Deck 3: Communicating in a World of Diversity

Question 1

Disabled employees can use ________ to pursue a greater range of career paths, thereby giving employers access to a broader base of talent.

A)flexible initiatives
B)coordinated systems
C)assistive technologies
D)revolving methodologies

Answer 1

C
Explanation:C)Assistive technologies include devices and systems that help workers communicate orally and visually, interact with computers and other equipment, and enjoy greater mobility in the workplace.

Question 2

Ethnocentrism can be overcome in part by

A)avoiding assumptions.
B)judging other groups according to your own standards.
C)ignoring the distinctions among cultures.
D)remembering that people from other cultures communicate in ways that are inferior to your own.

Answer 2

A
Explanation:A)To avoid ethnocentrism, people must learn not to make assumptions about human nature or human behavior. For example, you may assume that looking someone straight in the eye as a sign of trust is part of "human nature," but for some cultures direct eye contact is considered to be aggressive and hostile.

Question 3

As it pertains to communication, culture influences the

A)meanings of words.
B)importance of nonverbal signals.
C)use of time and space.
D)all of the above.

Answer 3

D
Explanation:D)Culture influences everything about communication, including language, nonverbal signals, word meanings, time and space issues, and rules of human relationships. From the earliest age, cultures help human beings make sense of their environment, helping them interpret forms of communication that are both verbal and nonverbal. The language a person speaks is obviously dependent on culture. Not so obvious are more subtle things, such as the way various nonverbal gestures and clues are transmitted and interpreted.

Question 4

The business advantages of today's diverse workforce include

A)a wider range of views and ideas.
B)a broader talent pool from which to recruit.
C)a better understanding of diverse, fragmented markets.
D)all of the above.

Question 5

All of the following except ________ can help you to overcome ethnocentrism and stereotyping.

A)advocating preconceptions
B)avoiding assumptions
C)accepting differences
D)avoiding judgments

Question 6

The term ________ includes an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's style when communicating across cultures.

A)cultural intuition
B)cultural insight
C)cultural competency
D)cultural dexterity

Question 7

Xenophobia is the fear of

A)crises.
B)working in unfamiliar environments.
C)strangers and foreigners.
D)change.

Question 8

Diversity in the workplace can be based on differences in

A)ethnic heritage.
B)religion.
C)age or gender.
D)all of the above.

Question 9

"All the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals" is the definition of

A)ethnicity.
B)diversity.
C)culture.
D)none of the above.

Question 10

Members of the ________ were born between 1946 - 1964.

A)Radio Generation
B)Lost Generation
C)Baby Boom Generation
D)Millennial Generation

Question 11

To convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany, people rely more on

A)gestures and vocal inflection.
B)indirectness and metaphors.
C)situational cues.
D)explicit verbal communication.

Question 12

Every attempt at communication between two people from the same culture occurs within a

A)cultural context.
B)communication portal.
C)nexus of convenience.
D)cone of reciprocity.

Question 13

Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds

A)don't include verbal and/or nonverbal signs.
B)don't include a common language but do include common nonverbal customs.
C)could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently.
D)allow them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signals in identical ways.

Question 14

Nonverbal communication can be a reliable guide to determining the meaning of a message

A)in all communication situations.
B)across a wide range of electronic communication media.
C)in the majority of intercultural communication situations.
D)only if the sender and receiver assign the same meaning to nonverbal signals.

Question 15

The social media and technological skills of ________ are helping to change business communication practices.

A)Generation X
B)Generation Q
C)Generation Y
D)Generation Z

Question 16

The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms is known as

A)ethnocentrism.
B)cultural pluralism.
C)ethnography.
D)stereotyping.

Question 17

Cultural differences appear in a number of important areas, including

A)nonverbal signals.
B)gender.
C)religion.
D)all of the above.

Question 18

In high-context cultures,

A)people rely more on nonverbal circumstances and cues to convey meaning.
B)people rely less on the environmental setting to convey meaning.
C)the rules of everyday life are highly explicit.
D)all of the above occur.

Question 19

Intercultural communication can challenge supervisors in all of the following ways except

A)connecting on an interpersonal level with diverse employees.
B)providing motivation to diverse employees.
C)getting a broader range of views and ideas from diverse employees.
D)fostering cooperation and harmony among diverse employees.

