Deck 6: Communicating Across Cultures

Question 1

Which of the following is true of international career experience?

A) Multicultural awareness is sought exclusively for mid-level recruitments.
B) Migrant workers benefit host countries instead of home countries.
C) The importance of second-language proficiency is declining because of globalization.
D) International experience is unimportant because employees prefer to work in their own countries.
E) Executive headhunters look for people with international experience while recruiting.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

A successful intercultural communicator should be willing to ask questions about preferences and behaviors.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a global business?

A) a franchise set up in a new country that varies its menu to cater to the local tastes
B) an industry that caters to local tastes and customs internally within the same small town
C) a bank set up to serve the functions of a regional sector
D) a small-scale industry setting up a small business unit to promote indigenous products
E) an accounting center set up locally to cater to the needs of people living in the suburbs

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Sonya is traveling to Denmark for a business meeting where she has to give a presentation. 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 in Denmark, she learns that the company has a low-context culture. Which of the following behaviors should Sonya develop in a low-context culture?

A) Sonya should ensure that she projects most of the information and that she conveys points clearly to all participants.
B) Sonya should focus on using nonverbal contextual clues as she delivers a message at the presentation.
C) Sonya should put forward her points very politely instead of being confrontational with the members.
D) Sonya should give a lot of importance to building relationships with the members present at the meeting.
E) Sonya should be careful about what she says orally because oral statements are considered binding.

Question 5

Which of the following is required to understand cultural diversity?

A) to ignore the practices in other cultures because noting them makes one biased toward people
B) to avoid asking questions about behavior patterns because it may make one seem overly curious
C) to realize that people from another culture may do things differently, but that does not make them inferior
D) to understand that people within a culture are predictable and have identical patterns of behavior
E) to stereotype groups of people in order to understand them and their characteristics better

Question 6

Currently, organizations are seen to be working on reducing diversity in workforces to prevent low productivity and cultural biases.

Question 7

Maria lives in a country where most of the information is inferred from social relationships and little is explicitly conveyed. The culture emphasizes group goals over individual goals. According to anthropologist Edward Hall, which of the following types of cultures does this country reflect?

A) monochronic culture
B) high-context culture
C) masculine culture
D) individualist culture
E) power-driven culture

Question 8

Greta works for a media house in Berlin. She will soon be relocated to a new branch of the company in China. Her colleagues tell her that her new workplace has a high-context culture, unlike her current workplace. Which of the following behaviors should Greta develop in a high-context culture?

A) Greta should be indirect when communicating with her colleagues and superiors.
B) Greta should ensure that all communication is made through emails and written documents.
C) Greta should avoid social interactions and building relationships.
D) Greta should understand that oral conversations are unimportant and need not be taken seriously.
E) Greta should give importance to details because they are very important in such cultures.

Question 9

When writing to international audiences, always use first names to appear friendly and cordial.

Question 10

Kingsley Inc., a clothing retail line in Canada, recently expanded its business to Scotland. After some basic market research, the management realized that a majority of the people in Edinburgh preferred organic clothing. Keeping this in mind, it launched its store with clothes made from hemp and bamboo. This strategy turned out to be very successful, as it received a good response from buyers. Which of the following statements explains Kingsley's strategy?

A) It stereotyped groups in order to understand a group's culture better.
B) It adapted its products to cater to the needs and tastes of the local market.
C) It desensitized itself to the differences in preferences and tastes within the country.
D) It realized that the differences in preferences and tastes were bad and inferior.
E) It ignored the differences in preferences and tastes within the country.

Question 11

Recruiters do not look for second-language proficiency or multicultural awareness in young hires because mid-level positions do not require intercultural interaction.

Question 12

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

Question 13

Cultural preferences are important in written documents.

Question 14

Psychologists have shown that stereotyping is extremely useful in predicting how an individual from a different culture will think, act, and feel.

Question 15

Which of the following is true of stereotyping?

A) It suggests that differences between the people of a single culture make them inferior.
B) It is very useful in understanding a culture.
C) It provides valuable insights and information about a culture.
D) It has very few consequences and doesn't affect communications.
E) It makes well-intentioned efforts at communication seem offensive.

Question 16

Which of the following is a typical communication strategy in low-context cultures?

