Question 1

Wei and her family live in Beijing, and a friend of her parents helped get her son into a prestigious school. These friends now expect renquing from Wei. What is Wei expected to do?

Accepted Answer

Renqing is a concept in Chinese culture that involves reciprocating a good deed with another good deed or gift. Wei is expected to return the favor in the future, rather than paying a lump sum of money or providing periodic reports.

Question 2

The acronym BRIC refers to the collective economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and one other country. What is the country?

Accepted Answer

The fourth country in the BRIC acronym is China.

Question 3

The 2011 Chinese New Year was the year of the rabbit. So, many Chinese consumers purchased bunnies as pets, thinking they would bring luck and prosperity to them. Which CSV dimension do cultures in which superstitions and myths play a big role tend to be high in?

Accepted Answer

Cultures in which superstitions and myths play a big role tend to be high in uncertainty avoidance. This is because uncertainty avoidance refers to a society's tolerance for ambiguity and the extent to which it relies on written and unwritten rules to avoid uncertainty. Superstitions and myths are often used to explain and avoid uncertainty, leading to a higher uncertainty avoidance score.

Question 4

Canada is a country where people place a high value on self-reliance, individual initiative, and personal achievement. Which core societal value best describes Canada?

Accepted Answer

The description of Canada valuing self-reliance, individual initiative, and personal achievement is characteristic of a society with strong individualistic values. This means that individuals are expected to take responsibility for their own success and well-being, and to assert their needs and interests, rather than relying too heavily on others or the collective.

Question 5

Which term reflects the values consistent with Confucian philosophy and a prioritization of future rewards over short-term benefits?

Accepted Answer

The term that reflects the values consistent with Confucian philosophy and prioritization of future rewards over short-term benefits is long-term orientation. Confucianism emphasizes the importance of long-term planning, patience, persistence, and delayed gratification, and this perspective is reflected in various cultural norms and practices in Confucian societies. Therefore, the best answer is D, long-term orientation.

Question 6

Which term refers to customs and accepted ways of structuring society?

Accepted Answer

Traditions refer to customs and accepted ways of structuring society, while sanctions refer to penalties or rewards used to enforce social norms. Cognitive behaviours are patterns of thinking and interpretation, and utilitarian values prioritize usefulness and practicality over other considerations.

Question 7

Theo is looking at how different one nation can be from another in terms of their CSVs. He has learned that Canada is very similar to Australia and the United Kingdom. What concept provides the basis for the approach Theo is using?

Accepted Answer

Theo is using the concept of cultural distance, which refers to the degree of similarity or difference between two cultures in terms of their values, beliefs, and behaviors. By comparing Canada to Australia and the United Kingdom, he is trying to understand how closely aligned their cultural values are and how this might impact business or other relationships between the countries.

Question 8

Which phenomenon associated with long-term orientation is the idea that when someone does a good deed for you, you are expected to return that good deed?

Accepted Answer

Renquing is a concept in Chinese culture that involves the expectation of returning favors or good deeds, reflecting long-term orientation in relationships.

Question 9

Which term represents how disparate one nation is from another in terms of their CSVs?

Accepted Answer

Cultural distance measures the variation or differences in cultural values and practices between different nations, which makes it the best choice to represent how disparate one nation is from another in terms of their CSVs. Options B, C and D do not directly relate to the difference between CSVs of nations.

Question 10

Mitch is a sales representative for Caterpillar, the world's largest manufacturer of heavy equipment. He is moving to China because of the rapid expansion in that country and the opportunity it offers Caterpillar. He is undergoing extensive training, however, because business is conducted differently in China compared to Canada. For example, Mitch is learning that business people in China expect a salesperson to develop a relationship with them before they ever discuss business. What is the term for this practice?

Accepted Answer

The practice of developing a relationship before discussing business is called guanxi in China.

Question 11

Which CSV would a country that is uncomfortable with things that are ambiguous or unknown be high in?

