Deck 3: Intercultural Communication

Question 1

By tradition, businesspeople in the United States typically place a high value on 

A)group membership.
B)individual action and personal responsibility.
C)being able to avoid saying "no." 
D)relying on context and feelings when making decisions.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Steven is an analytical, action-oriented person and places great value on business messages that are objective, professional, and efficient. He is most likely part of a(n) ____ culture.

A)low-context 
B)spiral logic 
C)high-context 
D)intuitive

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Select the most accurate statement about culture.

A)Culture is a subject that is usually taught in high school.
B)Cultural attitudes are not learned until adulthood.
C)Culture is not something we can be taught; it's something we possess at birth.
D)Cultural rules of behavior learned from your family and society are conditioned from early childhood.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following statements about the middle class in emerging economies is least accurate? 

A)By 2020 more than half of the world's middle class is predicted to be in Asia.
B)Estimates suggest that 70 percent of world growth over the next few years will come from already developed countries.
C)Many countries such as China and India have become less suspicious of foreign investment and free trade, thus fostering vigorous globalization.
D)Once known only for cheap labor, many countries with emerging economies are now seen as promising markets.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about context is least accurate? 

A)Context is probably the most important cultural dimension and also the most difficult to define.
B)Context refers to the stimuli, environment, or ambience surrounding an event.
C)The cultural anthropologist Edward T. Hall developed the concept of context.
D)No one has attempted to classify countries according to context.

Question 6

Communicators in high-context cultures 

A)are more likely to be intuitive and contemplative.
B)assume that listeners know very little and must be told practically everything.
C)tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented.
D)pay attention to only the spoken or written words.

Question 7

Select the least accurate statement about culture.

A)Culture is the basis for how we tell the world who we are and what we believe.
B)Culture can be both visible and invisible.
C)The rules in any culture are inherently logical.
D)Because cultural norms are so deep-seated, they almost never change.

Question 8

Jing-Ying places great value on the posture, voice inflection, gestures, and facial expressions of employees within the workplace. She is most likely part of a(n) ____ culture.

A)low-context 
B)linear logic 
C)high-context 
D)analytical

Question 9

Communicators in low-context cultures 

A)often imply conclusions rather than directly stating them.
B)tend to be logical, analytical, and action oriented.
C)tend to be intuitive and contemplative.
D)emphasize interpersonal relationships, nonverbal expression, physical setting, and social setting.

Question 10

An example of a country with a high-context culture is 

A)Germany.
B)Japan.
C)Scandinavia.
D)All of these choices

Question 11

U.S. businesses and those of other countries are seeking to expand around the world for many reasons. Which of the following is not one of those reasons? 

A)Passage of favorable trade agreements 
B)Advances in transportation and communication technologies 
C)An increase in the number of underdeveloped countries 
D)Maturing domestic markets

Question 12

By tradition, Asian businesspeople typically place a high value on 

A)group decision making.
B)individual achievements.
C)direct verbal interaction.
D)initiative and self-assertion.

Question 13

Learning more about the powerful effect that culture has on behavior will 

A)guarantee that you will be profitable in your overseas ventures.
B)help you reduce friction and misunderstanding in your dealings with people from other cultures.
C)teach you why your culture is superior.
D)do all of these.

Question 14

Persons from many cultures are moving to countries promising to fulfill their dreams. For generations the two most popular destinations have been 

A)the United States and Japan.
B)the United States and Canada.
C)France and Great Britain.
D)Italy and France.

Question 15

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the globalization of markets? 

A)Although market borders are blurring, it is still easy to determine the nationality of companies.
B)Many U.S. companies with famous brands are now controlled by global enterprises.
C)Doing business beyond borders is still extremely rare.
D)Because the United States dominates the world economy, American companies have no need to adapt to other cultures.

Question 16

An example of a country that has a low-context culture is 

A)the United States.
B)Saudi Arabia.
C)China.
D)All of these choices

Question 17

Which of the following trade agreements expands free trade among Canada, the United States, and Mexico? 

A)General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 
B)World Trade Organization (WTO) 
C)European Free Trade Association (EFTA) 
D)North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Question 18

How are new information and communication technologies used to promote globalization? 

A)New information and communication technologies enable companies to conduct business anytime, anywhere, and with any customer.
B)High-speed, high-capacity, and relatively low-cost communications have made geographical location virtually irrelevant for many activities and services.
C)Wireless connectivity, portable electronic devices, teleconferencing, instant messaging, intranets, social media, wikis, and blogs streamline business processes and improve access to critical company information.
D)All of these choices

Question 19

The populations of the United States and Canada can be best described as 

A)part of a melting pot where people from different ethnic groups blend together.
B)a tossed salad or spicy stew where people from different ethnic groups each contribute their own unique flavor.
C)a river of cultures contributing to an ocean of turbulence.
D)a homogeneous wasteland where everyone looks and acts the same.

