Deck 4: Differences in Culture

Question 1

The primacy of the value of group identification encourages managers and workers to move from company to company.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

There is a strict one-to-one correspondence between a society and a nation-state.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Under the Islamic banking method of mudarabah,when an Islamic bank lends money to a business,rather than charging that business interest on the loan,it takes a share in the profits that are derived from the investment.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

In a class system,individuals born into a class at the bottom of the social hierarchy can work their way up.

Question 5

Individuals become a member of the social category to which their parents belong.

Question 6

Max Weber argued that the Catholic promise of salvation in the next world,rather than this world,fostered "a spirit of capitalism."

Question 7

Like Christianity and Judaism,Islam is a monotheistic religion.

Question 8

It is easier for companies based in countries with a high degree of class consciousness to establish a competitive advantage in the global economy.

Question 9

Values provide the context within which a society's norms are established and justified.

Question 10

Confucianism and Confucian ethics influence behavior and shape culture in parts of Asia,hence it is correct to characterize Confucianism as a religion.

Question 11

Although upward social mobility was possible in the British class system,it could not normally be achieved in one generation.

Question 12

The concept of mobility between castes within an individual's lifetime makes no sense to traditional Hindus.

Question 13

The murabaha contract is the most widely used among the world's Islamic banks,primarily because it is the easiest to implement.

Question 14

Strong identification with the group tends to create pressures for mutual self-help and collective action.

Question 15

Rituals and symbols are the most visible manifestations of a culture and constitute the outward expression of deeper values.

Question 16

Buddhism has the highest number of adherents in the world today.

Question 17

The emphasis on individualism may make it difficult to build teams within an organization to perform collective tasks.

Question 18

Class membership in the United States is determined to a much greater degree by individual background and schooling,as opposed to economic achievements.

Question 19

The least rigid system of social stratification is a caste system.

Question 20

The emphasis on individualism results in a low degree of managerial mobility between companies.

Question 21

According to Geert Hofstede,high power distance cultures were found in societies that tried to play down inequalities of power and wealth as much as possible.

Question 22

Which of the following statements is true of mores?

A)Mores are actions of little moral significance.
B)Violation of mores is generally not a serious matter.
C)Social conventions regarding eating with the correct utensils is a good example of mores.
D)Mores do not differ among cultures.
E)Certain mores have been enacted into law.

Question 23

Which of the following exemplifies violation of folkways best?

A)committing a financial fraud
B)practicing cannibalism under the belief that it leads to superpowers
C)failing to greet a person you know
D)stealing an author's or an inventor's intellectual property
E)murdering a business partner

Question 24

A difference in the attitudes of people toward time in different cultures is an example of which of the following in individual cultures?

A)folkways
B)religious doctrines
C)mores
D)laws
E)social structures

Question 25

Mr.Peterson,a worldwide traveler,believes that he is successful in negotiating with his foreign counterparts because he understands how cultural differences across and within nations can affect the way business is practiced.In other words,Mr.Peterson's success is due to his

A)ethnocentrism.
B)cross-cultural literacy.
C)pan-culture integration.
D)cultural lag.
E)cultural capitalism.

Question 26

According to the World Values Survey,as countries get richer,a shift occurs away from "traditional values" linked to religion,family,and country,and toward "secular rational" values.

Question 27

Confucianism is not concerned with the supernatural and has little to say about the concept of a supreme being or an afterlife.

Question 28

Which of the following is a dimension of social structure that is considered particularly important when explaining differences between cultures?

A)average income of the people who belong to a particular culture
B)dominant race and the gender in the society
C)extent to which work is viewed as more important than family
D)degree to which the society is stratified into classes or castes
E)degree to which a society supports multiple subcultures

Question 29

The use of a grading system in schools teaches children the value of personal achievement and competition.

Question 30

Which of the following best exemplifies violation of mores?

A)attending a business meeting in casual clothes
B)committing a financial fraud
C)failing to greet a person you know
D)eating with the inappropriate cutlery in a social gathering
E)keeping a good friend waiting at a coffee shop

Question 31

Which of the following are social conventions concerning things such as the appropriate dress code in a particular situation,good social manners,eating with the correct utensils,and neighborly behavior?

A)folkways
B)proscriptions
C)reprobations
D)fellowships
E)taboos

Question 32

Which of the following statements is true about culture?

A)Culture is static as it does not evolve.
B)Multinational enterprises can themselves be engines of cultural change.
C)The cost of doing business in a country or region is always independent of its culture.
D)It is not possible for a country to support multiple cultures.
E)The values and norms of a culture emerge fully formed.

Question 33

In a social context,the term values is used to describe the

A)economic benefits that are inherent to a culture.
B)collective wealth of the society.
C)abstract ideas about what a group believes to be good,right,and desirable.
D)political ascendancy of a country.
E)social rules and guidelines about the appropriate behavior in public.

