Deck 4: International OB: Managing Across Cultures

Question 1

In low-context cultures, agreements are made by general trust.

Answer 1

False
Explanation: In low-context cultures, agreements are made by specific and legalistic contracts.

Question 2

Most cultural lessons are learned by observing and imitating role models.

Answer 2

True
Explanation: Most cultural lessons are learned by observing and imitating role models as they go about their daily affairs or as observed in the media.

Question 3

Culture is defined as a set of beliefs and values about what is desirable and undesirable in a community of people, and a set of formal or informal practices to support the values.

Answer 3

True
Explanation: Culture is a set of beliefs and values about what is desirable and undesirable in a community of people, and a set of formal or informal practices to support the values.

Question 4

According to GLOBE cultural dimensions, future orientation reflects how much people delay gratification by planning and saving for the future.

Question 5

In high-context cultures, written and spoken words convey messages more powerfully than do nonverbal cues.

Question 6

In low-context cultures, written and spoken words carry the burden of shared meanings.

Question 7

Employees bring their organizational culture to work with them in the form of customs and language.

Question 8

Culture usually remains above the threshold of conscious awareness.

Question 9

Culture has prescriptive elements and not descriptive elements.

Question 10

According to the GLOBE cultural dimensions, in-group collectivism reflects the extent to which individuals have pride and loyalty for their family or organization.

Question 11

According to the GLOBE cultural dimensions, power distance reflects how confrontational and dominant individuals should be in social relationships.

Question 12

People from high-context cultures prefer to negotiate as efficiently as possible.

Question 13

According to GLOBE cultural dimensions, institutional collectivism reflects the extent to which people rely on social norms and rules to avoid uncertainty and limit unpredictability.

Question 14

According to the GLOBE cultural dimensions, gender egalitarianism reflects the level of effort that should be put into minimizing gender discrimination and role inequalities.

Question 15

The GLOBE project is an attempt to develop an empirically based theory to describe, understand, and predict the impact of specific cultural variables on leadership and organizational processes and the effectiveness of these processes.

Question 16

People from high-context cultures rely heavily on situational cues for meaning.

Question 17

Cultural intelligence is the ability to accurately interpret ambiguous cross-cultural situations.

Question 18

Culture is primarily taught through formal teaching.

Question 19

Culture has descriptive but not prescriptive elements.

Question 20

Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's native country, culture, language, and behavior are superior to others.

Question 21

In his study of cultural dimensions, Hofstede concluded that cultural arrogance is a luxury that individuals, companies, and nations can no longer afford in a global economy.

Question 22

Cross-cultural management explains the behavior of people in organizations around the world and shows people how to work in organizations with employee and client populations from many cultures.

Question 23

Among those with no religious preference, professional challenge is the most important work-related value.

Question 24

According to the GLOBE cultural dimensions, humane orientation represents the extent to which individuals should be rewarded for improvement and excellence.

Question 25

Experiential training is the easiest cross-cultural training program.

Question 26

Cross-cultural training, including intensive language study, is the best way to avoid culture shock.

Question 27

Consideration is the most important work-related value for Protestants.

Question 28

According to the findings of the GLOBE project, effective bargaining was seen as a universally negative leader attribute.

Question 29

Predeparture training is limited to informational materials, including books, lectures, films, videos, and Internet searches.

Question 30

A person is said to be repatriated when transferred to another country from their home country.

Question 31

Individualistic cultures are characterized as "I" and "me" cultures.

Question 32

Continuity is the most important work-related value for Muslims.

Question 33

According to the findings of the GLOBE project, self-centeredness was a universally liked leader attribute.

Question 34

Proxemics is the study of cultural expectations about interpersonal space.

Question 35

People with a polychronic perception view time as flexible, fluid, and multidimensional.

Question 36

Expatriate North American women are viewed first and foremost by their hosts as being foreigners, and only secondly as being female.

Question 37

People with unrealistic expectations tend to quit less often and be more satisfied than those with realistic expectations.

Question 38

High-context cultures tend to run on monochronic time.

Question 39

People from low-context cultures typically desire a lower amount of interpersonal space than do people from high-context cultures.

Question 40

People from collectivist cultures tend to place shared community goals above individual desires and goals.

Question 41

Societal culture is shaped by _____.

A)personal values/ethics
B)organizational culture
C)expectations
D)the political/legal setting
E)assumptions

Question 42

_____ is the belief that one's native country, culture, language, and behavior are superior to others.

A)Ethnocentrism
B)Cultural cringe
C)Geocentrism
D)Collectivism
E)Cultural affectivity

Question 43

Culture generally remains below the threshold of conscious awareness because it involves _____ assumptions.

