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Q:
Studies have shown that people often have cultural biases of which they're not even consciously aware.
Q:
Members of a well-established culture tend to view their culture as complete, which can dull or even suppress curiosity about other cultures.
Q:
Most people belong to
A) only one culture.
B) only one culture at a time, but it can change over their lifetime.
C) several different cultures.
D) all culturesalthough most do not realize it.
E) no culture at all, due to increased globalization.
Q:
Cultural competency refers to
A) the ability to adjust one's communication style to accommodate cultural differences.
B) a state of being economically independent according to the standards of a particular culture.
C) the ability to speak more than one language.
D) a broad knowledge of culture, including music, art, and theatre.
E) none of the above.
Q:
When culture is fairly logical and consistent when viewed from the inside is said to be
A) incomplete.
B) stereotypical.
C) xenophobic.
D) pluralistic.
E) coherent.
Q:
________ is the practice of assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to an individual based on his or her membership in a particular culture or social group.
A) Xenophobia
B) Ethnocentrism
C) Stereotyping
D) Cultural pluralism
E) Coherency
Q:
________ is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior.
A) Attitude
B) Culture
C) Disposition
D) Preference
E) Xenophobia
Q:
________ involves the practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms.
A) Ethnocentrism
B) Cultural flexibility
C) Competency
D) Cultural pluralism
E) Cultural coherency
Q:
Ethnocentrism can be overcome in part by
A) avoiding assumptions.
B) judging other groups according to your own standards.
C) ignoring the distinctions among cultures.
D) remembering people from other cultures communicate in ways that are inferior to your own.
E) asserting the superiority of your own culture.
Q:
The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms is known as
A) ethnocentrism.
B) cultural pluralism.
C) ethnography.
D) stereotyping.
E) cultural coherency.
Q:
Xenophobia is the fear of
A) bridges.
B) unfamiliar environments.
C) foreigners.
D) change.
E) crisis.
Q:
When you react ethnocentrically, you
A) assume that your culture is superior to others.
B) accept the differences that exist between your culture and other cultures.
C) focus on the possibility that your words and actions will be misunderstood.
D) show respect for other cultures.
E) understand the long standing traditions of the other culture.
Q:
How can one learn to show respect for others and to communicate effectively in business?
A) Make basic assumptions about a culture based on past experience.
B) Judge people based on dress and actions.
C) Ignore the differences between another person's culture and your own.
D) Hold firm to beliefs and biases that have been developed.
E) Adapt your communication style to that of the new cultures you encounter.
Q:
The term ________ includes an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one's style when communicating across cultures.
A) cultural intuition
B) cultural insight
C) cultural competency
D) cultural dexterity
E) cultural coherence
Q:
How does increased diversity present challenges for the workplace?
Q:
How does intercultural communication affect cross-cultural and global business?
Q:
As it applies to the contemporary workplace, the idea of diversity is limited to issues of race and ethnicity.
Q:
Culture influences how messages are sent and received in the workplace.
Q:
The competitive advantage of a diverse workforce includes
A) lower costs.
B) limited viewpoints.
C) duplication of employee talents.
D) better identify with diverse markets.
E) fulfilling legal requirements.
Q:
Nearly 90 percent of executives claim profit and revenue would increase with improvements in
A) market share.
B) international communication skills.
C) Internet technology.
D) understand of local idioms.
E) the local talent pool
Q:
Local markets and national borders are no longer impassable barriers to business, thanks in part to
A) currency exchange rates.
B) culture.
C) transportation technologies.
D) exports.
E) better international communication skills.
Q:
Every attempt to send or receive a message is influenced by
A) word choice.
B) diversity.
C) written communication skills.
D) verbal communication skills.
E) culture.
Q:
Many difficulties in intercultural communication occur because people in different cultures have different
A) genetics.
B) assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate.
C) environments.
D) media.
E) views, but similar core values.
Q:
As businesses become more global, the workforce increasingly consists of employees with ________ national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
A) similar
B) identical
C) diverse
D) triangulated
E) mixed
Q:
In today's global business world, communication and culture
A) are not closely related and are rarely important to business communication.
B) are so closely related that separating the two is virtually impossible.
C) have become irrelevant since the advent of the Internet and the rise of social media.
D) present challenges that can be overcome simply by learning your audience's language.
E) have minimal effect on how business is conducted in the U.S.
Q:
Within three decades, the majority of the U.S. population will be made up of
A) workers under the age of 40.
B) non English speakers.
C) Caucasians.
D) immigrants.
E) minorities.
Q:
The key to cross-cultural and global business is
A) recognizing cultural biases.
B) increased exports.
C) cross cultural training.
D) a diverse workforce.
E) effective communication.
Q:
Of the top 10 export markets for U.S. products, ________ percent have English as an official language.