Question 34

In a society,actions of people directed toward one another are governed by a set of social rules called

A)norms.
B)manifestoes.
C)structures.
D)scriptures.
E)dialects.

Question 35

Which of the following statements is true about most Western societies?

A)In Western societies social groups,rather than individuals,are the basic building blocks of social organization.
B)The value systems of many Western societies emphasize individual achievement.
C)In Western societies,the social standing of individuals is merely a function of who they work for.
D)The emphasis on individuals in Western societies has led to a low level of entrepreneurial activity.
E)It is easier to build and manage teams within organizations in Western societies.

Question 36

Which of the following means an understanding of how cultural differences across and within nations can affect the way business is practiced?

A)first-mover advantage
B)cross-cultural literacy
C)gerrymandering
D)cultural lag
E)demographics

Question 37

When Shop Smart opened its first super market in China it was unable to generate any sales.After conducting research,it was understood that the local sales personnel found it difficult to communicate with the American store managers.In addition,Chinese consumers found it difficult to shop in the American way.Shop Smart's failure in China can be attributed to the lack of

A)cross-cultural literacy.
B)class consciousness.
C)a first-mover advantage.
D)Confucian dynamism.
E)ethnocentrism.

Question 38

Which of the following is an implication of high degree of managerial mobility in societies that emphasize individualism?

A)reduced costs of doing business
B)increased managerial loyalty and commitment to an individual company
C)lack of company-specific experience,knowledge,and a network of contacts among managers
D)lack of exposure among employees to different ways of doing business
E)inability to apply good practices and techniques developed in one firm to other firms

Question 39

What is the difference between folkways and mores?

A)Folkways are norms that are seen as central to the functioning of a society,whereas mores are the routine conventions of everyday life.
B)Violating mores tends to bring more serious retribution than violating folkways.
C)Folkways exclude rituals and symbolic behaviors included in mores.
D)Folkways have much greater significance than mores.
E)Mores cannot be enacted into laws,whereas folkways can.

Question 40

People who cannot take food or safety for granted tend to have authoritarian tendencies,and believe that men make better political leaders than women.

Question 41

In the Republic of Cedia,people are extremely conscious about their social backgrounds.This in turn regulates their relationships with members of other classes.As a result of the heightened class consciousness

A)the mobility between the social classes of the Cedian society will increase.
B)the level of industrial disruption and industrial disputes will be low.
C)most of the population will perceive itself to be middle class.
D)an antagonistic relationship will exist between management and labor classes.
E)successful individuals,irrespective of their origins,will be highly respected.

Question 42

One of the downsides to the emphasis on individualism is that it

A)is difficult to build teams within an organization to perform collective tasks.
B)does not support entrepreneurship and innovation.
C)discourages managerial mobility.
D)fails to foster general managerial skills required to find solutions to current problems.
E)discourages competition among employees within a company.

Question 43

Which of the following is a possible downside of emphasizing the primacy of group identification over individualism?

A)It encourages managerial mobility between companies.
B)It leads to a lack of dynamism and entrepreneurship.
C)It hampers team building and cooperation.
D)It raises the costs of doing business due to its adverse impact on managerial stability.
E)It leads to the lack of company-specific skills and a network of contacts among managers.

Question 44

Mountland Republic follows a system of social stratification that allows for flexibility in terms of social mobility.In this system of open stratification the status of a person is solely determined by his or her own socioeconomic achievements.Mountland Republic is most likely to be following what type of system of social stratification?

A)caste
B)class
C)religious
D)grade
E)bureaucratic

Question 45

According to Max Weber,Protestantism encouraged capitalism's development by

A)believing that salvation occurred in the next world,rather than this world.
B)encouraging the consumption of accumulated wealth by indulging in worldly pleasures.
C)adhering to the hierarchical domination of religious and social life that characterized the Catholic Church.
D)limiting an individual's religious freedom.
E)emphasizing the importance of hard work and wealth creation for the glory of God and frugality.

Question 46

Which of the following statements is true about social stratification?

A)The most rigid system of social stratification is a class system.
B)Individuals are born into a particular social stratum.
C)It is not possible for people to move between social strata.
D)Britain is an example of a society where the caste system is predominant even today.
E)Individuals born into a stratum toward the bottom of the social hierarchy tend to have better life chances.

Question 47

In the country of Burnada,the citizens are restricted from moving out of the strata they are born into.Also,individuals are allowed to engage only in the occupation associated with their particular strata.The system of social stratification being practiced in Burnada can be identified as a

A)cluster system.
B)caste system.
C)merit-based system.
D)class system.
E)bureaucracy-based system.

Question 48

The United Republic emphasizes individual performance and achievements in every sphere of society.Which of the following statements is true about the society of this type of country?