A) allowing a lot of room for ambiguity and indirectness
B) relying very little on words and verbal communications
C) attaching very little importance to promises
D) placing very little importance on the written words
E) giving very little attention to detail

Question 17

Religion affects business communication.

Question 18

Japan is known to have a significant portion of its power structure dominated by men. In general, men in Japan are expected to be assertive, and there is a clear demarcation of roles between the sexes. According to Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions, which of the following is most likely true of Japan?

A) Japan has an individualistic culture.
B) Japan has a masculine culture.
C) The gender index in Japan is low.
D) Japan has a collectivistic culture.
E) The sex ratio in Japan is low.

Question 19

Deep bicultural fluency and experiences in several countries are key qualities that head hunters look for while recruiting.

Question 20

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

Question 21

According to Geert Hofstede, which of the following is true of a culture with a low power-distance index?

A) It is characterized by a centralized hierarchy.
B) It has power concentrated at the lower levels of society.
C) It is characterized by equality at all social levels.
D) It is extremely formal and rigid in nature.
E) It is characterized by bureaucracy and authority.

Question 22

A set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts is called

A) cross-cultural reliability.
B) multicentrism.
C) ethnic competence.
D) ethnocentrism.
E) intercultural competence.

Question 23

Which of the following is true of personal space?

A) Personal space refers to the distance people want between themselves and other people in ordinary interchanges.
B) Personal space refers to the difference between one's thoughts and actions.
C) Personal space refers to the distance between people in intimate interchanges.
D) Personal space refers to having time alone to gather one's thoughts.
E) Personal space refers to formulating ideas in one's mind before implementing them.

Question 24

Which of the following 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 and avoid multitasking.
D) Employees maintain a rigid structure of undertaking activities.
E) Employees divide time into small segments and assign tasks accordingly.

Question 25

Which of the following is true of body language?

A) It impacts cross-cultural communication.
B) It is universal across all cultures.
C) It has very mild consequences.
D) It is exactly the same as sign language.
E) It is a fully conscious and intentional act of communication.

Question 26

Asking women to identify their sex at the beginning of Advanced Placement (AP) calculus tests

A) had little effect on the scores of women and men.
B) raised the scores of men but not women.
C) raised the scores of women but not men.
D) lowered the scores of men but not women.
E) lowered the scores of women but not men.

Question 27

Which of the following is a trait of a successful intercultural communicator?

A) reluctance to ask questions about the values of others
B) having confidence in his or her own values as being right
C) sensitivity to differences among individuals within his or her own culture
D) inflexibility about adapting to someone else's preferences
E) awareness that English is the first language of most English speakers worldwide

Question 28

In 1958, William Lederer and Eugene Burdick published The Ugly American. According to these authors, which of the following is a trait of the "ugly American"?

A) expecting the world to speak English
B) wanting efficient service in foreign countries
C) asking foreigners many questions about their culture
D) constantly asking directions when in a foreign country
E) talking about American culture to people in foreign countries

Question 29

Which of the following is an accurate contrast?

A) A person from Germany is much more likely to speak a second language than a person from Italy.
B) A person from France is much more likely to speak a second language than a person from Germany.
C) A native-born person from the United States is much more likely to speak a second language than a person from Spain.
D) A person from France is much more likely to speak a second language than a native-born person from the United States.
E) A native-born person from the United States is much more likely to speak a second language than a person from Belgium.

Question 30

Which of the following is a term for a common language used among speakers of other languages?

A) lingua britannia
B) lingua franca
C) lingua esperanto
D) lingua universale
E) lingua americano

Question 31

Naomi, the CEO of a clothing line, plans to launch a new line of out-of-the-box clothing in Wellmount. She has done considerable research about the country and knows that the public there is very open to new ideas and concepts and greets changes positively. According to Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions, which of the following characteristics does Wellmount have?

A) masculine culture
B) collectivist culture
C) high power-distance index
D) low uncertainty avoidance index
E) individualist culture

Question 32

Which of the following is an accurate definition of ethnocentrism?

