Deck 10: Navigating Intercultural Environments: Concepts and Strategies

Question 1

A cosmopolitan operates comfortably in a _________________ environment.

Answer 1

Global or pluralistic.

Question 2

An antonym for the concept of "global" is _________________.

Answer 2

Provincial or ethnocentric; also culturally biased.

Question 3

When one is a stranger in a different culture, that person usually goes through a period of _________________.

Answer 3

Acculturation or adaptation.

Question 4

Building upon the very differences in people and their cultures is known as the process of creating _________________.

Question 5

When an individual or institution is convinced of the absolute rightness or superiority of its own cultural customs, standards, and practices over all others, the best way to describe that person or organization is _________________.

Question 6

Markets, economies, and businesses are experiencing a world trend toward
_________________.

Question 7

Cross-cultural learning is essential for all those aspiring to become truly _________________ managers or professionals.

Question 8

We all communicate from within our own _________________ field or life space which is influenced by culture.

Question 9

According to anthropologist Edward Hall, a culture in which information is transmitted either in a physical context or internalized in the person is called _________________
context, as in Japan or Saudi Arabia.

Question 10

On the other hand, when communication in a culture is largely contained in explicit codes, such as words, or involves directly exchanging accurate messages, as in the United States and Great Britain, the culture is designated as _________________ context.

Question 11

As intercultural communication involves more than learning a foreign language, the global manager or professional should be aware of the meaning behind
_________________-that is, nonverbal communication that may be different in the host culture.

Question 12

When we communicate with persons who do not share our values, assumptions, or learned ways, then new _________________ and skills are required, such as when a manager interacts with a worker who was born in another country.

Question 13

World traders must learn to negotiate across cultures, which requires the obser-vances of _________________.

Question 14

North American negotiators are uncomfortable with situations that are
_________________.

Question 15

In international or intercultural negotiations, we face ethical issues that are
_________________, _________________; that is, the rightness or wrongness of the action or position is culturally conditioned, and is not a cultural universal.

Question 16

To say that global managers should create cultural collaboration means that they should seek to foster _________________ relationships, which uses diverse resources so that it becomes "win-win" for all involved.

Question 17

Professionals who possess multicultural awareness undertake to provide services or products abroad that are culturally _________________.

Question 18

A transcultural marketing approach within one's own country implies that manage-ment appreciates the differences among _________________ groups and develops appropriate strategies to reach such peoples.

Question 19

When engaging in international joint ventures, managers from different cultures are open to learning from one another and do not seek to _________________ their atti-tudes, norms, and procedures upon their partners.

Question 20

The bottom line for successful intercultural transactions is that each party involved must _________________ the other.

Question 21

Cultures, whether macro or micro, are dynamic and subject to alteration to meet human needs in different circumstances-change agents seek to facilitate
_________________ change.

Question 22

Among various change strategies is _________________ _________________ anal-ysis, which examines the driving and resisting factors for change within that percep-tual field or life space.

Question 23

Organizational culture helps to give a company or agency, and its personnel, a sense of _________________.

Question 24

In a multinational corporation with many subsidiaries overseas, the degree to which various entities within the system possess cultures that are similar or dissimilar is called cultural _________________ by Vern Terpstra.

Question 25

The term _________________ describes the emerging work culture during this post-/ super-industrial stage of human development-that is, a work environment dominated by information processing and service.

Question 26

Of the following persons, select the one type least likely to benefit from cross-cultural learning:

A)Immigrants.
B)Travel agents.
C)Mathematicians.
D)Businesswomen.

Question 27

Management increasingly is responding to the needs of a multicultural workforce and market.Select the least-relevant strategy to accomplish this:

A)Equal opportunity and affirmative action programs.
B)Information on ethnic foods and restaurants.
C)Cross-cultural training of all managers.
D)Guidebooks for those going overseas on assignment.

