Chapter 3
Communicating in a World of Diversity
Multiple Choice
1. “All the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals” is the definition of
a. ethnicity
b. diversity
c. culture
d. none of the above
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
2. Of the top ten export markets for U.S. products, ______have English as an
official language.
a. all
b. none
c. fewer than 5
d. more than 7
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
3. By 2010, recent immigrants will account for ______percent of all new U.S. workers.
a. 10
b. 25
c. 50
d. 75
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 73; TYPE: concept
4. Culture influences a person’s understanding of
a. words.
b. nonverbal signals.
c. use of time and space.
d. all of the above.
ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 74; TYPE: application
5. Many difficulties in intercultural communication occur because people in different cultures have different
a. genetics.
b. rules for acceptable behavior.
c. environments.
d. media.
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 74; TYPE: concept
6. When you react ethnocentrically, you
a. assume that your culture is superior to others.
b. recognize the differences that exist between your culture and other
cultures.
c. focus on the possibility that your words and actions will be misunderstood.
d. do all of the above.
ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
7. Xenophobia is a fear of
a. crises.
b. working in unfamiliar environments.
c. strangers and foreigners.
d. change.
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
8. The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms is known as
a. ethnocentrism.
b. cultural pluralism.
c. ethnography.
d. stereotyping.
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
9. One step toward overcoming ethnocentrism is
a. avoiding assumptions.
b. judging other groups according to your own standards.
c. ignoring the distinctions among cultures.
d. remembering that people from other cultures communicate in ways that are inferior to your own.
ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
10. Cultural differences appear in a number of important areas including
a. nonverbal signals
b. gender
c. religion
d. all of the above
ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 76; TYPE: concept
11. In high-context cultures
a. people rely more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental
setting to convey meaning.
b. people rely less on the environmental setting to convey meaning.
c. the rules of everyday life are highly explicit.
d. all of the above occur.
ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 76; TYPE: concept
12. To convey meaning in a low-context culture such as the one existing in Germany, people rely more on
a. gestures and vocal inflection.
b. indirectness and metaphors.
c. situational cues.
d. explicit verbal communication.
ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 77; TYPE: concept
13. When it comes to decision-making customs, executives from low-context cultures
a. tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face.
b. prefer to make their deals slowly, after much discussion.
c. spend a lot of time on each little point to display their good faith.
d. arrive at decisions through consensus, after an elaborate and time- consuming process.
ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 77; TYPE: concept
14. If a U.S.-based official pays a bribe to government officials in another country, it is
a. always considered a normal part of doing business.
b. considered unethical but not illegal to do so.
c. illegal, under U.S. law.
d. only unethical if the bribe is over $10,000.
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78; TYPE: application
15. People in the United States generally
a. view hard-earned material comfort as a worthy goal.
b. believe that people who work hard are no better than those who don't work hard.
c. condemn materialism and prize a carefree lifestyle.
d. spend far less time on the job than German workers.
ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78; TYPE: concept
16. Each year, U.S. employees tend to work ______employees in Germany and Norway.
a. fewer hours than
b. more hours than
c. about the same number of hours as
d. None of the above.
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 79; TYPE: concept
17. Asking a colleague “How was your weekend?” is
a. an effective greeting in any culture.
b. accepted in the U.S., but considered intrusive in some cultures.
c. never acceptable in a business environment.
d. grounds for a lawsuit.
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 79; TYPE: concept
18. Meeting a deadline is generally less important than building a relationship for businesspeople from
a. the United States.
b. Scandinavia.
c. Taiwan.
d. Germany.
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 79; TYPE: application
19. When it comes to nonverbal communication, cultural differences
a. can influence greetings, but little else.
b. are not important.
c. can significantly alter expectations regarding eye contact.
d. do not affect norms of personal space.
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 79-80; TYPE: concept
20. To learn as much as you can about a culture
a. read books and articles about the culture.
b. sample newspapers, magazines, music, and movies of that culture.
c. study the languages of the culture.
d. do all of the above.
ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 84; TYPE: concept
21. If you will be living in another country where English is not the official language but you will be doing business in English, you
a. will not need to learn that country’s language.
b. should learn only those words that are absolutely necessary for getting around.
c. will show respect by making every effort to learn the language.
d. should only deal with natives who can speak English.
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 84; TYPE: concept
22. Letters from Japanese businesspeople tend to be ______than those
written in the United States.
a. more direct.
b. less direct.
c. less interesting.
d. shorter.
