Deck 2: Cross-Cultural Business

Question 1

Businesspeople seeking to understand more about another culture in order to successfully conduct business within that culture would be best advised to do which of the following?

A) observe the behavior of people who have gained respect within that cultural environment
B) rely on stereotypes, which are based on averages, to gain an understanding of the culture
C) avoid cultural research studies because they perpetuate unjustified stereotypes and behaviors
D) memorize the cultural variations that are typically encountered in a specific cultural environment

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Scenario: The French Government
The French Government has placed many restrictions upon the use of the English language within their borders. They argue that the inflow of English movies, music, and literature is responsible for the dilution of their rich culture.
Surveys conducted by a group of sociologists show that French children display more familiarity with the superheroes of Hollywood movies than with the heroes of their traditional folklore.The French Government can use this fact to prove the effect of ________ within their country.

A) cultural imperialism
B) social stratification
C) ethnocentrism
D) racism

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Detailed knowledge about a culture that enables people to work happily and effectively within it is called ________.

A) cultural literacy
B) cultural imperialism
C) cultural diffusion
D) cultural divergence

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Scenario: The French Government
The French Government has placed many restrictions upon the use of the English language within their borders. They argue that the inflow of English movies, music, and literature is responsible for the dilution of their rich culture.
The French Government promotes the concept of ________ by building museums and monuments to preserve the legacies of important events and people.

A) subculture
B) national culture
C) popular culture
D) monoculture

Question 5

Scenario: The French Government
The French Government has placed many restrictions upon the use of the English language within their borders. They argue that the inflow of English movies, music, and literature is responsible for the dilution of their rich culture.
Their argument is vulnerable to criticism because ________.

A) most restaurants still display their menu cards in French
B) they fail to take other social and cultural factors into account
C) they do not distinguish between movies made by studios in England and movies made in Hollywood
D) no other country screens French movies or star French actors

Question 6

Which of the following terms is used to refer to the positive or negative evaluations,feelings,and tendencies that individuals harbor toward objects or concepts?

A) customs
B) attitudes
C) traditions
D) values

Question 7

Ethnocentricity can be defined as the ________.

A) scientific description of individual human societies
B) systematic study of an ethnic group's religious core
C) merging of all ethnic practices into one homogeneous culture
D) belief that one's own ethnic group or culture is superior to that of others

Question 8

________ consists of specific learned norms based on attitudes,values,and beliefs of a group of people.

A) Ethnology
B) Civilization
C) Culture
D) Doctrine

Question 9

It is most accurate to say that within most nations' borders,people largely share such essential attributes as ________ and ________.

A) work attitudes; occupations
B) lifestyles; education level
C) education level; ethnicity
D) values; language

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true of attitudes?

A) Over the years, they become more rigid than values.
B) They are learned from role models.
C) Because they're formed within a cultural context, they mirror the attitudes of surrounding countries.
D) They are developed only for the most important aspects of life.

Question 11

Which of the following terms is used to refer to habits or ways of behaving in specific circumstances that are passed down through generations?

A) customs
B) attitudes
C) prejudices
D) aesthetics

Question 12

Contact among countries brings about cultural change,which is a process called ________.

A) cultural collision
B) cultural imperialism
C) cultural diffusion
D) polycentrism

Question 13

________ is increasing the pace of both cultural diffusion and cultural change.

A) Collectivism
B) Enculturation
C) Fundamentalism
D) Globalization

Question 14

Cultural change occurs when people integrate into their culture the gestures,material objects,traditions,or concepts of another culture through ________.

A) ethnocentrism
B) cultural diffusion
C) social stratification
D) xenocentrism

Question 15

Scenario: Frankfurter Friday
Betty Cleveland is the vice president of Frankfurter Friday, a highly successful hot dog joint in Oceania. Her company decides to expand to Asia and identifies China as the ideal market. Before she leaves for China, she studies their culture extensively and discovers that the number four is considered extremely unlucky, that not everybody is fluent in China's official language-Mandarin-and that punctuality is a highly valued trait in the country.
Which of the following terms describes Betty's effort to learn more about the Chinese culture?

A) cultural literacy
B) cultural imperialism
C) cultural divergence
D) cultural heterogeneity

Question 16

Which of the following is a cultural component that implies gauging the beauty and appeal of artwork?

A) customs
B) mores
C) folkways
D) aesthetics

Question 17

Which of the following is defined as a group of people who share a unique way of life within a larger,dominant culture?

A) macroculture
B) subculture
C) cultural universal
D) monoculture

Question 18

A(n)________ is anything that represents a culture's way of life,including gestures,material objects,traditions,and concepts.

A) social structure
B) social status
C) cultural baggage
D) cultural trait

Question 19

The practice of exchanging rings at weddings,which was initially a pagan ritual,is now followed by most people across the world.Which of the following does this illustrate?

A) cultural literacy
B) cultural encoding
C) cultural diffusion
D) cultural lag

Question 20

Certain attitudes can link groups,such as managers,from different nations more closely than managers within a given nation.As a result,international businesspeople should most likely ________.