Question 20

Which of the following is an invisible sign of culture? 

A)An attorney wears a conservative suit to court.
B)Christopher believes that adults need to be responsible for their actions.
C)On their anniversary Matthew takes his wife to dinner.
D)At every department meeting, the manager sits at the head of the conference table.

Question 21

Julia was born and raised in the United States. Because she has been taught that it is best to be direct when speaking in the workplace, Julia expects her Vietnamese coworkers to share her belief. Julia's misconception is the result of 

A)tolerance.
B)stereotyping.
C)ethnocentrism.
D)prototyping.

Question 22

Soon Lee was born in China and works for a large corporation there. Which of the following is most likely? 

A)Soon Lee doesn't pay a lot of attention to tradition, ceremony, and social rules.
B)Soon Lee's office is located two floors above her boss's office.
C)Soon Lee has no problem speaking up and telling her boss when she disagrees.
D)Soon Lee shows great deference to her boss because of her boss's position, seniority, and age.

Question 23

Emile was born in Paris and has lived his entire life in France. He is proud of his country and believes that the French are superior to all other cultures. Emile is displaying 

A)discrimination.
B)ethnocentrism.
C)prejudice.
D)illegal behavior.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about saving face is most accurate? 

A)Members of low-context cultures are indirect and go to great lengths to avoid giving offense by saying no.
B)People in low-context cultures are extremely concerned with saving face.
C)Face refers to the image a person holds in his or her social network.
D)In business transactions around the world, economic factors are the primary motivators of people.

Question 25

A businessperson from the United States was introduced to the president of a company in another country, and the businessperson immediately began treating the president as his equal. The president might be particularly offended if he is from which country? 

A)Japan 
B)United States 
C)Canada 
D)All of these choices

Question 26

Gayle will be traveling to Thailand on business and wants to demonstrate intercultural competence while there. What is the best advice you can give her? 

A)Provide judgmental feedback rather than descriptive feedback.
B)Take the lead when interacting with businesspeople from other cultures.
C)Show supportiveness with head nods, eye contact, facial expressions, and physical proximity.
D)Use gestures often and freely to attempt to communicate nonverbally.

Question 27

Which of the following statements is inaccurate? 

A)North Americans generally correlate time with productivity, efficiency, and money.
B)South Americans generally see time as an unlimited and never-ending resource to be enjoyed.
C)Asians generally are punctual but often take a long time to reach decisions.
D)Most cultures generally view time as a precious commodity that should be preserved.

Question 28

Dale recently completed diversity training. Which of the following was he most likely taught during the training? 

A)If you work hard enough at it, you can talk about cultures without using mental categories, representations, and generalizations to describe groups.
B)Unfounded generalizations about people and cultures can lead to bias and prejudice.
C)Today the word stereotype has a positive meaning.
D)Because they are fixed and rigid, stereotypes are always entirely false.

Question 29

Which of the following statements about nonverbal communication in intercultural environments is least accurate? 

A)If you study hard enough, you can learn all of the nuances of nonverbal behavior in other cultures.
B)In Western cultures people perceive silence as a negative trait because it suggests rejection, unhappiness, depression, regret, embarrassment, or ignorance.
C)Gestures can have very different meanings in different cultures.
D)Although nonverbal communication within and between cultures is ambiguous, it nevertheless conveys meaning.

Question 30

The belief that one's own race is superior is known as 

A)prototyping.
B)stereotyping.
C)ethnocentrism.
D)prejudice.

Question 31

Which of the following statements is least accurate? 

A)To improve tolerance, one must practice empathy.
B)If a nonnative speaker is struggling to express an idea in English, Americans should help by finishing the sentence for the speaker.
C)In Asian cultures people deliberately use periods of silence for reflection and contemplation.
D)Being patient can be a way of exhibiting tolerance.

Question 32

Businesspeople from which country are most likely to be uncomfortable with silence and impatient with delays? 

A)Mexico 
B)United States 
C)Saudi Arabia 
D)Japan

Question 33

Brianna would like to become more culturally competent. What should she do? 

A)Begin to think of herself as a product of her culture.
B)Understand that her culture is just one among many.
C)Be ready to adapt as her environment changes.
D)Brianna should do all of these.

Question 34

Zachary works with employees from a variety of cultural backgrounds and wants to be tolerant of their beliefs. Zachary should practice 

A)prototyping.
B)sympathy.
C)empathy.
D)ethnocentrism.

Question 35

Businesspeople from which country are most likely to speak using extravagant or poetic figures of speech? 