Question 20

When you react ethnocentrically, you

A)assume that your culture is superior to others.
B)recognize the differences that exist between your culture and other cultures.
C)focus on the possibility that your words and actions will be misunderstood.
D)do all of the above.

Question 21

Compared to low-context cultures, high-context cultures tend to take a(n)________ approach regarding the meaning of business contracts.

A)equally flexible
B)more literal
C)more flexible
D)none of the above

Question 22

Learning about an unfamiliar culture

A)can be accomplished only by living among its people.
B)is generally a waste of time since no one in business expects you to do so.
C)is a worthy undertaking,even if you learn only a small amount.
D)requires at least one year of study before it is meaningful.

Question 23

Asking a colleague "How was your weekend?" is

A)an effective greeting in any culture.
B)accepted in the U.S., but considered intrusive in some cultures.
C)never acceptable in a business environment.
D)grounds for a lawsuit.

Question 24

All of the following except ________ can promote ethical choices across cultures.

A)sending honest messages
B)respecting cultural differences
C)capturing the moral high ground
D)sending and receiving messages without judgment

Question 25

Which of the following sentences contains an idiomatic expression?

A)Our monthly sales quota is unrealistic.
B)We don't expect to meet our monthly sales quota.
C)Making our monthly sales quota will be a piece of cake.
D)The sales quota is very reasonable.

Question 26

Women executives who travel abroad

A)can count on being treated with respect, regardless of the countries they visit.
B)should always assume that they will not be taken seriously as businesspeople.
C)may not be taken seriously as businesspeople, depending on the culture.
D)should insist on meeting only with other female executives.

Question 27

When it comes to the future,

A)people of all cultures view planning as a valuable task.
B)individual views may differ, but culture generally does not determine one's view of the future.
C)some societies view planning as a waste of time.
D)none of the above.

Question 28

Meeting a deadline is generally less important than building a relationship for businesspeople in

A)technical career fields.
B)low-context cultures.
C)high-context cultures.
D)high-paying positions.

Question 29

Business communicators can improve their cultural competency by

A)becoming aware of their own biases.
B)exercising tolerance, flexibility, and respect.
C)practicing patience and maintaining a sense of humor.
D)all of the above.

Question 30

When adapting to other cultures, the "Golden Rule" is

A)a helpful principle to follow.
B)less effective than treating others the way they want to be treated.
C)helpful, but only in Asian countries.
D)none of the above.

Question 31

If you will be living in another country where English is not the official language but you will be doing business in English, you

A)will not need to learn that country's language.
B)should learn only those words that are absolutely necessary for getting around.
C)can show respect by making an effort to learn the language.
D)should only deal with natives who can speak English.

Question 32

When writing to audiences whose first language is not English, using humor is generally

A)a bad idea, since jokes usually depend on culture-specific information.
B)an excellent way to establish a positive relationship.
C)acceptable, but only in high-context cultures.
D)acceptable, but only in low-context cultures.

Question 33

When preparing a message to someone from another culture, you should

A)never write more than a single paragraph.
B)assume that the audience is familiar with common U.S. phrases and references.
C)be sure to remove all graphics, in case they might offend someone.
D)be careful to express numbers and dates in the format used in that person's culture.

Question 34

People in the United States generally

A)view hard-earned material comfort as a worthy goal.
B)believe that people who work hard are no better than those who don't work hard.
C)condemn materialism and prize a carefree lifestyle.
D)spend far less time on the job than German workers.

Question 35

When writing letters to businesspeople in other countries, you should

A)use an informal, friendly tone.
B)keep your sentences and paragraphs long.
C)be vague and general in your wording.
D)make generous use of transitional words and phrases.

Question 36

Letters from Japanese businesspeople tend to be ________ than those written in the United States.

A)more direct
B)less direct
C)less interesting
D)shorter

Question 37

When writing for multicultural audiences, it's important to

A)be brief.
B)be direct and assertive.
C)address international correspondence exactly as you would in the U.S.
D)explain that you aren't sure about what they expect.

Question 38

In general, business correspondence in other countries is often ________ the style used by U.S. businesspeople.

A)less formal than
B)more formal than
C)more humorous than
D)none of the above

Question 39

When it comes to decision-making customs, North American executives

A)tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face.
B)prefer to make their deals slowly, after much discussion.
C)spend a lot of time on each little point to display their good faith.
D)arrive at decisions through consensus, after an elaborate and time-consuming process.