A)The country suffers from a low degree of dynamism and innovation.
B)The country has a low degree of managerial mobility.
C)There is a low degree of entrepreneurial activity in the country.
D)The employees in this country will lack loyalty and commitment to a company.
E)Managers in such a country have highly developed company-specific skills but they lack general skills.

Question 49

In the country of Rudanda,it is very hard for a person born in a particular strata of society to move to a different strata.Rudanda has a low degree of

A)social mobility.
B)ethnocentrism.
C)entrepreneurial activity.
D)managerial mobility.
E)dynamism and innovation.

Question 50

Which of the following is a closed system of stratification in which social position is determined by the family into which a person is born,and change in that position is usually not possible during an individual's lifetime?

A)caste
B)merit
C)class
D)economic
E)bureaucratic

Question 51

Which of the following is an ethical system that has influenced behavior and shaped culture in parts of Asia and is not considered as a religion?

A)Confucianism
B)Hinduism
C)Islam
D)Christianity
E)Buddhism

Question 52

Which of the following is most likely to be the result of high degrees of class consciousness in societies?

A)high levels of social mobility
B)healthy relationship between management and labor classes
C)low levels of industrial disruption
D)increase in the costs of production
E)greater opportunities for businesses to establish competitive advantage

Question 53

If a society emphasizes the group as the primary unit of social organization,it is most likely to

A)encourage competition between the members of the group.
B)expose managers to different ways of doing business.
C)foster dynamism and entrepreneurship.
D)discourage employees from moving from company to company.
E)fail to facilitate self-managing work teams.

Question 54

Which of the following refers to a condition where people tend to perceive themselves in terms of their class background,and this shapes their relationships with members of other classes?

A)social mobility
B)class consciousness
C)cross-culture literacy
D)social awareness
E)class representativeness

Question 55

Tom,who works for a multinational company,is often put in teams consisting of people from different cultures.Tom finds it difficult to function in these teams because,unlike the others,he comes from a culture where building his personal "brand" is emphasized.Tom's culture emphasizes

A)individualism.
B)ethnocentrism.
C)collectivism.
D)polycentrism.
E)multicentrism.

Question 56

Which of the following statements is true about the class system in the United States when compared to the British class system?

A)The class system in the United States is more pronounced than in Britain.
B)In the United States,upward social mobility cannot normally be achieved in one generation.
C)Class membership in the United States is mainly determined by an individual's background and schooling.
D)In American society,the extreme emphasis on individualism increases the impact of class background on business operations.
E)Successful individuals from humble origins are highly respected in American society.

Question 57

Which of the following statements is true about the business implications of Japanese society?

A)The determination of social status of an individual is independent of the standing of the group to which he or she belongs.
B)It is difficult to find self-managing work teams within Japanese organizations.
C)It is more successful at pioneering radically new products and new ways of doing business than the United States.
D)There is a low degree of movement from company to company among managers and workers.
E)The managers and workers lack company-specific knowledge,experience,and a network of interpersonal business contacts.

Question 58

When compared to American society,Japanese society lacks

A)commitment to lifetime employment.
B)emphasis on group memberships.
C)self-managing work teams.
D)close cooperation between individuals.
E)dynamism and entrepreneurship.

Question 59

In the context of social structure,American society is characterized by a low degree of

A)social stratification.
B)mobility between strata.
C)entrepreneurial activity.
D)managerial mobility.
E)dynamism and innovation.

Question 60

In 1904,who theorized that there was a relationship between Protestantism and the emergence of modern capitalism?

A)Karl Marx
B)Alfred Schmidt
C)Max Weber
D)Abraham Maslow
E)Adam Smith

Question 61

The rise of Islamic fundamentalism is,in part,a response to the

A)denial of equal rights for women and other minorities.
B)movement in traditional Islamic societies toward modernization.
C)narrowing gap between the rich and the poor.
D)increasing standard of living in Islamic societies.
E)widening gap between the highly developed and the less developed nations.

Question 62

Which of the following is a religion that prohibits the payment or receipt of interest,as it is considered to be usury?

A)Hinduism
B)Buddhism
C)Christianity
D)Confucianism
E)Islam

Question 63

Dharma,karma,and nirvana are terms related to

A)Confucianism.
B)Hinduism.
C)Judaism.
D)Islam.
E)Protestantism.

Question 64

Tina is a follower of a religion that emphasizes that individuals should be judged solely by their spiritual achievements.The caste she belongs to is of the highest order in her religion,and hence is highly respected.She also firmly believes that she was born into the high caste as a result of her spiritual development in her previous life.Tina is a follower of

A)Hinduism.
B)Buddhism.
C)Confucianism.
D)Islam.
E)Christianity.

Question 65

Which of the following statements is true about Hinduism?