A)Canada 
B)United States 
C)Brazil 
D)Germany

Question 36

During business negotiations, which group of individuals most likely to place more emphasis on the surrounding context than on the actual words? 

A)Germans 
B)Americans 
C)Canadians 
D)Japanese

Question 37

According to some intercultural experts, the most important attitude in achieving intercultural competence is 

A)descriptiveness.
B)supportiveness.
C)nonjudgmentalism.
D)ethnocentrism.

Question 38

A generalization that is not fixed and rigid when it is used to describe cultures is called a(n) 

A)stereotype.
B)prejudice.
C)prototype.
D)ethnocentrism

Question 39

Which of the following statements about power distance is least accurate? 

A)The Power Distance Index measures how people in different societies relate to more powerful individuals.
B)In Asian cultures people are more relaxed about social status and the appearance of power.
C)The concept of power distance was first introduced by social psychologist Geert Hofstede.
D)In high power distance countries, subordinates expect formal hierarchies and embrace relatively authoritarian, paternalistic power relationships.

Question 40

An oversimplified behavioral pattern applied uncritically to groups of people is called a(n) 

A)stereotype.
B)prejudice.
C)prototype.
D)ethnocentrism.

Question 41

Many of the world's industrialized countries have formally agreed to a new global treaty that bans the practice of bribery of foreign government officials. What organization promoted this treaty? 

A)Central Intelligence Agency 
B)World Trade Organization 
C)Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 
D)Ministry of Industry and Trade

Question 42

Which of the following statements about gender differences in communication is least accurate? 

A)Women tend to have more attentive eye contact than men.
B)Men tend to make more expansive gestures than women.
C)Women tend to talk about more personal issues when engaging in small talk.
D)Women tend to make more "I" statements; whereas, men make more "we" statements.

Question 43

What is the best advice for an American businessperson who is traveling to Sweden on business? 

A)Wait until you finish a complete explanation, no matter how long it is, before requesting feedback.
B)Be wary of smiling because it can be misinterpreted in some cultures.
C)Follow up oral negotiations and agreements in writing.
D)If your Swedish colleague is having trouble finishing a sentence, show consideration by finishing it for him or her.

Question 44

Jackson will be attending a professional conference in Vietnam. What should he do to try to enhance oral communication with his colleagues? 

A)Assume that his colleagues will speak English well because it is so widely used around the world.
B)Learn how to speak Vietnamese fluently.
C)Assume that a yes, a nod, or a smile indicates comprehension.
D)Listen without interrupting.

Question 45

You are writing a letter to a potential customer in Italy. Which of the following should you include in your letter? 

A)Clichés such as the buck stops here because the Italians appreciate American sayings 
B)Abbreviations such as DBA to make your letter as concise as possible 
C)Weights and measures written it the metric system 
D)Slang such as This is a really hot idea to sound more approachable

Question 46

In conversation with a Korean businessperson who speaks English fairly well, Meaghan discovers that much of what she has just said was not understood by the Korean. In continuing the conversation, Meaghan should 

A)speak more slowly and loudly.
B)discontinue the conversation until an interpreter can be found.
C)keep a stern, unsmiling face to show she's serious about the conversation.
D)accept blame for the misunderstanding and use simpler language.

Question 47

According to Transparency International, what are the two most corrupt countries in the world? 

A)United States and Canada 
B)North Korea and Somalia 
C)Germany and Japan 
D)China and India

Question 48

Emma runs a small business and wants to improve communication among her increasingly diverse staff. Which of the following should she do? 

A)Consider having employees take part in diversity awareness training.
B)Encourage employees to think alike so that conflicts can be avoided.
C)Expect conformity from her employees.
D)All of these choices

Question 49

Which of the following statements most accurately describes diversity in the workplace? 

A)A diverse staff tends to have difficulties reading trends and responding to customers in local and world markets.
B)Teams made up of diverse members are better equipped than homogeneous teams to create products that diverse consumers want.
C)Diversity in the workplace often leads to lower productivity and worse employee morale.
D)Teams with diverse members often find it more difficult than homogeneous teams to solve problems.

Question 50

What is the least accurate statement about social networking among cultures? 

A)Social and digital media tends to make introverts more extroverted.
B)In real life and online, we instinctively tend to gravitate toward people who seem similar to us.
C)The majority of social media experts agree that Twitter, in particular, offers a rich opportunity for intercultural engagement.
D)The online environment may deepen feelings of isolation.

Question 51

Caroline is writing a business letter to a German client. What should she do as she prepares the letter? 

A)Use the same writing style and tone typically used in her organization.
B)Use longer sentences and paragraphs to make her letter look more formal.
C)Add humor to her letter to make her client feel comfortable.
D)Use correct grammar and conventional punctuation.

Question 52

What is the best advice for citing numbers when writing letters to businesspeople in other cultures? 