A) assuming one's own ethnicity is threatened by the approaches and behaviors of other cultures
B) believing one's own culture is as good as but not better than the cultures of other countries
C) assuming one's own ethnicity is as worthy as any other ethnicity
D) assuming one's own culture is the norm while judging different approaches and behaviors as nonstandard
E) believing one's own ethnicity gave rise to many other ethnicities

Question 33

Vatsana works in Germany, where most companies have a culture that focuses on undertaking all tasks according to clock time and their work schedule. They also undertake one task at a time instead of multitasking. According to Edward Hall, which of the following cultures does Germany have?

A) monochronic
B) collectivist
C) polychronic
D) ethnocentric
E) xenocentric

Question 34

A country that has fewer rules and a greater tolerance for a variety of ideas and beliefs typically has a

A) lower uncertainty avoidance index.
B) higher power-distance index.
C) higher uncertainty avoidance index.
D) collectivistic culture.
E) highly masculine culture.

Question 35

Which of the following is true of a monochronic culture?

A) It is extremely high-context regarding communication.
B) It focuses a lot on social relationships.
C) It is characterized by people who lay emphasis on multitasking.
D) It is characterized by a high degree of equality.
E) It is characterized by people who focus on clock time and scheduling.

Question 36

Augustina, a marketing professional, is joining a new organization in Vanderhoff. She has gathered from her friends in that city that there is a high level of equality at all social levels, and work cultures are characterized by interdependence, shared initiatives, and managers being easily approachable. According to Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions, which of the following do these characteristics indicate?

A) an economy-driven culture
B) a high uncertainty avoidance index
C) a low power-distance index
D) an individualist culture
E) a feminist culture

Question 37

Agnese lives in the United States. Before scheduling a meeting with her colleague in India, she emphasizes that she has a particular view and attitude toward time. Considering the culture in the United States, which of the following is most likely to reflect Agnese's attitude toward time?

A) She calculates time by what she calls an internal body clock.
B) She measures time based on the season.
C) She measures time based on her personal feeling that the time is right.
D) She measures time by the calendar and the clock.
E) She calculates time looking at the size and position of the moon.

Question 38

Which of the following would most likely lead to cross-cultural conflict?

A) the inability to speak foreign languages fluently
B) the inability to see the world with greater neutrality and acceptance
C) the inability to visit at least three countries by the age of 30
D) the ability to empathize with people from various cultures
E) the ability to articulate the values of one's own culture

Question 39

In which of the following countries would business cards be exchanged only with the right hand?

A) Finland
B) Australia
C) Japan
D) Mexico
E) Saudi Arabia

Question 40

Which of the following is a typical example of nonverbal communication in North America?

A) avoiding eye contact between men and women
B) widening the eyes to show anger
C) staring at a person for five minutes or more
D) dropping eyes as a sign of appropriate difference to a superior
E) making eye contact with a speaker to convey that one is listening

Question 41

When writing to an international audience, which of the following is an example of good writing in business communication?

A) We shall kick-off the meeting.
B) We can already see the writing on the wall.
C) We are in pole position to win the contract.
D) Can you give me a ballpark figure on the total sales costs?
E) We should sit down and begin the meeting.

Question 42

Which of the following guidelines should be adopted when writing to international audiences?

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

Question 43

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

Question 44

When using a date in international business correspondence, it is advisable to

A) abbreviate the month.
B) avoid listing the month.
C) list the month before the day.
D) list the day before the month.
E) avoid listing the date.

Question 45

The Cozy House Store, a retail chain that sells products for the home, is launching its outlet in Ireland. The consumers in Ireland value the environment and are conscious buyers. Explain how the management of the store can adapt its products to the needs of its new audience

Question 46

When writing to a business executive in Japan, Doris started the email with a direct question, spelled out the month, used English because she doesn't speak Japanese fluently, used a formal writing style, and avoided using contractions. Which of the following was a mistake?

A) using a formal writing style
B) using English
C) spelling out the month
D) starting the email with a direct question
E) avoiding contractions

Question 47

Which of the following is advisable when writing for an international audience?

A) Use the native language of the country even if you don't speak that language fluently.
B) Use English unless you are fluent in the native language, and write in an adult tone.
C) Use English but write on the level of second-grade English to make sure you are understood.
D) Use an equal combination of English and the native language of the country.
E) Use mostly English with a few words from the native language of the country.

