Deck 4: Making Distinctions Across Cultures: Implications for International Management

Question 1

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both Hofstede's and Ronen and Shenkar's models.

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

Which of the following is not a cultural dimension of Trompenaars' alternative?

A) high/low context.
B) neutral-emotional.
C) specific-diffuse.
D) achievement-ascription.
E) universalism-particularism.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Applying the Hofstede dimensions of culture, the U.S. stands out on one of the four dimensions

A) the country with the most emphasis on dominating nature
B) the country with the most emphasis on private space
C) the country with the most emphasis on a small power distance
D) the country with the most emphasis on individualism
E) the country with the most emphasis on masculinity

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is a limitation of Hofstede's work?

A) it includes too many countries.
B) it only includes Western countries.
C) it ignores differences that exist between clusters or quadrants.
D) it only considers Asian countries.
E) it ignores differences that exist between countries within a specific cluster or quadrant.

Question 5

____________ countries are prominent in the village market quadrant (small power distance and low uncertainty avoidance) of Hofstede's cultural dimensions.

A) Asian.
B) Anglo and Scandinavian.
C) Germanic.
D) African.
E) Middle Eastern.

Question 6

____________ countries dominate the well-oiled machine quadrant (small power distance and strong uncertainty avoidance) of Hofstede's cultural dimensions.

A) Asian.
B) Latin.
C) Germanic.
D) African.
E) Middle Eastern.

Question 7

A culture described using Hofstede's cultural dimensions with high uncertainty avoidance and masculine values tend to be ____________oriented.

A) family.
B) security.
C) achievement.
D) socially.
E) none of these.

Question 8

According to Hofsted, a culture with weak uncertainty avoidance and masculine values will be

A) achievement oriented.
B) motivated by security.
C) socially oriented.
D) geared toward family life.
E) oriented toward quality of life.

Question 9

Which of the following dimensions did Hofstede find tended to cluster together?

A) small power distance and collectivism.
B) high power distance and individualism.
C) low uncertainty avoidance and collectivism.
D) masculinity and individualism.
E) small power distance and individualism.

Question 10

An employee who will not present a problem to his or her manager is probably from a __________ culture.

A) low power distance.
B) high-context.
C) individualistic.
D) high power distance.
E) low uncertainty avoidance.

Question 11

Which of the following is not one of Hofstede's cultural dimentions?

A) power distance.
B) high/low context.
C) individualism-collectivism.
D) masculinity-femininity.
E) uncertainty avoidance.

Question 12

The unequal exchange in guanxi that honors the more powerful member of the relationship is likened to _________ expectations that powerful family members help weaker members.

A) Confucian
B) Buddhist
C) communist
D) government
E) Hindu

Question 13

Ronen and Shenkar

A) based their theory on a comprehensive review of previous research.
B) looked at the importance of various work goals.
C) studied the extent to which work satisfies certain needs.
D) clustered countries on what they felt were patterns of similarity in employees' attitudes toward work.
E) deal with all of these in their work.

Question 14

Trompenaars' bipolar cultural dimension that measures the extent to which an individual's status depends on performance versus factors like age, class, or gender is called

A) individualism-communitarianism.
B) neutral-emotional.
C) specific-diffuse.
D) achievement-ascription.
E) universalism-particularism.

Question 15

Carrie is a new manager of a multinational firm. She believes that society as a whole is becoming a "global village" and can therefore manage the firm the same way anywhere. Her view is an example of

A) individualistic culture.
B) masculine society.
C) low-context culture.
D) cultural convergence.
E) high-context culture.

Question 16

Assigning generic labels to categorize and classify people and nations is called

A) sophisticated stereotyping.
B) dimensions of culture.
C) prejudicial.
D) self-monitoring.
E) none of these.

Question 17

Discuss the differences in work goals between countries.

Question 18

Compare and contrast the Hofstede and GLOBE dimensions. Which sophisticated stereotyping is most useful?

Question 19

Identify and explain Hofstede's five cultural dimensions. Also explain how these dimensions are a useful guide for managers in a global economy.

Question 20

Explain "sophisticated stereotyping," and the negative impacts it can have in business.

Question 21

Suggest some ways to get beyond cultural stereotypes.

Question 22

Make three suggestions that might help a corporation do a better job of understanding the culture in which it operates.

Question 23

Discuss the concept of work centrality as it relates to Japan. How is this changing in recent times?

Question 24

Discuss some of the reasons for cross-cultural stereotypes.

Question 25

Discuss the differences in the meaning of "harmony" between Japan, China, and Korea.

Question 26

India has some cultural values that foster entrepreneurship, its high score on the GLOBE attribute, __________ , supports this assertion.