A)Write all numbers in word form.
B)Use figures to express the month of the year.
C)Always convert dollar figures into local currency.
D)Do all of these choices.

Question 53

Which of the following U.S. laws prohibits payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business? 

A)Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 
B)Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 
C)USA Patriot Act of 2001 
D)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996

Question 54

Which of the following would be the best sentence to include in an e-mail message going to someone from another culture? 

A)Are you available for a videoconference on 3/5? 
B)Please get back to me ASAP to set up our meeting.
C)This agreement between our two companies should be a slam dunk.
D)We look forward to meeting with you next month.

Question 55

Which of the following statements about intercultural ethics is most accurate? 

A)Very few companies that are active in global markets have codes of ethics.
B)The United States is the least corruptible country worldwide.
C)Many companies require their employees to take ethics training programs.
D)Because we now live in a global economy, ethics is not an issue when doing business globally.

Question 56

Which of the following statements about diversity in the workplace is most accurate? 

A)Diversity in the workplace is measured solely by the race and gender of employees.
B)The workplace will continue to be predominantly Anglo oriented and male for the next several decades.
C)Advances in technology are allowing more physically challenged people to join the workforce.
D)The number of older workers is expected to decrease dramatically as more employees are choosing to retire early.

Question 57

Leonard will be traveling on business to a country where he knows bribes are a normal part of business. Which of the following is the best advice for Leonard? 

A)Because the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 applies only to U.S. companies, Leonard can legally pay bribes to international companies to obtain business.
B)Leonard should offer nonmonetary benefits, such as additional customer service, in lieu of paying bribes.
C)Paying bribes is just a normal cost of doing business, and Leonard will be able to include the bribes he pays on his expense report.
D)So that Leonard's company can remain competitive globally, Leonard should pay any bribe requested.

Question 58

Jake is working for a global consulting firm and will be writing letters to intercultural audiences around the world. What is the best advice you can give him? 

A)Always use a direct approach to make your letters as clear as possible.
B)Use your own format and style so that all your letters are consistent.
C)Send letters to lower-ranking employees to avoid offending higher-ranking employees.
D)Replace two-word verbs such as put off with clear single words such as delay.

Question 59

Which of the following U.S. laws is a tool in the domestic anticorruption battle, forbidding off-the-book bribes? 

A)Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 
B)Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 
C)USA Patriot Act of 2001 
D)Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996

Question 60

Gordon was just hired by a company with an extremely diverse workforce. He wants to fit in immediately. What should he do? 

A)Rely on stereotypes to learn about individuals from different cultures.
B)Concentrate on shared experiences, mutual goals, and similar values.
C)Try to conform immediately because everyone else has probably conformed already.
D)Assume that all individuals share the same holidays and lifestyles.

Question 61

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) promotes open trade globally.

Question 62

Members of high-context cultures are more likely to be logical, analytical, and action oriented.

Question 63

Saving face is the primary motivational factor in low-context cultures.

Question 64

Verbal skills in another culture are more difficult to master than nonverbal skills.

Question 65

When discussing cultures, we should avoid making any generalizations.

Question 66

The number of foreign-born persons in the United States is decreasing.

Question 67

The rules, values, and attitudes of culture are inherent; that is, we are born with them.

Question 68

Business communicators in low-context cultures, such as the United States and Germany, assume that messages must be explicit, and listeners rely exclusively on the written or spoken word.

Question 69

In low power distance countries, subordinates expect formal hierarchies and embrace relatively authoritarian, paternalistic power relationships.

Question 70

Ethnocentrism, which involves the belief that one's own race is superior to others, is a natural attitude inherent in all cultures.

Question 71

Only developed countries have a unique culture and shared background.

Question 72

Improving one's tolerance of other cultures means being empathetic, nonjudgmental, and willing to seek common ground.

Question 73

Brooke, who works for a U.S. company, has just been assigned to manage the company's division in Vietnam. She should emphasize team-based projects and group decision making with her new employees.

Question 74

A stereotype, which is an oversimplified behavioral pattern applied uncritically to groups, is always false.

Question 75

Learning more about the powerful effect that culture has on behavior will help you reduce friction and misunderstanding in your dealings with people from other cultures.

Question 76

Tamika's family always celebrates Christmas with decorated tree and stockings hung on the fireplace. These holiday decorations are visible symbols of Tamika's cultural background.

Question 77

Because it is based on strong tradition and deep-seated beliefs, a country's culture rarely changes.

Question 78

Ildiko is a low-context communicator. She is likely to value membership in organizations, groups, and teams.

Question 79

Yung is a high-context communicator. He is likely to use spiral logic when thinking and making decisions.

Question 80

New transportation, information, and communication technologies are important factors in the increase in globalization.