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 86; TYPE: concept
23. German business letters often close with
a. a joke.
b. a compliment to the recipient.
c. a question.
d. none of the above.
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 86; TYPE: application
24. When writing for multicultural audiences, it’s important to
a. use simple, precise language.
b. be clear.
c. address international correspondence properly.
d. do all of the above.
ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
25. When writing letters to businesspeople in other countries, you should
a. use an informal, friendly tone.
b. keep your sentences and paragraphs long.
c. be vague and general in your wording.
d. make generous use of transitional words and phrases.
ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
26. When preparing a message to someone from another culture, you should
a. avoid simple language since it may insult them.
b. assume that the audience is familiar with common U.S. phrases and references.
c. be sure to remove all graphics, in case they might offend someone.
d. be careful to express numbers and dates in the format used in that person’s culture.
ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
27. Which of the following sentences contains an idiomatic expression?
a. Our monthly sales quota is unrealistic.
b. We don’t expect to meet our monthly sales quota.
c. Making our monthly sales quota will be a piece of cake.
d. The sales quota is very reasonable.
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: application
28. When speaking in English to people who use English as a second language,
you should
a. forget about feedback; just make sure you get your message across.
b. repeat your sentences often, a little louder each time.
c. speak slowly and clearly.
d. use plenty of adjectives such as fantastic and fabulous.
ANSWER: c; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
29. During conversations with non-native English speakers, you should
a. immediately rephrase statements they don’t seem to understand.
b. avoid paying too much attention to nonverbal feedback.
c. avoid including any words or phrases from their native language.
d. do none of the above.
ANSWER: d; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
30. When speaking with someone from another culture, avoid
a. talking down to the other person.
b. using any foreign phrases.
c. paying any attention to the person’s body language.
d. all of the above.
ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
31. To English-speaking U.S. listeners, regular Arabic speech may sound
a. excited or angry.
b. disinterested.
c. timid.
d. all of the above.
ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 88; TYPE: concept
32. When you deal with people who don't speak your language at all, you have three appropriate options, including
a. using an interpreter or a translator.
b. using gestures and sign language.
c. speaking loudly and enunciating clearly.
d. using an English-only policy.
ANSWER: a; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 89; TYPE: concept
33. Regardless of their nationality, most customers expect to be addressed in
a. English.
b. their native language.
c. a combination of English and their native language.
d. none of the above
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 89; TYPE: concept
34. If you have a business message translated from English into another language, it is a good idea to
a. have it translated word for word.
b. have it back-translated.
c. use several translators.
d. do all of the above.
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 89-90; TYPE: concept
35. Machine translations are usually ______those produced by human
translators.
a. more accurate than
b. less accurate than
c. just as accurate as
d. more costly than
ANSWER: b; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 90; TYPE: concept
True or False
36. Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages within a specific culture.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
37. International business communication has been hampered by tightening trade barriers throughout the world.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
38. Although U.S. business is becoming more international and more culturally diverse, intercultural skills are still low on the list of companies’ employee requirements.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
39. A group of men and women of various ages working together is an example of cultural diversity.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
40. By 2010, recent immigrants will account for half of all new U.S. workers.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 73; TYPE: concept
41. People within a particular culture tend to differ greatly in their basic assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 74; TYPE: concept
42. Culture is inborn.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 74; TYPE: concept
43. Members of a well-established culture tend to view their culture as complete, which can dull or even suppress curiosity about other cultures.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
44. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to have an equally unbiased view of all ethnic groups.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
45. When ethnocentric people stereotype an entire group of people, they are usually justified in doing so.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
46. To overcome ethnocentrism, you should ignore the differences between another person’s culture and your own.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
47. Studies have shown that people often have cultural biases of which they’re not even consciously aware.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
48. Cultural context refers to the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 76; TYPE: concept
49. Because the United States and Germany have such high-context cultures, they rely heavily on verbal communication and less on implied meaning.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 76; TYPE: concept
50. For Chinese businesspersons, the primary role of communication is building relationships, not exchanging information.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 76-77; TYPE: concept
51. In low-context cultures, businesspeople tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 77; TYPE: concept
52. Regardless of the country in which you’re doing business, a person suspected of a crime is considered innocent until proven guilty.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78; TYPE: concept
53. All the industrialized nations have signed a treaty that makes payoffs to foreign officials a criminal offense.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78; TYPE: concept
54. In every culture, it’s safe to assume that people view material comforts earned by individual effort as a sign of superiority.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78; TYPE: concept
