Question 1

Each dimension of Hofstede's Model of National Culture is measured on a scale of 0 to 50.

Accepted Answer

Hofstede's Model of National Culture dimensions are measured on a scale of 0 to 100.

Question 2

Amanda's organization seems to have rules for everything.The policy manual and employee handbook are very long and specific about what employees can and cannot do.It appears the ________ dimension of cultural diversity is high at Amanda's organization.

Accepted Answer

The high reliance on rules and specifics in the policy manual and employee handbook suggests that Amanda's organization has a strong preference for avoiding uncertainty as much as possible. This aligns with the dimension of uncertainty avoidance, which refers to a culture's level of comfort with ambiguity and uncertainty. High uncertainty avoidance cultures prefer structure, rules, and detailed plans to minimize the possibility of unexpected outcomes.

Question 3

Acme Global encourages managers to put employees into teams whenever appropriate.It appears the ________ dimension of cultural diversity is high at Acme Global.

Accepted Answer

Acme Global encourages managers to put employees into teams whenever appropriate, which suggests that the societal collectivism dimension of cultural diversity is high at Acme Global. Societal collectivism refers to the extent to which individuals in a society are integrated into groups and value the goals of the group over their own individual goals.

Question 4

Parochialism means one has the ability to recognize individual differences.

Accepted Answer

Parochialism refers to a narrow-minded view of the world, limited to one's own culture, values, and beliefs. It often leads to ignorance or prejudice towards individuals or groups outside of one's own community. Therefore, it does not involve the ability to recognize individual differences but rather a lack of it.

Question 5

When Acme Global asked Tamera to relocate to the company's newest foreign plant,it paid her a salary equal to what she was making in the United States and gave her an allowance for extra expenses.It appears Acme Global is using the _________ approach to expatriate compensation.

Accepted Answer

The balance sheet approach involves providing expatriates with a package that equalizes purchasing power between the home and host countries. This approach takes into account the cost of living differences, tax liabilities, and other factors that can affect an expatriate's income. The fact that Tamera was paid the same salary as in the US and given an allowance for extra expenses suggests that Acme Global used the balance sheet approach.

Question 6

Putting employees from two differing cultures together to accomplish a task is likely to fail unless they are given cultural training.

Accepted Answer

This statement is likely true as cultural differences can greatly impact communication, decision-making, and teamwork. Providing cultural training can help employees understand and navigate these differences, leading to more successful collaboration.

Question 7

Acme Global employees take pride in working for such a great corporation.Most employees wear their Acme Global T-shirts even when they are not working.It appears the ________ dimension of cultural diversity is high at Acme Global.

Accepted Answer

The in-group collectivism dimension refers to the extent to which individuals identify with and are loyal to their company or organization. The fact that Acme Global employees wear their company T-shirts even outside of work suggests a high level of in-group collectivism. The other dimensions listed (societal collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance) do not necessarily relate to this behavior.

Question 8

Shannon's organization does not use performance appraisals because formal appraisals are considered judgmental.Feedback is given gently and informally.It appears the ________ dimension of cultural diversity is low at Shannon's organization.

Accepted Answer

The performance orientation dimension of cultural diversity is related to the extent to which organizations prioritize and emphasize performance and results. This includes the use of formal performance appraisals to evaluate employee performance. Since Shannon's organization does not use formal appraisals and rely only on gentle and informal feedback, it suggests that performance orientation is not a high priority for the organization, indicating a low score on this dimension.

Question 9

Heather is American and works for a Singapore-based company in India.It appears the company has made a(n) ________ staffing choice.

Accepted Answer

Geocentric staffing takes a global approach to staffing, involving a mix of home country, host country, and other nationality employees. Heather's case of an American working for a Singaporean company in India shows that the company has taken a geocentric staffing approach.

Question 10

Whenever Abigail asks her manager how to do a task,her manager responds that Abigail should perform the task as she see fits.There are no guidelines for most tasks and Abigail learns about the job as she works.It appears the ________ dimension of cultural diversity is low at Abigail's organization.

Accepted Answer

The dimension of cultural diversity that deals with how much a society is comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity is referred to as uncertainty avoidance. The fact that Abigail's manager is not providing any guidelines or structure for tasks could indicate that the organization has a low uncertainty avoidance score, which means they are comfortable with ambiguity and uncertain situations.

Question 11

GLOBE research is dated and has been replaced by research done by Hofstede.

