Deck 5: Country and Company Culture and International Human Resource Management

Question 1

The more countries with which an MNE interacts (sells, sources, hires or transfers employees, develops joint ventures and partnerships, etc.), the less complex and less difficult conducting business becomes.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Development of cross-cultural competence assumes that a person must first understand her or his own cultural values and beliefs before she or he can develop an appreciation and respect for cultural differences.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Hofstede found that certain countries consistently show similarities on a series of work-related factors but also that there are clear differences between the various groupings of countries on these value dimensions.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Research that helps to form groupings of countries based on cultural similarities is highly valuable for MNEs in that it simplifies the problems encountered in adjusting to varying national cultures by limiting the number of significantly different countries or regions.

Question 5

Culture can be seen as a series of concentric circles, or multiple layers, as in an onion.

Question 6

People with extensive international experience will probably suggest that some of the country culture clusters or groupings hide significant within-group (between countries that are in the same group) differences

Question 7

One major issue that affects the relationship between national culture and corporate culture has to do with the conflict between centralization/standardization and localization/customization,

Question 8

Researchers have found it valuable that there are consistent and specific definitions of terms like culture and performance.

Question 9

The Etic focus of researchers tries to identify culture-specific aspects of concepts/behavior, i.e., differences across cultures.

Question 10

The results achieved through cross-cultural research may be due to the nature of the research itself (the scales, the language, the wording, the translations, administration, etc.) rather than with any "real" differences in the variables being studied.

Question 11

_______________ is the characteristic way of behaving and believing that a group of people have developed over time and share.

A) Animosity
B) Culture
C) Linguistics
D) Formalities

Question 12

Culture is developed over time and provides people within that culture will all of the following EXCEPT ____________.

A) the capacity to adapt to changing circumstances
B) a sense of who they are
C) the inability to pass their knowledge on to the next generation
D) expectations in terms of management processes and how people solve problems

Question 13

The _________ layer of culture includes dress, food, architecture, and customs.

A) invisible
B) tactile
C) hidden
D) surface

Question 14

The _________ layer of culture includes values, religions, and philosophies.

A) invisible
B) tactile
C) hidden
D) surface

Question 15

The _________ layer of culture includes universal truths.

A) invisible
B) tactile
C) hidden
D) surface

Question 16

The development of cross-cultural competence includes

A) education
B) reflection
C) openness
D) all of the above

Question 17

Hofstede's research of national culture identifies country differences and similarities identified 'power distance' as cultural dimension, in cultures with low power distance we see

A) the expectation that power is distributed quite equally
B) the acceptance that power is distributed to less powerful individuals
C) an emphasis on challenging authority and expecting autonomy
D) all of the above

Question 18

Based on Hofstede's research of national culture, highly individualistic cultures focus on

A) animosity
B) the belief that the individual is more important than the group
C) decisions are based on individual needs and interests
D) B and C

Question 19

National cultures such as those of China, Japan and Korea that accept that business results may take time to achieve is an example of a ____________ orientation.

A) short-term
B) long-term
C) tenure
D) pragmatic

Question 20

The significant aspect for MNEs of Hofstede's findings about national culture was that the practice of imposing managerial and organisational systems as developed in the parent country and parent company of an MNE upon all of the MNE's foreign subsidiaries was ________

A) wrong
B) correct
C) best practice
D) an emerging trend

Question 21

Trompenaar's and Hampden-Turner's cultural dimensions include all of the following EXCEPT

A) universalism versus particularism
B) individualism versus communitarianism
C) specific versus diffuse
D) power versus distance

Question 22

Wanting to conclude contract negotiations in the shortest possible time would be cross-cultural characteristic of a _________-focus pattern of business behavior.

A) deal
B) relationship
C) monochromic
D) polychromic

Question 23

_________________ is evidenced in the adoption of similar "best practices" by firms.

A) Convergence
B) Divergence
C) Emergence
D) Standardization

Question 24

Which of the following is a frustration experienced by international researchers

A) Inconsistent and vague definitions of terms like culture
B) Inaccurate translation of key terminology
C) Difficulty in isolating cultural differences
D) All of the above

Question 25

Which of the following is not a form of IHRM research?

A) Cross-cultural
B) Monocultural
C) Multicultural
D) HR practices in other countries

Question 26

An IHR researcher with a(n) _________ research focus is trying to identify culture-common aspects.

A) antic
B) emic
C) etic
D) metric

Question 27

What are the dangers of oversimplification of cultural differences of countries?

Question 28

Identify and explain the three basic models and/or assumptions that underlie cross-cultural research.

Question 29

Identify and explain the three critical equivalence issues that arise in conducting cross-cultural and cross-national research.

Question 30

Define and describe the concept of culture

Question 31

Explain the three layers of the 'layers of meaning' concept of culture. How can IHRM professionals use the layers of meaning concept of culture as an educational tool within the business to raise awareness of cultural issues?

Question 32

Are national cultures converging or diverging? Discuss the implications of this for the MNE and their IHRM strategies and practices.

Question 33

Identify and explain what you consider to be the most important factors of culture in terms of their impact on business.

Question 34

Discuss the statement "Just as countries develop unique patterns of values, norms, beliefs, and acceptable behavior, so also do companies."