Question 28

As our thinking is culturally conditioned, select the most effective approach to employee training from among the following possibilities:

A)Teach everyone, regardless of cultural background, how to think conceptually.
B)Inform expatriate personnel of local drinks and recreational opportunities.
C)Train overseas employees in how to adapt to local customs.
D)Seek market opportunities abroad only in cultures most like your own (e.g., British Commonwealth nations).

Question 29

Among the following characteristics to observe in a foreign culture, the most impor-tant to analyze is:

A)Food and eating habits.
B)Dress and appearance.
C)Time and time consciousness.
D)Sense of self and sense of space.

Question 30

The least important way to get a fix on a people's norms and values is to analyze:

A)Their advertising practices.
B)Their rituals for birth, death, and marriage.
C)Their showing of respect or deference.
D)Their expression of good manners and gift-giving.

Question 31

Of the following systems approaches to cultural analysis, by far the most significant is:

A)Hospital/health systems.
B)Recreational systems.
C)Kinship systems.
D)Political systems.

Question 32

In a bureaucratic culture, choose the item least likely to be a concern to administrators:

A)Detailed organization chart.
B)Manuals of rules and regulations.
C)Establishment and enforcement of control systems.
D)Use of informal relationships and communication systems.

Question 33

Some things in a culture are explicit and overt.Choose the word that best expresses this:

A)Assumptions.
B)Inference.
C)Aware.
D)Law.

Question 34

The one item among the following that is not a cultural universal is:

A)Advertising.
B)Courtship.
C)Division of labor.
D)Sports.

Question 35

For a minority seeking to move into the majority culture, the item of least concern should be:

A)Language and communication habits.
B)Dress and appearance.
C)Work habits and practices.
D)Artistic tastes and preferences.

Question 36

Customs and traditions are important because they give people:

A)Clues for acceptance into the group.
B)A sense of identity.
C)Ways to distinguish themselves from strangers.
D)Ways to feel comfortable.

Question 37

The trauma of culture shock may be most evident in persons when they experience:

A)Homesickness.
B)Dislike of the host culture.
C)Loss of reference points/groups.
D)Inability to learn the local language.

Question 38

"Cognitive flex" does not refer to a person's ability to:

A)Alter their dress to suit local customs.
B)Accept new ideas, beliefs, and experiences.
C)Accept cultural differences.
D)Be flexible in outlook and attitudes.

Question 39

Select the least-appropriate completion of the following statement: Transitional experiences­ may be triggered by:

A)Divorce.
B)Death of a close friend or relative.
C)Relocation assignment.
D)Foreign visitors.

Question 40

The following will not foster acculturation in a different environment:

A)Living in a cultural compound with one's own kind.
B)Being prepared for and informed about the host culture.
C)Being creative and experimental.
D)Being patient and realistic with self/others.

Question 41

Of the following, which is of the least concern to an American multinational with an effective foreign deployment system:

A)Adequate recruitment, assessment of candidates?
B)Briefings on US foreign policy in the region?
C)Pre-departure cultural/language training?
D)On-site monitoring and support services?
E)Reentry preparation and services?

Question 42

Which of the following is least relevant when observing business protocol abroad:

A)Learning about local managerial practices?
B)Studying innate character of the locals?
C)Using home culture problem-solving techniques?
D)Observing local business etiquette?

Question 43

Of the following, which is the least-important feature of the technology when it is transferred abroad:

A)The state of the art?
B)Appropriate to the situation?
C)Accompanied by training services?
D)Capable of being effectively used in the country to which it is transferred?

Question 44

Of the following, select the least-accurate characterization of bribery and corruption:

A)They are probably are cultural universals.
B)They are relative and differ by degree.
C)They are considered like a "tip" in some societies (e.g., to ensure service).
D)They are practiced only by morally inferior people.

Question 45

Which of the following best characterizes human resource development:

A)Universally held in high regard?
B)Involves the capitalization of human assets?
C)Concerned only with training?
D)Concerns only males in most cultures?