Question 48

Sandra is currently pursuing her degree in public relations and mass communication. She does well in her subjects and often receives high grades. On completion of her studies, she intends to pursue an international career that will give her substantial exposure to international business settings. What can she do, in addition to studying, to help her gain more international career experience?

Question 49

In which of the following countries would an employee most likely have prolonged eye contact with his or her boss?

A) Chile
B) Mexico
C) United States
D) Brazil
E) Nigeria

Question 50

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

Question 51

Which of the following is a difference between the cultures of the United States and Spain?

A) Americans are more likely to speak Spanish than Spaniards are to speak English.
B) Spaniards usually speak English much faster and more fluently than Americans do.
C) Americans appreciate direct statements in emails, but Spaniards might find them offensive.
D) Praises are a key motivational factor in the United States, but they may be offensive in Spain.
E) People who pay compliments are considered insincere in Spain but not in the United States.

Question 52

Which of the following is an accurate statement about writing to an international audience?

A) A style that is effective for a U.S. audience would also be effective for most audiences throughout the world.
B) A strategy that moves a U.S. audience might need to be changed for an international audience.
C) Negative messages should be presented directly to international audiences in the form of a question.
D) Assume that an international audience thinks in a linear manner, similarly to most Americans.
E) Use an informal style of writing for international audience to emphasize friendliness.

Question 53

When writing to international audiences, a person should

A) use an informal style.
B) use sports metaphors.
C) use slang.
D) avoid idiomatic phrases.
E) avoid using full names.

Question 54

Which of the following is an advisable food practice in another country?

A) turning down offers of food you don't like
B) using a knife and fork even if other utensils are preferred
C) refusing to ask the contents of an unrecognizable dish to avoid seeming rude
D) be willing to at least try food that seems unappetizing if it does not violate your beliefs
E) assuming that culinary tastes are the same in most countries

Question 55

Which of the following is an accurate statement about speaking English in foreign countries?

A) When multinational companies encourage employees to learn English, they usually do so for ethnocentric reasons.
B) When traveling abroad, Americans should expect people in the countries they visit to speak English.
C) English is becoming the common language within corporations located in countries where people speak a different language.
D) About 70 percent of European Union citizens speak English.
E) English is the standard language for international negotiations only in North America and East Asia.

Question 56

Which of the following examples would most likely offend the residents of a foreign country?

A) Juanita expects the people of Germany to use the U.S. measurement system when talking to her.
B) Bob asks Italians why the leaning tower of Pisa leans.
C) Victoria tries out her limited Spanish to get directions to a museum in Madrid.
D) Mehmet asks a British guide what Stonehenge was used for.
E) Hina uses a guidebook to get around Paris.

Question 57

In which of the following countries should a business person avoid giving the "thumbs up" sign during a meeting?

A) Canada
B) Bangladesh
C) France
D) United Kingdom
E) Germany

Question 58

How can body language be used to communicate feelings in an intercultural environment?

Question 59

Chanthavy is going to take a business trip to Sweden and doesn't want to be seen as the "ugly English speaker." Considering this, which of the following is the most practical things for Chanthavy to do?

A) Avoid using a phrase book.
B) Hire a translator while in Sweden.
C) Assume that most Swedish people will speak English.
D) Learn the basics of the Swedish language.
E) Focus more on written communication than oral communication.

Question 60

Regarding cultural preferences, the ________ culture generally has a reputation for appreciating technical data and scientific detail.

A) Arabian
B) American
C) German
D) Chinese
E) Japanese

Question 61

Palmer Industries has developed alliances with companies in Japan. The company anticipates that there will be extensive written communication between them, particularly via email. Abigail Corinno, the Vice President for Palmer Industries, feels it would be a good idea to implement a written communications program to make employees aware of the cultural differences. She asks the communications manager to compile a list of topics that should be included in the program. What major points should this list contain?

Question 62

Edward Hall categorized cultures based on their approach to time. Identify the two kinds of cultures he identified and describe their differences.

Question 63

Give an example that shows why a company based in a non-English-speaking country might ask employees to adopt English as the company's common language.

Question 64

Give an example of intercultural competence in a business setting.

Question 65

Many people think that nonverbal communication is much easier to understand than oral or written communication. In reality, however, nonverbal cues 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.