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 is shared.

2. According to the text, French has emerged as the predominant common language, or lingua franca, of international business.

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

4. The religious school of thought, which extols the virtues of capitalism, is the Protestant ethic.

5. Learned behavior is the collection of values, beliefs, customs, and attitudes that distinguish a society.

6. Social structure is one of the elements of culture.

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 being communicated.

8. A high context culture is one in which the words used by the speaker explicitly convey the speaker's message to the listener.

9. Cost differentials among different cultures explain the differences in spatial arrangements and the types of office furnishings used
in different countries.

10. Cultural cluster describes a group of countries that share many cultural similarities.

11. Goal orientation is a person’s beliefs about the relative importance of the individual and the groups to which that person belongs.

12. Power orientation is the belief that people in a culture hold about the appropriateness of power and authority in hierarchies.

13. According to the text, collectivism is the belief that the group comes first.

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 by individualism.

15. Power orientation refers to the beliefs that people in a culture hold about the appropriateness of power and authority differences.

16. Power tolerant means that people in a culture tend to accept the power and authority of their supervisors simply on the basis of
the superiors’ positions in the hierarchy and to respect the superiors’ right to that power.

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’s leadership.

18. People in cultures characterized by uncertainty acceptance are stimulated by change and thrive on new opportunities.

19. Social orientation is the manner in which people are motivated to work toward different kinds of goals.
20. Organizations with elaborate rules and procedures and more rigid hierarchies will tend to prosper in cultures with uncertainty
acceptance.

INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

21. By the use of advertisements and the introduction of new management techniques, MNCs are facilitating lingua franca.

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

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.

24. Modern day telecommunication technology is one of the factors responsible for cultural convergence.

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

Multiple Choice

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

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

a. It is adaptive.
b. It is convergent.
c. It is shared.
d. Elements of culture are interrelated.
e. It reflects learned behavior.

27. The tendency to equalize the educational opportunities provided for students in the United States reflects which of the following
characteristics of culture?
a. It is convergent.
b. It reflects learned behavior.
c. It is adaptive.
d. It is shared.
e. Elements of culture are interrelated.

28. Which of the following characteristics of culture best explains the popularity of TV programs across cultures?
a. It is adaptive.
b. Elements of culture are interrelated.
c. It reflects learned behavior.
d. It is shared.
e. It is convergent.

29. The characteristic of culture that helps to define members of a society is that ______________.
a. elements of culture are interrelated
b. it is adaptive
c. it is shared
d. it is convergent
e. it reflects learned behavior

ELEMENTS OF CULTURE

30. The elements of culture do not include which of the following?

a. Communication
b. Social structure
c. Language
d. Learned behavior
e. Values and attitudes

31. Which of the following elements of culture explains the high degree of importance that is placed on individualism in the U.S.?
a. Values and attitudes
b. Social structure
c. Communication
 d. Language
e. Learned behavior

32. The ability of MNCs to hire the most qualified candidate for a job will be relatively easier in ______________.
a. societies that are highly stratified
b. societies that have low social stratification and high social mobility
c. societies with high social stratification and high social mobility
d. societies where people are not socially mobile
e. societies with low social stratification and low social mobility

33. Which of the following cultural elements does not greatly influence Japanese business practices?
a. social mobility
b. obligation
c. hierarchical structure
d. groupism
e. social harmony

34. All of the following are examples of countries that have socially mobile societies EXCEPT:
a. the United States.
b. Singapore.
c. India.
d. Canada.

35. Language as an element of culture presents the following challenges to international businesspeople except that ______________.
a. language is not only used for communication but also as a filtering device in a society
b. languages can be used to create an important competitive advantage by MNCs
c. the use of English as a lingua franca is easing communication problems
d. the presence of more than one language signals the diversity of a country's population
e. words have different meanings to persons with diverse cultural backgrounds

36. According to the text, ______________ has emerged as the predominant common language, or lingua franca, of international
business.
a. French
b. Spanish
c. Japanese
d. English
e. German
37. Which of the following about the use of English as the lingua franca of international business is not ?
a. The dominance of British economic activity in the past contributed to the emergence of English as the international
business language.
b. Only MNCs with headquarters in the English speaking world use English as the lingua franca.
c. Some MNCs have adopted English as their corporate language despite the fact that these MNCs are headquartered in
non-English speaking countries.
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 of MNCs.

