Deck 4: Cultural Dynamics in Assessing Global Markets

Question 1

According to the World Bank, no country with less than 50 percent literacy has succeeded economically.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

According to Philip Parker, a marketing professor, there are strong correlations between the climate of a region and the per capita GDP of countries in that region.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The manner in and amount which people consume, the priority of needs and wants they attempt to satisfy, and the manner in which they satisfy them are functions of their culture.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Religion has a significant impact on the value systems of a society and the effect of value systems on marketing.

Question 5

Culture encompasses the sum total of knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, and customs acquired by members of a society.

Question 6

The Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), one of the four dimensions of culture identified by Geert Hofstede, focuses on assertiveness and achievement.

Question 7

The Power Distance dimension of culture, identified by Geert Hofstede, refers to the preference for behavior that promotes one's self-interest.

Question 8

Marketers with little or no understanding of a religion may readily offend deeply because the influence of religion is often quite strong.

Question 9

Dutch management professor Geert Hofstede argues that culture provides a guide for humans on how to think and behave.

Question 10

Of the four approaches to governance found in the 20th century, colonialism was the only approach that survived World War II.

Question 11

As countries move from agricultural to industrial to services economies, birthrates increase.

Question 12

Most markets are static and typically don't change.

Question 13

For most people, the first social institution outside of the home they are exposed to is a government source.

Question 14

According to James Day Hodgson, former U.S. ambassador to Japan, culture is like a "glass ceiling" that can be seen through and easily understood and acquired.

Question 15

According to traditional definitions, culture is transmitted from generation to generation.

Question 16

Much of American trade policy is based on cotton, which was the original source of the Virginia colony's economic survival in the 1600s.

Question 17

According to Jared Diamond innovations spread faster north to south than east to west.

Question 18

The four social institutions that most strongly influence values and culture are schools, churches, families, and the media.

Question 19

The family is an example of a social institution.

Question 20

Acculturation refers to the process of becoming an agent of change through innovation.

Question 21

In order for culture to exist it must be

A) agreed upon by an entire nation.
B) transmitted from one generation to the next.
C) individualized and different for everyone.
D) seen as the answer to all issues.
E) used to create new rituals and norms.

Question 22

When marketers first introduced the personal digital assistant (PDA) to American consumers, they acted as ________ because the cultural impact of the product became widespread.

A) gatekeepers
B) conciliators
C) agents of socialization
D) agents of change
E) arbitrators

Question 23

The process of adjusting to a new culture is known as

A) diffusion.
B) culture transfer.
C) acculturation.
D) assimilation.
E) transference.

Question 24

The language we use is an example of a cultural symbol.

Question 25

A high Power Distance Index score implies that the people who hold power in a country are entitled to privileges.

Question 26

How have culture-based superstitions affected the birthrate in Japan?

A) The Japanese are not affected by cultural beliefs so there is no correlation with birthrates.
B) Superstitions have coincided with a decline in the birthrate in certain years.
C) Most Japanese women favor the idea of "one family/one child."
D) While economic conditions affect birthrates in Japan, cultural beliefs do not.
E) Japan is mostly an agricultural society and culture implies that many children are beneficial.

Question 27

What action is important for marketers to take in order to be effective in a foreign market?

A) learning to appreciate the intricacies of cultures different from their own
B) ensuring that the promotions for the product are indifferent to social beliefs
C) adhering to the prominent prejudices in one's own society
D) creating product differentiation by being indifferent to the culture of the foreign market
E) making the product relate to one's own religion

Question 28

The adjective that best defines the market behavior of any country is

A) evolving.
B) proactive.
C) static.
D) constant.
E) fixed.

Question 29

James Day Hodgson, former U.S. ambassador to Japan, describes culture as a(n) ________, which according to him is tough to get through, but effort and patience could often lead to success.

A) glass ceiling
B) maze
C) intelligence test
D) thicket
E) perseverance test

Question 30

The Power Distance Index, identified by Geert Hofstede, measures the tolerance for social inequality among members of a culture.

Question 31

According to Edward Hall's comments on culture, which action could hurt companies and careers in foreign markets?

