Deck 4: Catering for the Social and Cultural Environment of International Marketing

Question 1

Because of its association with 'Americanness', the internet is regarded in many countries as:

A) being associated with local companies expanding their customer base.
B) being associated with materialism.
C) providing a means to increase social connectivity.
D) helping improve the quality of life.
E) improving the welfare of the average citizen.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In terms of the impact of culture on international marketing, which of the following statements is NOT correct?

A) Knowledge of another culture is interpretative.
B) Knowledge of another culture is factual.
C) Cultural sensitivity should be viewed subjectively.
D) Cultural sensitivity means being aware of the different culture.
E) Social conventions reflect the culture.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Where differences between countries relate more to business values than to business practices, they are viewed as operating at the ________ level of culture.

A) individual
B) company
C) national
D) industry
E) organisational

Answer 3

C

Question 4

In a predominantly secular world, the symbolic and sacred elements that form a link between the material and the metaphysical play a(an) ________ role is international marketing.

A) negligible
B) essential
C) moderately important
D) minor part
E) very small

Question 5

Interpretative knowledge of a nation's culture is based on feelings and intuition and is often influenced by past events.

Question 6

Overall, Asian customers are less likely to be brand loyal to products than Australians.

Question 7

Collectivism plays a greater role in decision making in Western countries compared with Asian countries.

Question 8

The same religion might have a different impact on business practices and customs in different countries.

Question 9

Symbolic meaning in other cultures can be interpreted through a variety of aesthetic values. Which of the following would NOT have a role to play in determining the marketing appeal of a product?

A) Dance
B) Art
C) Music and drama
D) Folklore
E) None of the above

Question 10

For working in an export business with companies based overseas, culture is an important factor that can impact on methods used. Which of the following groups can be considered as having a cultural identity?

A) Citizens of Melbourne
B) Australian Aborigines
C) New Zealand Maoris
D) All of the above
E) Options A and C only

Question 11

Rituals are collective activities that are NOT an essential element of the social activities within a culture.

Question 12

Interpretative knowledge of another culture is based on:

A) past experiences.
B) straightforward, factual knowledge.
C) feelings and intuition.
D) all of the above.
E) options A and C only.

Question 13

The different layers of culture have been identified as global culture, national culture, organisational culture and group culture. Which of these is the most important element for the international marketer?

A) Organisational culture
B) National culture
C) Group culture
D) Global culture
E) All are equally important

Question 14

Global brands are viewed the same way by consumers in all cultures.

Question 15

Which of the following are commonly identified characteristics that help to define the meaning of culture?

A) Culture is dynamic and therefore can be influenced by behavior.
B) Culture is not something that people are born with but is learned over time.
C) Culture defines the type of behaviour that is acceptable within a community.
D) All of the above.
E) Options A and B only.

Question 16

Ethnocentric organisations are characterised by the belief that:

A) all cultures should be respected as equal.
B) organisational culture is the predominant determinant of business success.
C) regional cultural similarities should be taken into consideration when determining the marketing mix.
D) one's own national or cultural group is superior.
E) a global culture is preferable to national cultures.

Question 17

Personal or individual level culture can be influenced by:

A) an individual's genetic make-up.
B) membership of groups such as family, social, religious or political units.
C) a person's experiences.
D) all of the above.
E) options A and C only.

Question 18

Which of the following appear to be the two broad dimensions of culture?

A) Shared and material
B) Learned and heritage
C) Learned and shared
D) Heritage and shared
E) Learned and applied

Question 19

In language, culture determines the meaning attributable to words.

Question 20

Culture is the glue that binds groups together. Name four common characteristics of its many definitions. Which of these might give international marketers the most trouble?

Question 21

Social conventions include the time taken to eat a meal, the number of meals per day and the degree to which the meal is a social occasion.

Question 22

In a high-context culture, time is considered to be ________, while in a low-context culture, time is considered to be:

A) segmented; continuous.
B) continuous; segmented.
C) monochronic; polychronic.
D) polychronic; monochronic.
E) none of the above.