A)innate
B)taken-for-granted
C)contextual
D)inherent
E)unrealistic

Question 44

The majority of people from high-context cultures prefer:

A)to get down to business first.
B)negotiations to be as efficient as possible.
C)to come to agreement by specific, legalistic contract.
D)negotiations to be slow and ritualistic.
E)expertise and performance.

Question 45

People from _____ cultures rely heavily on situational cues for meaning.

A)high-context
B)low-context
C)monochronic
D)universalist
E)relativist

Question 46

Most cultural lessons are learned:

A)in school classrooms.
B)by observing and imitating role models.
C)through formal inculcation.
D)in conventional religious settings.
E)through on-the-job training programs.

Question 47

_____ refers to the idea that there are always exceptions to the rule; individuals who do not fit the expected cultural pattern.

A)Societal norm
B)Cultural paradox
C)Ethnocentrism
D)Individualism
E)Proxemics

Question 48

In _____ cultures, written and spoken words carry the burden of shared meaning.

A)high-context
B)low-context
C)universalist
D)polychronic
E)relativist

Question 49

Lucy is being sent on a foreign assignment to Japan. She assumes that she can reach agreements in Japan on the basis of general trust, without the need for specific and legalistic contracts. She makes this assumption because she knows that Japan is _____.

A)ethnocentric
B)a low-context culture
C)a collectivistic culture
D)an individualistic culture
E)a high-context culture

Question 50

_____ is defined as a set of beliefs and values about what is desirable and undesirable in a community of people, and a set of formal or informal practices to support the values.

A)Culture
B)Proxemics
C)Emotional intelligence
D)Collectivism
E)Vision

Question 51

Patricia has lived in the US her entire life. She believes that the US is the greatest country in the world. Her belief is an example of ____.

A)societal norm
B)cultural paradox
C)ethnocentrism
D)collectivism
E)cultural cringe

Question 52

The Chinese have a _____ culture because they rely heavily on situational cues for meaning when perceiving and communicating with others.

A)universalist
B)relativist
C)low-context
D)high-context
E)individualistic

Question 53

People from low-context cultures most value:

A)establishing social trust.
B)personal relations and goodwill.
C)expertise and performance.
D)agreement by general trust.
E)slow and ritualistic negotiations.

Question 54

Tracy is uncertain about entering into business negotiations before she has gotten to know her associates. She feels that trust needs to be established first. Tracy is probably from a(n) _____ culture.

A)high power distance
B)low-context
C)high-context
D)individualistic
E)collectivistic

Question 55

People from low-context cultures prefer:

A)to establish social trust first.
B)to place great value on personal relations and goodwill.
C)agreement by general trust.
D)to get down to business first.
E)slow and ritualistic negotiations.

Question 56

_____ is the ability to interpret ambiguous cross-cultural situations accurately.

A)Ethnocentrism
B)Colonial myopia
C)Cultural cringe
D)Cultural intelligence
E)Cultural monochronism

Question 57

Laura is being sent on a foreign assignment to England. She expects that negotiations there may have some problems because she has a high need for a prolonged get-acquainted period, which is counter normative in the UK. Based on this information, Laura is likely from a(n) _____ culture.

A)high power distance
B)low-context
C)high-context
D)individualistic
E)collectivistic

Question 58

People from high-context cultures prefer:

A)to get down to business first.
B)negotiations to be as efficient as possible.
C)to come to agreement by specific, legalistic contract.
D)to come to agreement by general trust.
E)expertise and performance.

Question 59

After working for her company for 25 years, Alice is being sent on a foreign assignment to Germany. She expects most negotiations there will go well since she is an expert in her field, has prepared all the documents thoroughly, and does not see the need for a prolonged get-acquainted period. She makes this assumption because she knows that Germany is ____.

A)ethnocentric
B)a low-context culture
C)a high-context culture
D)an individualistic culture
E)a collectivistic culture

Question 60

Reentry shock is a potential trouble spot in foreign assignments.

Question 61

Based on information gathered in the GLOBE project, _____ reflects the extent to which individuals should be rewarded for improvement and excellence.

A)performance orientation
B)humane orientation
C)assertiveness
D)uncertainty avoidance
E)power distance

Question 62

Glen leads a very busy life by following many schedules. He has classes that start and end at certain times, work that starts and ends at a certain time, and even his favorite television shows that start and end at certain times. This implies that Glen belongs to a _____ society.