A) adherence to the social norms of the foreign market
B) being agents of change in the new market
C) ignorance of cultural differences in the foreign market
D) strict following of the political rules of the foreign society
E) consideration of the economic system of the new market

Question 32

Linguistic difference refers to the geographical differences among trading nations.

Question 33

Cultures with high Uncertainty Avoidance Index scores tend to have a low level of anxiety and stress.

Question 34

According to Dutch management professor Geert Hofstede, culture can be referred to as the

A) "software of the mind."
B) "defining factor of life."
C) "conflict of civilization versus the masses."
D) "tool of the elite."
E) "art's triumph over banality."

Question 35

A company that decides to deliberately try and change the aspects of a culture that are in opposition to its marketing goals is practicing cultural congruence.

Question 36

People from cultures with high Power Distance Index scores are more likely to have a general distrust of others.

Question 37

A country that demonstrates low Uncertainty Avoidance Index scores tends to be distrustful of new ideas or behaviors.

Question 38

What is a characteristic of culture?

A) It is radical in nature and readily accepts change.
B) It is the same across all countries.
C) It is the human-made part of human environment.
D) It is static in nature.
E) It is insignificant in assessing new markets.

Question 39

When discussing the elements of culture, marriage ceremonies and funerals are good examples of rituals.

Question 40

When a culture scores high in Individualism/Collectivism Index, individuals fail to identify with groups.

Question 41

What are the five elements of culture?

A) systems, history, government, religion, awareness
B) values, rituals, symbols, beliefs, thought processes
C) institutions, associations, entities, groups, teams
D) facts, opinions, beliefs, values, norms
E) corporations, individuals, government, processes, outcomes

Question 42

What is true of education and the literacy rate of a country?

A) According to the World Bank, even countries with less than 50 percent literacy have been economically successful.
B) Numerous studies indicate a direct link between the literacy rate of a country and its capability for rapid economic growth.
C) Communicating in a literate market is much more difficult than communicating with one in which a marketer must depend on pictures and symbols.
D) Increasingly, schools are seen as leading to negative cultural changes.
E) Compared to governments, education has relatively little influence on culture.

Question 43

Of the following countries, which requires the least number of school days in a year for elementary age students?

A) China
B) India
C) United States
D) Japan
E) Germany

Question 44

In most cultures, the first social institution infants are exposed to outside the home is in the form of a

A) day-care center.
B) school.
C) religious institution.
D) shopping mall.
E) government agency.

Question 45

Lisette is excited about her new home in Rome. She has been given the opportunity to learn about a new culture, form new friendships, and capitalize on opportunities that were not available in her previous workplace based in Atlanta. In this scenario, Lisette is going through ________ as she adjusts to living in Rome.

A) acculturation
B) classification
C) naturalization
D) emancipation
E) standardization

Question 46

Which social institution that has replaced family time, do many people point to as having detrimental effects on society?

A) school
B) literacy
C) religion
D) family
E) media

Question 47

Compared with other societal forces, how does the role of government influence social culture?

A) Governments influence thinking and behavior through the enforcement of a variety of laws affecting consumption and marketing behaviors.
B) Compared with the early and direct influences of family, religion, school, and the media, governments hold relatively more sway.
C) Americans increasingly complain about the detrimental effects of the government on American culture.
D) Governments influence all aspects of the culture except for consumer behavior.
E) Governments are the first social institution a person is exposed to outside his or her home in all cultures.

Question 48

Most traditional definitions of ________ center around the notion that it is the sum of the values, rituals, symbols, beliefs, and thought processes that are learned, shared by a group of people, and transmitted from generation to generation.

A) economy
B) sensitivity
C) population
D) demography
E) culture

Question 49

Which social institution introduces most innovations to society?

A) corporations
B) schools
C) government
D) family
E) religion

Question 50

________ in India is a social institution that influences the roles and status positions found within Indian society.

A) A country club
B) The Ku Klux Klan
C) The Taj Mahal
D) A single-person household
E) The caste system

Question 51

A desert nation would not rely on agricultural crops to boost its economy. This shows how ________ can affect social culture.

