Chapter 4 – The Role of

Culture

ELEMENTS OF CULTURE

1. The characteristic of culture that helps to define members of a society is that it isshared. (True)

2. Accordingtothetext,Frenchhasemergedasthepredominantcommonlanguage,orlinguafranca,ofinternationalbusiness.
(False)

3. Some researchers believe 80 to 90 percent of all information is transmitted among members of a culture by means
other than language. (True)

4. The religious school of thought, which extols the virtues of capitalism, is the Protestantethic. (True)

5. Learnedbehavioristhecollectionofvalues,beliefs,customs,andattitudesthatdistinguishasociety. (False)

6. Social structure is one of the elements ofculture. (True)

SEEING THE FOREST NOT THE TREES

7. A low-context culture is one in which the context a conversation occurs in is just as important as the words that
are actually spoken, and cultural clues are important in understanding what is beingcommunicated. (False)

8. Ahighcontextcultureisoneinwhichthewordsusedbythespeakerexplicitlyconveythespeaker'smessagetothe listener.
(False)

9. Costdifferentialsamongdifferentculturesexplainthedifferencesinspatialarrangementsandthetypesofofficefurnishing
sused in differentcountries. (False)

10. Cultural cluster describes a group of countries that share many culturalsimilarities. (True)

11. Goalorientationisaperson’sbeliefsabouttherelativeimportanceoftheindividualandthegroupstowhichthatpersonbelons.
(False)

12. Powerorientationisthebeliefthatpeopleinacultureholdabouttheappropriatenessofpowerandauthorityinhierarchies.
(True)

13. According to the text, collectivism is the belief that the group comesfirst. (True)

14. The desire to move from job to job in search of higher pay and more challenges is likely to be frowned upon in
societies characterized byindividualism. (False)

15. Powerorientationreferstothebeliefsthatpeopleinacultureholdabouttheappropriatenessofpowerandauthoritydifferenc
es. (True)

16. Power tolerant means that people in a culture tend to accept the power and authority of their supervisors simply
on the basis of thesuperiors’positionsinthehierarchyandtorespectthesuperiors’righttothatpower. (False)

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17. In approaching a new project, power respecting cultures would first determine who would be in charge and then
assess whether the project would be feasible under that manager’sleadership. (True)

18. Peopleinculturescharacterizedbyuncertaintyacceptancearestimulatedbychangeandthriveonnewopportunities.
(True)

19. Socialorientationisthemannerinwhichpeoplearemotivatedtoworktowarddifferentkindsofgoals. (False)

20. Organizations with elaborate rules and procedures and more rigid hierarchies will tend to prosper in cultures with
uncertainty acceptance. (False)

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

21. Bytheuseofadvertisementsandtheintroductionofnewmanagementtechniques,MNCsarefacilitatinglinguafranca.
(False)

22. Cultural convergence is the process by which the world's cultures are growing more similar as a result of
improvements in communication andtransportation. (True)

23. Differences in culture do not impact the decision of where to buy and sell as much as they do issues such as
interpersonal work relations. (False)

24. Modern day telecommunication technology is one of the factors responsible for culturalconvergence. (True)

25. Acculturation is the process by which companies make sure that people from different cultures are kept separate
to avoid conflict. (False)

Multiple Choice

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

26. Which of the following is not a characteristic ofculture?

a. It isadaptive.
b. It isconvergent.
c. It isshared.
d. Elements of culture areinterrelated.
e. It reflects learnedbehavior.

27. The tendency to equalize the educational opportunities provided for students in the United States reflects which of
the following characteristics ofculture?
a. It isconvergent.
b. It reflects learnedbehavior.
c. It isadaptive.
d. It isshared.
e. Elements of culture areinterrelated.

28. WhichofthefollowingcharacteristicsofculturebestexplainsthepopularityofTVprogramsacrosscultures?
a. It isadaptive.
b. Elements of culture areinterrelated.
c. It reflects learnedbehavior.
d. It isshared.
e. It isconvergent.