Question 23

According to Fletcher & Brown's (2005) measurement of psychic distance, which one of the following countries is psychically the closest to Australia?

A) New Zealand
B) Taiwan
C) Sweden
D) Canada
E) United States

Question 24

Language is the key to communication in all societies. How does the way in which verbal communication occurs in different cultures impact the way in which an international marketing promotions campaign is developed?

Question 25

Which one of the following countries does NOT have a time-based view of culture but a view where the future is seen as a natural extension of the past?

A) Japan
B) Australia
C) Russia
D) Spain
E) Turkey

Question 26

Which is NOT one of the steps used to avoid the myopic approach of the self-reference criterion (SRC):

A) Define the problem in terms of your own home market's cultural norms.
B) Define the problem in terms of the international market's cultural norms.
C) Isolate the SRC element and see how it complicates the problem.
D) Redefine the problem without the SRC influence and proceed to solve it in the foreign market.
E) Reevaluate your overall approach to the global environment.

Question 27

A high-context culture is one in which what is being said must be interpreted in terms of:

A) where it is being said.
B) the background of the speaker.
C) the body language of the speaker.
D) how it is being said.
E) all of the above.

Question 28

Culture operates at the global level, individual level, national level, organisational level and industry level.

Question 29

Outline ways in which an Australian trade negotiation team might be required to alter its traditional negotiation style when trying to secure business in Japan.

Question 30

International marketers have used Maslow's hierarchy of needs model to assess how consumers in different countries might behave in response to cultural stimuli. Which of the following is NOT one of the five elements of Maslow's model?

A) Self-importance
B) Prestige
C) Safety
D) Social
E) Physiological

Question 31

Identify the various levels at which culture operates in a foreign market, and explain how each might impact on the business dealings of a firm wishing to enter an overseas market.

Question 32

Psychic distance is a perceptual concept that uses a number of environmental variables to help marketers differentiate an overseas market from the domestic market. Variables that are NOT included in the measure of psychic distance are:

A) politics and culture
B) language and education.
C) infrastructure and geographic distance.
D) material standards and patterns of behavior.
E) belief systems and transfer of knowledge.

Question 33

Which of the following is a manifestation of cultural influences at an industry level?

A) Credit policy
B) Legal frameworks
C) Decision-making styles
D) Belief systems
E) Codes of ethics

Question 34

Bribery is an example of business customs that are not universal.

Question 35

Although culture can have an impact at each level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the impact is normally greater when the lower order needs are involved.

Question 36

Explain psychic distance. What role does it play in international marketing?

Question 37

Differences in attitudes to space are not demonstrated regionally but rather nationally.

Question 38

In a high-context culture, time is monochronic and linear, where one thing is done at a time.

Question 39

Attitudes towards both physical space and abstract space vary between cultures. In Western cultures there are three degrees of personal proximity, which are:

A) social, personal and internal.
B) intimate, personal and social.
C) physical, intimate and social.
D) social, physical and intimate.
E) physical, mental and social.

Question 40

Attitudes towards gender, specifically the role of women, varies from culture to culture. Discuss the various ways this may manifest itself in an international marketing context.

Question 41

According to a survey conducted in 1980 by Hofstede, there are four underlying dimensions of culture, which are:

A) power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism and masculine/feminine.
B) power distance, long-term/short-term orientation, high-context/low-context and religious orientation.
C) power distance, uncertainty avoidance, high context/low context and short-term/long-term orientation.
D) power distance, religious orientation, high context/low context and individualism/collectivism.
E) power distance, high-context/low-context, individualism/collectivism and masculine/ feminine.

