Deck 16: Diversity and Global Cultures: There Are New Faces in the Neighborhood

Question 1

Glass ceilings are problematic because:*

A) power is distributed equally throughout organizations.
B) women have finally erased the barrier; minorities still face it.
C) they encourage women and minorities to stay in an organization.
D) most top executives are older, white males and there is little opportunity for others.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The three steps in Roosevelt Thomas' continuum of leadership approaches to diversity are affirmative action, managing diversity, and __________.*

A) leadership policy
B) diversity regulations
C) valuing diversity
D) equal employment

Answer 2

C

Question 3

How open an organization is to hiring anyone who can perform a specific job is called __________.

A) exclusivity
B) discrimination
C) diversity
D) inclusivity

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The problem with subcultures in organizations is that:

A) they tend to form informally.
B) ethnocentric tendencies cause members to look down on outsiders.
C) they are formed by individuals with similar characteristics.
D) members identify more closely to them than to the larger organization.

Question 5

Sara, the director of human resources at Worldwide Products Inc., is continually in the process of training managers on anti-discriminatory practices and establishing an inclusive diverse environment at the company. Sara is practicing __________.

A) discrimination
B) management diversity
C) value management
D) biculturalism

Question 6

Which of the following is a characteristic of a multicultural organization?

A) Pluralism
B) Structural integration
C) Informal network integration
D) All of the above are characteristics of a multicultural organization.

Question 7

Leadership in an organization commits the organization to hiring and advancing minorities and women. This is called __________.

A) diversity
B) ethnocentrism
C) pluralism
D) affirmative action

Question 8

The __________ is a hidden barrier that restricts the advancement of women and minorities into senior level management positions.

A) invisible wall
B) glass ceiling
C) imaginary plane
D) human resource department

Question 9

__________ occurs when minorities adopt the characteristics of the majority culture in order to succeed.

A) Transgression
B) Transformation
C) Cultural diversity
D) Biculturalism

Question 10

Lasana, a black male, is a first-line manager at International Parts Inc. Lasana loves soul food but never brings it to work. Instead, his lunch usually consists of chicken or ham sandwiches because he believes it will be better for his career. Lasana is practicing __________.*

A) biculturalism
B) healthy eating habits
C) culinary diversity
D) cultural diversity

Question 11

An organization that is mature about diversity should be able to answer a confident "yes" to which of the following questions?

A) Do you understand diversity concepts?
B) Do you accept responsibility for improving your performance?
C) Are you willing to learn continuously?
D) All of the above are questions that mature organizations will be able to answer a confident "yes."

Question 12

John is a marketing manager who thinks that those finance people just don't understand the business like marketing people do. John is likely to be a part of a(n) __________ subculture.*

A) gender
B) national
C) intergroup
D) occupational

Question 13

__________ is the belief that one's membership group is superior to others.*

A) Ethnocentrism
B) Ethics
C) Self-involvement
D) Self-indulgent

Question 14

The three types of subcultures are occupational, ethnic, and __________.*

A) historical
B) national
C) gender
D) international

Question 15

Organizational __________ are groupings of people based on shared demographic and job identities.

A) departments
B) divisions
C) subcultures
D) groups

Question 16

Building an inclusive work environment that allows everyone to reach his or her potential is called __________.

A) employee development
B) open management
C) management training
D) managing diversity

Question 17

Bill is at a business dinner meeting in India. When his Indian associates all light up a cigarette after the meal, Bill lectures them on the evils of smoking and walks out of the restaurant. Bill is guilty of __________.

A) subcultural preference
B) ethnocentrism
C) monochromic behavior
D) polychromic behavior

Question 18

The problem of high employee turnover among minorities and women has been called __________.

A) the revolving door syndrome
B) the glass ceiling effect
C) ethnocentrism
D) an organizational subculture

Question 19

A company that is based on pluralism and operates with inclusivity and respect for diversity is called a __________ organization.