29. Thecharacteristicofculturethathelpstodefinemembersofasocietyisthat .
a. elements of culture areinterrelated
b. it isadaptive
c. it isshared
d. it isconvergent
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 e. it reflects learnedbehavior

ELEMENTS OF CULTURE

30. The elements of culture do not include which of thefollowing?

a. Communication
b. Socialstructure
c. Language
d. Learnedbehavior
e. Values andattitudes

31. WhichofthefollowingelementsofcultureexplainsthehighdegreeofimportancethatisplacedonindividualismintheU.S.?
a. Values andattitudes
b. Socialstructure
c. Communication
d. Language
e. Learnedbehavior

32. TheabilityofMNCstohirethemostqualifiedcandidateforajobwillberelativelyeasierin .
a. societies that are highlystratified
b. societies that have low social stratification and high socialmobility
c. societies with high social stratification and high socialmobility
d. societies where people are not sociallymobile
e. societies with low social stratification and low socialmobility

33. Which of the following cultural elements does not greatly influence Japanese businesspractices?
a. socialmobility
b. obligation
c. hierarchicalstructure
d. groupism
e. socialharmony

34. All of the following are examples of countries that have socially mobile societiesEXCEPT:
a. the UnitedStates.
b. Singapore.
c. India.
d. Canada.

35. Languageasanelementofculturepresentsthefollowingchallengestointernationalbusinesspeopleexceptthat .
a. language is not only used for communication but also as a filtering device in asociety
b. languages can be used to create an important competitive advantage byMNCs
c. the use of English as a lingua franca is easing communicationproblems
d. the presence of more than one language signals the diversity of a country'spopulation
e. words have different meanings to persons with diverse culturalbackgrounds

36. According tothetext, has emerged as the predominant common language, or lingua franca, of
international business.
a. French
b. Spanish
c. Japanese
d. English
e. German
37. WhichofthefollowingabouttheuseofEnglishasthelinguafrancaofinternationalbusinessisnot?
a. The dominance of British economic activity in the past contributed to the emergence of English as the
international businesslanguage.
b. Only MNCs with headquarters in the English speaking world use English as the linguafranca.
c. Some MNCs have adopted English as their corporate language despite the fact that these MNCs are
headquartered in non-English speakingcountries.
d. English has emerged as the predominant common language in business because of U.S.influence.
e. The widespread use of English has not solved all the communication problems ofMNCs.

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38. Someresearchersbelieve of all information is transmitted among members of a culture by means
other than language.
a. less than 10percent
b. 20 to 30percent
c. 40 to 50percent
d. 60 to 70percent
e. 80 to 90percent

39. Gift giving and hospitality are expressions of which of the following elements ofculture?
a. Religion
b. Socialstructure
c. Communication
d. Negotiations
e. Sharedculture

40. Thereligiousschoolofthought,whichextolsthevirtuesofcapitalism,is .
a. Hinduism
b. the Protestantethic
c. Islam
d. EasternOrthodox
e. Buddhism

41. According to the text, the Protestant ethic makes a virtue of all of the followingEXCEPT:
a. high savingsrates.
b. spiritual accomplishment rather than economicsuccess.
c. constant striving forefficiency.
d. reinvestment of profits to improve futureproductivity.

42. In countries that strictly adheretoIslam, .

a. women are restricted from contact with men in the workplace
b. only foreign partners can beexploited
c. there is no support forcapitalism
d. there is a rigid castesystem
e. interest payments should be madepromptly
43. Attitudesabouttimedifferacrossculturesbecause .
a. most cultures valuehospitality
b. it has little relevance tobehavior
c. of physical barriers such asdistance
d. trust is moreimportant
e. it is interrelated to other aspects ofculture

44. Olderindividuals .
a. are groomed for important assignments in theU.S.
b. are considered a virtue in theU.S.
c. makeunilateraldecisionswithinJapanesecompanies
d. areconsideredwiserandrespectedincertaincultures
e. tend to be favored by MNCs when negotiating with Chineseofficials

45. Which of the following statements about status across cultures is not?
a. Statusaffectsjobattitudesandperformance.
b. Inallcountriesyouhavetoearnyourstatus.
c. The means by which status is achieved vary acrosscultures.
d. Status can have an effect on the employment and hiring decisions of MNCs in hostcountries.
e. Status is inherited in somecountries.