Question 46

In evaluating the effectiveness of cross-cultural training, the least useful approach is:

A)Using pre-/post-measurement instruments.
B)Using observers during/after training.
C)Requiring trainees to memorize cultural specifics.
D)Ratings by clients, peers, or supervisors of on-site performance.

Question 47

Which of the following is not a suitable element of synergy:

A)Coalescence?
B)Individualism?
C)Cooperation/collaboration?
D)Mutual reciprocity?

Question 48

International development project teams are not helped by:

A)Thinking in multidimensional terms.
B)Practicing cross-cultural communication skills.
C)Adhering strictly to one's attitudes and values.
D)Integrating different team member competencies.

Question 49

Which of the following is the least-significant result of networking:

A)Creating synergy among like-minded professionals?
B)Advancing in one's career?
C)Sharing ideas and information with those of similar interests?
D)Linking up with others only by computers?

Question 50

Of the following, which does not reflect an innovative attitude:

A)Avoiding risks?
B)Systematic sloughing off of yesterday?
C)Willingness to set up entrepreneurial activities?
D)Searching opportunities in the vulnerabilities of the existing technology, process, market?

Question 51

Give three reasons why it is important today for any organization to have a global perspective.

Question 52

What, as discussed in some detail in Chapter 1, are some of the environmental forces influencing organizations? Of the different factors listed, what are the two or three factors that most strongly influence an organization you are familiar with?

Question 53

What five qualities are required of a global leader?

Question 54

Define the concept of culture.How would you describe your own culture?

Question 55

Comment on Pascal's famous quotation, "There are truths on this side of the Pyrenees which are falsehoods on the other," and its relevance to working in a global economy.

Question 56

What are the differences between a high-context and a low-context culture? How can these differences affect communications between different cultures?

Question 57

List five aspects each of a low-synergy and a high-synergy society.

Question 58

List the three different levels at which one must listen during a cross-cultural exchange.

Question 59

List four of the variables that Samovar and Porter identify in the communication process.Give concrete examples as to how these variables affect our perceptions

Question 60

Referring to Fisher's five considerations for analyzing cross-cultural negotiations in Chapter 3, choose a culture that is discussed in the text.How would you prepare for negotiations with a manager from that country?

Question 61

List 5 of the 12 variables discussed by Weiss and Stripp that impact negotiations.Why are these factors so important?

Question 62

What steps would you take to prepare for a business negotiation with another culture? How would your strategy differ if the negotiation was to be held in your own country?

Question 63

Describe the four dimensions of national culture as identified by Hofstede.

Question 64

Define a cultural dominance model of management and a cultural compromise model as developed by Adler.Of the two models, which do you think is the most prevalent model today, and why?

Question 65

List five tips for fostering change in intercultural situations.

Question 66

What qualities, related to cross-cultural adaptation and effectiveness, are needed to be a successful manager on an overseas assignment?

Question 67

List some of the factors, as defined by Vern Terpstra, that impact a multinational's business culture.

Question 68

What is the definition of cultural synergy? How does this concept apply to an organization?

Question 69

Cross-cultural differences can also occur within the same cultural setting.Give two examples to support this statement.

Question 70

Define tradition and its importance in your culture.

Question 71

A colleague is going on an overseas assignment for two years.What tips would you give him/her to decrease the risk of culture shock?

Question 72

What skills are necessary to effectively deal with diversity in the workplace?

Question 73

What is the "basic personality" of a culture?

Question 74

What are some important factors necessary to succeed in today's new work culture?

Question 75

Do you believe that conscience is culturally conditioned?

Question 76

What is "technology transfer"?

Question 77

Define behaviors that help create a synergistic environment in the workplace.

Question 78

Bribery seems to be a moral issue in every culture, although to varying degrees.Should you relate to these differences in moral viewpoints the same way as in your own culture, or adapt to them while in the host culture?

Question 79

List five cultural universals, and compare these universals in two different cultures.

Question 80

Do you have the skills required to be an effective global manager? If so, what are your assets and liabilities? How would you improve upon your liabilities?