Deck 4: Differences in Culture

Question 1

Class membership in the United States is based on economic achievement rather than familial background and schooling.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Most of the ethical systems in place around the world are the product of religion.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

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

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Companies that assume a high degree of class consciousness are better able to establish a competitive advantage in the global economy.

Question 5

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

Question 6

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.

Question 7

A group consists of two or more individuals who have a shared sense of identity and interact in a structured way.

Question 8

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

Question 9

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

Question 10

Strong identification with the group tends to create pressures for mutual self-help and incentive to work for the common good.

Question 11

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

Question 12

The group is the typical unit of social organization found in non-Westernized societies.

Question 13

There is universal consensus on the definition of culture.

Question 14

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

Question 15

When a murabaha contract is used in Islamic banking, a company essentially pays the bank to purchase equipment, supplies, and other needs on behalf of the company.

Question 16

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

Question 17

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

Question 18

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

Question 19

While folkways are routine conventions, they represent deep moral significance in society.

Question 20

While well-known to many, Islam has one of the smallest followings of all religions.

Question 21

According to Hofstede's research, in feminine cultures, sex roles are sharply distinguished and there is vast differentiation between men and women in the same job.

Question 22

Bryan has been asked by his manager to directly contact the CEO of the foreign company they are trying to do business. However, Bryan knows that this is not a socially acceptable practice there, and it is better to wait for the company to contact him. Which aspect of culture is guiding Bryan's decision?

A) values
B) norms
C) attitudes
D) dispositions
E) beliefs

Question 23

Which statement 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 24

A difference in the attitudes of people toward time in different cultures is an example of

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

Question 25

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

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

Question 26

Juanita believes that all Americans value individual freedom, democracy, and a collective responsibility. This belief is an expression of Juanita's

A) values.
B) ethics.
C) folkways.
D) norms.
E) cohorts.

Question 27

What has strongly influenced the development of modern extended social groups?

A) a common agreement among governments
B) falling levels of underdeveloped nations
C) the return to family values
D) the advent of social media
E) the creation of multiple subcultures

Question 28

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 29

A group of people who share a common set of values and norms is called a(n)

A) alliance.
B) team.
C) cohort.
D) society.
E) folkway.

Question 30

Robert knows it is important for him to dress appropriately and make sure his hair is neatly trimmed when he goes for an interview because the employer will expect him to do so. This example of a social convention is called a

A) folkway.
B) value.
C) mandate.
D) rule.
E) taboo.

Question 31

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 32

A high degree of managerial mobility in societies that emphasize individualism can lead to

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 33

Cultural norms, such as respect for others and neatness, are part of the "hidden curriculum" in schools.

Question 34

What is one 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 35

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

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

Question 36

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

Question 37

Jacob decided that the only way he could pay back his student loans was to filter funds from the company where he worked directly into his personal account. He also knows that if he gets caught, he will probably spend time in jail. Jacob's choice represents a violation of

A) folkways.
B) mores.
C) rituals.
D) etiquette.
E) precepts.

Question 38

Which situation exemplifies a violation of folkways?

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) committing mail fraud

Question 39

Which statement is true about most Western societies?

A) In Western societies 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 40

What is a characteristic of mores?

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

Question 41

In contemporary Japanese society, a group is associated with

A) the immediate family.
B) gender roles.
C) traditional friendships.
D) the company a person works for.
E) the educational environment.

Question 42

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 43

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

A) individualism.
B) ethnocentrism.
C) collectivism.
D) cooperation.
E) group identify.

Question 44

In the country of Burnada, citizens are restricted from moving out of the strata they are born into. Also, individuals are allowed to engage only in the same occupation as their parents. 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 45

Kylie was born into a family that owns numerous corporations and more than one multimillion dollar home. She never worried about paying for college or buying her own car. These characteristics define Kylie's

A) mores.
B) social strata.
C) folkways.
D) values.
E) caste system.

Question 46

In 1904, Max Weber theorized that there was a relationship between Protestantism and

A) personal happiness.
B) freedom.
C) capitalism.
D) ethics.
E) manufacturing.

Question 47

Sociologists argue that the ________ branch of Christianity has had the greatest effect on the economy.

A) Orthodox
B) Muslim
C) Catholic
D) Jewish
E) Protestant

Question 48

The United Republic emphasizes individual performance and achievements in every sphere of society. How might this affect the business environment in that country?