A) assume that there are few significant cultural differences among nations
B) examine relevant groups when comparing nations
C) adopt universal operating methods
D) avoid cultural imperialism

Question 21

________ facilitate(s)the process of cultural imperialism.

A) Strict product liability laws
B) Relaxed trade and investment barriers
C) Technological stagnation
D) Social media censorship

Question 22

Cultures isolated by topographical barriers are characterized by slower cultural change.

Question 23

Subcultures exist in democratic countries with large populations.

Question 24

Subcultures mimic the values,preferences,and beliefs of dominant cultures.

Question 25

A nuclear family comprises of one's immediate family,along with grandparents,uncles,aunts,and cousins.

Question 26

A culture's values tend to become inflexible over time.

Question 27

The cultural component that deals with elements of imagery and symbolism is known as material culture.

Question 28

U.S.companies monopolize much of the international entertainment media,which largely portrays U.S.products and lifestyles as glamorous and appealing.This situation would most likely be used as an example of ________.

A) the stronger work ethic typical of developed countries
B) the spread of low-context cultures
C) cultural fragmentation
D) cultural imperialism

Question 29

________ is a system in which a supervisor walks an employee through every step of an assignment or task,monitoring the results at each stage.

A) Situational attribution
B) Situational management
C) Social mobility
D) Social stratification

Question 30

Ethnocentric firms typically use the same business practices in all cultures and markets.

Question 31

Low levels of class consciousness encourage social mobility and lessen conflict.

Question 32

Subcultures exist only within a nation's borders.

Question 33

The first step in analyzing a nation's potential for international business activity is to examine its business climate.

Question 34

Material culture often displays uneven development across a nation's industries.

Question 35

Hispanics comprise a subculture in the United States.

Question 36

________ refers to the replacement of one culture's traditions,folk heroes,and artifacts with equivalents from another.

A) Cultural imperialism
B) Social stratification
C) Cultural encoding
D) Social conditioning

Question 37

Social status is determined by family heritage,income,and occupation.

Question 38

A nation's cultural boundaries do not always correspond with its political boundaries.

Question 39

Folk customs that spread by cultural diffusion to other regions develop into popular customs.

Question 40

Subcultures contribute to national culture and cannot be safely ignored when making marketing and production decisions.

Question 41

The practice by which managers and other employees find jobs within their own companies for relatives is known as ________.

A) ethnocentrism
B) enculturation
C) nepotism
D) stratification

Question 42

Nepotism often prevails in ________ cultures.

A) extended-family
B) individualistic
C) monotheistic
D) nuclear family

Question 43

International businesspeople need to understand social stratification systems where they do business because ________.

A) such systems reflect a culture's willingness to accept new products
B) such systems indicate who people in a given culture will likely respect more
C) the high similarity among countries lets firms effectively use global hiring practices
D) what is an ascribed group membership in one country is an acquired one in another

Question 44

Reverse brain drain is the process by which ________.

A) manual laborers migrate from low-income countries to high-income countries
B) professionals are lured back to their homeland
C) students from Europe choose to enroll themselves in American universities
D) companies in high-income countries hire people from low-income countries to fill white-collar positions

Question 45

Which of the following terms is used to refer to the departure of highly educated people from one profession,geographic region,or nation to another?

A) social mobility
B) repatriation
C) stratification
D) brain drain

Question 46

A class system is a system of social stratification in which ________.

A) people are divided into various political groups and subgroups
B) a person's social rank depends upon his/her parentage
C) people join highly exclusive associations that forbid external interaction
D) personal ability and actions determine an individual's social status and mobility

Question 47

Over the last ten years,nearly 90% of medical graduates from Konesia have left the country for higher-paying jobs in the United States.What phenomenon has Konesia been witnessing?

A) vested outsourcing
B) brain drain
C) redeployment
D) repatriation

Question 48

Which of the following is the most common form of social stratification in the world today?

A) racial segregation
B) class system
C) gender-based division
D) language-based stratification

Question 49

Konesia is a country with a number of offshore islands.Its landscape is characterized by deep valleys,rocky plains,and impassable mountains.Which of the following statements about the country is true,keeping its topography in mind?

A) Konesia is the ideal place to set up production facilities for multinational companies.
B) Konesia experiences a slow rate of cultural change.
C) Konesia is a receptive market for foreign automobile companies.
D) Konesia is greatly susceptible to cultural imperialism.

Question 50

Distinguish between attitudes and values.How do cultures differ in their attitudes toward cultural change?

Question 51

A folk custom can be defined as ________.

A) behavior shared by a heterogeneous group or by several groups of people
B) behavior, often dating back several generations, that is practiced by a homogeneous group of people
C) positive or negative evaluations, feelings, and tendencies that individuals harbor toward objects or concepts
D) positive or negative evaluations, feelings, and tendencies that individuals harbor toward themselves

Question 52

A caste system is a system of social stratification in which ________.

A) a person's social status is decided by his acquired wealth
B) a person's position in society depends upon his educational qualifications and achievements
C) people are born into a social ranking, with no opportunity for social mobility
D) people join highly exclusive associations that encourage external interaction

Question 53

Lingua franca means ________.