46. In India, status isdeterminedby .

a. gender
b. financialsituation
c. height
d. age
e. caste

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SEEING THE FOREST NOT THE TREES

47. cultureisoneinwhichthewordsusedbythespeakerexplicitlyconveythespeaker’smessagetothe listener.

a. Low-context
b. Highcontext
c. Low-convergent
d. High-convergent

48. Whichofthefollowingtypesofculturesplacemoreimportanceonthespecifictermsofatransaction?
a. low-contextculture
b. high contextculture
c. low-convergentculture
d. high-convergentculture

49. Which of the following countries is not a low-contextculture?

a. Germany
b. UnitedKingdom
c. UnitedStates
d. Japan
e. Canada

50. All of the following are examples of countries with low-context culturesEXCEPT:
a. Canada.
b. the UnitedKingdom.
c. SaudiArabia.
d. the UnitedStates.

51. A culture is one in which the context a conversation occurs in is just as important as the words that
are actually spoken, and cultural clues are important in understanding what is beingcommunicated.
a. low-context
b. highcontext
c. low-convergent
d. high-convergent
e. highdissemination

52. Which of the following types of cultures place higher value on interpersonal relations in deciding whether to enter
into a business arrangement?
a. low-contextculture
b. low-convergentculture
c. high contextculture
d. high-convergentculture
e. highdissemination

53. Preliminary meetings are often held to determine whether the parties can trust each other and work together
comfortably in which of the following types ofcultures?
a. low-contextculture
b. low-convergentculture
c. high-convergentculture
d. high contextculture
e. highdissemination

54. In which of the following types of cultures are lawyers often present at negotiations to ensure that their clients’
interests are protected?
a. low-contextculture
b. high contextculture
c. low-convergentculture
d. high-convergentculture
e. highdissemination

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55. All of the following are examples of countries with high-context culturesEXCEPT:
a. SaudiArabia.
b. Japan.
c. the UnitedKingdom.
d. Egypt.

56. ThefactthatmanyU.S.firmsfirstexporttoCanadaand/ortheUnitedKingdomcanbeexplainedby .
a. culturalclustering
b. the geographical proximity of thecountries
c. culturalconvergence
d. the exchange rate of Canadian and Britishcurrency
e. greenfieldinvestment

57. describes a group of countries that share many culturalsimilarities.

a. High-contextculture
b. Culturalconvergence
c. Culturalcluster
d. Linguafranca
e. Low-contextculture

58. The dimensions of culture identified by Hofstede include the followingEXCEPT:

a. goalorientation.
b. managementorientation.
c. uncertaintyorientation.
d. timeorientation.
e. socialorientation.

59. isaperson’sbeliefsabouttherelativeimportanceoftheindividualandthegroupstowhichthatpersonbelongs.
a. Goalorientation
b. Uncertaintyacceptance
c. Powerrespect
d. Socialorientation
e. Timeorientation

60. ThetrainingofindividualsintheU.S.isnotcharacterizedby .
a. emphasis on self-esteem ofindividuals
b. emphasis on personalresponsibility
c. development of individualtalents
d. emphasis on loyalty and harmony withothers
e. training of individuals to control their owndestinies

61. Whichofthefollowingtypesofindividualsoftenputtheirowncareerinterestsbeforethegoodoftheirorganizations?
a. individualisticpeople
b. collectivistpeople
c. power respectpeople
d. power tolerantpeople

62. AllofthefollowingareexamplesofcountriesinwhichpeopletendtoberelativelyindividualisticEXCEPT:
a. the UnitedStates.
b. the UnitedKingdom.
c. Australia.
d. Greece.
e. NewZealand.
63. According tothetext, is the belief that the group comesfirst.
a. individualism
b. collectivism
c. powertolerance
d. poweracceptance
e. timeorientation

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64. Group-focused societiestendto .
a. train individuals to control their owndestinies
b. emphasize loyalty and harmony withothers
c. emphasize personalresponsibility
d. encourage development of individualtalents
e. emphasize self-esteem ofindividuals