A) 2
B) 7
C) 15
D) 22
E) 30
Q:
Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds
A) don't include verbal and/or nonverbal signs.
B) don't include a common language but do include common nonverbal customs.
C) could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently.
D) allow them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signals in identical ways.
E) tie them to a particular ethnic group in their local community.
Q:
Intercultural communication can challenge supervisors in all of the following ways except
A) connecting on an interpersonal level with diverse employees.
B) providing motivation to diverse employees.
C) getting a limited range of views and ideas from diverse employees.
D) fostering cooperation among diverse employees.
E) promoting harmony within the group of diverse employees
Q:
"All the characteristics and experiences that define each of us as individuals" is the definition of
A) ethnicity.
B) diversity.
C) culture.
D) pluralism.
E) life experience.
Q:
When doing business in other cultures, what are some strategies you can use to promote effective intercultural communication?
Q:
A new employee who speaks English as a second language has just joined the design team you lead. You notice that she often looks confused during conversations. Describe at least three useful strategies for this situation.
Q:
Briefly describe at least three strategies for writing effective multicultural messages.
Q:
In intercultural conversations, speaking slowly is usually regarded as a sign of disrespect.
Q:
Because high-quality translation software is now widely available, the demand for multilingual communicators continues to decrease.
Q:
Mobile devices can help you learn another language or communicate with someone who doesn't speak your language.
Q:
Citing numbers and dates
A) does not differ among cultures.
B) differs slightly among cultures, but is consistent among all that are low-context.
C) varies so widely among cultures that it is impossible to accommodate expectations.
D) should be done carefully when communicating with audiences from other cultures.
E) should always follow European style, unless you are communicating with others in the U.S.
Q:
When writing to audiences whose first language is not English, using plenty of transitions
A) will help your readers follow your train of thought.
B) is insulting, since it will seem that you are talking down to them.
C) will confuse readers, since it will make your message longer.
D) is useful only if your readers belong to a high-context culture.
E) should be avoided, since it will make your writing sound simple and unsophisticated.
Q:
In conversations with others whose first language is not English, you should
A) not interrupt, even if you do not understand or need to correct a misconception.
B) refuse to speak unless a translator is present.
C) warn them up front that, because of language differences, nothing you say should be taken as contractual or binding.
D) use exaggerated facial expressions and hand gestures to make sure your point gets across.
E) always demand that a witness be present.
Q:
In conversations with a nonnative English speaker with whom you have a longstanding business relationship, you notice that he consistently makes language mistakes that could hurt his credibility. In response, you should
A) ignore the errors because correcting him could compromise your business interactions.
B) interrupt him and point out the errors, then explain that no one will take him seriously unless he learns to speak correctly.
C) politely offer advice on the appropriate words and phrases to use.
D) imitate the errors yourself in the hope that he will recognize the need to correct them.
E) encourage him to watch news programs and model his speech patterns after the newscasters.
Q:
The phrase ________ refers to dedicated software and online services that offer various forms of automated translation.
A) machine interpolation
B) digital interpretation
C) online transcription devices
D) computerized translation tools
E) idiomatic translation tools
Q:
As used in everyday language, ________ mean more than the sum of their literal parts, so they cannot be taken literally.
A) noun clauses
B) prepositional phrases
C) idiomatic phrases
D) adverbial clauses
E) transitions
Q:
If you translate a written message from English into another language, it is a good idea to
A) translate it word for word.
B) have it back-translated.
C) use several translators.
D) rely on internet translators alone, since human translators cannot match their accuracy.
E) use an interpreter.
Q:
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) asking for clarification so you don't offend them.
E) adjusting your conversational style.
Q:
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) write everything down before you say it and show it to the other person as you speak.
E) use exaggerated physical gestures.
Q:
When speaking in English to people who use English as a second language, the best approach is to
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.
E) limit your sentences to no more than 5 words each.
Q:
To English-speaking U.S. listeners, routine Arabic speech may sound
A) excited or angry.
B) disinterested.
C) timid.
D) excessively soft.
E) musical.
Q:
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.
E) These products are all quite popular.
Q:
When writing to audiences whose first language is not English, using humor is generally
A) a bad idea, since jokes usually depend on culture-specific information.
B) an excellent way to establish a positive relationship.
C) acceptable, but only in high-context cultures.
D) acceptable, but only in low-context cultures.
E) a good way to establish rapport, but only if you use ethnocentric jokes.
Q:
When preparing a message to someone from another culture, you should
A) never write more than a single paragraph.
B) assume 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.
E) use only simple sentences.
Q:
When writing 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.
E) include humor and pop-culture references throughout the document.
Q:
When writing for multicultural audiences, it's important to
A) be brief.
B) be direct and assertive.
C) address international correspondence exactly as you would in the United States.