A) humane orientation
B) power distance
C) diffuse
D) gender egalitarianism
E) long term orientation

Question 27

Someone who believes that competition and conflict are both inevitable parts of an organization is probably from a culture with

A) high power distance.
B) high uncertainty avoidance.
C) high femininity.
D) high collectivism.
E) low uncertainty avoidance.

Question 28

Ronen and Shenkar found similarities within groups of countries based on

A) technology and development.
B) language.
C) geography.
D) none of these.
E) all of these.

Question 29

The view that rules and practices should be adjusted depending on the person or situation is known as

A) universalism.
B) particularism.
C) ascription.
D) diffuse.
E) communitarism.

Question 30

Guanxi is

A) based on the relationship between equals.
B) the loss of face.
C) a Korean concept.
D) based on the relationship between unequals or a benefolent paternalism.
E) the concept of uncertainty avoidance.

Question 31

Which of the following is not a limitation of Ronen and Shenkar's approach?

A) it includes a limited number of countries.
B) the complexity of within-country differences.
C) it focuses on attitudes toward work.
D) few developing countries are represented.
E) the different meanings of some terms within and across clusters.

Question 32

Decision-making based on family ties and hierarchy is representative of

A) Japanese wa.
B) Korean inwha.
C) Chinese guanxi.
D) Arab riba.
E) all of these.

Question 33

Hofstede's village market quadrant contains African and Middle Eastern countries.

Question 34

The most recent cultural dimension that Hofstede proposed is long versus short-term orientation.

Question 35

Japan is an example of a neutral country in Trompenaars' Key Cutlural Dimensions

Question 36

Good pay ranks in the top three important work goals of workers from the UK, Belgium, and Germany

Question 37

Work variety ranks in the top three important work goals of workers from Israel and Japan.

Question 38

Feminine cultures emphasize the inequality of men and women and desire harmony in the workplace.

Question 39

Collectivist cultures place a great deal of value on autonomy.

Question 40

Interesting work seems to be something that is universally desirable by workers across cultures.

Question 41

An employee who prioritizes work over family and personal life has a high degree of work centrality.

Question 42

Trompenaars' and Hofstede's individualism dimensions measure exactly the same thing.

Question 43

The Chinese obligation of guanxican take precedence over laws, firm procedures and company goals.

Question 44

Research shows that foreign subsidiaries perform better financially when they use management practices that are consistent with the local culture.

Question 45

Culture has roots in historical events, geography, traditions, economics, language and religion.

Question 46

The US and Sweden would be considered part of Hofstede's village market quadrant.

Question 47

A strength of Hofstede's work is that it ignores differences that exist between countries within a specific cluster or quadrant.

Question 48

With respect to Hofstede's dimensions, India is the country with the most long-term orientation.

Question 49

Two similarities in Ronen and Shenkar's findings include:

A) language and currency.
B) proximity and government.
C) currency and government.
D) language and geography/proximity.
E) politics and geography.

Question 50

A group of nations that share a core set of values that impact employees' attitude toward work is called a

A) country work culture.
B) moral alliance.
C) free-trade area.
D) trading group.
E) country cluster.

Question 51

Which country is more likely to be short term oriented?

A) China.
B) Brazil.
C) India.
D) Japan.
E) Pakistan.

Question 52

The following values are most important in countries with long-term orientation except:

A) frugality.
B) hard work.
C) adaptibility.
D) persistence.
E) fulfillment of social obligations.

Question 53

Most cultures

A) are predictable.
B) have paradoxes.
C) match the behavior of all its members.
D) are fixed and unchanging.
E) involve all of these.

Question 54

Culture can

A) produce conflict.
B) produce benefits.
C) impact the way in which one does business.
D) impact the strategic decisions of the firm.
E) involve all of these.

Question 55

Interesting work ranks first in important goals for worker of which country?

A) Germany.
B) the U.S.
C) Japan.
D) the Netherlands.
E) the former Yugoslavia.

Question 56

All of the following are efforts that a manager can take to understand a diverse workplace except for:

A) finding cultural informants and mentors.
B) carefully assessing information that seems inconsistent with cultural stereotypes.
C) learning mental maps.
D) approaching other cultures with the idea of testing cultural stereotypes.
E) using sophisticated stereotypes at all times.

Question 57

The importance of managing a culturally diverse workforce is increasing due to

A) the increase of local governments.
B) the growth in international business.
C) the need to train everyone in Western methods.
D) all of these.
E) none of these.

Question 58

Six of GLOBE's dimensions either overlap with Hofstede's dimensions directly or were improvements upon them.

Question 59

Unlike Hofstede's study, GLOBE looked at one company and its employees in multiple countries.

Question 60

Russia, Poland and Denmark ranked high with respect to GLOBE's gender egalitarianism dimension.

Question 61

Culture is the fixed set of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of a goup of people.