55. In some cultures, it is impolite to ask a colleague “How was your weekend?”
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 79; TYPE: concept
56. On average, U.S. employees work many more hours per year than their counterparts in France and Germany.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 79; TYPE: concept
57. Differences in nonverbal communication are often a major source of misunderstanding in intercultural communication.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 79; TYPE: concept
58. In any culture, frequent eye contact is regarded as a sign of honesty and openness.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 80; TYPE: concept
59. Studies show that in all cultures, men and women tend to have different communication styles.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 81; TYPE: concept
60. When you’re preparing to do business in another culture, even studying that culture in advance won’t help you communicate more effectively.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 83-84; TYPE: concept
61. When communicating with people from other cultures, it is best to apologize when you make a mistake.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 84; TYPE: concept
62. Many companies now routinely provide employees with training in languages other than English.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 84; TYPE: concept
63. There are few important differences between English as it is spoken in the U.S. and English as it is spoken in the United Kingdom.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 84; TYPE: concept
64. Swedish business culture values direct communication as a sign of efficiency, but discourages heated debates and confrontations.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 86; TYPE: concept
65. Unlike most Asian professionals, French executives do not soften up their colleagues with praise before they criticize.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 86; TYPE: concept
66. American and German businesspeople use the same level of formality in writing business messages.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 86; TYPE: concept
67. In general, when writing to someone in another country, U.S. businesspeople should be a bit more formal than they would be otherwise.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 86; TYPE: concept
68. When writing to someone for whom English is a second language, you should avoid using slang and idioms.
ANSWER: T; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
69. In intercultural conversations, speaking slowly is usually regarded as a sign of disrespect.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
70. Machine translation software is generally far more effective than human translators.
ANSWER: F; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 90; TYPE: concept
Fill-in-the-Blank
71. The process of sending and receiving messages between people of different cultures is called ______.
ANSWER: intercultural communication; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
72. As businesses become more global, the workforce is increasingly ______, made up of employees with different national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
ANSWER: diverse; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
73. By 2010, recent______will account for half of all new U.S. workers.
ANSWER: immigrants; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 73; TYPE: concept
74. ______is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior.
ANSWER: Culture; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 74; TYPE: concept
75. ______is the tendency to judge all other groups according to your own group’s standards, behaviors, and customs.
ANSWER: Ethnocentrism; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
76. ______is a fear of strangers and foreigners.
ANSWER: Xenophobia; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
77. Cultural ______is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the same culture.
ANSWER: context; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 76; TYPE: concept
78. In a ______culture such as exists in Taiwan, people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning.
ANSWER: high-context; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 76; TYPE: concept
79. In a ______culture such as exists in Germany, people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied meaning.
ANSWER: low-context; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 77; TYPE: concept
80. Whether called a huilu (China), vzyatka (Russia), or una mordida (Mexico), money paid to get favors from officials is still a ______.
ANSWER: bribe; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78; TYPE: concept
81. ______rules vary from culture to culture in areas such as attitudes toward work and success, use of manners, and concepts of time.
ANSWER: Social; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 78; TYPE: concept
82. Differences in ______, such as gestures and eye contact, are a major source of misunderstanding during intercultural communications.
ANSWER: nonverbal communication; DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 79-80; TYPE: concept
83. Evidence suggests that men tend to emphasize content in their communication efforts whereas women prioritize ______maintenance.
ANSWER: relationship; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 81; TYPE: concept
84. When preparing messages for multicultural audiences, it is best to avoid slang and ______phrases such as “Off the top of my head.”
ANSWER: idiomatic; DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 87; TYPE: concept
85. ______refers to any form of computerized intelligence used to translate one language to another.
ANSWER: Machine translation; DIFFICULTY: difficult; PAGE: 90; TYPE: concept
Short Answer
86. Briefly describe at least three advantages of a multicultural workforce.
ANSWER: A culturally diverse workforce yields a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas. It also helps companies understand and identify with diverse markets and enables organizations to benefit from a wider range of employee talents.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 72; TYPE: concept
87. What is a culture?
ANSWER: A culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior.
DIFFICULTY: easy; PAGE: 74; TYPE: concept
88. What is ethnocentrism, and how can it be overcome?
ANSWER: Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to one’s own group’s standards, behaviors, and customs and to see all other groups as inferior by comparison. You can overcome ethnocentrism by acknowledging distinctions and by avoiding assumptions and judgments.
DIFFICULTY: moderate; PAGE: 75; TYPE: concept
89. Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture, and provide at least one example of each.