A) There would be a low degree of dynamism and innovation.
B) Managerial mobility would be the most effective resource.
C) There would be a low degree of entrepreneurial activity in the country.
D) The employees in this country may 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 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 50

Jason's company has always emphasized that every employee is an important part of the company's success and does not highlight individual achievements. By emphasizing the group, Jason's company will most likely

A) encourage competition between 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 51

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 52

Some sociologists argue that ________ has a more rigid class structure than other western societies, including the United States.

A) South Africa
B) India
C) Italy
D) Japan
E) the United Kingdom

Question 53

When Shari learned that Monica was from a poor neighborhood in the South, she decided to stop befriending her since her own family lives in a wealthy neighborhood along the beach. Shari's choice is an example of

A) social mobility.
B) class consciousness.
C) cross-culture literacy.
D) extended social groups.
E) class representativeness.

Question 54

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

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

Question 55

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

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

Question 56

A high degrees of class consciousness in societies can be disruptive within industries, which can often lead to

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

Question 57

One of the downsides to an 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 58

In the Republic of Cedia, people are extremely conscious about their social backgrounds. This in turn regulates their relationships with members of other classes. What will likely result from this 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 59

One possible downside of emphasizing the primacy of group identification over individualism is that it

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

Question 60

What 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 system
B) merit system
C) class system
D) collectivism
E) individualism

Question 61

Which religion was founded in India in the sixth century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, an Indian prince who renounced his wealth to pursue an ascetic lifestyle and spiritual perfection?

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

Question 62

Dharma refers to

A) the spiritual progression of each person's soul.
B) a moral force that requires the acceptance of certain responsibilities.
C) the belief in reincarnation.
D) a lack of belief in one God.
E) a state of complete spiritual perfection.

Question 63

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 64

Aamir Baku recently quit her job in a bank because her religion considers the payment or receipt of interest as exploitative and unjust. According to this information, Ms. Baku is a follower of

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

Question 65

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 66

A person who practices Hinduism would say that nirvana can only be achieved by

A) persisting in a quest for material goods.
B) practicing physical self-denial.
C) material reincarnation.
D) accumulating wealth.
E) achieving spiritual oneness.

Question 67

Which statement 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 68

Confucianism is based on the idea that personal salvation can be achieved through

A) nirvana.
B) physical denial.
C) spiritual progression.
D) right action.
E) wealth accumulation.

Question 69

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 70

Hindus see mobility between castes as something that can only 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 71

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 deposit.
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 72

Conrad follows a religion that does not propagate the caste system. Also, his religion emphasizes right seeing, thinking, speech, action, living, effort, mindfulness, and meditation as a route for spiritual transformation. According to this information, Conrad can be considered a

A) Hindu.
B) Buddhist.
C) Confucian.
D) Sikh.
E) Muslim.

Question 73

Parul's religion believes in the spiritual progression of each person's soul and that dharma is the moral force guiding behavior. Which religion does this describe?

A) Hinduism
B) Islam
C) Protestantism
D) Buddhism
E) Catholicism

Question 74

What is a characteristic of the Islam religion?

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 75

Which religion does NOT owe its founding to any one particular individual?

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

Question 76

According to Islamic beliefs, private property is considered

A) a favor from Allah.
B) property of the state.
C) a privilege and not a right.
D) a sign of wealth and prosperity.
E) a sign of moral degradation.

Question 77

A mudarabah contract might be categorized as a(n) ________ in the United States.

A) profit-sharing scheme
B) mortgage
C) personal loan
D) unethical transaction
E) property tax

Question 78

Which statement is true of Buddhism?

A) Buddhism was founded in the fifth century B.C. by K'ung-Fu-tzu, in China.
B) Cultural stress on entrepreneurial behavior is not present.
C) Buddhism advocates the kind of extreme ascetic behavior that is encouraged by Hinduism.
D) Like Hinduism, Buddhism also supports the caste system.
E) Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism does not stress afterlife and spiritual achievement.

Question 79

According to Max Weber, the Protestant tributes of hard work, wealth creation, and ________ fostered the emergence of modern capitalism.

A) polychronic time
B) positivity
C) ethnocentrism
D) monochronic time
E) frugality

Question 80

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.