Question 42

According to research by Trompenaars, there are five dimensions of culture, which are:

A) power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, masculine/feminine and short-term/ long-term orientation.
B) power distance, uncertainty avoidance, high context/low context, short-term/long-term orientation and specific/diffuse.
C) power distance, high-context/low-context, individualism/collectivism, masculine/feminine and religious orientation.
D) universalism/particularism, individualism/communitarianism, neutral/affective and specific/diffuse, achievement/ascription.
E) universalism/particularism, individualism/communitarianism, long-term/short-term orientation, high-context/low-context and achievement/ascription.

Question 43

For the most part, advocates of the etic approach identify cultural boundaries with political ones.

Question 44

A frequent problem encountered by Australian businesspeople in Asia (particularly in Japan) is whether 'yes' means 'yes' or merely 'I hear what you are saying'.

Question 45

Which of the following might be important when communicating messages across different cultures?

A) How the message is communicated
B) Who communicates the message and to whom
C) When the message is communicated
D) All of the above
E) Options B and C only

Question 46

What is meant by high-context and low-context cultures? What are some of the issues that can arise for marketers in an international context when moving from one style of context to the other?

Question 47

During the opening stage of international negotiations, it is desirable to check that both sides have a common understanding of the topic of the negotiations.

Question 48

In some cultures customs are specific and transparent while in others they are opaque, providing room to manoeuvre and repay favours. Discuss these different approaches in relation to the use of the internet in international business.

Question 49

The concept of adaptation in international marketing refers to:

A) the willingness of organisations to change their business practices to fit in with the legal requirements of the host country.
B) the degree to which organisations must change business practice to fit in with the cultural expectations of the host country.
C) the degree to which the organisation is prepared to adapt its marketing mix to suit the needs of the local market.
D) affirmative acceptance rather than just tolerance of another culture.
E) none of the above.

Question 50

According to Hofstede's dimension of long-term versus short-term orientation and country differences, Hong Kong is an example of a country that exhibits a long-term orientation.

Question 51

Factors to consider when establishing an international negotiating team include:

A) the status of team members.
B) the allocation of tasks to team members.
C) the number of people in the team.
D) all of the above.
E) options B and C only.

Question 52

Explain what is meant by the 'iceberg principle'. What are the implications of this principle in practice? Find examples where an international program has been undermined because of the iceberg principle.

Question 53

When participants have the same view of the purpose of the negotiations this considered a willingness to make cultural adjustments.

Question 54

There are a number of culturally relevant factors that need to be kept in mind when engaging in negotiations with individuals from other countries, as thought processes differ around the world. Name them and explain their significance.

A)

Question 55

When negotiating, it is advisable to always make sure that you have a smaller team than the other party involved in the negotiations.

Question 56

Tolerance of ambiguity is a cultural factor that can complicate relationships between Asian and Western organisations. It is sometimes included in which of Hofstede's dimensions of culture?

A) Masculine/feminine
B) Uncertainty avoidance
C) Long-term/short-term orientation
D) Individualism/collectivism
E) Power distance

Question 57

When conducting international negotiations, the atmosphere can be extremely important and can have a positive or negative effect on the outcome. The factors that can influence the atmosphere include:

A) degree of mutual orientation, feelings toward the other party and willingness to make cultural adjustments.
B) feelings toward the other party, language issues and seniority and rank.
C) power distance, uncertainty avoidance and individualism/collectivism.
D) cultural capability, financial capability and product capability.
E) degree of mutual orientation, cultural view of outsiders and level of formality.

Question 58

Due to widespread globalisation, consumption patterns all over the world do not differ much from country to country.

Question 59

The approach to measuring cultural differences based on the notion that underlying cultural differences between nations are a set of variables that can be applied uniformly and that cover all dimensions of difference is referred to as the ________ approach.

A) exogenous
B) emic
C) etic
D) ethnic
E) endogenous

Question 60

There are generally five major stages in international negotiations. After pre-negotiation, the other four stages are:

A) opening, bargaining, convergence and post-negotiation.
B) initial assessment, opening, agreement and implementation.
C) opening, bargaining, agreement and post-negotiation.
D) opening, technical evaluation, agreement and implementation.
E) research, opening, agreement and implementation.