A) multinational
B) multicultural
C) business
D) free enterprise

Question 20

__________ is a word used to describe differences in people's race, religion, age, and other factors.

A) Dichotomy
B) Detail
C) Diversity
D) Departmental

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT one of the stages of adjusting to a new culture?*

A) Irritation and anger
B) Honeymoon
C) Reality
D) Comfort

Question 22

The ability to adapt to new cultures is called cultural __________.*

A) awareness
B) deficiency
C) training
D) intelligence

Question 23

In a high context culture, such as Italy, one would expect to find __________.

A) high uncertainty avoidance
B) monochromic behavior
C) a high degree of nonverbal communication
D) a low power distance rating

Question 24

According to Roosevelt Thomas, affirmative action has __________ the desire of minorities to assimilate into the workforce.

A) increased
B) decreased
C) had no effect on
D) None of the above

Question 25

The last stage in adjusting to a new culture is __________.*

A) irritation and anger
B) honeymoon
C) reality
D) small victories

Question 26

The confusion and discomfort that a person experiences when in an unfamiliar culture is called __________.

A) cultural diversity
B) cultural malaise
C) employee despair
D) culture shock

Question 27

The first stage in adjusting to a new culture is __________.

A) irritation and anger
B) honeymoon
C) confusion
D) reality

Question 28

Bryan has just moved to Japan from the United States. He currently feels overwhelmed by the new culture, and it has become a target of his criticism. Bryan is in what stage of adjusting to a new culture?

A) Confusion
B) Irritation and anger
C) Reality
D) Small victories

Question 29

A culture that includes nonverbal signals and context when interpreting communication is classified as a(n) __________.

A) individualistic culture
B) high-context culture
C) collectivistic culture
D) low-context culture

Question 30

The study of how people use interpersonal space is called __________.*

A) space works
B) inter-space
C) proxemics
D) proximity

Question 31

A culture in which people are multi-tasking is called a __________ culture.

A) group
B) polychronic
C) diverse
D) high-context

Question 32

According to a survey done by FDS International of the United Kingdom, the country with best overall employee morale is ___________.

A) the United States
B) Germany
C) the Netherlands
D) Japan

Question 33

According to Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures, __________ is the degree to which a society tolerates uncertainty.

A) uncertainty avoidance
B) individualism-collectivism
C) power distance
D) time orientation

Question 34

The most productive end of the diversity leadership continuum involves active inclusion of diversity in organizational operations with a goal of multiculturalism and is known as __________.*

A) workplace diversity
B) managing diversity
C) affirmative action
D) biculturalism

Question 35

Which of the following is NOT one of Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures?

A) Power distance
B) Uncertainty avoidance
C) Time orientation
D) Educational background

Question 36

According to Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures, __________ is the degree to which a society accepts unequal distribution of power.*

A) uncertainty avoidance
B) individualism-collectivism
C) power distance
D) time orientation

Question 37

A culture that relies mainly on the written and spoken word is called a(n) __________.*

A) individualistic culture
B) high-context culture
C) documented culture
D) low-context culture

Question 38

Vince, a middle manager at United Imports Inc, is in Japan on a business trip to visit a major supplier. After work, his Japanese hosts take him to a Japanese barbecue restaurant. Two of the main entrees are horsemeat and sparrow with the heads on. Vince is very uncomfortable with these dishes and does not know what to do. Vince is suffering a condition known as __________.

A) culture shock
B) an upset stomach
C) diplomacy
D) bad food

Question 39

A culture in which people do one thing at a time is called a(n) __________ culture.*

A) individualistic
B) high-context
C) low-context
D) monochronic

Question 40

All of the following are aspects of cultural intelligence EXCEPT:*

A) high cultural self-awareness.
B) flexibility in your dealings.
C) willingness to learn about the unfamiliar.
D) consistency and commitment to maintain your home cultural behaviors.