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

39. Gift giving and hospitality are expressions of which of the following elements of culture?
a. Religion
b. Social structure
c. Communication
d. Negotiations
e. Shared culture

40. The religious school of thought, which extols the virtues of capitalism, is ______________.
a. Hinduism
b. the Protestant ethic
c. Islam
d. Eastern Orthodox
e. Buddhism

41. According to the text, the Protestant ethic makes a virtue of all of the following EXCEPT:
a. high savings rates.
 b. spiritual accomplishment rather than economic success.
c. constant striving for efficiency.
d. reinvestment of profits to improve future productivity.

42. In countries that strictly adhere to Islam, ______________.

a. women are restricted from contact with men in the work place
b. only foreign partners can be exploited
c. there is no support for capitalism
d. there is a rigid caste system
e. interest payments should be made promptly
43. Attitudes about time differ across cultures because ______________.
a. most cultures value hospitality
b. it has little relevance to behavior
c. of physical barriers such as distance
d. trust is more important
e. it is interrelated to other aspects of culture

44. Older individuals ______________.

a. are groomed for important assignments in the U.S.
b. are considered a virtue in the U.S.
c. make unilateral decisions within Japanese companies
d. are considered wiser and respected in certain cultures
e. tend to be favored by MNCs when negotiating with Chinese officials

45. Which of the following statements about status across cultures is not ?
a. Status affects job attitudes and performance.
b. In all countries you have to earn your status.
c. The means by which status is achieved vary across cultures.
d. Status can have an effect on the employment and hiring decisions of MNCs in host countries.
e. Status is inherited in some countries.

46. In India, status is determined by ______________.

a. gender
b. financial situation
c. height
d. age
e. caste

SEEING THE FOREST NOT THE TREES

47. ______________ culture is one in which the words used by the speaker explicitly convey the speaker’s message to the listener.
a. Low-context
b. High context
c. Low-convergent
d. High-convergent

48. Which of the following types of cultures place more importance on the specific terms of a transaction?
a. low-context culture
b. high context culture
c. low-convergent culture
d. high-convergent culture

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

a. Germany
b. United Kingdom
c. United States
d. Japan
e. Canada

50. All of the following are examples of countries with low-context cultures EXCEPT:
a. Canada.
b. the United Kingdom.
c. Saudi Arabia.
d. the United States.

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 being communicated.
a. low-context
b. high context
c. low-convergent
 d. high-convergent
e. high dissemination

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-context culture
b. low-convergent culture
c. high context culture
d. high-convergent culture
e. high dissemination

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 of cultures?
a. low-context culture
b. low-convergent culture
c. high-convergent culture
d. high context culture
e. high dissemination

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-context culture
b. high context culture
c. low-convergent culture
d. high-convergent culture
e. high dissemination

55. All of the following are examples of countries with high-context cultures EXCEPT:
a. Saudi Arabia.
b. Japan.
c. the United Kingdom.
d. Egypt.

56. The fact that many U.S. firms first export to Canada and/or the United Kingdom can be explained by ______________.
a. cultural clustering
b. the geographical proximity of the countries
c. cultural convergence
d. the exchange rate of Canadian and British currency
e. greenfield investment

57. ______________ describes a group of countries that share many cultural similarities.
a. High-context culture
b. Cultural convergence
c. Cultural cluster
d. Lingua franca
e. Low-context culture

58. The dimensions of culture identified by Hofstede include the following EXCEPT:
a. goal orientation.
b. management orientation.
c. uncertainty orientation.
d. time orientation.
e. social orientation.