A)high-context
B)polychronic
C)relativistic
D)monochronic
E)proximal

Question 63

_____ time refers to the belief that time is limited, precisely segmented, and schedule driven.

A)Polychronic
B)Universalistic
C)Monochronic
D)Proximal
E)Relativistic

Question 64

Shane always structures his daily events around a strict schedule. He plans for his day-to-day activities by calculating the number of days, months, hours, minutes, and even seconds required to complete them. This implies that Shane belongs to a _____ culture.

A)high-context
B)polychronic
C)relativistic
D)monochronic
E)proximal

Question 65

Arab cultures embrace a(n) _____ time perspective as they believe that time is flexible, multidimensional, and based on relationships and situations.

A)proximal
B)polychronic
C)monochronic
D)universalistic
E)relativistic

Question 66

Michelle, who is from the US, is on a foreign assignment in Mexico. She notices that her co-workers are willing to make personal sacrifices to further the organization's goals. She correctly surmises that her co-workers are from a(n) _____ culture.

A)organizational
B)low-context
C)high-context
D)individualistic
E)collectivist

Question 67

The Germans have a _____ culture where written and spoken words carry the burden of shared meanings.

A)universalistic
B)relativist
C)low-context
D)high-context
E)collectivist

Question 68

Low-context cultures tend to:

A)have a relativistic approach to language.
B)experience greater ethnocentrism.
C)have a universalistic approach to language.
D)prefer slow and ritualistic negotiations.
E)run on monochronic time.

Question 69

People from _____ cultures tend to place greater emphasis on community goals and subordinate their own wishes and goals.

A)monochronic
B)relativist
C)low-context
D)heterogeneous
E)collectivist

Question 70

Based on information gathered in the GLOBE project, _____ reflects the extent to which individuals have pride and loyalty for their family or organization.

A)uncertainty avoidance
B)in-group collectivism
C)gender egalitarianism
D)future orientation
E)performance orientation

Question 71

Reese is torn between her desire to go on vacation and her organization's desire to have her at work. She decides to take her vacation. Most likely, Reese comes from a(n) _____ culture.

A)organizational
B)low-context
C)high-context
D)individualistic
E)collectivistic

Question 72

Andrew belongs to a culture in which most people including Andrew have freedom in their economic and political pursuits. Further, this culture gives priority to Andrew's interests over the interests of the relevant social unit. Which of the following cultural dimensions is Andrew a part of?

A)Collectivism
B)Polychronism
C)Individualism
D)Traditionalism
E)Monochronism

Question 73

People in polychronic cultures view time as _____.

A)linear
B)standardized
C)precise
D)multidimensional
E)inelastic

Question 74

Based on information gathered in the GLOBE project, which of the following refers to power distance?

A)The extent to which leaders should encourage and reward loyalty to the social unit.
B)The extent to which people should rely on social norms and rules to avoid uncertainty.
C)The extent to which unequal distribution of power should be there in organizations and society.
D)The extent to which confrontational and powerful individuals should be in social relationships.
E)The extent to which people should delay gratification by planning and saving for the future.

Question 75

Based on information gathered in the GLOBE project, _____ reflects how confrontational and dominant should individuals be in social relationships.

A)power distance
B)uncertainty avoidance
C)performance orientation
D)assertiveness
E)future orientation

Question 76

People from _____ cultures emphasize personal responsibility for one's affairs.

A)proximal
B)polychronic
C)high-context
D)individualistic
E)collectivist

Question 77

Based on information gathered in the GLOBE project, _____ reflects how much effort should be put into minimizing sex discrimination and role inequalities.

A)power distance
B)uncertainty avoidance
C)gender egalitarianism
D)assertiveness
E)future orientation

Question 78

Based on information gathered in the GLOBE project, _____ reflects how much should leaders encourage and reward loyalty to the social unit, as opposed to the pursuit of individual goals.

A)uncertainty avoidance
B)assertiveness
C)future orientation
D)performance orientation
E)institutional collectivism

Question 79

Based on information gathered in the GLOBE project, which of the following refers to uncertainty avoidance?

A)The extent to which leaders should encourage and reward loyalty to the social unit.
B)The extent to which people should rely on social norms and rules to limit unpredictability.
C)The extent to which unequal distribution of power should be there in organizations and society.
D)The extent to which confrontational and dominant individuals should be in social relationships.
E)The extent to which people should delay gratification by planning and saving for the future.

Question 80

As defined by the GLOBE project, _____ reflects the extent to which society should encourage and reward people for being kind, fair, friendly, and generous.

A)performance orientation
B)humane orientation
C)assertiveness
D)uncertainty avoidance
E)power distance