D) explain that you aren't sure about what they expect.
E) apologize in advance for any mistakes.
Q:
In general, business correspondence in other countries is often ________ than that written used by U.S. businesspeople.
A) less formal
B) more formal
C) more humorous
D) less direct
E) better illustrated
Q:
Written messages from Japanese businesspeople tend to be ________ than those written in the United States.
A) more direct
B) less direct
C) less interesting
D) shorter
E) better illustrated
Q:
If you will be living in another country where English is not the official language and 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 necessary for getting around.
C) can show respect by making an effort to learn the language.
D) should only deal with natives who can speak English.
E) should have a translator be present for all conversations.
Q:
Learning about an unfamiliar culture
A) can be accomplished only by living among its people.
B) is generally a waste of time since no one in business expects you to do so.
C) is a worthy undertaking, even if you learn only a small amount.
D) requires at least one year of study before it is meaningful.
E) is a bad idea, since it usually leads to overconfidence and embarrassing mistakes.
Q:
How can one adapt to a new business culture?
Q:
When communicating with people from other cultures, it is best to apologize when you make a mistake.
Q:
When adapting to business cultures, a sense of humor
A) is inappropriate and unprofessional"business is no laughing matter.
B) can help people move past awkward and embarrassing moments.
C) is helpful unless you are in a management or executive position.
D) is accepted and helpful in many cultures, but not in the U.S.
E) will not help, since humor does not transfer from one culture to another.
Q:
Business communicators can improve their cultural competency by
A) becoming aware of their own biases.
B) becoming more rigid and less flexible.
C) avoiding humor.
D) apply the Golden Rule wherever possible.
E) avoid working with those from tradition bound cultures.
Q:
In the United States, the communication style tends to be
A) abbreviated because of instant messaging.
B) indirect.
C) focused on social relationships instead of business.
D) focused on group harmony.
E) focused on content and transaction.
Q:
In the United States, businesses value time and schedules that promote
A) flextime.
B) meetings starting and ending at designated times.
C) that ability to walk in and out of meetings at will.
D) the need to multitask during meetings.
E) the need to improve teamwork functions during meetings.
Q:
In the United States, companies most often reward and promote an employee based on
A) group success.
B) equality.
C) individualism.
D) consensus.
E) seniority.
Q:
To help improve cultural competency, organizations should
A) be respectful of core principles of any country, organization or culture.
B) follow the tenets of the Golden Rule.
C) adjust policies and procedure for each country where business is conducted.
D) promote individualism within the organization.
E) conduct all important communication in writing.
Q:
Successful intercultural communication requires an ability to understand the other party's culture in addition to
A) learning key words and phrases from that culture.
B) working to promote group harmony.
C) following strict rules of verbal communication.
D) using the same approach to communication consistently.
E) understanding how your own culture shapes the way you communicate.
Q:
When adapting to other cultures, the "Golden Rule" is
A) a helpful principle to follow.
B) less effective than treating others the way they want to be treated.
C) helpful, but only in Asian countries.
D) helpful only when dealing with others in their "golden" years.
E) an exercise in tolerance.
Q:
Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture, and provide at least one example of each difference.
Q:
List at least three types of nonverbal differences might you encounter when working with businesspeople from other cultures. Provide at least one example of how these differences might cause misunderstandings in communication.
Q:
While working in a country with a high-context culture, you schedule a meeting with a vendor who lives there. When he shows up 20 minutes after the meeting was supposed to begin, should you take it as a sign of incompetence or disrespect? Explain.
Q:
Since cultures do not always share the same perspectives on ethical issues, how can you keep messages ethical during intercultural communication?
Q:
Today's workplace includes the members of four generations: the Radio Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y. What challenges does the composition of the contemporary workforce pose for on-the-job communication?
Q:
Cultural context refers to the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture.
Q:
As a rule, your colleagues and customers around the world will use the same communication tools that you use.
Q:
Openness and inclusiveness
A) are not characteristics of many cultures, whose members display a general unwillingness to accommodate outsiders.
B) characterize all cultures, wherever they are found.
C) are not truly characteristic of any culture, although some try to claim them.
D) are typical only of small, dying cultures.
E) will eventually weaken and destroy any culture.
Q:
Ability differences among employees and customers
A) have led many companies to make websites more accommodating to persons with disabilities.
B) disappear when those individuals enter the workplace.
C) rarely affect their use of the internet and digital communication technology.
D) are impossible to accommodate when it comes to web accessibility.
E) none of the above.
Q:
List at least three examples of online etiquette.
Q:
Identify and discuss five tips that can help you use the phone confidently and professionally.
Q:
While having lunch with a client, what should you do with the business papers you brought to discuss? Why?
Q:
During a meeting with coworkers, your mobile phone rings. Should you answer it? Why or why not?