A) geography
B) religion
C) history
D) politics
E) technology

Question 52

What is true about Professor Jared Diamond's ideas regarding the influence of geography on history and cultural values?

A) People in the plains are more likely to invade than those settled in higher altitudes.
B) Historically, societies in the north have been more developed than those in the south.
C) Civilizations near major rivers are more developed than those settled near major oceans.
D) Historically, innovations spread faster east to west than north to south.
E) Historically, invasions by warrior tribes have always happened from west to east.

Question 53

Juanita grew up learning a great deal about culture from her school, the church, the media, and her family. This is an example of

A) acculturation.
B) socialization.
C) naturalization.
D) emancipation.
E) classification.

Question 54

The baby boom generation has affected consumption patterns around the world since it started and continues to do so today. This is one example of how ________ can be reflected in social institutions.

A) the political economy
B) history
C) technology
D) social institutions
E) geography

Question 55

New cola alternatives (Mecca Cola, Muslim Up, Arab Cola, and ColaTurka) sprang up after the military conflicts in the Middle East in 2003. This is an example that shows how

A) Coca-Cola played an important role in easing the cultural divide among the warring nations.
B) Coca-Cola catered to new markets through standardization.
C) specific events in history can influence consumer behavior.
D) businesses exploit cheap human labor during war times.
E) technology influences marketing practices.

Question 56

Which technological innovation has had a great impact on the gender-based determination of responsibilities and roles?

A) mobile phones
B) computers
C) aircrafts
D) optogenetics
E) birth control techniques

Question 57

How has the use of birth control pills affected social institutions?

A) Educational institutions are finding it tougher to fill in seats.
B) Midwifery, as a profession, is becoming extinct.
C) More men and women are opposing the idea of "one-child family."
D) Women and men are increasingly adhering to traditional gender roles.
E) Schools are forced to address issues like abstinence and condom distribution.

Question 58

Young children learn about social institutions from their families and when they go to school. This process of learning is called

A) anarchy.
B) socialization.
C) cultural apathy.
D) cognitive dissonance.
E) social rebellion.

Question 59

One indicator of the narrowing ________ gap between the sexes is the fact that the majority of university students in the United States are women.

A) emotional
B) biological
C) identity
D) education
E) language

Question 60

How has the advent of women joining the workforce in growing numbers for the past 30 years affected American culture?

A) an increase in the desire for large families among the American population
B) an increase in the underestimation of women in the American culture
C) a decrease in economic development
D) a decrease in the influence of family on American culture
E) a decrease in the number of single-person households in the country

Question 61

In some parts of the world, language is itself thought of as a social institution, often with political importance. Which country best exemplifies this statement?

A) Australia
B) United States
C) France
D) Mexico
E) Switzerland

Question 62

The measure of the differences between language is known as linguistic

A) origin.
B) distance.
C) recency.
D) lining.
E) rule.

Question 63

A culture with a low ________ score is likely to have greater respect for equality.

A) Power Distance Index
B) Individualism/Collectivism Index
C) Distance from English Index
D) Uncertainty Avoidance Index
E) Masculinity/Femininity Index

Question 64

Additional studies based on Geert Hofstede's original study of how cultures differ identified the fifth dimension known as

A) Power Distance Index.
B) Uncertainty Avoidance orientation.
C) Long-term Orientation.
D) Masculinity/Femininity Index.
E) Individualism/Collectivism orientation.

Question 65

Selena works for a U.S.-based manufacturing company that wants to build a plant in Indonesia. Selena is concerned about the language barriers because she knows more than 300 languages are spoken throughout Indonesia. What is Selena's main concern?

A) ethnocentrism
B) linguistic distance
C) power distance.
D) aesthetics
E) individualism

Question 66

Which of the dimensions identified by Hofstede in his study of how cultures differ refers to the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses?

A) Long-term Orientation
B) Uncertainty Avoidance Index
C) Accommodation
D) Self-actualization
E) Indulgence

Question 67

The aesthetics of a culture are found in

A) the arts, music, dance, and dress.
B) the acceptance of power by certain individuals.
C) the level of education in a country.
D) the agreement between those in power and those who serve.
E) the language specific to that culture.