Question 41

The positive model for diversity is to achieve "multicultural" status as an organization.

Question 42

A member of one of your student teams from a collectivistic culture is more likely to behave in which of the following ways?

A) Step forward to be the team leader
B) Offer to lead the team presentation
C) Confront a fellow member who is not making a "fair-share" contribution
D) Work diligently on their part of the project with little fanfare

Question 43

Hofstede was concerned about the tendency for people to assume that generalized cultural values could be applied to all members of a culture. He called this tendency __________.

A) generalized approach
B) ecological fallacy
C) equal distribution
D) unreasonable expectation

Question 44

According to Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures, __________ is the degree to which a society emphasizes short-term or long-term goals.

A) uncertainty avoidance
B) individualism-collectivism
C) power distance
D) time orientation

Question 45

According to Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures, __________ is the degree to which a society emphasizes individuals and their self-interests.

A) uncertainty avoidance
B) individualism-collectivism
C) power distance
D) time orientation

Question 46

Another way to view polychronic cultures is as a group of flexible multi-taskers.

Question 47

Harris and Conference Board polls report that younger workers tend to be more satisfied with their jobs than older workers.

Question 48

Hall argues that we need to be aware of more than just the verbal languages of other countries; his emphasis on "silent languages" refers to understanding communication context, the perspective of time, and the use of space.

Question 49

According to Hofstede's five dimensions of national cultures, the United States is more accepting of uncertainty than is Japan.

Question 50

Biculturalism is a positive step in resolving the diversity issue.

Question 51

A culture that is high in uncertainty avoidance would be known for its entrepreneurial spirit.

Question 52

Diversity can provide competitive advantage for a firm and is easy to implement.

Question 53

The stages of adjustment to culture shock are a series of steady improvements after the initial stage of confusion.

Question 54

Cultural intelligence deals with the ability to adapt to new cultures.

Question 55

Affirmative action is the most effective and efficient way to implement and benefit from diversity.

Question 56

According to Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures, __________ is the degree to which a society values assertiveness and materialism.

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

Question 57

Subcultures are necessary to achieve organizational diversity.

Question 58

Ethnocentrism is necessary to establishing organizational diversity.

Question 59

Awareness of the glass ceiling has resulted in a significant improvement in the number of women in senior management positions.

Question 60

The most highly individualistic country, according to Hofstede's sample, is __________.

A) Japan
B) Germany
C) China
D) the United States

Question 61

While the value of diversity is obvious, what makes it so difficult to manage in global companies?

Question 62

__________ is the feeling of confusion and discomfort felt in dealing with an unfamiliar culture.

Question 63

Beyond the legal issues, make the business case for diversity.

Question 64

__________ is an effort made by women and minorities to "fit in" by taking on behaviors and characteristics displayed by the majority.

Question 65

The barrier to women and minorities that manifests itself in the lack of diversity in the upper ranks of organizational management is known as the __________.

Question 66

Organizational __________ are informal groupings of people with shared identities within a larger organization.

Question 67

Regarding diversity, the concept of __________ is similar to that of stereotyping.

Question 68

__________ is Hall's term for how people use interpersonal space to communicate.

Question 69

Define culture shock and the stages that one experiences as part of it.

Question 70

_________ form among people doing the same kinds of work.

Question 71

__________ is building an inclusive work environment that allows everyone to reach his or her potential.

Question 72

The belief that one's membership group or subculture is superior to all others is called __________.

Question 73

Hofstede identified five value differences among national cultures. What are they? Define each of them.

Question 74

Proxemics is the study of how people use personal time to communicate.

Question 75

In __________ people tend to do one thing at a time.

Question 76

The ability to adapt and adjust to new cultures is a reflection of one's __________.

Question 77

Edward T. Hall, an anthropologist, believes that cultures have "silent" languages that are found in their approach to communications context, time, and space. What are these cultural languages? Describe each.

Question 78

_________ includes race, gender, age, and other individual differences.