65. Societies that tendtobe are usually characterized by well-defined social networks, including
extended families, tribes, andco-workers.
a. individualistic
b. collectivistic
c. poweraccepting
d. powertolerant
e. long-termoriented

66. People are expected to put the good of the group ahead of their own personal welfare, interests, or success in which
of the following types ofcultures?
a. short-termoriented
b. individualistic
c. collectivistic
d. poweraccepting
e. powertolerant

67. Allofthefollowingareexamplesofcountriesinwhichpeopletendtoberelativelycollectivisticintheirvalues EXCEPT:

a. Mexico.
b. HongKong.
c. NewZealand.
d. Colombia.
e. Pakistan.

68. referstothebeliefsthatpeopleinacultureholdabouttheappropriatenessofpowerandauthoritydifferences.
a. Individualism
b. Uncertaintyorientation
c. Powerrespect
d. Powerorientation
e. Socialorientation
69. Individuals that are more willing to question a decision madeby their superiors, according to Hofstede, can be
described as
.
a. individualistic
b. risktakers
c. powertolerant
d. uncooperative
e. uncertaintyaccepting

70. means that people in a culture tend to accept the power and authority of their supervisors simply on the basis of
thesuperiors’positionsinthehierarchyandtorespectthesuperiors’righttothatpower.
a. Uncertaintyavoidance
b. Uncertaintyaccepting
c. Powerrespect
d. Powertolerant
e. Long-termorientation

71. AllofthefollowingareexamplesofcountriesinwhichthepeopletendtobepowerrespectingEXCEPT:
a. Israel.
b. France.
c. Spain.
d. Brazil.
e. Indonesia.

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72. Peoplein cultures are willing to follow a leader when that leader is perceived to be right or when it
seems to be intheirownself-interesttodoso,butnotbecauseoftheleader’sintangiblerighttoissueorders.
a. uncertaintyavoiding
b. uncertaintyaccepting
c. short-termoriented
d. powerrespecting
e. powertolerant

73. AllofthefollowingareexamplesofcountriesinwhichthepeopletendtobepowertolerantEXCEPT:
a. Brazil.
b. Israel.
c. Denmark.
d. Ireland.
e. Norway.

74. People from cultures believe that hierarchies exist in order to solve problems and organize tasks
within organizations.
a. uncertaintyavoiding
b. uncertaintyaccepting
c. long-termoriented
d. powerrespecting
e. powertolerant

75. businessculturesassumethathierarchiesaredevelopedsothateveryoneknowswhohadauthorityoverwhom.
a. Uncertaintyavoiding
b. Uncertaintyaccepting
c. Short-termoriented
d. Powerrespecting
e. Powertolerant

76. In approaching anewproject, cultureswouldfirstdefinethetasksathandandthenassembletheprojectteam.

a. powertolerant
b. uncertaintyavoiding
c. short-termoriented
d. uncertaintyaccepting
e. powerrespecting

77. In approaching anewproject,

cultureswouldfirstdeterminewhowouldbeinchargeandthenassesswhetherthe project would be feasible under that

manager’sleadership.
a. powertolerant
b. uncertaintyavoiding
c. uncertaintyaccepting
d. long-termoriented
e. powerrespecting

78. According tothetext, is the feeling people have regarding uncertain and ambiguoussituations.
a. uncertaintyorientation
b. socialorientation
c. goalorientation
d. uncertaintyacceptance
e. powerrespect

79. Which of the following orientations will suggest a culture where risk taking isvalued?
a. Powerorientation
b. Poweracceptance
c. Uncertaintyacceptance
d. Uncertaintyorientation
e. Goalorientation

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80. People in culturescharacterizedby are stimulated by change and thrive on newopportunities.
a. uncertaintyavoidance
b. uncertaintyacceptance
c. short-termorientation
d. powertolerance
e. powerrespect
81. Inwhichofthefollowingculturesdoescertaintycarrywithitasenseofmonotony,routineness,andoverbearingstructure?
a. uncertaintyavoidance
b. uncertaintyacceptance
c. powertolerance
d. powerrespect
e. long-termorientation

82. AllofthefollowingareexamplesofcountriesinwhichpeopletendtobeuncertaintyacceptingEXCEPT:
a. Denmark.
b. Sweden.
c. Canada.
d. France.
e. Australia.