Question 40

Associating youth with strength and age with declining powers is

A)a universal trait that characterizes all cultures.
B)common in European cultures, but not in the U.S.
C)common in the U.S., but not in many Asian societies.
D)an outdated practice.

Question 41

Studies have shown that people often have cultural biases of which they're not even consciously aware.

Question 42

If you translate a message from English into another language, it is a good idea to

A)translate it word for word.
B)have it back-translated.
C)use several translators.
D)do all of the above.

Question 43

To English-speaking U.S. listeners, Arabic speech may sound

A)excited or angry.
B)disinterested.
C)timid.
D)all of the above.

Question 44

International business communication has been hampered by opening trade barriers throughout the world.

Question 45

Members of a well-established culture tend to view their culture as complete, which can dull or even suppress curiosity about other cultures.

Question 46

In low-context cultures, businesspeople tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face.

Question 47

During conversations with non-native English speakers, you should

A)immediately rephrase statements they don't seem to understand.
B)avoid paying too much attention to nonverbal feedback.
C)avoid including any words or phrases from their native language.
D)do none of the above.

Question 48

When speaking with someone from another culture, avoid

A)talking down to the other person.
B)using any foreign phrases.
C)paying any attention to the person's body language.
D)doing all of the above.

Question 49

In general, attitudes toward work and success are consistent across the world.

Question 50

As it applies to the contemporary workplace, the idea of diversity is limited to issues of race and ethnicity.

Question 51

The level of cultural diversity at a company will have little effect on business communication at that company.

Question 52

When speaking in English to people who use English as a second language, the best approach is to

A)forget about feedback; just make sure you get your message across.
B)repeat your sentences often, a little louder each time.
C)speak slowly and clearly.
D)use plenty of adjectives such as fantastic and fabulous.

Question 53

Members of low-context cultures place more emphasis on nonverbal communication than on verbal communication.

Question 54

The concept of cultural competency applies when a person becomes such an expert in his or her culture that most communication is largely automatic.

Question 55

Cultural context refers to the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture.

Question 56

In some cultures, planning for the future is regarded as a waste of time.

Question 57

In every culture, it's safe to assume that people view material comforts earned by individual effort as a sign of superiority.

Question 58

Culture influences how messages are sent and received in the workplace.

Question 59

Following the "Golden Rule" is not an effective strategy for adapting to other cultures.

Question 60

As the differences between cultures increase, the chances for misunderstandings when communicating decrease.

Question 61

When traveling to another country to conduct business, you should assume that frequent eye contact is regarded as a sign of honesty and openness in any culture.

Question 62

Evidence suggests that whatever the culture, men and women tend to have slightly different communication styles.

Question 63

In general, when writing to someone in another country, U.S. businesspeople should be a bit more formal than they would be otherwise.

Question 64

As businesses become more global, the workforce is increasingly ________: made up of employees with different national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.

Question 65

________ is a fear of strangers and foreigners.

Question 66

In intercultural conversations, speaking slowly is usually regarded as a sign of disrespect.

Question 67

People in the United States are generally accustomed to having less privacy at work than their counterparts in other cultures.

Question 68

________ is the tendency to judge all other groups according to your own group's standards, behaviors, and customs.

Question 69

When conducting business with others who speak a language other than English, it is best to avoid trying to speak any words or phrases in their language.

Question 70

When communicating with people from other cultures, it is best to apologize when you make a mistake.

Question 71

There are no differences between English as it is written in the U.S. and English as it is written in the United Kingdom.

Question 72

In ________-context cultures, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning.

Question 73

Cultural ________ is an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's communication style to ensure that efforts to send and receive messages across cultural boundaries are successful.

Question 74

Cultural ________ is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the same culture.

Question 75

Because high-quality translation software is now widely available, the demand for multilingual communicators continues to decrease.

Question 76

When writing to someone for whom English is a second language, you should avoid using slang and idioms.

Question 77

The process of sending and receiving messages between people of different cultures is called ________ ________.

Question 78

Some companies use ________ ________ to ensure that a document or message has been translated correctly.

Question 79

________ is the practice of assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular culture or social group.

Question 80

________ is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior.