking tasks according to schedule.
B) People multitask several activities at a time to complete work according to schedule.
C) People prefer their time unstructured instead of structuring work along time frames.
D) People are more focused on establishing good working relations with colleagues and peers.
E) People schedule work according to clock time and undertake one task at a time.

Question 53

Which of the following best represents a polychronic culture?

A) Employees follow strict work schedules according to clock time.
B) Employees give importance to establishing bonds between colleagues.
C) Employees undertake one task at a time to perform it flawlessly.
D) Employees maintain a rigid structure of undertaking activities.
E) Employees segment time into small segments and divide tasks accordingly.

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a part of nonverbal communication?

A) Personal space
B) Gesture
C) Body language
D) Touch
E) Writing

Question 55

Which of the following is true of values,beliefs,and practices in business communication?

A) Response to people and situations are always unaffected by beliefs and practices.
B) Business communication is free from the impact of religion and its values.
C) Everyday practices remain the same in all cultures and are not subject to any change.
D) Communication is crucial in today's world because cultural practices change rapidly.
E) People within a certain culture have identical values and follow the same practices.

Question 56

Debora Reyes has recently joined a new company as a communications executive and has been told by a colleague that the organization has a high-context culture.How would this piece of information help Reyes in communicating better with her peers and superiors?

Question 57

Which of the following is true of oral communication?

A) The word "yes" should be always used in meetings because they avoid confusion.
B) Compliments work universally across all cultures and should be used often.
C) Exaggerations should be best avoided because "no" culture accepts them positively.
D) Learning a language helps one give a glimpse into the culture of a country.
E) The word "no" is considered a negative word in all countries and is best avoided.

Question 58

How do values,beliefs,and practices affect our response to people and situations?

Question 59

Linda Rice,who works as a marketing manager needs to attend a meeting with a colleague,Sarah Dixon,from the communication team.A day prior to the meeting,they decide that they should meet at 0900 hours.However,Dixon arrives at 0945 hours and does not feel the need to apologize to Rice.She feels that being 45 minutes late is the same as being ten minutes late.Which of the following best describes Dixon's attitude toward time?

A) Measures time in per minute blocks
B) Measures time by the sun
C) Calculates time frames based on body clock
D) Measures time in five minute blocks
E) Calculates time in half hour blocks

Question 60

The Perkins Store,a retail chain which sells lifestyle products,is launching its outlet in Ireland.The consumers in the country value the environment and are conscious buyers.Explain how the management of the store can adapt their products to the needs of their audience in the country.

Question 61

Explain the difference between anthropologist Edward Hall's two kinds of cultures.

Question 62

Many people think that nonverbal communication is much easier to understand than oral or written communication.However in reality,nonverbal symbols can be misinterpreted as easily as verbal ones.Using specific examples,discuss the factors that are important in nonverbal communication and how they can affect intercultural communication.

Question 63

Explain reasons to learn the language of a country where one plans to work?

Question 64

What are some key points one needs to know while writing to international audiences?

Question 65

What are the roles of a translator in a business communication? What key points should one communicate to them?

Question 66

Palmer Industries has developed alliances with companies in Japan.The company anticipates that there will be extensive written communication between their alliances in the next couple of months,particularly via e-mail.In addition,face-to-face meetings will be conducted via videoconferencing.Abigail Corinno,the Vice President for Palmer Industries,feels it would be a good idea to implement a communication program to make employees aware of cultural differences.She asks the communications manager to compile a list of topics that should be included in the program.What should this list mainly comprise of?