A)Hinduism supported India's caste system.
B)Hinduism allows mobility between castes within an individual's lifetime.
C)Max Weber argued that Hinduism encourages entrepreneurial activity.
D)Hindus do not believe in reincarnation,or rebirth into a different body,after death.
E)Hinduism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama,an Indian prince.

Question 66

Which of the following is true about the Islamic banking method the mudarabah?

A)A mudarabah contract is similar to a profit-sharing scheme.
B)Under mudarabah,when an Islamic bank lends money to a business,it charges interest on the loan.
C)It is the most widely used banking method among the world's Islamic banks,primarily because it is the easiest to implement.
D)It has been proven that a mudarabah contract discourages both long-term savings and long-term investment.
E)A mudarabah contract uses a price markup method to make profits.

Question 67

Tyrone believes that he should be loyal to his superior,but,in turn his superiors should reciprocate his loyalty by bestowing their blessings on him.According to this information,Tyrone is a follower of

A)Protestantism.
B)Hinduism.
C)Judaism..Confucianism.
E)Islam.

Question 68

Mr.Taylor finds it hard to dine with his American colleagues as his religion prohibits the consumption of pork and alcohol.He also quit his previous job in a bank because his religion considers the payment or receipt of interest as exploitative and unjust.According to this information,Mr.Taylor is a follower of

A)Protestantism.
B)Hinduism.
C)Judaism.
D)Confucianism.
E)Islam.

Question 69

When Leo converses with his colleagues in the multinational company that he works for,he finds that he is the only one who believes in and talks about things such as reincarnation and the spiritual progression of each person's soul.Leo's religion is most likely

A)Protestantism.
B)Hinduism.
C)Judaism.
D)Confucianism.
E)Islam.

Question 70

Muslim countries are likely to be receptive to international businesses as long as those businesses

A)behave in a manner that is consistent with Islamic ethics.
B)do not hold affiliations with supranational organizations like the WTO or IMF.
C)adopt western ideologies of doing business.
D)generate income in the form of interest on the loans.
E)do not undertake any charitable activities because Islam has very strict rules about the way these activities should be conducted.

Question 71

For more than 2,000 years until the 1949 communist revolution,which of the following,that teaches the importance of attaining personal salvation through right action,was the official ethical system of China?

A)Maoism
B)Feng Shui
C)Confucianism
D)Shintoism
E)Buddhism

Question 72

Many _____ believe that the way to achieve nirvana-a state of complete spiritual perfection-is to lead a severe ascetic lifestyle of material and physical self-denial,devoting life to a spiritual rather than material quest.

A)Christians
B)Hindus
C)Muslims
D)Protestants
E)Confucians

Question 73

A major distinction between a conventional bank and an Islamic bank is that Islamic banks

A)are allowed to charge higher interest rates on loans.
B)cannot accept private deposits.
C)cannot pay or charge interest.
D)are not subject to any form of law.
E)are supposed to refrain from making a profit through any source.

Question 74

Max Weber argued that the ascetic principles embedded in _____ do not encourage entrepreneurial activity in pursuit of wealth creation because it is perceived that such activities make the attainment of nirvana more difficult.

A)Islam
B)Hinduism
C)Confucianism
D)Protestantism
E)Capitalism

Question 75

Hindus see mobility between castes as something that can be achieved through

A)appropriate schooling and occupation.
B)individual economic achievements over the course of one's lifetime.
C)spiritual progression and reincarnation.
D)hard work that results in gradual upward mobility over generations.
E)offering prayer five times a day,and by refraining from the payment or receipt of interest.

Question 76

Which of the following statements is true of Islam?

A)Islam has roots in Confucianism.
B)Islamic ethics support worldly gain and temporal power.
C)Islam forbids the consumption of pork and alcohol.
D)Islam makes a clear distinction between church and state.
E)Unlike Christianity and Judaism,Islam is not a monotheistic religion.

Question 77

What is the common aspect of the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism?

A)Both stress the afterlife and spiritual achievement rather than material progress.
B)Both support the existence of a caste system.
C)Both advocate the same kind of extreme ascetic behavior.
D)Both propagate the Noble Eightfold Path as a route for transformation.
E)Both condemn the payment or the receipt of interest on loans and deposits.

Question 78

Which of the following is a nonreligious ethical system principally followed in China,Korea,and Japan?

A)Shinto
B)Buddhism
C)Judaism
D)Confucianism
E)Hinduism

Question 79

Which of the following religions does not owe its founding to any one particular individual?

A)Buddhism
B)Hinduism
C)Christianity
D)Islam
E)Confucianism

Question 80

Mudarabah and the murabaha are:

A)Islamic banking methods.
B)Arabic words for interest and profit,respectively.
C)banking practices that are prohibited by Islam.
D)laws governing international trade and commerce in Islamic countries.
E)laws limiting the right to private property.