Deck 6: Partnering Across Cultures

Question 1

Decision-making models are more closely aligned with __________ than with __________.

A) national-cultural traits; organizational-culture attributes
B) organizational-culture attributes; language characteristics
C) language characteristics; national-cultural traits
D) organizational-culture attributes; national-culture traits

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following best represents the idea of reciprocity in collaborative work?

A) taking detailed meeting minutes for company records
B) sharing information with colleagues as it becomes available
C) using informal language and greetings between employees and supervisors
D) discarding ineffective decisions and starting over

Answer 2

B

Question 3

How does the communication of global virtual teams differ from that of more traditional teams?

A) There are more strict rules for greetings.
B) It is often non-synchronous.
C) It is more informal.
D) More high-context communications are used.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Your company is in the process of evaluating their decision-making strategies and has determined that two basic strategies are currently in use: majority preferred and leadership driven. What is the likely outcome of having a multiplicity of decision-making models?

A) Having two decision-making models will improve the likelihood of useful meeting outcomes.
B) Decisions chosen in this manner will be more permanent.
C) Decisions may not "stick", leading to additional costs and delays.
D) These two decision-making models will lead to increased competition and stress among employees

Question 5

How did GM do Brasil support collaboration among colleagues through their organizational culture?

A) strict hierarchy and promise of promotion
B) public announcements of achievement
C) extensive social networks and sharing of equipment
D) focus on vertical relationships

Question 6

Partnerships are based on __________ and not typically on __________.

A) competition; collaboration
B) friendship; competition
C) collaboration; friendship
D) friendship; collaboration

Question 7

Effective partnerships operate with the principle of __________ at their core.

A) collaboration
B) functionality
C) profit
D) tradition

Question 8

When discussing global partnerships, context refers to __________.

A) where the work occurs and the language that is used
B) the present stage of the partnership process
C) which members of the company are involved in meetings
D) the shared goals of the two parties

Question 9

Partnering requires the participation of at least two parties __________.

A) who already have a long-standing business relationship
B) in the pursuit of some shared goals and objectives
C) who work within the same national and organizational cultures
D) in the business of international investment

Question 10

Generally speaking, most people see decision making as a characteristic of one's __________.

A) gender
B) national culture
C) organization
D) personality

Question 11

Culture influences how meetings are conceptualized by variation in __________.

A) meeting times and agenda
B) the participants attending the meeting
C) the value and purpose of meetings
D) meeting rules and management

Question 12

In the meeting between Isuzu and GMTG described in the text, why did GMTG's request to drive the prototype vehicle cause trouble between the two parties?

A) Isuzu had not actually built a prototype yet.
B) The request shifted the balance of power to GMTG.
C) The people from Isuzu mistook the request as a sign of distrust.
D) The people from GMTG stated earlier that they would not drive the vehicle.

Question 13

Offshore __________ is when client firms contract with one or more providers located in another country.

A) development
B) financing
C) investment
D) outsourcing

Question 14

Why is written communication, such as e-mail, a preferred medium for global virtual teams?

A) It provides non-native speakers more time to understand the message and to compose a response.
B) Written communication represents a more formal relationship.
C) E-mail is the fastest way to contact someone on the other side of the world.
D) Only written communication can be maintained as part of the company's records.

Question 15

Which of the following is a benefit of virtual partnerships?

A) They eliminates the need for translation.
B) They uses a small, tight-knit talent pool.
C) Long-distance relationships develop more quickly.
D) They reduces travel time and costs.

Question 16

An American schoolteacher is working abroad for a few years, teaching in an understaffed region of Haiti. What should he do to help build relationships with the local teachers?

A) find other expatriate Americans to socialize with
B) teach the Haitian teachers English
C) participate in community events
D) emphasize his wealth and status

Question 17

A group at the Applied Research Center of Motorola Mobility consists of engineers, human-computer interaction specialists, designers, and an anthropologist. What specialized skills does the anthropologist bring to this group?

A) participant observation and training in cross-cultural communication
B) ethnocentrism and training in linguistics
C) international education and training in finance
D) archaeological excavation and training in meeting management

Question 18

How do Russian and American ideas of friendship tend to differ?

A) It takes longer to develop a friendship with Americans than with Russians.
B) It takes longer to develop a friendship with Russians than with Americans.
C) Russians may view American friendships as superficial.
D) Americans may view Russian friendships as superficial.

Question 19

In which of the following national cultures would you expect to see the most informal meetings, with ideas proposed by all participants?

A) American
B) British
C) French
D) German

Question 20

According to Elizabeth Briody's research, which of the following attributes plays the most important role in shaping the business practice of meetings?

A) community culture
B) educational culture
C) national culture
D) organizational culture

Question 21

Which of the following is an example of an unspoken rule in the organizational culture of a typical classroom?

A) Students may have up to three unexcused absences.
B) The instructor stands at the front of the room.
C) Final exams will be cumulative and held during finals week.
D) Students must raise their hand to be dismissed to the restroom.

Question 22

At what stage in the partnership cycle is conflict usually the highest?

A) initiation
B) start-up
C) growth
D) mature

Question 23

How are the unspoken rules of organizational culture related to the partnership life cycle? In what stages are these rules created?

Question 24

How do global teams differ from more traditional teams working within a single context? Which has the most potential for innovation and why?

Question 25

Review the six decision-making models identified by Elizabeth Briody

Question 26

Why do most partnerships fail? Based on your reading of this chapter, identify the major challenges of creating a partnership between two parties with cultural and organizational differences.

Question 27

Anthropologists help firms make better products, improve their brands, and reduce the likelihood of product failure through their __________ approach.

A) ethnographic
B) geographic
C) sociological
D) statistical

Question 28

Meetings are important interactions among groups, individuals, and businesses. Demonstrate the key variations of which your employees must be aware by writing a short training document. In your document, outline the possible variations in meeting purpose, management, and structure that may be experienced when involved in a cross-cultural partnership.

Question 29

What was the initial focus of the partnership between the Hopi nation and the Department of Anthropology at Arizona State University?

A) create scholarship programs specifically for Hopi students
B) acculturate Hopi youth into American university student culture
C) introduce the Hopi language to the university's course offerings
D) integrate aspects of Hopi culture into teacher training

Question 30

On what type of communication do local collaborations rely?

A) e-mail
B) face-to-face
C) text messaging
D) video calling