A) link language
B) French language
C) official language
D) Latin language

Question 54

Which of the following terms is used to refer to the process of ranking people into social layers or classes?

A) social transformation
B) social stratification
C) social loafing
D) social mobility

Question 55

________ is crucial in production facilities where nonnative managers supervise local employees.

A) Ethnocentrism
B) Language proficiency
C) Cultural isolation
D) Individualism

Question 56

________ refers to socially learned traits associated with,and expected of,men or women.

A) Conformity
B) Social mobility
C) Individualism
D) Gender

Question 57

________ tend to occupy the highest social layer in industrialized countries.

A) Teachers
B) Scientists
C) Medical doctors
D) Business leaders

Question 58

Folk customs that spread by cultural diffusion to other regions develop into ________.

A) trash culture
B) traditions
C) popular customs
D) superstitions

Question 59

________ is the ability of individuals to move from one stratum of society to another.

A) Social stratification
B) Social mobility
C) Socialization
D) Hierarchical structure

Question 60

Explain the concept of culture.Why is it important to avoid ethnocentricity and gain cultural literacy?

Question 61

Upon what assumption does their argument rest? Their argument assumes that ________.

A) the people of France prefer English music and movies to French music and movies
B) the people of France no longer speak French
C) the people of other countries aren't open to French cultural elements
D) Hollywood movies don't have French subtitles

Question 62

________ is often used to measure the technological advancement of a nation's markets or industries.

A) Material culture
B) Popular culture
C) Trash culture
D) Vernacular culture

Question 63

According to Hofstede's framework,people generally prefer little consultation between superiors and subordinates in cultures where ________ is high.

A) power distance
B) fatalism
C) individualism
D) self-actualization

Question 64

Religion ________.

A) is the exclusive means by which a society's members communicate with each other
B) shapes the attitudes its adherents have toward work, consumption, individual responsibility, and planning for the future
C) is the overall framework that determines the roles of individuals within a society, the stratification of the society, and the individuals' mobility within the society
D) remains one of the least important elements of culture

Question 65

When going global with an Internet presence,it is highly beneficial for a business to localize its Web site.

Question 66

________ cultures value hard work and promote entrepreneurial risk taking.

A) Short-term oriented
B) High uncertainty avoidance
C) Individualist
D) Collectivist

Question 67

Which of the following is characterized by low dependence on an organization and a desire for personal time,freedom,and challenges?

A) collectivism
B) democracy
C) individualism
D) anarchy

Question 68

Religion is confined to national political boundaries.

Question 69

Scenario: The French Government
The French Government has placed many restrictions upon the use of the English language within their borders. They argue that the inflow of English movies, music, and literature is responsible for the dilution of their rich culture.
Which of the following statements,if true,strengthens their argument?

A) The Education Board of France has made it mandatory for schools to teach students English as a second language.
B) The sales of English novels have risen sharply, while those of French novels have declined to a corresponding extent.
C) Stores now advertise their presence with two placards; one in English and one in French.
D) French fashions are no longer popular in English speaking countries.

Question 70

Brain drain is the departure of highly educated people from one profession,geographic region,or nation to another.

Question 71

Which of the following terms refers to the technology used in a culture to manufacture goods and provide services?

A) vernacular culture
B) popular culture
C) trash culture
D) material culture

Question 72

Social mobility tends to be higher in less stratified societies.

Question 73

According to Hofstede's framework,organizations which have cultures that score high on ________ tend to be more hierarchical,with power deriving from prestige,force,and inheritance.

A) uncertainty avoidance
B) power distance
C) short-term orientation
D) femininity

Question 74

Describe brain drain and its impact on an economy.What is reverse brain drain?

Question 75

Sally,a social worker from the United States,has been stationed in Konesia for a year.She notices several things about the Konesian society; the people who report to her,for example,do so with an excessive amount of submissiveness,and her superior seems to expect the same of her.Which of the following statements about Konesia would be consistent with Hofstede's framework?

A) Konesians work best in an informal environment.
B) Konesia has a large power distance culture.
C) Konesian society is primarily individualistic.
D) Konesians derive power from their entrepreneurial drive.

Question 76

According to Hofstede's framework,a culture with large power distance tends to be characterized by ________.

A) inequality between superiors and subordinates
B) the absence of any form of hierarchy
C) power derived from hard work and entrepreneurial drive
D) a preference for individualism over collectivism

Question 77

What are the two types of family groups? Why does the family play an important role in affecting business activities across the world?

Question 78

Nations that invest in worker training programs are usually rewarded with an increase in productivity and a rise in income.

Question 79

Scenario: The French Government
The French Government has placed many restrictions upon the use of the English language within their borders. They argue that the inflow of English movies, music, and literature is responsible for the dilution of their rich culture.
Which of the following statements,if true,weakens their argument?

A) Hollywood movies star French actors very often.
B) English novels are more expensive than French novels.
C) Contemporary French artists have failed to come up with original songs.
D) A larger number of children are being given English names than traditional French names.

Question 80

Discuss the concept of lingua franca and how it affects communication in international business.