Accepted Answer

Uncertainty avoidance refers to a society's level of comfort with ambiguous situations and unknown future events. Therefore, a country that is uncomfortable with things that are ambiguous or unknown would have a high score in uncertainty avoidance.

Question 12

Which term refers to a commonly agreed upon consensus about the most preferable ways of living within a society?

Accepted Answer

Core societal values refer to a commonly agreed upon consensus about the most preferable ways of living within a society. Individualism and collectivism are specific ideologies related to the role of the individual vs. the group in society, while pluralism refers to the coexistence of different cultures and identities within a society.

Question 13

Which term refers to the extent to which authority and privileges are divided among different groups within a society and the extent to which these facts of life are accepted by the people within the society?

Accepted Answer

Power distance refers to the degree of inequality and distribution of power within a society. It reflects the acceptance of unequal distribution among the individuals of the society. A high power distance indicates that there is a significant gap between those who have power and those who do not, and individuals within the society accept the unequal distribution of power and privileges. A low power distance suggests a more equal distribution of power and privileges. Masculinity, individuality, and collectivism are other cultural dimensions identified by Hofstede.

Question 14

Jamal lives with his two brothers, their wives and children, and his parents. In his country, each family is expected to take care of other family members. Which term best describes Jamal's culture?

Accepted Answer

Collectivism emphasizes the importance of group goals over individual goals and promotes the idea of taking care of other family members. In Jamal's culture, taking care of extended family members is expected, which aligns with collectivist values.

Question 15

Which term refers to the extent to which an individual's life is intertwined with a large cohesive group?

Accepted Answer

Collectivism refers to the extent to which an individual identifies with and is connected to a larger cohesive group, such as their family, community, or nation. Collectivist cultures emphasize the importance of interdependence, harmony, and cooperation within the group over individual goals or achievements. This is in contrast to individualistic cultures, which prioritize self-reliance, autonomy, and personal achievement.

Question 16

Which CSV dimension captures the idea that some societies are based on traits such as assertiveness and control?

Accepted Answer

Masculinity is the CSV dimension that captures the extent to which a society is based on assertiveness, control, and competition, traditionally associated with masculine traits. This dimension is in contrast to femininity, which emphasizes cooperation, consensus-building, and nurturing. Collectivism and power distance are also dimensions of the CSV, but they do not directly relate to the idea of traits such as assertiveness and control.

Question 17

Which of the following is the Chinese term for a way of doing business in which parties must first invest time and resources in getting to know one another and becoming comfortable with one another before consummating any important deal?

Accepted Answer

Guanxi is a term in Chinese culture that refers to the development of personal relationships to build social networks and facilitate business dealings. It involves building trust, showing respect, and maintaining a positive reputation in order to establish long-term business relationships.

Question 18

In most Christian cultures, consumers exchange gifts at Christmas. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Exchanging gifts at Christmas is a tradition that has been passed down in many Christian cultures for generations. It is not driven by ecological factors, societal values, or cultural sanctions, but rather by the desire to celebrate the holiday season with loved ones and show appreciation through gift-giving.

Question 19

In which type of nations must those with less status show deference to those with greater status?

Accepted Answer

In high-power-distance cultures, there is a significant power difference between higher and lower-status individuals, which means that those with less status are expected to show deference and respect to those with greater status. These cultures generally have a hierarchical structure with clearly defined roles, and individuals are not expected to challenge the authority of those with higher status.

Question 20

In some countries, such as South Korea, it is very important for men to know the age of other men because age is associated with higher status and power. So it is not unusual for one man to ask another his age if it is not readily obvious who is older so that proper deference can be shown to the older of the two. Based on this information, which type of culture would South Korea be an example of?

Accepted Answer

South Korea's emphasis on age as a determinant of status and power indicates that it is a high power-distance culture, where social hierarchy and status are highly valued.

Quiz 8: Consumer Culture