83. People in culturescharacterizedby dislike and will avoid ambiguity wheneverpossible.

a. uncertaintyavoidance
b. uncertaintyacceptance
c. powertolerance
d. powerrespect
e. short-termorientation

84. Lifetime employment practices in some Japanese companies can be explained in part by which of the following
tendencies in Japaneseculture?
a. Individualism
b. Uncertaintyavoidance
c. Goalorientation
d. Powertolerance
e. Powerrespect

85. The tendency for a multinational company to adopt more rigid hierarchies and detailed rules and procedures will
suggest that it is operating in a culturecharacterizedby .
a. powertolerance
b. collectivism
c. uncertaintyacceptance
d. powerrespect
e. uncertaintyavoidance

86. In which of the following types of cultures do people tend to prefer a structured and routine, even bureaucratic,
way of doing things?
a. uncertaintyavoidance
b. uncertaintyacceptance
c. long-termorientation
d. powertolerance
e. powerrespect

87. Allofthefollowingareexamplesofcountriesinwhichpeopletendtoavoiduncertaintywheneverpossible EXCEPT:

a. Germany.
b. Colombia.
c. Italy.
d. Austria.
e. Singapore.

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88. According tothetext, cultures are more tolerant of flexible hierarchies, rules, andprocedures.
a. uncertaintyavoiding
b. uncertaintyaccepting
c. collectivistic
d. individualistic
e. short-termoriented

89. is the manner in which people are motivated to work toward different kinds ofgoals.
a. Socialorientation
b. Uncertaintyacceptance
c. Powerrespect
d. Timeorientation
e. Goalorientation

90. Peoplewhoexhibit tend to place a high premium on material possessions, money, andassertiveness.
a. passive goalbehavior
b. aggressive goalbehavior
c. highindividualism
d. highcollectivism

91. is the extent to which members of a culture adopt a long-term versus a short-term outlook on work, life, and other
aspects ofsociety.
a. Timeorientation
b. Socialorientation
c. Uncertaintyacceptance
d. Powerrespect
e. Goalorientation

92. Which of the following countries developed the concept of qualitycircles?

a. Japan
b. the UnitedStates
c. the UnitedKingdom
d. Taiwan
e. China

93. All of the following are examples of countries that have a long-term, future orientation that values dedication, hard
work, perseverance, and thriftEXCEPT:
a. Germany.
b. Japan.
c. HongKong.
d. Taiwan.
e. SouthKorea.

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

94. is the process by which the world's cultures are growing more similar as a result of improvements in
communication andtransportation.
a. Linguafranca
b. Low-contextculture
c. Culturalconvergence
d. Greenfieldinvestment
e. Culturalcluster

95. BytheuseofadvertisementsandtheintroductionofnewmanagementtechniquesMNCsarefacilitating .
a. culturalcluster
b. linguafranca
c. culturalconvergence
d. greenfieldinvestment
e. high-contextculture

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96. is the unconscious use of one's own culture to judge newsurroundings.
a. Self-referencecriterion
b. Learnedbehavior
c. Convergence
d. Acculturation
e. Adaptivebehavior
97. istheprocessbywhichapersonunderstandsaforeigncultureandadaptsormodifiesbehavioraccordingly.
a. Acculturation
b. Communication
c. Socialstructure
d. Self-referencecriterion
e. Cross-culturalliteracy

98. Theuseoftheself-referencecriterionwilllikelyresultin .
a. an awareness that each culture should be judged on its ownmerit
b. the awareness that cultures are at a deeper levelsimilar
c. judging one's environment based on one's ownculture
d. behaving according to the rules of the localculture
e. an attempt to be culturallyliterate

99. According tothetext, is the first step inacculturation.

a. socialstratification
b. socialmobility
c. cross-culturalliteracy
d. goalorientation

100. The process by which a person not only understands a foreign culture but also modifies and adapts his or her
behavior to make it compatible with that cultureiscalled .
a. culturalconvergence
b. acculturation
c. powerrespect
d. socialorientation

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