Accepted Answer

GLOBE research and Hofstede's research are both still relevant and commonly cited in the field of cross-cultural management. While Hofstede's research may have gained more widespread recognition, GLOBE research is still recognized as a valuable contribution to our understanding of cultural differences in the workplace.

Question 12

Acme Global recognizes that different employees have different compensation needs when on expatriate assignments.Therefore it has a compensation specialist sit down with each employee before the assignment to work out how the employee will be compensated.It appears Acme Global is using the _________ approach to expatriate compensation.

Accepted Answer

Acme Global is using the negotiation approach to expatriate compensation since they are sitting down with each employee to work out their individual compensation needs. The lump sum approach involves giving a fixed amount of money upfront, while the split-pay approach uses a combination of local and home country compensation. The localization approach involves paying expatriates the same as local employees.

Question 13

Heather is American and works for a U.S.-based company in Brazil.It appears the company has made a(n) ________ staffing choice.

Accepted Answer

An ethnocentric staffing policy is when a company uses employees from its home country to live and work in the country where the business is located. Since Heather is American and works for a U.S.-based company in Brazil, this indicates an ethnocentric approach, where the company prefers to employ individuals from its home country rather than hiring locals or third-country nationals.

Question 14

Macy is English and works for a U.S.-based company in England.It appears the company has made a(n) ________ staffing choice.

Accepted Answer

A polycentric staffing policy is when a company employs host-country nationals in its foreign operations. Since Macy is English and works in England for a U.S.-based company, this represents a polycentric approach, where the company has chosen to employ someone from the host country (England) rather than sending an American employee to work there.

Question 15

Sarah and her coworkers attend all the voluntary training sessions offered by the organization.They all work hard to develop their skills.It appears the ________ dimension of cultural diversity is high at Sarah's organization.

Accepted Answer

The performance orientation dimension of cultural diversity emphasizes the importance of working hard to achieve success, and Sarah and her coworkers' attendance at voluntary training sessions and their focus on skill development suggest that this is a high priority at their organization. Assertiveness refers to the degree of confrontation and directness in communication, which is not mentioned in the scenario. Gender differences and humane orientation refer to other dimensions that are not directly related to the information provided in the scenario.

Question 16

Ashley just won the employee of the year award.The organization had a big ceremony and gave Ashley gave a speech. It appears the ________ dimension of cultural diversity is high at Ashley's organization.

Accepted Answer

The individualism dimension of cultural diversity focuses on valuing individual achievements and promoting personal recognition. Ashley winning the employee of the year award and receiving recognition for her achievements suggests a high level of individualism in her organization.

Question 17

If Pam values competition and winning,she exhibits the feminine (or nurturing) dimension of Hofstede's Model of National Culture,

Accepted Answer

The feminine dimension of Hofstede's Model of National Culture is characterized by values such as cooperation, caring for others, and quality of life. The masculine dimension, on the other hand, is characterized by values such as competition, achievement, and assertiveness. Therefore, if Pam values competition and winning, she exhibits the masculine dimension of the model rather than the feminine dimension.

Question 18

Laura accepted a temporary expatriate assignment.Since she will be keeping her apartment in her home country and getting a temporary apartment in her host country,she asked to be paid partly in her home-country currency and partly in her host-country currency.Laura is requesting the ________ approach to expatriate compensation.

Accepted Answer

Laura is requesting a split-pay approach to compensation, as she will receive part of her pay in her home-country currency and part in her host-country currency.

Question 19

Acme Global recognizes that different employees have different compensation needs when on expatriate assignments.Some may need compensation to pay for their children's education.Others may work in areas where they must pay high taxes.To avoid having to design an individualized pay package for every employee,Acme Global gives every expatriate employee a set amount for extra expenses.
It appears Acme Global is using the _________ approach to expatriate compensation.

Accepted Answer

Acme Global is giving every expatriate employee a set amount for extra expenses, which is known as a lump sum approach to expatriate compensation. The other options (balance sheet, split-pay, and localization) involve a more individualized approach to compensation.

Question 20

Myra will be moving to London as part of an expatriate assignment.Rather than try to figure out how to add-on to Myra's compensation,the organization decides to pay her as if she was a member of their London workforce.It appears Myra will be paid under the _________ approach to expatriate compensation.

Accepted Answer

The localization approach to expatriate compensation involves paying the expatriate as if they were a member of the local workforce. Therefore, in this scenario, Myra will be paid under the localization approach since the organization has decided to pay her as if she was a member of their London workforce.

Quiz 16: Global Issues for Human Resource Managers