Question 68

In a culture with a high Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI), you are more likely to find that members

A) are highly tolerant of ambiguity.
B) tend to have a low level of anxiety.
C) have a low level of concern with security and rule following.
D) take a more empirical approach to understanding and knowledge.
E) seek absolute truth.

Question 69

Kendall works at a refugee camp in Haiti. She witnesses high levels of anxiety and stress and knows that everyone is concerned with security and rule following. Which aspect of Hofstede's dimensions does this reflect?

A) Power Distance Index
B) Individualism/Collectivism Index
C) Distance from English Index
D) Uncertainty Avoidance Index
E) Masculinity/Femininity Index

Question 70

Unlike investors in Japan, many investors in the United States are willing to take the risk of a stock market investment. Which cultural dimension does this reflect?

A) Uncertainty Avoidance Index
B) Masculinity/Femininity Index
C) Power Distance Index
D) Individualism/Collectivism Index
E) Indulgence Index

Question 71

The Uncertainty Avoidance Index measures the tolerance of uncertainty and ________ among members of a society.

A) inequality
B) subjugation
C) ambiguity
D) oppression
E) hierarchy

Question 72

Rituals are patterns of behavior and interaction that are

A) learned and repeated.
B) scientifically proven.
C) enforced by governments.
D) the same across all cultures.
E) universally accepted as proper behavior.

Question 73

In the context of cultural values, which statements is true?

A) Countries that are high in individualism and low in uncertainty avoidance tend to be more innovative.
B) Diffusion of innovations will be fast in countries that are low on individualism and high on uncertainty avoidance.
C) Based on the experiments done with American and Chinese students, individualistic cultures tend to respond more favorably to self-focused appeals.
D) Based on the experiments done with American and Chinese students, emotional appeals tend to attract people from collectivistic cultures.
E) Based on the experiments done with American and Chinese students, individuals dislike the novelty in relation to their own cultures.

Question 74

Mae-Jun works at an overseas branch of her organization. She needs clarification about a project and approaches a senior manager hoping to get a good explanation. However, she is told that only the team leads are allowed to approach the senior managers and sent away. In this scenario, the organization is most likely to have a ________ score.

A) high Individualism/Collective Index
B) high Power Distance Index
C) low Individualism/Collective Index
D) low Power Distance Index
E) high Uncertainty Avoidance Index

Question 75

On the basis of Hofstede's four dimensions, cultures with high Power Distance Index (PDI) scores tend to

A) be secular.
B) be hierarchical.
C) be flat in organization.
D) value equality.
E) cite knowledge as a source of power.

Question 76

In the context of cultural values, the ________ Index refers to the preference for behavior that promotes one's self-interest.

A) Individualism/Collectivism
B) Power Distance
C) Uncertainty Avoidance
D) Masculinity/Femininity
E) Linguistic

Question 77

Cultures which are low in Uncertainty Avoidance Index are more likely to

A) seek absolute truth.
B) accord a high level of importance to rules as a means of avoiding risk.
C) be distrustful of new ideas or behaviors.
D) dogmatically stick to historically tested patterns of behavior.
E) take a more empirical approach to understanding and knowledge.

Question 78

According to anthropologist Edward T. Hall, culture is

A) all-encompassing.
B) relatively minor in the scheme of life.
C) communication.
D) strongly linked to physiology.
E) standard throughout the world.

Question 79

People from which cultures are more likely to have a general distrust of others (not those in their groups) because power is seen to rest with individuals and is coercive rather than legitimate?

A) cultures with a high Individualism/Collective Index score
B) cultures with a high Power Distance Index score
C) cultures with a low Individualism/Collective Index score
D) cultures with a low Power Distance Index score
E) cultures with a high Uncertainty Avoidance Index score

Question 80

________ pertains to societies in which people from birth onward are integrated into strong, cohesive groups.

A) Power distance
B) Individualism
C) Uncertainty
D) Collectivism
E) Masculinity