59. _____________ is a person’s beliefs about the relative importance of the individual and the groups to which that person belongs.
a. Goal orientation
b. Uncertainty acceptance
c. Power respect
d. Social orientation
e. Time orientation

60. The training of individuals in the U.S. is not characterized by ______________.

a. emphasis on self-esteem of individuals
b. emphasis on personal responsibility
c. development of individual talents
d. emphasis on loyalty and harmony with others
e. training of individuals to control their own destinies

61. Which of the following types of individuals often put their own career interests before the good of their organizations?
a. individualistic people
 b. collectivist people
c. power respect people
d. power tolerant people

62. All of the following are examples of countries in which people tend to be relatively individualistic EXCEPT:
a. the United States.
b. the United Kingdom.
c. Australia.
d. Greece.
e. New Zealand.
63. According to the text, ______________ is the belief that the group comes first.
a. individualism
b. collectivism
c. power tolerance
d. power acceptance
e. time orientation

64. Group-focused societies tend to ______________.

a. train individuals to control their own destinies
b. emphasize loyalty and harmony with others
c. emphasize personal responsibility
d. encourage development of individual talents
e. emphasize self-esteem of individuals

65. Societies that tend to be ______________ are usually characterized by well-defined social networks, including extended families,
tribes, and co-workers.
a. individualistic
b. collectivistic
c. power accepting
d. power tolerant
e. long-term oriented

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 of cultures?
a. short-term oriented
b. individualistic
c. collectivistic
d. power accepting
e. power tolerant

67. All of the following are examples of countries in which people tend to be relatively collectivistic in their values EXCEPT:
a. Mexico.
b. Hong Kong.
c. New Zealand.
d. Colombia.
e. Pakistan.

68. ______________ refers to the beliefs that people in a culture hold about the appropriateness of power and authority differences.
a. Individualism
b. Uncertainty orientation
c. Power respect
d. Power orientation
e. Social orientation
69. Individuals that are more willing to question a decision made by their superiors, according to Hofstede, can be described as
______________.
a. individualistic
b. risk takers
c. power tolerant
d. uncooperative
e. uncertainty accepting

70. ______________ means that people in a culture tend to accept the power and authority of their supervisors simply on the basis of
the superiors’ positions in the hierarchy and to respect the superiors’ right to that power.
a. Uncertainty avoidance
b. Uncertainty accepting
c. Power respect
d. Power tolerant
e. Long-term orientation

71. All of the following are examples of countries in which the people tend to be power respecting EXCEPT:
a. Israel.
b. France.
c. Spain.
d. Brazil.
e. Indonesia.

72. People in ______________ cultures are willing to follow a leader when that leader is perceived to be right or when it seems to be
in their own self-interest to do so, but not because of the leader’s intangible right to issue orders.
a. uncertainty avoiding
b. uncertainty accepting
c. short-term oriented
d. power respecting
e. power tolerant

73. All of the following are examples of countries in which the people tend to be power tolerant EXCEPT:
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. uncertainty avoiding
b. uncertainty accepting
c. long-term oriented
d. power respecting
e. power tolerant

75. ______________ business cultures assume that hierarchies are developed so that everyone knows who had authority over whom.
a. Uncertainty avoiding
b. Uncertainty accepting
c. Short-term oriented
d. Power respecting
e. Power tolerant

76. In approaching a new project, ______________ cultures would first define the tasks at hand and then assemble the project team.
a. power tolerant
b. uncertainty avoiding
c. short-term oriented
d. uncertainty accepting
e. power respecting

77. In approaching a new project, _____________ cultures would first determine who would be in charge and then assess whether the
project would be feasible under that manager’s leadership.
a. power tolerant
b. uncertainty avoiding
c. uncertainty accepting
d. long-term oriented
e. power respecting

78. According to the text, ______________ is the feeling people have regarding uncertain and ambiguous situations.
a. uncertainty orientation
 b. social orientation
c. goal orientation
d. uncertainty acceptance
e. power respect

79. Which of the following orientations will suggest a culture where risk taking is valued?
a. Power orientation
b. Power acceptance
c. Uncertainty acceptance
d. Uncertainty orientation
e. Goal orientation

80. People in cultures characterized by ______________ are stimulated by change and thrive on new opportunities.
a. uncertainty avoidance
b. uncertainty acceptance
c. short-term orientation
d. power tolerance
e. power respect
81. In which of the following cultures does certainty carry with it a sense of monotony, routineness, and overbearing structure?
a. uncertainty avoidance
b. uncertainty acceptance
c. power tolerance
d. power respect
e. long-term orientation

82. All of the following are examples of countries in which people tend to be uncertainty accepting EXCEPT:
a. Denmark.
b. Sweden.
c. Canada.
d. France.
e. Australia.

83. People in cultures characterized by ______________ dislike and will avoid ambiguity whenever possible.
a. uncertainty avoidance
b. uncertainty acceptance
c. power tolerance
d. power respect
e. short-term orientation

84. Lifetime employment practices in some Japanese companies can be explained in part by which of the following tendencies in
Japanese culture?
a. Individualism
b. Uncertainty avoidance
c. Goal orientation
d. Power tolerance
e. Power respect

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 culture characterized by ______________.
a. power tolerance
b. collectivism
c. uncertainty acceptance
d. power respect
e. uncertainty avoidance

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. uncertainty avoidance
b. uncertainty acceptance
c. long-term orientation
d. power tolerance
e. power respect

87. All of the following are examples of countries in which people tend to avoid uncertainty whenever possible EXCEPT:
a. Germany.
b. Colombia.
c. Italy.
d. Austria.
e. Singapore.
88. According to the text, _____________ cultures are more tolerant of flexible hierarchies, rules, and procedures.
a. uncertainty avoiding
b. uncertainty accepting
c. collectivistic
d. individualistic
e. short-term oriented

89. ______________ is the manner in which people are motivated to work toward different kinds of goals.
a. Social orientation
b. Uncertainty acceptance
c. Power respect
d. Time orientation
e. Goal orientation

90. People who exhibit ______________ tend to place a high premium on material possessions, money, and assertiveness.
a. passive goal behavior
b. aggressive goal behavior
c. high individualism
d. high collectivism

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 of society.
a. Time orientation
b. Social orientation
c. Uncertainty acceptance
d. Power respect
e. Goal orientation

92. Which of the following countries developed the concept of quality circles?
a. Japan
b. the United States
c. the United Kingdom
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 thrift EXCEPT:
a. Germany.
b. Japan.
c. Hong Kong.
d. Taiwan.
e. South Korea.

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 and transportation.
a. Lingua franca
b. Low-context culture
c. Cultural convergence
d. Greenfield investment
e. Cultural cluster

95. By the use of advertisements and the introduction of new management techniques MNCs are facilitating ______________.
a. cultural cluster
b. lingua franca
c. cultural convergence
d. greenfield investment
e. high-context culture

96. _____________ is the unconscious use of one's own culture to judge new surroundings.
a. Self-reference criterion
b. Learned behavior
c. Convergence
d. Acculturation
e. Adaptive behavior
97. ____________ is the process by which a person understands a foreign culture and adapts or modifies behavior accordingly.
a. Acculturation
b. Communication
c. Social structure
 d. Self-reference criterion
e. Cross-cultural literacy

98. The use of the self-reference criterion will likely result in ______________.
a. an awareness that each culture should be judged on its own merit
b. the awareness that cultures are at a deeper level similar
c. judging one's environment based on one's own culture
d. behaving according to the rules of the local culture
e. an attempt to be culturally literate

99. According to the text, ______________ is the first step in acculturation.

a. social stratification
b. social mobility
c. cross-cultural literacy
d. goal orientation

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 culture is called ______________.
a. cultural convergence
b. acculturation
c. power respect
d. social orientation